[Harshavarthan]

Originally Posted by ampere

@Harsh,

- Do you mean to say its better to take Sivaganga-Ilayangudi-Peramagudi instead of going to Manamadurai.

Yes. Sivagangai - Manamadurai Road is in very bad shape.

Originally Posted by ampere

- Secondly how do you do Trichy - Adiramattinam? I thought it has to go via Vallam. Do you mean to say one should drive to Tanjore by-pass and then take the Tanjore-Nattam road instead of directly driving from Vallam to Nattam

Yes. A right turn from Thanjavur bypass will lead to Pattukottai and i think this is the ideal route. Not sure about Vallam - Nattam road and so cant comment but when comparing with a 4 Lane road, it will not save much time.

Originally Posted by ampere

- Traffic on Trichy-Tanjore is that high that a 4L cant withstand? I thought about 40 minutes should be more than sufficient to arrive at the by-pass. Do let me know since I am not aware of the recent status.

Two, three and four wheeler traffic will be high for the initial 15 kms till Thuvakudi or BHEL. After that you can comfortable cruise at triple digit speeds. And yes, this stretch can be done in 40 - 45 min.

[narayans80]

Why Rameshwaram-Munnar and Munnar back to Madurai ? You can visit Madurai on the way and return to Madras directly from Munnar.

[skdking]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Why Rameshwaram-Munnar and Munnar back to Madurai ? You can visit Madurai on the way and return to Madras directly from Munnar.

How much time does it take at Meenakshi temple, in mornings?

If it does not take much time I will plan for only a brief stop at Madurai on the way to Munnar as you have suggested.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by skdking

How much time does it take at Meenakshi temple, in mornings?

If you can visit the temple at 5am, you can do it in an hour. Otherwise, 2-3 hrs easy. Also Madurai traffic is a big mess. Getting in and out of the city will lose you a lot of time. Also parking near the temple is a major hassle. The best way would be to stay overnight at Madurai, see the temple and leave the city before 8-9am. Its better to avoid Friday, Saturday and Sundays. It took us 75-90 min when we went to the temple in the evening on a Wednesday.

Maybe you can plan Madurai stay on Day 1, Trichy-Madurai outskirts will take like 90 min.

[skdking]

Originally Posted by narayans80

If you can visit the temple at 5am, you can do it in an hour. Otherwise, 2-3 hrs easy. Also Madurai traffic is a big mess. Getting in and out of the city will lose you a lot of time. Also parking near the temple is a major hassle. The best way would be to stay overnight at Madurai, see the temple and leave the city before 8-9am. Its better to avoid Friday, Saturday and Sundays. It took us 75-90 min when we went to the temple in the evening on a Wednesday.

Maybe you can plan Madurai stay on Day 1, Trichy-Madurai outskirts will take like 90 min.

You are right. And thanks for pointing the alternative to me.

I have now almost finalised my itinerary: -

20 Mar (Tu)
Chennai (0600 hr) to Madurai (1400 hr) - 467 Km
Visit the temple the same day. Night at Madurai.

21 Mar (We)
Madurai (0700 hr) to Rameshwaram (1000 hr) - 168 Km
Night at Rameshwaram.

22 Mar (Th)
Rameshwaram (0600 hr) to Munnar (1300 hr) - 320 Km
Night at Munnar.

23 Mar (Fr)
Munnar sightseeing
Night at Munnar.

24 Mar (Sa)
Munnar sightseeing
Night at Munnar.

25 Mar (Su)
Munnar (0700 hr) to Chennai (1800 hr) - 584 Km

Is it doable at leisurely pace? Please send your suggestions. After finalising the itinerary I will start troubling everyone with my queries in a truly irritating manner.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by skdking

22 Mar (Th)
Rameshwaram (0700 hr) to Munnar (1200 hr) - 320 Km
Night at Munnar.

This you may need to check. Add an hour and half at max for ghats (~50km).
The rest of the distance on 2L roads. So I am not sure if you can do this in 5 hours.
7 hours with breaks would be realistic.

Rest of the distances whenever on 4L can be easily possible.

While coming from Munnar, instead of Madurai (if you had planned that way), use the Dindigul route. Even Dindigul-Trichy is now 4L.

Munar-Body-Theni-Dindigul-Trichy-Madras.

[Marlon]

Originally Posted by skdking

22 Mar (Th)
Rameshwaram (0600 hr) to Munnar (1300 hr) - 320 Km
Night at Munnar.

.

Which route would you be taking for Rameshwaram to Munnar ?

Theni - Munnar alone would take close to 3 hours at a leisurely place. Steep ghats with lot of hair pin bends.

[skdking]

Originally Posted by Marlon

Which route would you be taking for Rameshwaram to Munnar ?

Theni - Munnar alone would take close to 3 hours at a leisurely place. Steep ghats with lot of hair pin bends.

I have planned for seven hours, and not five, journey now.

For going to Munnar from Rameshwaram I plan to take Madurai-Theni-Bodi route. From Bodi to Munnar I plan to go via Popparai and not Suryanelli. Is it OK?

Any pointers for avoiding Madurai traffic by bypassing it are solicited.

Similarly for Che - Madurai leg any pointers for avoiding Trichy traffic by bypassing it are solicited.

[Marlon]

Originally Posted by skdking

I have planned for seven hours, and not five, journey now.

For going to Munnar from Rameshwaram I plan to take Madurai-Theni-Bodi route. From Bodi to Munnar I plan to go via Popparai and not Suryanelli. Is it OK?

Any pointers for avoiding Madurai traffic by bypassing it are solicited.

Similarly for Che - Madurai leg any pointers for avoiding Trichy traffic by bypassing it are solicited.

If you can plan to leave by 4 am instead of 6 am as planned from Chennai, then most of the traffic could be bypassed.

Roads are good so you can stop at Trichy for breakfast.

[Harshavarthan]

Chennai to Madurai should take around 6 - 7 hours at max (not including the lunch breaks) even if you cruise at 80-90 km/h. Crossing Trichy is not at all an issue as you will be going through the bypass and so not necessary to plan the timings. You may hardly save 10 min if you cross during non traffic hours. Madurai to Rameswaram is another 3 hrs drive without breaks. And you cannot bypass Madurai traffic on your way back to Munnar. Might take one hour to cross if you are new to Madurai.

On day 1 while you start from Chennai, you can plan your breakfast in Villupuram and lunch in Madurai.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by skdking

20 Mar (Tu)
Chennai (0600 hr) to Madurai (1400 hr) - 467 Km
Visit the temple the same day. Night at Madurai.

21 Mar (We)
Madurai (0700 hr) to Rameshwaram (1000 hr) - 168 Km
Night at Rameshwaram.

22 Mar (Th)
Rameshwaram (0600 hr) to Munnar (1300 hr) - 320 Km
Night at Munnar.

I'd do it this way:

20 Mar (Tu)
Chennai (0600 hr) to Rameswaram (1800 hr) - 600ish Km
Stay, visit the temple. Even if you are doing the 'well' ritual you'll be done by noon next day. Are you planning to visit the temples around Rameswaram ?


21 Mar (We)
Rameswaram (1400 hr) to Madurai (1800 hr) - 178 Km
Ideally you should be able to leave earlier than that. Park your car at the hotel, take an auto and see the temple. You should be able to visit the temple in under 2 hrs.

22 Mar (Th)
Rameshwaram (0700 hr) to Munnar (1700 hr) - 170 Km (via Theni)
Should be more than enough !! I did Theni-Munnar (81 km) at a lazy 5 hrs. So even if you leave late like 8-830 you should be comfortable. After all hill stations visits is all about relaxing isnt it ?

25 Mar (Su)
Munnar (0700 hr) to Chennai (2100 hr) - 600ish Km via Udumalpet, Palani, Dindigul, Trichy
Just giving more time for the descent, places to visit on the Udumalpet route. Don't land in peak weekend traffic on your return. The last thing you want to do on a holiday is drive in peak city traffic on return. My timings for the return were 1100 - 0230 next day. I lost an hour or so in Trichy and spent an hour for dinner there.

[ramanan.skr]

My suggestion would be to spend more time in Munnar. Rameswaram/Madurai should be very hot by the end of March, worst than Madras.

Day 1 : Chennai (4AM) - Rameswaram(2PM) {Early start is the key factor here}
Day 1 : Rameswaram Temple visit between 3PM & 4:30PM as temple opens at 3 PM
Day 1 : Rameswaram (5PM) - Madurai(10PM) - Stay at Madurai
Day 2 : Madurai - Early morning darshan at Meenakshi temple
Day 2 : Madurai (9AM) - Munnar(5PM)
Day 3/4/5 : Munnar(Switch to Lazy mode & enjoy the time there)
Day 6 : Munnar (8 AM) - Chennai(8PM)

Preferably, Day 6 to be not falling on Sunday as the entire Tamilnadu will be traveling back to Chennai on any Sunday.

It worked out for me on my Chennai - Rameswaram - Madurai - Chennai trip, last March.
However, if you are traveling with aged/children, then this plan will never work out.

[skdking]

Originally Posted by narayans80

I'd do it this way:

20 Mar (Tu)

21 Mar (We)

22 Mar (Th)
Madurai (0700 hr) to Munnar (1700 hr) - 170 Km (via Theni)
Should be more than enough !! I did Theni-Munnar (81 km) at a lazy 5 hrs. So even if you leave late like 8-830 you should be comfortable. After all hill stations visits is all about relaxing isnt it ?

25 Mar (Su)
Munnar (0700 hr) to Chennai (2100 hr) - 600ish Km via Udumalpet, Palani, Dindigul, Trichy
Just giving more time for the descent, places to visit on the Udumalpet route. Don't land in peak weekend traffic on your return. The last thing you want to do on a holiday is drive in peak city traffic on return. My timings for the return were 1100 - 0230 next day. I lost an hour or so in Trichy and spent an hour for dinner there.

Thanks a lot.

I think I SHOULD plan for seven hours for Madurai - Munnar leg.

While returning, during Munnar - Chennai leg, should I expect to take 14 hours i.e. seven for Munnar - Madurai and seven for Madurai - Chennai?

Or is the route via Udumalpet better then the route via Theni? Could you give a breakup of the route with the likely journey time?

[skdking]

Originally Posted by ampere

I think he took the following:

Chennai-Trichy-Tanjore-Adirampattinam-Thondi-Ramnad-Rameshwaram.

(Tanjore because he wanted to visit Tanjore).
If you dont plan, you can continue directly from the Trichy-Tanjore highway (without entering Tanjore).

Here is the route : link

Hey,

I want to add a link to a Google map route like you have done but do not know how to do it.

Can you give a hint please?

Oops. Sorry for the double post.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by skdking

While returning, during Munnar - Chennai leg, should I expect to take 14 hours i.e. seven for Munnar - Madurai and seven for Madurai - Chennai?

Or is the route via Udumalpet better then the route via Theni? Could you give a breakup of the route with the likely journey time?

You don't need to touch Madurai. Its off-course for both Bodi and Udumalpettai routes. Since you are starting your onward from Madurai side, Theni-Bodi route would be ideal. When returning towards Madras, both routes are on par distance wise. The Munnar-Udumalpet route is a little more scenic and you get a great 2-laned Udumalpettai-Dindigul (whereas parts of Dindigul-Theni is under road widening - shouldn't be a deal unless you drive at twilight/night). Check this post, its my log right after the trip. I just visited the falls when returning and none other.

Don't get misled with the Trichy-Dindigul diversions, that was a year back. There were barely 2 when I went in September, even that should be done by now. So is the Bodi-Devikulam-Munnar stretch.

Originally Posted by ramanan.skr

Day 6 to be not falling on Sunday as the entire Tamilnadu will be traveling back to Chennai on any Sunday.

He isn't travelling along any long weekend, and if he enters past 10 it shouldn't be that bad.