[bijayks]

I plan to take a long vacation in May and would be visiting kodungallur; my native place.

A plan still in development is to make a trip to Madurai and Rameshwaram during this period. I have done this trip while in school so not much that I can remember!! so I need help in
- Finding the best route with approx distance, quality of road/traffic & running time
- place to stay in madurai and rameshwaram
- place worth visiting other than meenakshi temple and ram temple (i will definitely be visiting them)

The route suggested by Mapmyindia is Kochi - Muvattupuzha, Munnar - Usilampatti - Madurai - Rameshwaram. How is the road in the route. Is there a better route and if so what is the distance and running time.

Thanks in advance!!

Kochi-muvattupuzha-munnar-devikulam-bodhi is fine.
The road from Bodhi upto kerala border is wide and smooth. after the border into kerala, surface becomes slightly rough, but still speeds of 80kmph are fine on them. All other sections of the route above are good.
Dont know beyond Bodhi.

[KappaPower]

Hello BHPians,

I am planning a trip to rameshwaram via Cochin, Munnar and Madurai. I need the following information.

1. How is the road condition, esp NH 49?
2. How long will it take from Cochin to Madurai, as it is hilly terrain?
3. Is it safe to drive at night?
4. What will be alternate route?

Any information or help will be really appreciated. Thanks

- KP

Note from Team BHP Support
Threads merged.
Please search before creating a new thread.
Thanks

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Ok; 3 year old thread, but my question are almost same.

Google says 444 km for Kochi - Madurai - Rameshwaram; what it does not tell is the road conditions; and where to stay. (Ok, it does, but this place is better)

So, my questions:-

1. THe current road conditions (journey is scheduled between 1 and 15 November, 2012).
2. Where to stay at Madurai and Rameshwaram. We plan to stay overnight at Madurai.
3. Is it possible to visit Madurai temple and still reach Rameshwaram by 8 PM with a 5 AM start from Kochi?

Any idea about Madurai temple timings? Is an early afternoon (between 12.00 noon and 3 PM) darshan possible?

Thanks in advance.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Ok; 3 year old thread, but my question are almost same.

Google says 444 km for Kochi - Madurai - Rameshwaram; what it does not tell is the road conditions; and where to stay. (Ok, it does, but this place is better)

So, my questions:-

1. THe current road conditions (journey is scheduled between 1 and 15 November, 2012).
2. Where to stay at Madurai and Rameshwaram. We plan to stay overnight at Madurai.
3. Is it possible to visit Madurai temple and still reach Rameshwaram by 8 PM with a 5 AM start from Kochi?

Any idea about Madurai temple timings? Is an early afternoon (between 12.00 noon and 3 PM) darshan possible?

Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure about the Kochi-Madurai road conditions, Madurai to Rameshwaram NH49 is awesome.
At Madurai you can stay at Hotel Metropole which is easily accessible from NH7 (located near District Courts) and also close to the Airport ring road so you can get to NH49 for Rameshwaram very quickly bypassing the city traffic mess. Regarding the Madurai-Rameshwaram time, you can see my trip log in my travelogue here. We traveled from Rameshwaram to Bangalore via Madurai on the return journey.
Madurai temple timings are there in a recent post on another thread (I think 12.30pm-4pm it is closed), please do search, I guess it is the "current condition of road to kerala" thread.
At Rameshwaram we stayed at Hotel Queen Palace (details in my travelogue) which was new last year and decent.
Hope this helps.
EDIT:Found Ranjit's post with temple timings - here

[ampere]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

1. THe current road conditions (journey is scheduled between 1 and 15 November, 2012).

If you dont want to go via Munnar ghats, you can do Kottayam-Kanjirapalli-Kumily-Theni-Madurai

2. Where to stay at Madurai and Rameshwaram. We plan to stay overnight at Madurai

Many Many places in Madurai, depending on budgets.
Rameshwaram: New kid on the block (thanks to Ranjit to hunt this out!)
http://www.daiwikhotels.com

3. Is it possible to visit Madurai temple and still reach Rameshwaram by 8 PM with a 5 AM start from Kochi?

If you start by 5AM you reach Madurai by by 2 PM. Temple would be closed.
You would get only evening darshan.

Now Madurai-Rameshwaram is about 150km which is about 3 hours.
If you start by 7PM add about an hour max to wade through Madurai traffic and you should be Rameshwaram by about 11PM or 12AM.

I would say break at Madurai and start fresh the next day.

Any idea about Madurai temple timings? Is an early afternoon (between 12.00 noon and 3 PM) darshan possible?

I doubt this. But good to check with others too.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Thanks to both of you guys for the info.

The full trip would be Kochi > Madurai > Rameshwaram > Tirupati. ;-D

Had attempted Kochi > Tirumala > Rameshwaram > Kochi 3/4 years back; but we got tired after Tirumala and headed straight back; so doing it the other way around now.

Google maps shows 640 odd kms for Rameshwaram > Tirumala (Via Tirunelveli, Vellore and Chittoor). Running time is 11 odd hours, quite too much for parents to do at a stretch.

So, the another question is,

Suppose on day 1 I head straight to Rameshwaram, (from kochi), spend a full day there and then head back to Madurai, spend day 2 there, do I gain any time on Madurai > Tirumala sector?

I understand this question is slightly off topic for this thread, but I hate starting a fresh thread for this.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR

Suppose on day 1 I head straight to Rameshwaram, (from kochi), spend a full day there and then head back to Madurai, spend day 2 there, do I gain any time on Madurai > Tirumala sector?

I understand this question is slightly off topic for this thread, but I hate starting a fresh thread for this.

That also seems like a good plan.

Because from Madurai, you get good 4-lanes for quite long stretches (Till Tindivanam)

Madurai-Trichy-Villupuram-Tindivanam-Vadavasi-Cheyyar-Arcot-Ranipet-Chittoor-Tirupati

Day 1: Kochi-Rameshwaram : Reach by evening.
Day 2: Finish Rameshwaram temple and head Madurai reach by evening. (If possible get a darshan too)
Day 3 : Start Madurai and reach Tirupati by evening/night depending on when you start,

[deepclutch]

Originally Posted by ampere

If you dont want to go via Munnar ghats, you can do Kottayam-Kanjirapalli-Kumily-Theni-Madurai

now, google maps by default shows to bypass Munnar taking Adimaly-Kallarkutty dam-Rajakkad-Pooppara route. don't have updates on this route.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by deepclutch

now, google maps by default shows to bypass Munnar taking Adimaly-Kallarkutty dam-Rajakkad-Pooppara route. don't have updates on this route.

Even I saw that. But I always thought the route via Rajakkad was a trekking territory ! I remember a year or two back, some post which mentioned this being a trekking trail !

This is the thread I was referring to.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ry-bridge.html

[deepclutch]

this route has many long distance private buses that I have seen from Kothamangalam. I guess it will be less steepy than Munnar route considering the altitude.
here is another update:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2879291

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

@ampre - thanks for your confirmation.

Wife's employer has holiday homes at both Madurai and Rameshwaram, and both are <sarcasm> thankfully </sarcasm> booked for the probable dates. So, I do need a good hotel - preferably with car parking, and if possible, within walking distance of the temples. So I am looking to becoming poorer by anything between 1K and 3K per night at both places. Dunno if that sounds ok.

@deepclutch - thanks for bringing that up. I had just glanced google maps (on mobile), and thought the route simply by-passed couple of junctions in Munnar. We would be be 5 adults + 2 kids + driver, so we will take a MUV, probably an Innova. (pvt - because AP is involved - high taxes). Due to health issues, I no longer drive. (which is why I am silent here for past few months). So, quite a bit will depend on the driver we get.


I will be off line due to official work may be till 15th, so kindly excuse me not replying to other replies.

As to the Kottayam > Kanjirappally > Kumily route - I suspect this will take longer?

[Rameshdude]

Friends,
We are planning a 5 day trip from Kochi to Rameswaram, leaving on 23rd noon, and to be back on 27th night.
Leaving kochi on 23rd noon, can we reach tirunelveli by night? Route planned is Kochi - tiruvalla-Punalur-Shenkottai -tirulanveli. Break only for dinner. Is this route ok? How much time would we take, considering this is Sabarimala season.
Planning to visit karaiyar & papanasam and two temples in Tirunelveli. Will half day be enough? Pl suggest a good Hotel in Tirunelveli .
Planning to leave tirunelveli by 3pm to Rameswaram ... How much time would it take?
Good places to stay in Rameswaram , and how many days do I need there ?
The return is what is bothering me. Rameswaram to kochi is 450 km , with family and senior man on board I won't be able to do it on one single stretch. So kindly suggest me a return route with a stopover..
Your valuable suggestions are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Ramesh

[ampere]

You should be able to make it. By noon I hope you do mean 12 and not much later. The route looks OK to me. I remember reading that Ettumanoor Kottayam bypass was closed for repairs. Do check on that.

[Tempelhof]

Planning a trip from Kochi to Madurai next week. Google Maps shows two routes. Can someone guide me, under the present conditions, which is the best route (preferably scenic) to take? Thanks in advance.