[pramodpk]

Originally Posted by ravib

Friends,

Am planning for a week long trip with family to TN & Kerala this month end. Highly influenced by @NPV's Kanyakumari trip travelogue & @laluks Kumarakom travelogue

These are the places am planning to cover.

Bangalore-Madurai-Suchindram-Kanyakumari-Trivandrum-Alleppy/Kumarakom-Guruvayoor-Coimbatore-Bangalore.

And this is my initial plan.

Day 01 : Bangalore-Madurai ( Visit Meenakashi amman temple )
Day 02 : Azhagarkoil, Pazhamudhircholai, Thiruparankundram & Meet friends
Day 03 : Madurai-Suchindram-Kanyakumari Halt (Sunset and boating if possible)
Day 04 : Kanyakumari-Trivandrum Halt (visit Padmanabhapuram palace, Thottipalam)
Day 05 : Padmanabhaswamy temple, Visit either Kovalam or poovar, Meet friends.
Day 06 : Trivandrum-Alleppy Halt ( Hire a boat house for a day)
Day 07 : Alleppy-Guruvayoor Temple (Darshan)-Coimbatore Halt
Day 08 : Marudhamalai-Bangalore

I am quite comfortable on TN side. Need elite bhpian's help mostly on Kerala side..

1) Please suggest any important places that could be covered in Day 04, 05 and 07. Any must see place in Cochin enroute?
2) Road conditions from Trivandrum till Coimbatore enroute Alleppy/Cochin/Guruvayoor/Thrissur/Palakkad.
Any alternate routes available? The "All Roads to Kerala" thread is too vast and i've not heard of most of the places discussed there ! Hence the query.
3) Availability of of vegetarian/tamilian style food (Sorry no offence, just a food preference as we are traveling with family). Any alternate choices, where vegetarian food is not available?
4) Alleppy/Kumarakom - I get mixed information. Not sure which one to go. I understand i can't see both the places. Any suggestions there?


https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...mra=ls&t=m&z=7


Thanks for help in Advance !
-Ravi

http://goo.gl/maps/CpmL2

My suggestion in the map above.

1. Suchindram is on the way from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum. Hence suggest you take Kanyakumari - Suchindram - Padmanabhapuram Palace route.

2. The NH 47 between Nagercoil and Trivandrum is broken and has heavy traffic. Avoid this route during peak time.

3. Leave NH 47 at Kaliyikkavilai and proceed to Kovalam via Poovar. Follow sign boards to Kovalam. Road is good after you exit NH 47 but narrow.

4. From Trivandrum, you can take MC road to reach Kumarakom via Kottarakkara - Adoor - Chengannur - Thiruvalla - Changanassery - Kottayam. The first 100 - 110 KMS till Chegannur is excellent. Chegnannur to Kottayam is OK but will slow you down considerably as you have to cross all the above towns. Kottayam - Kumarakon is good but narrow but the road is scenic.

5. Halt at Kumarakom. You can drive to Aleppey via Thannermukkam bund. You can also hire a house boat/ boat. I recommend that you drive till Thannermukkam bund. No need to drive till Aleppey.

6. From kumarakom, you can drive to Guruvayur via Vaikom - Tripunithura - Sea Port Airport Road - Kakkanad -Kalamassery- North Paravur - Kondungallor -Chavakkad - Guruvaur. You can also drive via Kalamassery - Thrissur - Guruvayur but the former is shorter(by 18 KMS) and you can save Rs 50- on toll. The advantage of 4 lane road from Kalamassery to Thrissur cannot be fully utilized because of the 70 KM/h speed limit in Kerala. The former route via NH 17 is narrow till North Paravur and but good after that.

Please PM me if you need more details. I belong to Vaikom. In fact, when you drive to Kochi from Kumarakom. You will pass by my house.

Getting Tamil vegeterian food should not be a problem. Look out for Hotel Aryas.


In Kerala, make sure that you don't exceed 70 KM/H. There are cameras inside Trivandrum city and all along MC road and NH 47. Also make sure that you do not stop on Zebra lines at signals

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ravib

Day 03 : Madurai-Suchindram-Kanyakumari Halt (Sunset and boating if possible)
Day 04 : Kanyakumari-Trivandrum Halt (visit Padmanabhapuram palace, Thottipalam)

Ravi - Am not familiar with rest of the places so my 2 cents on this part of your plan:

Suggest doing this circuit as a post-lunch trip -> Kanyakumari-Padmnabhapuram Palace (Thuckalay)-Suchindram-Kanyakumari
Keep sunset at Kanyakumari for another evening.

Also, try to start early morning to Trivandrum to avoid heavy traffic enroute (if you've covered Suchindram and Padmanabhapuram Palace on another day you don't have to stop for these enroute Trivandrum).

Veg food options are many in places like Kanyakumari, Trivandrum and some restaurants on the highway, like Aryaas as mentioned by Pramod. If going to Guruvayoor, there is a Aryaas near Sobha City, Thrissur. At Guruvayoor you can also try Ramakrishna Lunch Home on the East Nada.

[Waxeloquent]

Just a few suggestions. When you halt at kumarakom, 1/2 day in boat is more than adequate. The other half day I'd suggest visit the 3 Shiva temples at Etamaanur, Kaduthuruthi and Vaikom.
Vaikom you may be able to do en route to Kochin too. At Kochin, apart from Chottanikkara
you can visit Kaladi. Yes watch the speedo when in Kerala. From Guruvayur I'd recommend Pollachi-Kangeyam-Perundurai route to Bangalore unless you have to touch Coimbatore.

Cheers

[hamster]

Ravi - A suggestion.
Day 3 - if you are planning only Kanyakumari then you can take the GQ throughout. Planning for Suchindram in between will require you to enter Nagercoil town and also branch out of GQ. The road between the GQ branch out to Nagercoil is not that great , as what I see from other threads.

Instead if you hit KK directly, you should be able to cover Vivekananda Rock, the temple and the sunset if you plan reach KK by around noon.

The ferry service to the rock will start around 2 pm and if you are in the queue earlier, you should be back in mainland by around 5, which will enable you to have a darshan at the temple.
Remember the temple opens around 4pm and there will be a big queue waiting to dash-in. If you plan entry at around 5, then it should be relatively free. Also, do remember, in most of the temples, around 6:30 pm, its "arti" time (Deeparadhanai) which will be crowded with locals and also time consuming for Darshan.
If you finish everything(rock, sunset, temple, beach) by 7:30 pm, then you can make a quick visit to Suchindrum which is less than 15 kms from Kanyakumari and should not take more than 20 mins to reach there.
SUchindrum temple is little bigger than Kanyakumari Bhagavati temple and hence account for a minimum of 30 mins inside the temple.
If you are able to finish the temple before 09:00 pm that day, then you can come back to KK, have dinner, hit the bed.
This plan might enable you to directly goto Padmanabhapuram the next day morning and from there to Thiruvananthapuram.
Between Nagercoil and Thiruvananthapuram, there are two Gowrishankar Hotels, both on the LHS of the road. The first is opposite to Nagercoil Collector Office/SUB-Jail and the second is after Parvathipuram/Chunkankadai. Quiet decent in terms of food.

Cheers and have safe trip

[ravib]

Thanks for the suggestions Pramod, NPV, Waxeloquent & Hamster.

@Pramod, thanks for the info about strict speed limit & cameras in Kerala which i am not aware of.

@NPV, since i am reaching to Kanyakumari on a Monday and Padmanabhapuram palace is closed on monday, i have to keep it for tuesday. I am think of covering suchindram on same day after finishing Vivekananda Memorial, Temple and sunset on Monday as suggested by @Hamster.

@Waxeloquent : I got a cousin's friend contact in Alleppy, so i am planning to stay in house boat from alleppy which seems to be cheaper (6K per day with meals and A/c for single bedroom) when compared to prices quoted in Kumarakom or other operators. They said, they can take the boat from Alleppy to Kumarakom and back. So it makes economical sense to stay in boat house for entire day rather than again staying in a lodge. I don't think i can fit more temples in the same day. Sorry about that but thanks for the suggestions. Also, i have to goto Coimbatore to meet friends as well.

BTW, I want this trip to be a mix of temples and Vacation to enjoy God's own country & nature. Not completely as a pilgrimage, but it seems already i have included lot of temples in itinerary. But its fine. I love to visit temples

-Ravi

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ravib

Thanks for the suggestions Pramod, NPV, Waxeloquent & Hamster.

@Pramod, thanks for the info about strict speed limit & cameras in Kerala which i am not aware of.

@NPV, since i am reaching to Kanyakumari on a Monday and Padmanabhapuram palace is closed on monday, i have to keep it for tuesday. I am think of covering suchindram on same day after finishing Vivekananda Memorial, Temple and sunset on Monday as suggested by @Hamster.

@ravib - stick to the posted speed limits (or lower) while in Kerala, there are several speed cameras as Pramod has mentioned.

Since you're reaching on a Monday, try to visit Suchindram and return to Kanyakumari for sunset.

At Kanyakumari you can also visit Vattakottai fort - you can read about it on other threads here at TBHP.
Have a safe trip!

[Geo_Ipe]

Don't know if this is the right place, but posting my query:

Driving from Vellore to Tuticorin this week, with family.
Any particular advices on route to take or road conditions??

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Dinrt know if this is the right place, but posting my query:

Driving from Vellore to Tuticorin this week, with family.
Any particular advices on route to take or road conditions??

Not the NH7, but take the GST.

Vellore-Arcot-Cheyyar-Vandavasi-Tindivanm-Ulundurpet-Villupuram-Trichy-Madurai-Tuticorin.

On second thoughts, I think even the NH7 would be good. Good 4-lane roads all the way. And you save on 2-lane drive till Tindivanam.
And maybe crossing Salem is easier than crossing Trichy.

Vellore-Krishnagiri-Salem-Karur-Dindigul-Madurai bypass (Thirumangalam)-Tuticorin (NH45B)

[pypkmsrikanth]

Vellore - Tiruvannamalai - Villupuram - Trichy - Madurai - Tuticorin.

Crossing. Trichy is far easier than Salem

[Geo_Ipe]

Thanks guys!
Road conditions are of utmost importance as we're travelling with a baby. Want it to be as comfortable as possible.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

Thanks guys!
Road conditions are of utmost importance as we're travelling with a baby. Want it to be as comfortable as possible.

If as Srikanth says, crossing Trichy is easy, I would say take the GST. But I won't advice Thirvannamalai-Villupuram. But take the Arcot-Vandasi-Tindivanam option.

But yes route via Krishnagiri is end to end 4-lane, all the way from Vellore to Tuticorin. And now the Vellore-Krishnagiri is super road with 6-lane. One reason in its favour.

I guess distance wise both are almost same (50km difference at best). Take your pick !

[Geo_Ipe]

Thanks guys for all the support! Completed the trip yesterday in a hired Innova.

Vellore - Thiruvannamalai - Thirukkovilur - Ulundurpettai - touch NH 45B ~ 120 km before Trichy - Trichy - Madurai - Tuticorin.

Nice 2 lane for the first 160 km till touching the NH, then beautiful 4 lane all the way!! 535 km covered in 9 hours, with 4 breaks. Max speed touched was 110 kmph, cruising steadily at 100.

[suresh_gs]

Here is an update on the toll fare between Bangalore and Madurai by car as on 21.02.2014

[500ContyCruiser]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Here is an update on the toll fare between Bangalore and Madurai by car as on 21.02.2014

Attachment 1210223

This is something I was looking for. Tomorrow morning heading to Kodai and your list appears to be perfect to me and at right time.

OT:
Just to clarify on the route, I will be taking Bangalore - Selam - Dindigul - Kodai.
Is there a better route? Looking for faster, good and less traffic route.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by 500ContyCruiser

This is something I was looking for. Tomorrow morning heading to Kodai and your list appears to be perfect to me and at right time.

OT:
Just to clarify on the route, I will be taking Bangalore - Selam - Dindigul - Kodai.
Is there a better route? Looking for faster, good and less traffic route.

Its the same. Take the Theni exit at Dindigul bypass. NH45 beyond Dindigul towards Theni is a beautiful and wide 2-lane road.

Need to be careful in ghat sections. TN buses are quite rash.