Team-BHP - Immediate Help Chennai - CBE - Munnar

Hi Guys,

I need your help because I am finding mixed info in the Net, and also it’s going to be such a long journey in my personal car for the first time.

Car: Hyundai Getz 1.1 (2000 kms old)
Occupants: 4 (Me, my wife, Dad & mom)
PLAN:
20 JUN: Chennai to Coimbatore (night stay in Coimbatore)
21 JUN: Coimbatore to Munnar( some sites say 248 kms and some 160kms)
22 JUN: Munnar stay
23 JUN: Munnar stay
24 JUN: Munnar to Theni or Tiruchi or Ernakulam not yet decided (1 night stay)
25 JUN: Theni or Tiruchi or Ernakulam to Chennai.
I will be starting from Velachery in Chennai.
1. I need the route from Chennai to Coimbatore? ( helpful if with distances & Time taken)
2. I need the route from Coimbatore to Munnar? ( helpful if with distances & Time taken)
3. I need the route from Munnar to Chennai?( The shortest one through Theni)
4. I need the route from Ernakulam to Chennai? (if at all I plan to go there)

I am planning to go to Coimbatore because I am not sure of making munnar in a single day from chennai as I will be driving around 100 120 km/hr max, so its better to halt at coimbatore than halting at theni in the night, also the route from coimbatore to munnar is scenic as I get from the net.

While returning I have to halt either at theni or tiruchi to visit some temple to avoid long journey.
Your suggestions are welcome. I will be blindly following the route as you people will give me as I do not have any prior self driving experience so long.

Thanks in advance.
Krish

Chennai to Coimbatore

Chennai-Sriperembudur-Vellore-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Toppur-Mettur-Bhavani-Perundurai-Avinashi-Coimbatore

Budget for a day's drive

Coimbatore to Munnar

Coimbatore-Pollachi 40 kms-Udumalaipet 25-Munnar 90

4 hours maximum

Munnar to Chennai

Munnar-Poopara-Bodi Medu-Theni-Periakulam-Dindigul-Trichy-Chennai

Budget for a day's drive, no need to stop over.

Ernakulam to Chennai

Ernakulam-Trissur-Palakkad-Coimbatore-Chennai

Budget for a day's drive

Going to Coimbatore is a long detour to reach Munnar. If you start at around 5 in the morning from Chennai you could reach the following timelines comfortably.

Villupuram - 7.30 AM
Trichy - 10.45 AM - Including Breakfast
Dindigul - 12.30 PM
Theni - 1.30 PM Have your lunch here.
In about 3 hours from Theni you can comfortably reach Munnar. You could comforatbly reach Munnar in the same day.

If you want to go via Udumalaipet which is more scenic as you rightly point out You would be able to reach Udumalaipet comfortably from Dindigul in an hour and a half. Munnar is another two and a half hours from Udumalaipettai, still you could do it in a day without stopping.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1341010)

Thanks a lot, but doing it in the same day means i may reach the foothills of munnar only by 5 or 6 pm , and considering tiredness and safety i would not like to get up munnar in darkness fog and rain, i am not sure but i think its monsson.

Krish you would reach Munnar in 12 hours from Chennai comfortably, you would start your climb to Munnar at around 2.30 / 3.00 PM which ever route you take, so if you start early enough from Chennai you can reach Munnar without fog / rain / darkness affecting you. The distance from Chennai to Bodi is about 500 kms via Dindigul you would have only about 50 kms of ghat driving which should not take you more than 2 hours. Also the route from Bodi to Munnar is scenic as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1341189)

Yep i get it, But another thing is that the check in and check out time is 12:pm in munnar, so even if i reach the same day i got to pay 1 nights charge there. Also can anyone suggest good resort,hotel in munnar, either some or very costly or either some are very cheap:confused:. i am looking for around maz 3500 rs /night bcos i need to book 2 rooms for 3 nights.
Thanks

Krish82:
My hometown is Udumalpet. I tried both Krishnagiri and Trichy routes. Both are almost equal in distance. But I strongly recommend Krishnagiri route. I advice to avoid Trichy route (I did this mistake a month back) because

Ulundurpet railway gate could choke the traffic. Some day in last month there was a jam and it took 5 hours to clear the jam
Crossing the Trichy city is a pain
Heavy truck traffic
Trichy to Dindigul road (approx. 100 KMs) is being four laned and the work is not over yet

If you take Krishnagiri route, you don't have to go to Coimbatore. The route I advice is
Chennai - Vellore - Krishnagiri - Thoppur - Mettur - Bhavani - Perundhurai - Vijayamangalam - Tiruppur - Palladam - Udumalpet.

A lot of info is available in this forum about this route. Please collect. The approximate distance is 550 KMs. You could comfortably cover it in 8/9 hours.
Thoppur to Bhavani and Vijayamangalam to Udumalpet are 2 lane roads but Vijayamangalam to Udumalpet route is super smooth and with less traffic.

If you wish you could take a break in Udumalpet and continue to Munnar.
Munnar is 80 KMs from Udumalpet and you need max 3 hours to reach Munnar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadRash (Post 1344072)

Ulundurpet railway gate could choke the traffic. Some day in last month there was a jam and it took 5 hours to clear the jam
Crossing the Trichy city is a pain
Heavy truck traffic
Trichy to Dindigul road (approx. 100 KMs) is being four laned and the work is not over yet

Thanks, but are there good hotels in Udumalpet to stay in the night with family, or do i need to book in advance for it. i thought if i stay in coimbatore i can cover up pollachi also on the way. i thought driving through pollachi will be a cool green experience.

Thanks
krish

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadRash (Post 1344072)

Ulundurpet railway gate could choke the traffic. Some day in last month there was a jam and it took 5 hours to clear the jam
Crossing the Trichy city is a pain
Heavy truck traffic
Trichy to Dindigul road (approx. 100 KMs) is being four laned and the work is not over yet

Thanks, but are there good hotels in Udumalpet to stay in the night with family, or do i need to book in advance for it. i thought if i stay in coimbatore (more hotels) i can cover up pollachi also on the way. i thought driving through pollachi will be a cool green experience.

Thanks
krish

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1237047-post2.html

Check out this earlier post, on Hotel Anamalai in UDumalipet.
The route via Perunthurai, Gangeyam and Dharapuramm is the best route to get to Udumalipet, avoiding the traffic of NH47, congestion in Coimbatore city.
If you do take NH47, it is better to take the bypass and turn off into Pollachi-Udumalaipet road without going into Coimbatore city.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krish82 (Post 1344266)

Krish:

As the Route Guru said Perundhurai - kangayam - Dharapuram route is also an option.

On the Coimbatore - Pollachi - Udumalpet route, you will not see much greenary (like paddy field etc... but windmill farms & coconut grooves can be seen). For that you have to visit the near by villages. Also there are many picnic spots around Pollachi (like Valparai, topslip, Aaliyar dam). But for that you have to deviate from your route.

hvkumar:
Sir, I have never seen a person who is able to give directions almost all over India. How you are able to do this? Is it your memory power? or you have frequently travel? or is it both?clap:

Thanks every one,

Finalized Tea county resort in munnar, seems to be a 4 star facility, got a good package rate with all meals included.

If i go to coimbatore do i need to book hotel in advance for 1 night or i can go and get into any hotel(availability will be there)?
Will be leaving next saturday morning, i have to pack bags and take print out of the routes.

Thanks
krish

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1341010)

I dont know if you can reach munnar in a day but this is the shortest route..

Villupuram - 7.30 AM
Trichy - 10.45 AM - Including Breakfast
Dindigul - 12.30 PM
Theni - 1.30 PM Have your lunch here.

I you need stop over try madurai.From madurai you can reach munnar via theakkadi.