[Kris_risk]

Hello Guyz,

Any suggestions on best route between Trivandrum and Peerumedu (Idukki). A quick weekend trip being planned with routes under consideration being via MC road - Kottayam as well as through NH Allepey.

Please advise.

Kris

[hvkumar]

You can skip Kottayam and join KK Road directly by turning off MC Road at Changanaserry.

[Bumblebee86]

Trivandrum > Kottarakara > Adoor > Pathanamthitta > Manimala > Kangazha > Kanjirapally > Mundakayam > Kuttikanam > Peermade

K'pally to P'medu is NH220

[joecherian]

A more shorter route would be

Tvm > Ayur > Kottarakkara > Pathanamthitta > Ranni > Plachery > Erumely > Mundakayam > peerumedu.

Interesting road to drive when compared to the MC road (personally, I love to drive along the country side rather than on the boring highways).

If you want real adventure on the route itself , there is a route which connects Sabarimalai to Vandiperiyar , that passes through forest. Even one KSTRC service goes through this route. For this, you will have to deviate towards Sabarimalai after Pathanamthitta and later enquire for the route to vandiperiyar. Would suggest only if you are really interested in having some drive through rugged terrain (a matching vehicle is an absolute must)

[joecherian]

Originally Posted by Bumblebee86

Trivandrum > Kottarakara > Adoor > Pathanamthitta > Manimala > Kangazha > Kanjirapally > Mundakayam > Kuttikanam > Peermade
K'pally to P'medu is NH220

Not this one.. This will take you away from peerumedu and later take you to Peerumedu.. Deviate to Erumely after Ranni and then Mundakayyam. This is the correct way.. I know this because I am from manimala :-) and hence skip Manimala ...

[Bumblebee86]

Originally Posted by joecherian

A more shorter route would be

Tvm > Ayur > Kottarakkara > Pathanamthitta > Ranni > Plachery > Erumely > Mundakayam > peerumedu.

Interesting road to drive when compared to the MC road (personally, I love to drive along the country side rather than on the boring highways).

If you want real adventure on the route itself , there is a route which connects Sabarimalai to Vandiperiyar , that passes through forest. Even one KSTRC service goes through this route. For this, you will have to deviate towards Sabarimalai after Pathanamthitta and later enquire for the route to vandiperiyar. Would suggest only if you are really interested in having some drive through rugged terrain (a matching vehicle is an absolute must)

I recommend not take the route from sabarimala to vandiperiyar. I know this because i am from vandiperiyar. you need a real good 4X4 and its no path to go if you are on a family trip. the KSRTC service is only once or twice a day. Besides vandiperiyar is about 17 kms past peermade if you take the highway. I think the best route would be the first one suggested by joecherian via ranni and erumely.
NH220 is pretty scenic all the way!! Have you tried it joecherian??

[Kris_risk]

Thanks everyone for the response. Indeed I am in all mood for some offroading but I think it is too much to ask from 748 cc alto . May at some stage when they design a 4x4 alto, I would venture into the wild. Also it is really great to get some local expertise (thanks Bumblebee86 and joecherian for the heads-up )

* Guyz, would it make any sense to travel via Kollam route.
Ie : Karunagappally - Mavelikkara - Changanassery - Kottayam - henceforth to Peermedu? Would that be a faster route?

* Any thoughts on the condition of the MC road if that is the preffered as the route.

* As with Tvm > Ayur > Kottarakkara > Pathanamthitta > Ranni > Plachery > Erumely > Mundakayam > peerumedu. Any idea on the distance?

Thanks .

[ImmortalZ]

Originally Posted by Kris_risk

* Any thoughts on the condition of the MC road if that is the preffered as the route.

M.C. Road is good till a few KM after Kottarakkara. There is a couple of parts where it is still under construction, but generally, it is a great drive if you start at... say, 5:30AM from TVM. It'll be dawn when you hit the bad parts and there'll be no traffic.

After Kottarakkara, near Adur and afterwards, be very very careful. There is a couple of catastrophic changes in elevation, straight into monumental pits on the road that'll ruin even truck suspension if you go through them at anything more than 0 KM/hr. It produced a sickening crunching noise when I went through one in my fully loaded Civic. I am hoping I didn't destroy anything important.

[Bumblebee86]

Originally Posted by Kris_risk

Thanks everyone for the response. Indeed I am in all mood for some offroading but I think it is too much to ask from 748 cc alto . May at some stage when they design a 4x4 alto, I would venture into the wild. Also it is really great to get some local expertise (thanks Bumblebee86 and joecherian for the heads-up )

* Guyz, would it make any sense to travel via Kollam route.
Ie : Karunagappally - Mavelikkara - Changanassery - Kottayam - henceforth to Peermedu? Would that be a faster route?

* Any thoughts on the condition of the MC road if that is the preffered as the route.

* As with Tvm > Ayur > Kottarakkara > Pathanamthitta > Ranni > Plachery > Erumely > Mundakayam > peerumedu. Any idea on the distance?

Thanks .

I am not sure about the Mavelikara, changanacherry, kottayam route. I think its pretty long. Not sure though.

Whereas the other one kottarakara, ranni, erumely one is around 180km ( rough estimate). It has been around 10 years since i have been to TVM and back then i somewhere recognize a milestone saying 200km from vandiperiyar.

Sorry boss, no idea about the state of the MC Road.
I strongly recommend you confirming the above details with someone else.
Glad to be of help!!

[trrk]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Kris_risk

* Guyz, would it make any sense to travel via Kollam route.
Ie : Karunagappally - Mavelikkara - Changanassery - Kottayam - henceforth to Peermedu? Would that be a faster route?

Please see post no. 2 by hvkumar.

If you are taking this route, turn right in Changanasserry itself instead of continuing further to Kottayam and taking a right.