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-   -   Bangalore - Madurai - Kodaikanal - Bangalore (Route Query) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/61225-bangalore-madurai-kodaikanal-bangalore-route-query.html)

I will be visiting Madurai and Kodaikanal during mid of July. Please help me with the following queries.please:

1. Route from Bangalore to Madurai.
2. Route from Madurai to Kodaikanal.
3. Route from Kodaikanal to Bangalore.
4. Is the Bangalore - Dharmapuri - Salem - Dindigul - Madurai the suggested route if travelling to Madurai from Bangalore?
5. Is the Kodaikanal - Palani - Dharmapuram - Bhavani - Mettur - Dharmapuri - Bangalore the suggested route back?
6. Road conditions of the suggested route.

Greatly appreciate your help on this..

Straight to NH7, road is very good and four lane is almost complete. There are three toll plazas though in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri and near Salem. Other toll plazas may be operational near Namakkal.

Take a left turn near Kodai road, it leads straight to Kodaikanal.

Same way as before or you can try Palani route.

Of course the same way. Other way around is, Madurai-Dindigul - Karur - Paramathi - Take a left turn near Partamathi bus stand to Thiruchengode- Sankagiri-Omalur-NH7 -Dharmapuri. But it is country side road, be cautious while driving in speed.

Not good, congested and too far when compared to NH7.

NH7 is pretty good and almost complete. Watch out for wrong entries in the lanes.

1. Route from Bangalore to Madurai.
Ans - On the NH 7 - Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Namakkal - Karur - Dindigul - Madurai. You can reach Maduari from Electronic city by 8 - 9 hrs.

2. Route from Madurai to Kodaikanal.
Ans - The actual Route....
Madurai - Kodai Road - Batlagundu - Ghat Road - Kodaikanal.

3. Route from Kodaikanal to Bangalore.
Ans - Try this short route....
Kodaikanal - Palani - Oddanchatram - Karur - Namakkal - Salem - Bangalore.

4. Is the Bangalore - Dharmapuri - Salem - Dindigul - Madurai the suggested route if travelling to Madurai from Bangalore?
Ans - Yes and this is only route to save the time and money.

5. Is the Kodaikanal - Palani - Dharmapuram - Bhavani - Mettur - Dharmapuri - Bangalore the suggested route back?

Ans - You can try the above mentioned shirt route.

6. Road conditions of the suggested route.
Ans - On return - Palani to Karur stretch is an normal state highway. Be careful.

funda2max and Ramp. Thank you guys!!! Hope to put up a nice travelogue once I am back from the trip..

Any suggestions about places to stay at Madurai and Kodaikanal? Me and my wife will be travelling. Decent place within Rs.1000 per day..

Thank you once again..

Could I get some route tips on Bangalore to Erode. NH47 may be?? tips on road condition would be appreciated

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...elp-route.html

I am just back from a trip on this route. Take the Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Toppur. NH7 is pure nirvana from Bangalore till Toppur. Maybe 1 or 2 deviations as bridges being built near Toppur. At Thoppur look towards the right for deviations to Mettur. This is a 2 lane State Highway. Good roads passes thorugh small towns and villages. Look out for stray cattle and crazy 2 wheelers. Good road with occasional rough patches near Mettur. Can easily do 70-80kmph. From Mettur take the road towards Bhavani. Good roads. Bangalore to Toppur is around 156kms on NH7. Thoppur to Bhavani via Mettur is around 83kms on a 2 lane SH. From Bhavani Erode is another 20kms.

Bangalore to Erode on this stretch is possible in less than 5hrs

I'm planning a family vacation from Bangalore to Madurai and Kodai around mid April, and have a few questions:

- I hear that the B'lore to Madurai route is excellent. What would be the best route (in terms of road condition) from Madurai to Kodai?

- In Madurai, I plan to spend just one afternoon and night, visiting the temple and thirumalainayakar palace. Can anyone suggest a good place to stay (safe car parking, hygienic food, clean rooms, nothing fancy), preferably a place that allows me to get in and out of Madurai quickly?

Note- I found the following thread, but it is pretty old. So I'm looking for info based on more recent trips.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-lifeline.html

Best option the way you can remember :

- Drive back towards Banagalore on the 4-lane
- Drive till Kodai road.
- Exit the 4-lane here and drive to Batlagundu.


There are umpteen places depending on your budget. Do note many good places in the 1-2K range may not have a car parking. You may have to park on the road for such hotels.

We stayed at Hotel Metropole near District Court, Melur. This is on the outskirts of Madurai close to the Airport ring road. Advantage is that it can be reached from the NH7 highway bypassing entire business district of Madurai. Metropole has basement car park that can accommodate few cars. Parking is available outside the hotel as well.

We took an autorickshaw to the Meenakshi temple from the hotel since finding parking space is difficult in the narrow streets around the temple.

Other hotels closer to the temple are Supreme (they have a parking place opposite the hotel) and New College House. Both these are on the same street close to each other.

Thanks NPV and ampere.

At Kodai, I am considering staying at http://www.kodairesorthotel.com/. Can anyone who has stayed there share their experience, please?

Thanks,
-Kumar

No idea about this place. Trip Advisor seems to give good ratings. About others I have heard a lot about Fern Creek, Carlton and Villa Retreat.

You can try Hotel North Gate. I stayed there in December. It meets all the requirements and in priced at Rs 2K approx including buffet breakfast.

http://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Revi...amil_Nadu.html

Since you are driving in from Bangalore, I would suggest you some hotels located on the western outskirts of Madurai. Try Hotel Germanus, or anything around that area.. you can even try for 'Travelers Bungalow' (name changed now) which is just opposite to the West-Side-Entrance of Railway Junction, anybody would show you the way. Temple visit and Palace visit is more conducive from this end of Madurai, and it is easy to head out towards Kodaikanal the next day.

For your information, Hotel North Gate is in the center of the city where you have to pass 4 or 5 kms through some congested traffic. Again Hotel Metropole is on the other exterior end of Madurai, that is on the eastern outskirts, and theres no point in going that much far, unless you are heading towards Trichy, Chennai or Rameswaram, the next day.

The next morning you have to exit Madurai through the western outskirts only, so stay somewhere in the western outskirts. Hotel Germanus or anything around that area is suitable... you'll be on the highway (NH-7) to Kodai in 5 minutes. If you stay in North-Gate or Metropole you will loose atleast one or two hours to touch this highway.

Regarding the route from Madurai to Kodaikanal, you need not drive back upto Kodairoad, whereas you can exit NH-7 by turning left at 3 kms after crossing a place called Pandiarajapuram, catching Pallapati, Nilakottai, Vathalagundu road. This exit is some 6 or 7 kms before Kodairoad... the road is also good and this is the regular route for all who are going to Kodaikanal from Madurai side.

All the best :)

Buddy, recently I stayed in Vijay park in madurai and it was decent for 1K with covered car parking (6-8 cars max). Good thing is that you can reach Madurai temple for just 30-40 INR by auto. Infact there are other temples as well in the vicinity (Thiruparangundram, alagar koil etc)

http://www.vijayhotels.in/

They just took my booking over phone

The best route from Madurai to Kodaikanal in terms of road condition is the regular one, Madurai - Vadipatti - Pallapatti - Nilakottai - Vathalagundu - Lawsghat Road - Kodaikanal. (No troubles anywhere)

While driving back Kodaikanal - Bangalore, you can drive down Kodaikanal, taking the Palani route: Kodaikanal - Perumalmalai (turn left into Palani Route) - Palani (hope you knew it already?) - and from thereon it your choice... may be Palani - Dindugul - Karur - Salem - Krishnagiri - Bangalore.

The Palani route is just for a change and for a drive through a different ghat route. If you are lucky, you can spot wild elephants in the foot-hill corridors on the road leading to Palani.