[Romins]

I did a ride to Hogenkkal yesterday, by chance I took a different route that is not so popular between Shoolagiri and Rayakotai. It isa scenic and good tarmac road.

GMaps Link

Hosur- Shoolagiri-Right turn under the bridge after McDonald's- Uddanappalli- Left Turn to Rayakotai- Palacode-Right Turn to Papparapetti road (cross Railway line) -Pennagram - Hogenakkal

[ankan.m.blr]

Last weekend, I visited Yercaud in TN with my family (wifey & son) and stayed for a night. Started at 5.45 AM on Sunday morning from home near Marathalli. Reached A2B @ Shoolagiri at around 7.00 AM for breakfast. They have shut down the outlet in HP bunk campus and opened a new one adjacent to the highway. After a lazy breakfast and some fun in the play area with my son, started towards Salem. Traffic thinned after Krishnagiri and I drove on sedately, crossed Dharmapuram and reached Salem. Salem traffic was sparsely being a Sunday and I reached Yercaud by 10-15 AM. I had booked a cottage in TTDC Hotel Tamilnadu. It is clean decent stay with all the major attractions nearby. Spent rest of the day on the lakeshore and visited Ladies seat to view the sunset in the afternoon. Next day, started from hotel at around 11.00 AM and reached home at 3.30 PM. All in all, a lazy Sunday well spent with family in a serene hill station. A few photos from this trip :

Lovely morning view from the highway.


The ghat road.


Spend the entire afternoon on the lakeshore.





Sunset from Ladies seat viewpoint.


The final few hairpin bends on the way to Yercaud. Video duration ~ 12 mins.
(please excuse the wrong timestamp)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp4nL5MOMxs

A slice of the wonderful Salem - Bangalore Highway (NH-44). Video Duration ~ 2 mins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVSVCssHqH8

** Although Yercaud is around 200 KM from Bangalore, the excellent roads make it a good day trip option too **

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ankan.m.blr

Reached A2B @ Shoolagiri at around 7.00 AM for breakfast. They have shut down the outlet in HP bunk campus and opened a new one adjacent to the highway.

Thanks for sharing, nice pictures there

The A2B that has shutdown is the one that has a long exit from the highway and part of a BP (Bharat Petroleum) campus (you mentioned HP so wondering if it's the same ?)

And where is the new A2B adjacent to the highway located ?

Also, now there is a Sree Saravana Inn that has opened between the HP (has McD, Krishna Inn) and BP bunks (had the old A2B) near Shoolagiri.

*Oh, and how are the roads inside Salem leading up the Yercaud ghat road ? Last I heard, there was some flyover/bridge construction activities in progress inside the city.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by NPV

And where is the new A2B adjacent to the highway located ?

It is right there in left side of highway NPV. Earlier, for the one inside Chinnar BP COCO bunk campus, we have to take a service road type exit to get in.
Now they moved the restaurant right there in highway along with Star Biriyani as well, which is just about 50 to 100 meters exit from 6L NH.

As usual A2B management is very good in finding strategic locations in NHs. And this also is a smart move, because given that there are too many restaurants now right in the main road itself, and as the crowd to A2B is reducing over period of time, they moved their restaurant to NH itself.

Also, now fuel prices are lowest in KA compared to TN, I guess the number of people who stop over for refilling in Chinnar BP bunk is also reduced and hence people just stop only for breakfast in various other new options. I found the new Hotel SaravanAA bhavan (note the additional A, but not mentioned in GMaps though) as pretty good in food quality, taste and hygiene.

https://goo.gl/maps/PgPh6sQL7qw


I recollect, once upon a time, Chinnar A2B was the major landmark or stop over towards Krishnagiri for those who exit Bangalore. But now its a completely different story!


-Ravi

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ravib

I recollect, once upon a time, Chinnar A2B was the major landmark or stop over towards Krishnagiri for those who exit Bangalore. Now its a different story.

Even the mindset has changed. For me it used to be a big milestone having reached there. And now, the thought that comes to mind is: A2B? Its a mere 70km!

Let me add 150+ and then let me think of stopping!

For Chennai, its Vanyambadi and beyond and for Salem side, its Salem itself!

[ankan.m.blr]

Originally Posted by NPV

*Oh, and how are the roads inside Salem leading up the Yercaud ghat road ? Last I heard, there was some flyover/bridge construction activities in progress inside the city.

The roads have become narrower due to flyover construction. One can expect max 10 to 15 mins delay in peak hour traffic ( I am used to Bangalore office hour traffic ). While returning from Yercaud to Bangalore , there is a small diversion due to construction work which may add up to extra 5 minutes.

[Nalin1]

Anybody visited Dandiganahalli dam recently? I would like to know the road conditions there as I saw in a previous post that the approach roads are very bad as we get closer to the destination .

[FURY_44]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Anybody visited Dandiganahalli dam recently? I would like to know the road conditions there as I saw in a previous post that the approach roads are very bad as we get closer to the destination .

The roads are still worse once you cross Chikkaballapur, a lot of diversions with roads under construction.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Anybody visited Dandiganahalli dam recently? I would like to know the road conditions there as I saw in a previous post that the approach roads are very bad as we get closer to the destination .

I think if you stick to Dodballapur-Tondebavi route it should be fine.

Once you turn off towards the dam, the first stretch is bad but improves after that and the final home run towards the dam is just a muddy road but actually much better than the initial broken section from the main road

See my earlier update from July - here

Are you driving a car or is it going to be a bike ride ? Both should actually be fine.

[neeravnaik]

Murugun Idli shop outlet has opened near Krishnagiri just before the toll going from Bangalore. Makes for a very good long drive to have breakfast or lunch.

[Nalin1]

Originally Posted by NPV

I think if you stick to Dodballapur-Tondebavi route it should be fine.

Are you driving a car or is it going to be a bike ride ? Both should actually be fine.

Plan is to drive in two cars. In fact it is an office team outing that is planned with about 12 people (10 ladies and 2 guys)! They just want to have a fun outing in a relaxed place and with not much of a crowd .

Do you think this is an ideal place for such an outing?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Do you think this is an ideal place for such an outing?

I have been there just once on a Saturday morning around 9-10am. There were just a handful of people, including some who seemed to have camped overnight (partying types) along the banks with their cars parked nearby! There was a guava seller nearby who said cops and forest guards do drop by once in a while.

Since your group has more ladies, I would suggest to be alert (as always at such places).

There is a village just 300-500m before the dam so it's not like a place that's way too secluded.

[ankan.m.blr]

Last Saturday morning, as usual, I was in search of a nearby place to visit with my family for a short day outing. I came to know of a place called ‘Kaiwara’ near to Hoskote which had a small park, a temple and a hill nearby.
A friend couple decided to join us and we started from Bellandur post lunch after 1.00 PM. Got stuck in traffic near KR Puram, and finally reached Kaiwara at 3.00 PM. There is a govt. signboard ‘Kaiwara Reserve Forest’ welcomed us at the entrance. Basically it is a big fenced park with some landscaping done; would not be fair to call it a forest though. There was hardly any crowd in the afternoon. We walked, gossipped sitting under the trees, enjoyed the view and the luxury of having the area ‘exclusively’ to us. There is a small children park inside , which my son enjoyed. Lots of monkeys around so did not bother to have any food in the open. Roamed around, basked in the sun, enjoyed the sound of birds, leaves falling and cool breeze. The place is not popular among tourists, and maintenance consequently was little low (esp the toites).
After some time, we exited the park and went to the big & beautiful temple opposite to it only to find it closed. From Kaiwara, we followed google maps to drive to this hillock ‘Kailashgiri’ which is 8 KM ahead. From the car parking area at Kailashgiri, there is a small road that we had to walk uphill to the temple. We decided to skip temple visit and sat around in a nearby view point to experience sunset. Finally headed home after a stop at ‘Nandi Grand’ on the Hoskote - Chintamani road (not to be confused with the one on Hoskote - Kolar road).

A few photos of the visit :

[ramki067]

Guys,
We family of 3 want to visit places around Bangalore for 3 days which are not hill stations and favorable for kids. How can we plan the places for such occasion?
Thanks very much in advance.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by ramki067

Guys,
places around Bangalore for 3 days which are not hill stations and favorable for kids

How old is the kid? This thread has enough info on a plethora of dams around Bangalore which can be visited. If the ask is for a place that will keep a kid engaged, then I think you might be better off considering places like Prani or Bannerghatta zoo/safari. IMHO, Mysore Zoo is much better and worth the drive if you are open to it.