[smekad]

Originally Posted by ampere

I think roads are decent, but beyond Chikkamagulur, you would end up taking more time as roads tend to be narrow. Its about 100km from Chikkamagulur.

If you need wide roads, best would be :

Bangalore-Chirtadurga-Shimoga-Thirthajhalli-Sringeri. Absolute belter roads all the way. Some bad sections between Chitradurga and Shimoga.

Thanks! We will stick to Shimoga Thrithahalli route since we are short on time for this trip. The earlier plans of doing sightseeing also got dropped due to time constraints. Need to reach Kollur by afternoon - will be travelling back the next day after morning darshan.
BTW, one question. Last visit we had tough time getting decent food in Kollur, any suggestions for stay/decent food in Kollur?

[kala]

Originally Posted by smekad

Thanks! We will stick to Shimoga Thrithahalli route since we are short on time for this trip. The earlier plans of doing sightseeing also got dropped due to time constraints. Need to reach Kollur by afternoon - will be travelling back the next day after morning darshan.
BTW, one question. Last visit we had tough time getting decent food in Kollur, any suggestions for stay/decent food in Kollur?

There are couple of new hotels in Kollur. I stayed in Mookambika Palace (which is right on the main road leading to the temple) when I travelled a few months ago, the rooms were quite OK and they have a Vasudeva Adiga's restaurant on the ground floor which seemed pretty decent. The only problem with this hotel is that they do not have parking within their premises, and provide parking in an open ground about 50 meters away. (This is a commercial parking space, but they give you a token that allows you to park there free of charge). Not sure if this has changed.

There's another newish Hotel called Abimon residency a little further away on the road to Sagar which has got excellent reviews in Tripadvisor. It looked better than Mookambika Residency from the outside, and I plan to try that one the next time. The reviews say they serve food if you order in advance, but no first hand information.

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by smekad

Thanks! We will stick to Shimoga Thrithahalli route since we are short on time for this trip. The earlier plans of doing sightseeing also got dropped due to time constraints. Need to reach Kollur by afternoon - will be travelling back the next day after morning darshan.

I suggest you stick to Shimoga-Thirthahalli onward and try the Kadur stretch on the return. This way, we'll have more definite answers in this thread moving forward!

Originally Posted by smekad

BTW, one question. Last visit we had tough time getting decent food in Kollur, any suggestions for stay/decent food in Kollur?

Abimon Residency is the best! I stayed there on my trip couple of weekends ago. The owner Mr. Pradeep is a man with a mission to change the future of Kollur and save the environment around. The rooms are small but are very neat with all amenities. They also make food to order and trust me, it is very tasty and homely compared to the rest of commercial thieves out there! Here is the link to the website http://www.hotelabimon.com/. You have to make online reservation though.

If you haven't planned on Darshan yet, you can inform Pradeep and he will help arrange as well. Since you plan on staying the night, don't miss the night darshan followed by the traditional Kashayam that acts as a natural cleanser to the body system. You have to be at the temple around 8.15 for this darshan though.

[smekad]

Originally Posted by luvurride

I suggest you stick to Shimoga-Thirthahalli onward and try the Kadur stretch on the return. This way, we'll have more definite answers in this thread moving forward!

I plan to go Bangalore-Tumkur-Arsikere-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Someshwar-Vandse-Kollur for my onward journey. last time I went via Kadur and found the traffic/road to be OK. Bangalore- chitradurga- shimoga looks too big a deviation. (maybe faster due to 4 lane hwy till chitradurga)

Might take the Balehonur route coming back- depending on what time we start from Kollur. I feel if the balehonnur route is good, that might be the best scenic route to Kollur from Bangalore.

Originally Posted by luvurride

Abimon Residency is the best! I stayed there on my trip couple of weekends ago. The owner Mr. Pradeep is a man with a mission to change the future of Kollur and save the environment around. The rooms are small but are very neat with all amenities. They also make food to order and trust me, it is very tasty and homely compared to the rest of commercial thieves out there! Here is the link to the website http://www.hotelabimon.com/. You have to make online reservation though.

If you haven't planned on Darshan yet, you can inform Pradeep and he will help arrange as well. Since you plan on staying the night, don't miss the night darshan followed by the traditional Kashayam that acts as a natural cleanser to the body system. You have to be at the temple around 8.15 for this darshan though.

Thanks a lot! I made the booking at Abhimon. Will ask pradeep about the Darshan

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by smekad

I plan to go Bangalore-Tumkur-Arsikere-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Someshwar-Vandse-Kollur for my onward journey. last time I went via Kadur and found the traffic/road to be OK. Bangalore- chitradurga- shimoga looks too big a deviation. (maybe faster due to 4 lane hwy till chitradurga)

Few pointers -
1. The Tumkur bye-pass is in bad shape
2. Shimoga-Thirthahalli roads are excellent but with lot of unexpected curves, so caution required.
3. Same with Agumbe ghats - Fresh tarmac so cabbies go crazy on this, easy to get carried away. Just before the descent starts, there is a small tea shop by the lake where the guy makes yummy masala vadas with hot chai. Not to missed if you are there around 5pm. You also get some good natural products at the shop bang opposite to this teas joint.

Originally Posted by smekad

Might take the Balehonur route coming back- depending on what time we start from Kollur. I feel if the balehonnur route is good, that might be the best scenic route to Kollur from Bangalore.

Yes no doubt! In fact, I intended to take it on my return, however, a taxi driver at Vandse guided me to Thirthahalli through Sidhapura and Hulikal which turned out to be really bad! I should have listened to Pradeep who clearly told me to take the Agumbe. Since my Dad and wifey had nausea descending Agumbe enroute, I decided to skip it. Anyway, a new route tried!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by smekad

I plan to go Bangalore-Tumkur-Arsikere-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Someshwar-Vandse-Kollur for my onward journey. last time I went via Kadur and found the traffic/road to be OK. Bangalore- chitradurga- shimoga looks too big a deviation. (maybe faster due to 4 lane hwy till chitradurga)

Its not that big a deviation. Almost similar distances, but faster time of commute due to 4-lane. You just need to know how to get around Chitradurga.

Might take the Balehonur route coming back- depending on what time we start from Kollur. I feel if the balehonnur route is good, that might be the best scenic route to Kollur from Bangalore.

Yes its scenic route indeed.

If I may thrown in more options, you can plan to add a day and stay in Udupi and visit Kollur the next day.
What I can suggest :
D1 : Drive in Udupi. Visit the Udupi-Temple
D2 : Start Early visit Kollur and start driving back to Bangalore by noon. You should be back by late evening.

This way you get more options in Udupi/Manipal and also get to visit the temple in Udupi along with Kollur.

[smekad]

Update after my travel:

I took the Bangalore- Chitradurga - Shimoga - Thirthahalli- Agumbe - vandse- Kollur route.

Total Travel Time : 8 hrs with stops for lunch and Bfast
Total distance: 485 KMs (From my home)

Bangalore to chitradurga- Amazing roads ! covered this distance in 3 hrs.
Chitradurga- Shimoga - Roads are good barring few kilometers before shimoga town.
Shimoga- Thirthahalli- Agumbe- Great winding roads!
Agimbe to Vandse- Roads are not so good just after someshwara and near Vandse. Rest all good road.

While coming back, it was late so decided to stick to the known route- Sorry could not try the Kadur route.

However heard that the hosanagara route is being relaid, it must open shortly. (as told by locals).

A special mention of Abhimon Residency- Good hotel with nice staff. There is limited parking in basement and ground floor- Overall a good place and highly recommended!

Thanks to Ampere/Luvurride/Kala for excellent suggestions

Cheers
-s

[ak916]

I couldn't find much information on the ferry on the internet/tbhp so I thought I will post this, for whoever is interested.

We returned yesterday from Kollur via the ferry/launch route. By the way, the locals call it a "launch" and most dont know what a ferry is. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mook...14.1670402!3e0

The road from Kollur to Sigandur via Nittur is patchy and broken at many places. However your suspension will not bottom out at any place, even on small cars.

Enroute, there is an ancient jain temple, according to google and some signboard placed on the roadside. However only a 19th century structure stands there. The idols have all been stolen apparently and so there is really nothing to see on the way here. However it is a pleasant drive with thick forest on either sides. This route is well inhabited though. There are plenty of small villages on the way but you wont find anything to eat or drink here.

Once at the ferry site, there is a boom barrier and you will notice vehicles parked to the side of the road, onto the left. You have to get in "line" here. There are 2 ferries operating on this route and they start off from the opposite bank, in intervals of 30 minutes. You have to pay 20Rs to the gram panchayat at the barrier and then pay for your car/passengers on the ferry itself.

If you have put your car on a ferry at Kochi, you will find that this one is chaotic. There is utter confusion as people get inside even before the ones in the ferry have gotten off. Then there are bikes. I have noticed that this route is preferred only by locals and yellow board vehicles. There is a route bus that takes this ferry as well!

The ferry operates from 8.30 am to 6.30 PM and each boat can carry 6-8 vehicles. It operates everyday and there is no day when the ferry service was halted, even temporarily, in the recent years. I am saying this because some taxi driver in kollur told me that the service is not operating nowadays.

Sundays and Fridays are quite busy here due to the famous Chowdeshwari temple that is on Sigandur side. Avoid this route on amavasya days for the same reason. The operator told me that it will take hours to cross over during the amavasya rush.

Account for 1 hour from the time you get in line, till the time you get off. This is if you are in the first lot of vehicles at the boom barrier.

I would be cautious of putting "fragile" cars on this ferry. People stand so close that they are almost sitting on your car. You cannot get out of the car once you park as the next car is barely 2 inches away and you are truly boxed in. Also, avoid this route if you cannot reverse a car for 50 meters, in a 10 feet wide road with sheer drops on both sides. It is not tough but it will scare you, if you only recently started driving.

The road on the sagar side is fabulous, freshly laid and a joy to drive on.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by ak916

The road on the sagar side is fabulous, freshly laid and a joy to drive on.

Excellent update, thanks!
I heard from a friend who traveled to Kodachadri last week that the Sagar-Hosanagara-Sampekatte route is good. On the return, he also took a Ferry, is it the same one you took ?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by NPV

Excellent update, thanks!
I heard from a friend who traveled to Kodachadri last week that the Sagar-Hosanagara-Sampekatte route is good. On the return, he also took a Ferry, is it the same one you took ?

Was this road recently tarred? If yes, then thats good. This section always bears the brunt of the monsoon. And the good thing about this section it lets you avoid the roundabout from Hulikal/Ampar/Vandse.

[ak916]

Another thing - The Shimoga division police have an interceptor. I saw one on the left, just before entering the town, after you cross the lion and tiger safari. I cant exactly recall where but it was at the end of a fast stretch.

Originally Posted by NPV

On the return, he also took a Ferry, is it the same one you took ?

Kodachadri is same as Mookambika, geographically. It is the same ferry. Though, I doubt there are other ferries in Karnataka that carry cars. Does anyone know?

Originally Posted by ampere

Was this road recently tarred? If yes, then thats good. This section always bears the brunt of the monsoon. And the good thing about this section it lets you avoid the roundabout from Hulikal/Ampar/Vandse.

I heard from Abhimon owner and also from couple of taxi drivers that nagar/hosanagar is "bombaat".

[vsbabu]

I went there last week. While going, took Shimoga, Gubbi, Thirthahalli, Agumbe, Amparu route. Started at 5am from Koramangala and checked in to Abhimon Residency at 2pm. Roads were very good - covered this distance never exceeding 90kmph. Next day, went to Byndoor. While coming back from Byndoor on Sunday, came down to Kundapur, missed the turn to Agumbe and that added some 20km more. Decided to take Chitradurga route - while the roads from Chitradurga were good, lost lots of time within Chitradurga and at the toll gates. Personally, I feel that Gubbi route is much better if you have a self enforced speed limit of 100kmph.

[kala]

Originally Posted by NPV

Excellent update, thanks!
I heard from a friend who traveled to Kodachadri last week that the Sagar-Hosanagara-Sampekatte route is good. On the return, he also took a Ferry, is it the same one you took ?

I don't think the Kollur-Nittur-Sampekatte-Hosanagara road has any ferries. (This was the road that was supposed to have been undergoing concreting work a while back). Google Maps shows another road from Kodachadri to Sampekatte that does not touch Nittur - may be this is the one that has the ferry.

I've travelled by the former road quite a while ago, and it is a lovely drive especially in monsoon. If the road repairs have been completed now, that would be the ideal way to go to Kollur (Shimoga-Ayanur-Ripponpet-Hosanagara-Nagara-Nittur-Kollur)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by kala

I've travelled by the former road quite a while ago, and it is a lovely drive especially in monsoon. If the road repairs have been completed now, that would be the ideal way to go to Kollur (Shimoga-Ayanur-Ripponpet-Hosanagara-Nagara-Nittur-Kollur)

Very true. Even I would love to drive on that route. And not to miss the Chakra reservoir. In fact take the road from Tirthahalli to Mani and there on to Hulikal! That would be even better.

[B.R.S.Rao]

Just returned from Chitradurga to Mangalore via Thirthahalli yesterday. Sharing some photos of Shimoga-Thirthahalli road.