[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Bangalore-Sringeri-Kollur: Which option?

• via Sakleshpur-Belur-Sringeri-Agumbe link
  
• via Sakleshpur-Belur-Chikmagalur-Sringeri-Agumbe link (I know, roads are good till chikmagalur from my recent trip)

Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur - Aldur - Sringeri - Agumbe - Shankaranayana- Kollur

Super good roads end to end without a single pothole.

I did this circuit only few weeks before and you can read the entire report on this post.

Kollur-Murudeswar link: what's the condition of road, especially till Mangalore-Murudeswar highway?

Kollur - Baindoor - NH17 - Murudeshwar. Roads are good all the way with 4 lane work in progress as soon as you are on NH17.

Udupi-Dharmastala: Which option?

• via Karkala-naravi link
• via mundkur-moodbidri link
• via Tallipady-moodbidri link

Udupi - Karkala - Bajagoli - Naravi - Guruvayanakere - Ujire - Dharmasthala.

Again, the roads are good and I did this exactly last weekend and you can read my report here.

Also, is it worth to do Jog falls this time of the year?

Don't think so. Not a good time till we see some (good) rains.

[nfsfreak]

Originally Posted by ampere

A possible option.

Thanks Ampere. Probably will plan as suggested, keeping Murudeswar-Bangalore as my last stretch.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

I did this circuit only few weeks before

Super updates Parag. Thank you. Saving your posts for my reference

[NPV]

Originally Posted by nfsfreak

Bangalore-Sringeri-Kollur: Which option?

• via Sakleshpur-Belur-Sringeri-Agumbe link
  
• via Sakleshpur-Belur-Chikmagalur-Sringeri-Agumbe link (I know, roads are good till chikmagalur from my recent trip)

No need to go upto Sakleshpur and then take the turn off to Belur, in fact that road is narrow and used to have potholes on some stretches.
As Parag has mentioned, Hassan-Belur is an awesome road that you can take, of course now the road is ageing and has speed breakers at few places but still worth it.

[darklord]

Hi friends, I plan to drive to Kollur from south Bangalore next week. Google suggests taking Tumkur-Davangare-Honnali-Ayanur-Hosanagar-Kollur. I would be traveling with family and is contemplating starting in the evening so as to save a day.

A: How suitable is this route for such a night drive during the rainy season?
B: Is this the route of choice if I start in the morning?
C: Is the Bangalore-Mangalore-Kundapur-Kollur route a safer choice?

Thanks in advance.

[adi_gt]

Originally Posted by darklord

Kollur Tumkur-Davangare-Honnali-Ayanur-Hosanagar-Kollur.

A: How suitable is this route for such a night drive during the rainy season?
B: Is this the route of choice if I start in the morning?
C: Is the Bangalore-Mangalore-Kundapur-Kollur route a safer choice?

Thanks in advance.

A- Not advisable at all. Nittur to Kollur is a pure ghat section with a dense jungle and invariably it's raining or foggy on this section.
B- Ideal route is Bangalore- CR Patna- Ariskere-Shimoga-Hosanagar-Nittur-Kollur and only during day time.
C- It's a pretty long route. Saftey must be OK.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by darklord

Google suggests taking Tumkur-Davangare-Honnali-Ayanur-Hosanagar-Kollur. I would be traveling with family and is contemplating starting in the evening so as to save a day.

I wont suggest that option.

A: How suitable is this route for such a night drive during the rainy season?

Again not advisable for night driving. Narrow roads and monsoon may have started. Good to check (Thats the usual route)

B: Is this the route of choice if I start in the morning?
C: Is the Bangalore-Mangalore-Kundapur-Kollur route a safer choice?

None of the above.
Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna - Arsikere - Shimoga - Ayannur - Ripponpete - Hosanagar - Nagar - Kollur

If you want to go via Agumbe:
Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna - Arsikere - Shimoga - Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Someshwar-Ampar-Vandse-Kollur

[ranjish]

Hi friends

Had a quick weekend trip to Kollur from Bangalore.

As suggested by ampere and others, took following onward route.

Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna - Arsikere - Shimoga - Ayannur - Ripponpete - Hosanagar - Nagar - Kollur.

Road was very good throughout and very scenic as well, especially since this is monsoon time.

At Kollur, we stayed at Lalithambika guest house (booked through Bangalore One office). For food, we went to Adigas.

Temple was very much crowded this weekend and it took nearly 2 hrs for us to complete darshan in the evening. It was even more crowded on Sunday morning.

Started return trip at 10:00 am on Sunday and we wanted to cover Hornadu.

Road taken was Kollur - Agumbe - Sringeri - Hornadu (distance of 151km)

It was all good till Sringeri but from Sringeri, Google map took us through some very bad and narrow stretch of roads inside villages and coffee estates. We had to stop at multiple places to confirm with locals that we were in right route. It took us almost 5 hrs to reach Hornadu temple.

Would not recommend anyone to take the short route suggested by Google maps in this
stretch.

From Hornadu, we took normal route to Bangalore (Hornadu - Kalasa - Kottigehara - Belur - Hassan - Kunigal - Nelamangala). Road is good all the way till Bangalore. Only challenge here is negotiating the oncoming traffic (with high beam) from Belur to Hassan at night. We took 7 hrs including breaks from Hornadu to Bangalore.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ranjish

Road taken was Kollur - Agumbe - Sringeri - Hornadu (distance of 151km)

It was all good till Sringeri but from Sringeri, Google map took us through some very bad and narrow stretch of roads inside villages and coffee estates. We had to stop at multiple places to confirm with locals that we were in right route. It took us almost 5 hrs to reach Hornadu temple.

Would not recommend anyone to take the short route suggested by Google maps in this
stretch.

This is a known problem. Many have tasted this thanks to Google. When I was in Hornadu some time back, I heard at least 4 guys talk about how bad that route was, and how badly they got stuck.

One solution is an extra detour of 40km. From Sringeri head down the NH13, to a point where you head left for Kudremukh. And there on go to Hornadu via Kalasa.

Or a better option is : Dont climb up Agumbe. But from Someshwar head to Bajagoli to reach the other end of the NH13 exit for Kudremukh.


Kollur-Vandse-Ampar-Someshwar-Karkala-Bajagoli-Kudremukh-Kalasa-Hornadu.

[Perplexed]

Hi All,

I'm planning to drive to Kollur this coming weekend (2nd & 3rd July) from Bangalore for my son's Vidyarambham. But after hearing about the rains, now I am a bit skeptical. Any thoughts on the condition of this route now?

Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna - Arsikere - Shimoga - Ayannur - Ripponpete - Hosanagar - Nagar - Kollur.

I will be traveling with a 3yr old and hence the concern. Was speaking to a friend and he said Hosanagar might be a challenge because of the rains, with chances of flooding. Can I wade through in an XUV?

With no train tickets available, the alternate is to take a flight. But heard some flights were diverted back to Bangalore because of the rains.

Thanks in advance.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Perplexed

I'm planning to drive to Kollur this coming weekend (2nd & 3rd July) from Bangalore for my son's Vidyarambham. But after hearing about the rains, now I am a bit skeptical. Any thoughts on the condition of this route now?

Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna - Arsikere - Shimoga - Ayannur - Ripponpete - Hosanagar - Nagar - Kollur.

I'm not sure about the impact of rains on this route but I don't think it should NOT be an issue since you drive an XUV, should be able to manage I guess.
An alternate route would be Bangalore-Shimoga-Tirthahalli-Agumbe-Someshwara-Halady-Vandse-Kollur (hope I got the names of the towns and sequence correctly!), we'd done this couple of years ago.

[Perplexed]

Thanks NPV. Finally had to give in to my wife's decision and we took a flight to Mangalore. I was really looking forward to this drive. Guess it'll have to wait.

Btb, are accidents quite common on the Kundapur - Kollur section? We saw one while going uphill on Saturday, but there were about 3 more while coming back on Sunday... mostly people loosing control of the vehicle I guess...

[Rajeevraj]

Need some help and inputs. Read through the last few pages, but still have some doubts.

Overall plan is this: 3 days (Aug 15th weekend). Bangalore-Mookambika on day 1. Day 2 Jog falls and surroundings, Day 3 return.

Questions:

1. All recent posts indicate CR Patna, Arsikere, Shivamogga Hosanagar route. Google seems to indicate Tumkur-Davangere and then to Hosanagar. Why so?
   
2. As per reviews-Mookambika Palace seems to be the decent place to stay? Any other recommendations.
   
3. For Day 2, only agenda currently is to leave Mookambika and visit Jog Falls. Any other suggestions?
   
4. Any recommendations on Hotels/Homestays in the Shivamogga Jog Falls area?

Any inputs/suggestions welcome.

Edit: Additional question. What is the benefit of taking Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna - Arsikere - Shimoga - Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Someshwar-Ampar-Vandse-Kollur as mentioned by Amp in a post above? I assume it is more scenic and nice to drive?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

All recent posts indicate CR Patna, Arsikere, Shivamogga Hosanagar route. Google seems to indicate Tumkur-Davangere and then to Hosanagar. Why so?

Mainly because of 4-lane till Chitradurga. I would still prefer CR Patna for the reason, you get better food options.

For Day 2, only agenda currently is to leave Mookambika and visit Jog Falls. Any other suggestions?

I would have suggested to go via Bhatkal/Kargal. But its a desolate and also I dont know the road condition. The standard road is: Hosanagara-Anandapuram-Sagar-Jog

Any recommendations on Hotels/Homestays in the Shivamogga Jog Falls area?

The best out there is Royal orchid at Shimoga.

What is the benefit of taking Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna - Arsikere - Shimoga - Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Someshwar-Ampar-Vandse-Kollur as mentioned by Amp in a post above? I assume it is more scenic and nice to drive?

I dont know of any benefit as such. Both roads are equally good. This was the default route, when Hulikal ghats were not good.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Need some help and inputs. Read through the last few pages, but still have some doubts.
...

Most of your queries have already been answered by amp, but here are some random notes, hope they help
1. If you're heading directly to Kollur from Bangalore, you can take the Bangalore-Mangalore-Udupi-Kollur route or go via Shimoga-Tirthahalli-Agumbe

2. For Bangalore-Shimoga, you have multiple options like Bangalore-Tumkur-Shimoga (NH206) or Bangalore-Chitradurga-Shimoga (NH13) or Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna(NH48)-Arsikere-Shimoga (merge onto NH206 at Arsikere).
-Tumkur route via NH206 has fewer options for breaks. Matha Sagar at Kibbanahalli cross is an option and is the place where most buses stop. This is after Gubbi and before Arsikere
-Between Chitradurga and Challakere there was some road widening work, not sure of current status though. Also, fewer options for breaks hence the route via CR Patna is better as you can stop en route near Yediyur (Swathi Delicacy) or Bellur Cross (Mayura) or even at some of the many new eateries that have come up before Yediyur, again we prefer those 2 as they're around the 100Km mark from Bangalore.

3. At Kollur, recommended places on this thread are Mookambika Palace (on the main road and it has an Adigas restaurant in the ground floor, probably the best bet for food). Also I have seen recommendations for Abimon Residency (behind the temple near bus stand) and also Lalithambika guest house (see the post on this page).

4. Tirthahalli route is quite scenic and you can visit Gajanur Dam and Sakrebylu elephant camp between Shimoga and Tirthahalli

5. Agumbe has a sunset point, can get crowded in the evenings, if you have time then visit the Kundadri hill for sunset and views.

6. At Shimoga some good hotels are Royal Orchid, Jewel Rock (old time place). Closer to Jog, there may be a Jungle Lodges property, do check but I think Shimoga is a better option

7. Between Shimoga and Jog you can visit the Lion & Tiger Safari at Tyvarekoppa about 10 Km from Shimoga

*Even the route Shimoga-Hosanagara-Nagar-Nittur-Kollur may be good though it is narrow and has ghats. In the other route Agumbe is the only ghat which is a very short stretch.

[ampere]

Rajeev, Quoting NPV's post to add my notes.

Originally Posted by NPV

1. If you're heading directly to Kollur from Bangalore, you can take the Bangalore-Mangalore-Udupi-Kollur route or go via Shimoga-Tirthahalli-Agumbe

If heading directly to Kollur, Udupi does not make sense. But if Kollur is the only main destination and no other (like Jog etc) the Udupi makes a lot of sense. D1 drive to Udupi by noon and stay in there. Visit Udupi temple in the evening. D2 : Visit Kollur and come back by noon. Its hardly 80km.
D3 drive back from Udupi. Else you can even think of driving back to Bangalore from Kollur. A 7AM start from Udupi means, reach Kollur by 9:30 and by 11/11:30 at most you are done with darshan.

2. For Bangalore-Shimoga, you have multiple options like Bangalore-Tumkur-Shimoga (NH206) or Bangalore-Chitradurga-Shimoga (NH13) or Bangalore-Nelamangala-CR Patna(NH48)-Arsikere-Shimoga (merge onto NH206 at Arsikere).
-Tumkur route via NH206 has fewer options for breaks. Matha Sagar at Kibbanahalli cross is an option and is the place where most buses stop. This is after Gubbi and before Arsikere

-Between Chitradurga and Challakere there was some road widening work, not sure of current status though. Also, fewer options for breaks hence the route via CR Patna is better as you can stop en route near Yediyur (Swathi Delicacy) or Bellur Cross (Mayura) or even at some of the many new eateries that have come up before Yediyur, again we prefer those 2 as they're around the 100Km mark from Bangalore.

Any day CR Patna compared for Bangalore-Tumkur-Arsikere or even Chitradurga. Just for the better hotels!

4. Tirthahalli route is quite scenic and you can visit Gajanur Dam and Sakrebylu elephant camp between Shimoga and Tirthahalli

5. Agumbe has a sunset point, can get crowded in the evenings, if you have time then visit the Kundadri hill for sunset and views.

When coming back from Kollur you have two options. Either come towards Jog and see places around. Or drive via Agumbe toward Thirthahalli and visit areas around.

7. Between Shimoga and Jog you can visit the Lion & Tiger Safari at Tyvarekoppa about 10 Km from Shimoga

There are many locations around the triangle of Thirthahalli-Shimoga-Sagar.

Even the route Shimoga-Hosanagara-Nagar-Nittur-Kollur may be good though it is narrow and has ghats. In the other route Agumbe is the only ghat which is a very short stretch.

Hulikal is not that bad to drive. In fact its very good as there is no traffic (it not being the main route). Roads around are also good. But expect near zero places to break after Ayanur.