[Samurai]

I am in Bangalore since a week, don't know much about Manipal weather. It will be hot and humid by default, I'll be back there next week.

Regarding Hotels, your choices are mainly Bhavani/Janani, there are some more on that road though. They are all well within your budget. You can get good AC room for 500-600 bucks. Advance booking won't be required I think.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I am in Bangalore since a week, don't know much about Manipal weather. It will be hot and humid by default, I'll be back there next week.

Regarding Hotels, your choices are mainly Bhavani/Janani, there are some more on that road though. They are all well within your budget. You can get good AC room for 500-600 bucks. Advance booking won't be required I think.

It rained like hell in Udupi/ Manipal last week. Trees fell and cut electric lines and phone lines. Hence my parents who were in Udupi last week had to lock the house and stayed in kediyoor hotel!
Now it's back to being WARM and HUMID.

And MC. Good to see you visiting Manipal. I wanted to make a trip to Udupi/ Manipal too. But I'm reserving my trip during the peak of monsoons. Have a good time and post photos of Udupi/ Manipal.

[vnabhi]

MC---you may enjoy breakfast more at Malligi Hotel in Hospet, than at Hampi. I know there is another restaurant at Hampi, but did not visit that place.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

MC---you may enjoy breakfast more at Malligi Hotel in Hospet, than at Hampi. I know there is another restaurant at Hampi, but did not visit that place.

Wokay Venu Saab. Btw whats your take on the driving times?

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Wokay Venu Saab. Btw whats your take on the driving times?

Well, it would take around 7 hours to get to Hospet. From there to Shimoga might be another 7 hours. Not sure beyond that, as I have not travelled on that route.
BTW, beware of fuel at Hospet---if you've read my travelogue last year, we had a tough time due to bad petrol all the way till Shimoga

[MX6]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

MC---you may enjoy breakfast more at Malligi Hotel in Hospet, than at Hampi. I know there is another restaurant at Hampi, but did not visit that place.

Malligi still exists!!! Wow. I used to go to malligi once a week during my 3 month stay in Hospet. Other days it was some brahmin lunch home nearer to Malligi.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Well, it would take around 7 hours to get to Hospet. From there to Shimoga might be another 7 hours. Not sure beyond that, as I have not travelled on that route.
BTW, beware of fuel at Hospet---if you've read my travelogue last year, we had a tough time due to bad petrol all the way till Shimoga

MC Not sure why you want to try the shimoga route unless you want to drive down the famed Agumbe ghats. I'd suggest the NH63 all the way to Ankola and then down NH17 to Udupi.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MX6

I'd suggest the NH63 all the way to Ankola and then down NH17 to Udupi.

Thats true. Why are you not using NH63?
Thats amazing. You will never feel you are driving through Ghats!

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Well, it would take around 7 hours to get to Hospet. From there to Shimoga might be another 7 hours. Not sure beyond that, as I have not travelled on that route.
BTW, beware of fuel at Hospet---if you've read my travelogue last year, we had a tough time due to bad petrol all the way till Shimoga

Ok Sir, point noted. I'll try to refuel in AP as fuel is quite a bit cheaper than Karnataka.

Originally Posted by MX6

MC Not sure why you want to try the shimoga route unless you want to drive down the famed Agumbe ghats. I'd suggest the NH63 all the way to Ankola and then down NH17 to Udupi.

I'm taking the NH63 on the return. While going its a difference of 100 Kms and missing out on Agumbe Ghats.

Also which is the best route between Hospet and Shimoga ? Should I take the NH13 via Chitradurga, Bhadravati and cut across Agumbe Forest to come out at Thirthahalli or should I take some the shortest route.

Is the NH-13 also very bad?

Modified Route Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India to Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India - Google Maps

[ampere]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Also which is the best route between Hospet and Shimoga ? Should I take the NH13 via Chitradurga, Bhadravati and cut across Agumbe Forest to come out at Thirthahalli or should I take some the shortest route.
Is the NH-13 also very bad?

The route via Bhadravathi/Channagiri is the standard one from Chitradurga.

[Samurai]

I would suggest you completely avoid coming near Hampi/Hospet, the mine trucks will make your life hell in that route. I am talking about 10Kms long lines of trucks.

Take the Hubli route.

[MX6]

Ok. if it's the agumbe ghats, go ahead with your route. Roads from hospet to chitradurga are claimed to be good. Not sure about the chitradurga bhadravati stretch. Bhadravati to shimoga is good. Instead of shimoga to thirthahalli and from thirthahalli to agumbe, I'd suggest, shimoga to koppa, hariharpura, Agumbe. That road is amazing. And Agumbe is at it's best. Now even trucks go in Agumbe ghats. It's that wide.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I would suggest you completely avoid coming near Hampi/Hospet, the mine trucks will make your life hell in that route. I am talking about 10Kms long lines of trucks.

Take the Hubli route.

The route you are talking about is the Gooty - Bellary stretch of NH63 is definitely one of the worst highways of the country with 2 feet craters. I'll be taking the Hyderabad - Mahboob Nagar - Raichur - Gangawati route which is silk as smooth ( Previous experience in both sections in Jan 2009).

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by MX6

Ok. if it's the agumbe ghats, go ahead with your route. Roads from hospet to chitradurga are claimed to be good. Not sure about the chitradurga bhadravati stretch. Bhadravati to shimoga is good. Instead of shimoga to thirthahalli and from thirthahalli to agumbe, I'd suggest, shimoga to koppa, hariharpura, Agumbe. That road is amazing. And Agumbe is at it's best. Now even trucks go in Agumbe ghats. It's that wide.

When I travelled in end September, 2009, the stretch from Hospet to Chitradurga was horrible for about 30 kms after Hospet.
The last 20 kms to Shimoga from Chitradurga was also simply terrible---could not go beyond 20 kmph for that entire stretch.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

The route you are talking about is the Gooty - Bellary stretch of NH63 is definitely one of the worst highways of the country with 2 feet craters. I'll be taking the Hyderabad - Mahboob Nagar - Raichur - Gangawati route which is silk as smooth ( Previous experience in both sections in Jan 2009).

Sounds like a good idea, but be prepared for a lot of truck traffic in the vicinity of Hospet.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

When I travelled in end September, 2009, the stretch from Hospet to Chitradurga was horrible for about 30 kms after Hospet.
The last 20 kms to Shimoga from Chitradurga was also simply terrible---could not go beyond 20 kmph for that entire stretch.



Sounds like a good idea, but be prepared for a lot of truck traffic in the vicinity of Hospet.

Truck traffic is fine. Hope you don't get stuck when the Karnataka police decide to do what they call clean-up action. They stop 1000s of trucks which simply stop on the side of the road, on the tarmac. Then they check each and every truck for how much they can fleece. Poor car guys get stuck for hours sometimes waiting behind 100s of trucks. I had a near incident on yellapura - hubli road. When I saw 100s of trucks waiting one behind the other, I found a diversion which took me to Dharwad through dhumwada from khalghatgi and quickly took that route, when I got an opening.

Thanks for the update on pathetic roads from hospete till chitradurga. I hate 80% of Karnataka roads. (not counting the GQ leg between Tawandi ghats and ranebennur).

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by MX6

Ok. if it's the agumbe ghats, go ahead with your route. Roads from hospet to chitradurga are claimed to be good. Not sure about the chitradurga bhadravati stretch. Bhadravati to shimoga is good. Instead of shimoga to thirthahalli and from thirthahalli to agumbe, I'd suggest, shimoga to koppa, hariharpura, Agumbe. That road is amazing. And Agumbe is at it's best. Now even trucks go in Agumbe ghats. It's that wide.

@ MC, Shimoga-Agumbe via Thirthalli is a good drive with good roads. If you enjoy the forests and ghats, I would suggest this; instead of going to Shimoga go via Bhadravati-N R Pura-Koppa-Hariharapura-Agumbe. You will be passing through the Bhadra Tiger Reserve between Bhadravati & N R Pura. The roads will be narrow, but I guess it should not be a problem for a Bolero (I presume you are taking a Bolero)