[ampere]

Originally Posted by prasad14

Has anyone did this stretch recently. We plan to holiday in Waynad. We plan to take the following route:

Bangalore-Mysore-Gundlupete-Vythiri-Kuruva-Kabini-Mysore-Bangalore

Any updates on the road conditions for the non Blore-Mysore part would be very helpful.

Prasad

Regular/Standard issues with Nanjangud-Mysore potholes (road is being relaid).
Rest would be good. Not sure of road from Vythri/Bathery to Kuruva (I think the turning is from Bathery. Not sure).

Kurva to Mysore via Kutta/Nagarhole is OK with diversion around the park. Check Blr-Kannur section. Lots of updates on that stretch.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...needed-43.html

[kala]

Originally Posted by prasad14

Has anyone did this stretch recently. We plan to holiday in Waynad. We plan to take the following route:

Bangalore-Mysore-Gundlupete-Vythiri-Kuruva-Kabini-Mysore-Bangalore

Any updates on the road conditions for the non Blore-Mysore part would be very helpful.

Prasad

Mysore-Nanjangud : Rough roads even after the potholes have been patched up, and heavy traffic. Plan for about 30-35 minutes for this 20 km stretch.

Nanjangud-Gundlupet : A bit rough in the initial 5 or 10 kms (plenty of roller strip style speedbreakers). Excellent from thereon.

Gundlupet-SulthanBatheri : Good roads. All potholes have been patched up, but it wouldn't be advisable to drive too fast since there are some unmarked speedbreakers, and possibility of wildlife crossing (Not too many these days because of the rather heavy traffic). Bad potholes only at a couple of places - one immediately after the Ponkuzhi temple (Between Kerala-Karnataka border and Muthanga checkpost) and another near the Muthanga checkpost itself.

Batheri - Vythiri : Generally good roads

Vythiri - Kuruva : You have two options here.

The first is to turn left at Vythiri onto SH54 (about 200 meters after you cross Vythiri bus-stand when coming towards Bangalore) and proceed to Mananthavady through Padinjarethara / Banasurasagar dam. Very scenic drive though the road is pretty narrow and curvy. Road is good till Padinjarethara, but there are a few rough patches between there and Mananthavady.

The second option is to go on NH212 till Kalpetta and turn left to the Kalpetta Mananthavady road (the junction is called Kainatty - comes about 2 kms after you cross Kalpetta town centre). Much better and wider road than the first option. Also you might save some distance if you bypass Mananthavady. Take a right at Kaithakkal junction exactly 2 kms after you pass Panamaram town. (This right turn as well as straight road takes you to Mananthavady, and distances are more or less the same either way). After travelling about 5 kms from this junction, you get a place called Koyileri where you can take a right turn towards Kattikkulam avoiding passing through Mananthavady town. Roads are good from Vythiri to Panamaram, and slightly rough from thereon till Mananthavady / Kattikkulam. Kattikkulam to Kuruva is quite close and the road is quite good unless you choose to take some shortcuts (there are quite a few of these on the way, but not fit for a Sedan)

Good to use the first alternative only if you plan to visit Banasurasagar dam en-route, otherwise going via Kalpetta would be faster.

Kuruva - Mysore (via Bavali-Kabini on SH33 ) : Excellent roads till the forest checkpost where you need to deviate towards Karapur through some village roads. Quite a few speedbreakers on the way though, but well marked, and good possibility of spotting some wildlife. The deviation through Karapur has a non-tarred portion of 1km or so at the start, and then average to bad roads for the next 10-12 kms till you join back SH33 on the other side (But still doable on a Sedan). For the 65 kms or so from thereon till Mysore the road is excellent.

[prasad14]

Originally Posted by ampere

Regular/Standard issues with Nanjangud-Mysore potholes (road is being relaid).
Rest would be good. Not sure of road from Vythri/Bathery to Kuruva (I think the turning is from Bathery. Not sure).

Kurva to Mysore via Kutta/Nagarhole is OK with diversion around the park. Check Blr-Kannur section. Lots of updates on that stretch.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...needed-43.html

Ampere, thanks a lot. It was so quick and as commented by a fellow BHPian, your contribution to this forum is just great.

Prasad

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ampere

Rest would be good. Not sure of road from Vythri/Bathery to Kuruva (I think the turning is from Bathery. Not sure).

Originally Posted by kala

The second option is to go on NH212 till Kalpetta and turn left to the Kalpetta Mananthavady road (the junction is called Kainatty - comes about 2 kms after you cross Kalpetta town centre). Much better and wider road than the first option. Also you might save some distance if you bypass Mananthavady. Take a right at Kaithakkal junction exactly 2 kms after you pass Panamaram town. (This right turn as well as straight road takes you to Mananthavady, and distances are more or less the same either way).

Thanks Kala. I meant Kalpetta about the Kuruva island turn and some how wrote Bathery.

Originally Posted by prasad14

Ampere, thanks a lot. It was so quick and as commented by a fellow BHPian, your contribution to this forum is just great.

Prasad

Thanks you for the kind words. Its my pleasure.

[kala]

Originally Posted by kala

The second option is to go on NH212 till Kalpetta and turn left to the Kalpetta Mananthavady road (the junction is called Kainatty - comes about 2 kms after you cross Kalpetta town centre). Much better and wider road than the first option.

Originally Posted by ampere

Thanks Kala. I meant Kalpetta about the Kuruva island turn and some how wrote Bathery.

Actually you were also right Bathery is indeed the place to turn right for Mananthavady if one is coming from Bangalore on NH 212. (Actually a couple of kms after Bathery, the place is called Beenachi).

My directions are valid if you're travelling from Vythiri which is about 15 kms or so after Kalpetta towards Calicut (Since Prasad's itinerary was to travel from Vythiri to Kuruva). In that case you have to come towards Bangalore on NH 212 and turn left at Kalpetta.

[prasad14]

Originally Posted by kala

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Kuruva - Mysore (via Bavali-Kabini on SH33 ) : Excellent roads till the forest checkpost where you need to deviate towards Karapur through some village roads. Quite a few speedbreakers on the way though, but well marked, and good possibility of spotting some wildlife. The deviation through Karapur has a non-tarred portion of 1km or so at the start, and then average to bad roads for the next 10-12 kms till you join back SH33 on the other side (But still doable on a Sedan). For the 65 kms or so from thereon till Mysore the road is excellent.

Thanks Kala. This is very useful. Would there be 6PM blockade on this road too? If yes, which point should we be crossing before 6PM?

Prasad

[ampere]

Originally Posted by prasad14

Thanks Kala. This is very useful. Would there be 6PM blockade on this road too? If yes, which point should we be crossing before 6PM?

Prasad

Any reason why you would do that? The place is fun to drive during the day. I understand you may have time constraints,
but it would be amazing to drive during the day. Its much more lively in those parts.

[prasad14]

Originally Posted by ampere

Any reason why you would do that? The place is fun to drive during the day. I understand you may have time constraints,
but it would be amazing to drive during the day. Its much more lively in those parts.

Ampere, we'd be doing some adventure trek which include crossing some 4-8 rivers, this Sun morning. We are slated to leave Kuruva by 4PM latest and drive to Bangalore. I'm just double checking on the absolute hard constraint, just in case if something doesn't go according to plan, in which case, we'd possibly camp in Waynad. A few months ago my friends missed the deadline by a few mins and had a tough time getting an acco. But, you are right it would be fantastic to drive thru during the day time.

Prasad

[kala]

Originally Posted by prasad14

Thanks Kala. This is very useful. Would there be 6PM blockade on this road too? If yes, which point should we be crossing before 6PM?

Prasad

Never passed through that road in late evenings, but I'd guess the blockade would be at Bavali checkpost (that's where you enter the forest). And since the general rule in Rajiv Gandhi WLS (the official name for the Nagarahole WLS) is a blockade from 6PM to 6AM, I assume that'd apply here as well.

I've never noticed any other manned checkpost between Bavali and Mysore after this (except for the one that's permanently blocked off at the entry to the WLS when coming from Mysore, but then you never have to go through it because you take a deviation there). So not sure how they can block off traffic coming from Mysore side during night time. Well, there could be one somewhere between Karapur village and the forest entry and it could just be that I never noticed..

Whatever it is, it'd probably be better to play it safe and make sure you cross the Bavali checkpost by say 5:30 PM or so at the latest. It may not be very pleasant to drive through the rough village roads once it gets dark.

[ampere]

At least the Bandipur road (NH67) is closed from 9PM to 6AM. Not sure about the Waynad side.
Since it forms the part of the same belt, it may as well be closed.

What you can do is call one of these resorts in Waynad and ask them.

[smsrini]

Hi!

I am looking for the best route from Kabini ( JLR ) to Vythri. Any advise greatly appreciated. Google maps shows SH 33, and NH 766 just before Kainatty. is SH33 in good shape ?

[kala]

Originally Posted by smsrini

Hi!

I am looking for the best route from Kabini ( JLR ) to Vythri. Any advise greatly appreciated. Google maps shows SH 33, and NH 766 just before Kainatty. is SH33 in good shape ?

The one you're referring to is probably the only route, so you don't have much of choice.

SH33 is in pretty bad shape for about 15 kms around JLR, about 10 kms of those being in the Mysore-Karapur stretch and the rest after Karapur towards Bavali. Once you're past that bad stretch of 5 kms or so, the roads are in pretty good condition (Bavali-Kattikkulam-Mananthavady-Kainatty-Kalpetta-Vythiri). Even NH 212 (766 must be the new number) is rough between Kerala border and Chundale, so the initial 10-12 kms that you travel on that NH (from Kainatty to Chundale) would also not be really that good. Chundale to Vythiri is only about 4-5 kms, that portion is in excellent shape.