Team-BHP - BLR-Madurai-Munnar-Thekkady-Coonoor-Ooty-BLR (Advice please)

Hello Friends,

Thanks to all of you for helping me chalking out my plan for the following trip. Your travelogues, posts in other threads have helped a lot.

Now, I would request for specific inputs on my plan as below. please:

1) Any alternative routes / best routes than what I mentioned ?
2) Hotel / Restaurant suggestions or reviews (Budget Rs.1000 to Rs.1500)
3) Any other places (sightseeing) can be covered ?
4) For optional day plan : Athirapally feasible ? or direct Thekkady to Coonoor or Halt at Coimbatore required ?
5) Considering Mansoon season, is the overall plan good or any changes required?

Other details about the tour :
Vehicle : Ritz vxi (Me & my brother will drive)
No. of passengers : 4 Adults + 1 kid

Thanks in advance, :thumbs up
- Neo

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo45007 (Post 1919406)

1) Any alternative routes / best routes than what I mentioned ?
2) Hotel / Restaurant suggestions or reviews (Budget Rs.1000 to Rs.1500)
3) Any other places (sightseeing) can be covered ?
4) For optional day plan : Athirapally feasible ? or direct Thekkady to Coonoor or Halt at Coimbatore required ?
5) Considering Mansoon season, is the overall plan good or any changes required?
- Neo

-Kerala is best during the monsoons.

-Athirappilly is a must see place during the monsoons,for this you could either drive Munnar-Chalakudi-Athirappillly-Valparai-Coimbatore-Coonoor(via the WLS) or the other option is Munnar-Chalakudi-Athirappilly-Palakkad-CBE-Coonoor(via nh47),both are easily doable if you leave Munnar around 7-8am.

-Thekkady not a good option during monsoons(I dont think the boat operates either),if at all you do want to see the place,do it as a day trip from Munnar.Leave Munnar after bf and return to Munnar by evening,you could also squeeze in a lunch aboard a houseboat-weather permitting.

-In case you are driving back from Munnar to Coonoor then the route is
Munnar-Marayoor-Udumulpet-Dharapuram-Palladam-Avinashi-Annur-Mettupalayam-Coonoor.Around 5hours.

I think it is an aggressive plan to drive in 6 hours during day time to Madurai. I would buffer it by adding at least 1 more hour.

You may be too late to have darshan the same day in Madurai, and it is better if you can keep some extra time next day morning for darshan, your departure may also be delayed.

As suggested by others, it is better to first go to Thekkady and then Munnar. For Thekkady, instead of turning off after Theni to Bodinayakanur, continue straight via Kumbam to Thekkady-Kumili.

I also agree that there is no point in going to Thekkady in the monsoons because wildlife sightings are poor. Besides, the boats will not run if it is raining heavily.

Thekkady Hotel - Hoetl Ambady.

In Munnar, I would also add S N Tourist Home and S N Annexe hotels, very good inside town inside.

From Munnar, I would not go to Athirapalli, it is totally out of my way. I think Ranjit's suggestion is the best to go via Marayoor to Udumalaipet and then Coimbatore/Mettupalayam.

It is simpler to go via Coimbatore city than detour via Dharapuram and Palladam. You won't also lose much time. And if you leave Munnar early morning, you can also have delicious lunch/snacks at Hotel Annapoorna in Coimbatore!

I think the time spent in Munnar is not enough (Half a day), and it may be a better idea to use the buffer day also to be in Munnar.

Thanks for some excellent inputs that I was looking for.

Any changes in my plan then ?
Probably YES :
1) I will add one hour more to the journey time to Madurai.
2) If I have to cover Thekkady, then will go directly from Madurai to Thekkady.
3) Then to Munnar. (So, 1 & half days at Munnar).
4) Athirapally falls : I am confused. Whether to cover or go to CBE/Coonoor from Munnar.

Any other inputs are welcome.

Thanks again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo45007 (Post 1920475)

4) Athirapally falls : I am confused. Whether to cover or go to CBE/Coonoor from Munnar.

Going to Athirapalli means you will have a long detour. If you go from KL side, then you will take the Munnar-Kothamangalam-Angamali road, then turn off NH47 at Chalakudy to take the Athirapalli-Valparai route. From Valparai, via Pollachi you can reach Coimbatore. Distance approx. 350 kms.

If you take the TN route, you will go down to Udumalaipet, then go via Valaparai to Athirapalli and Chalakudy, then take NH47 via Trissur and Palakkad to Coimbatore. Distance approx. 400 kms.

The first route is preferred since it will expose you less to intense KL highway traffic between Chalakudy and Coimbatore.

In any case, reaching Conoor the same day will be very difficult, with the journey from Coimbatore being done after dark.

Thanks HVK,

Your advice is always helpful.
I am thinking of altering my plan like below :-

June 10th : BLR - Madurai
11th : Madurai - Munnar (Start late morning after darshan from Madurai)
12th : Munnar sightseeing & stay
13th : Munnar - Athirapally - CBE (Stay) OR Munnar - Thekkady - Kumily (Stay)
14th : Proceed to Coonoor from either of the places above & stay
15th : Coonoor - Ooty and stay
16th : Ooty - BLR

I guess this looks fine. Also, I can alter/change my plan based on the weather conditions in Kerala that time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo45007 (Post 1920558)

IMO,Coonoor is any day more exciting and enchanting that Kumily to stay,I would suggest you drive straight from Munnar to Coonoor via Udumulpet rather than waste time and energy by detouring around in Kerala.The 13th you could drive to Thekkady from Munnar and come back and stay in Munnar.

14th morning you could go straight to Coonoor.

Another q-why would you want to stay one night in Coonoor and one night in Ooty?Its a waste of time in terms of settling down-unpacking-repacking etc.I would recco that you either make Coonoor your base or Ooty your base rather than staying a night in each place.Coonoor to Ooty is just 15-20mins.

Hi Ranjit,
I am having one day stay booked @ my company's guest house in Coonoor on 14th.
Thats only for a day (due to non-availability).
But, I take your suggestion and would see if I can stay back at one place.

I have doubt on doing Munnar - Thekkady - Munnar in a day. Isn't it 3-4 hours drive one way ? will it be tiring ? (Including sightseeing at Thekkady / Periyar).

So, I thought of staying at Kumily. Else, I would skip Thekkady & visit Athirapally (On 13th) and come down to CBE same day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo45007 (Post 1920597)

I have doubt on doing Munnar - Thekkady - Munnar in a day. Isn't it 3-4 hours drive one way ? will it be tiring ? (Including sightseeing at Thekkady / Periyar).

So, I thought of staying at Kumily. Else, I would skip Thekkady & visit Athirapally (On 13th) and come down to CBE same day.

Munnar-Thekkady is easily doable in one day,if you leave Munnar by 7am you would be back in Munnar by 4-5pm.Nothing much to see in Thekkady,the main attraction is the boat ride through the Periyar WLS,check at Munnar at the hotel or the local taxi guys if that has restarted(it was stopped after a recent accident).if it hasnt,then I wouldnt go to Thekkady.Same with Athirappilly,if the monsoons arent yet in full swing in Kerala then chances are that the waterfalls too arent in full bloom.so its a catch 22 situation:thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo45007 (Post 1920597)

Munnar-Thekkady-Munnar is an easy drive, given the good roads. However, remember that best sightings of wildlife are in the early morning and late evening boat rides.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neo45007 (Post 1920646)

Cool !
As both of you suggested - I can stay back (Halt) at Munnar & finish Thekkady. Then, proceed to Coonoor from Munnar.
i.e.
11th : Reach Munnar
12th : Munnar sightseeing
13th : Munnar - Thekkady - Munnar
14th : Munnar - Coonoor

This sounds good, you should have ample time for sightseeing and rdriving... no need to hurry up. :thumbs up