[Peets]

Hi Folks,
I will be driving to Wayanad in the 3rd or the 4th week of this month. Am planning to take the Bangalore - Mysore - Nanjangud - Gundlupet - Sultan Bathery - Kalpetta route.

Has anyone used this route recently? Would like to know the condition of the road post the rains. Any inputs or cautions are welcome.

Also is it worth taking the ring road at Mysore or is it easier driving through Mysore city on Bannur road to Teresian circle and then taking the NH 212?

I will be driving my Indigo. I generally use Indianoil Xtramile diesel which is available only in the bigger fuel stations. Are there fuel stations on the way post Mysore where i can expect to find Xtramile?

What is the expected driving time?

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Cheers.
Peets.

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by Peets

Hi Folks,
I will be driving to Wayanad in the 3rd or the 4th week of this month. Am planning to take the Bangalore - Mysore - Nanjangud - Gundlupet - Sultan Bathery - Kalpetta route.

This is the best route.

Has anyone used this route recently? Would like to know the condition of the road post the rains. Any inputs or cautions are welcome.

I drove down this route couple of weeks back. Road is excellent till you enter Kerala (from Muthanga wildlife sanctuary onwards). From there on, there are occasional potholes and uneven road surface. Potholes can be easily negotiated if one is watchful. I could easily maintain speeds of 70 KMPH on these roads.

Also is it worth taking the ring road at Mysore or is it easier driving through Mysore city on Bannur road to Teresian circle and then taking the NH 212?

The ring road is quite a detour in this case. I would suggest to drive through Mysore city. But you should consider the time also when you plan to cross Mysore.

What is the expected driving time?

From Whitefield to Kalpetta, it took me 6.5 hours with multiple breaks.

You may want to refer to my travelogue - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...e-wayanad.html

[ampere]

If you know Mysore nothing like driving through city rather than ORR.
NH212 is one of the best 2L NH you will get to drive.

There is a CCD at Gudlupet along with the petrol pump. Seemed like a good one.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by ampere

NH212 is one of the best 2L NH you will get to drive.

Except the Mysore - Nanjangud stretch which is painful!!

On a related note, has anyone done Bangalore - Gundulpet via Kanakapura - Kollegal - Chamrajnagar? If yes, how is the Chamrajnagar - Gundulpet section?

[csentil]

The forest section is closed from 8 PM. So you want to make sure you crossover before that. Also the checkpost at the Muthanga gets pretty crowded or jammed from 7 PM onwards. Leave early morning from Bangalore and you should not have a problem.

There are quite a few bunks just before Sultan Battery and near Kalpetta. I remember an IOC there but no idea if they have what you want.

Watchout for wildlife once you cross Gundulpet and hit the forest section. Btw you need to take a right at Gundulpet. This is almost at the end of the town. If you go straight on you will end up in Bandipur and Mudumalai.

Drive slowly through the forest section. You could see a lot of wildlife.

[blue_pulsar]

Hi All, I'm planning to visit Wayanad in September last week or October first week. Will be taking a day or two off. It will be a two day tour in all probabilities. Few questions:

1. Is the time to visit the place right?
2. Is Wayanad okay to go with parents or is it a totally honeymoon spot?
3. Best route to go? I drive a Swift diesel.
4. This is my first visit to Kerala. Anything special I need to take care of?

Thanks a lot in advance.

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

Hi All, I'm planning to visit Wayanad in September last week or October first week.

1. Is the time to visit the place right?

September to November is considered prime season to visit Wayanad. The rains would have subdued by then and all the water bodies will be in their full glory.

2. Is Wayanad okay to go with parents or is it a totally honeymoon spot?

Absolutely ok to go with parents if they appreciate the nature. However, quite a few places in Wayanad requires a short trek to reach the place (Soochipara Falls - a tough 1 km trek, Banasura Sagar dam - just 1 km walk, Edakkal Caves).

3. Best route to go? I drive a Swift diesel.

You can refer to my travelogue for the route information. I traveled there 2 weeks back. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...e-wayanad.html

4. This is my first visit to Kerala. Anything special I need to take care of?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Don't forget to enjoy the Kerala food .

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

4. This is my first visit to Kerala. Anything special I need to take care of?

Yes, Keep a check on news channels and scan the newspaper for possible "Harthal" declarations in Kerala. Talk to the hotel folks before you leave, just to make sure of things!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by jeeva

Yes, Keep a check on news channels and scan the newspaper for possible "Harthal" declarations in Kerala. Talk to the hotel folks before you leave, just to make sure of things!

Very important indeed. Here is one for you!

harthal, Hartal, Bandh, Work stoppage of Kerala and West Bengal crippling the daily life and economy - www.harthal.com

It really tickled me when I heard about this. Order in chaos.

[Peets]

Thanks for the info Buddies. Shall keep you posted after my trip! In the meanwhile any more info or advice is welcome ofcourse.

[kala]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

On a related note, has anyone done Bangalore - Gundulpet via Kanakapura - Kollegal - Chamrajnagar? If yes, how is the Chamrajnagar - Gundulpet section?

I've been wanting to try out this route for a while now. Had tried the Mysore-Bannur-Malavalli-Kanakapura-Bangalore route a couple of months ago, but found that you don't save much going that way instead of SH17 mostly because of the bad roads I encountered in the Mysore-Bannur-Malavalli sectors. May be I should try going via Kollegal to Gundlupet when I travel to Kalpetta next weekend.

Originally Posted by csentil

The forest section is closed from 8 PM. So you want to make sure you crossover before that. Also the checkpost at the Muthanga gets pretty crowded or jammed from 7 PM onwards. Leave early morning from Bangalore and you should not have a problem.

The forest road closes only at 9 PM - not 8. Read on one of the threads here about a court order regarding resuming night traffic on this route, not sure if it is implemented yet. Though there's the risk of higher traffic in evenings, one good thing is that the probability of wildlife sightings is much higher during that time.

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by Gandhi

September to November is considered prime season to visit Wayanad. The rains would have subdued by then and all the water bodies will be in their full glory.
Absolutely ok to go with parents if they appreciate the nature. However, quite a few places in Wayanad requires a short trek to reach the place (Soochipara Falls - a tough 1 km trek, Banasura Sagar dam - just 1 km walk, Edakkal Caves).
You can refer to my travelogue for the route information. I traveled there 2 weeks back. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...e-wayanad.html
Don't forget to enjoy the Kerala food .

Originally Posted by jeeva

Yes, Keep a check on news channels and scan the newspaper for possible "Harthal" declarations in Kerala. Talk to the hotel folks before you leave, just to make sure of things!

Originally Posted by ampere

Very important indeed. Here is one for you!

harthal, Hartal, Bandh, Work stoppage of Kerala and West Bengal crippling the daily life and economy - www.harthal.com

It really tickled me when I heard about this. Order in chaos.

Thanks a lot guys. Will post a travelogue once I'm back.

Hotel Woodlands seems to be the t-bhp hotel of choice isn't it?

[Lightening-Fast]

Hotel Woodlands is economical and right in the heart of Kalpetta. Most tourist places in Wayanad are best covered if you stay in kalpetta. However, there are other hotels too. Really depends on your budget. If you have a decent budget and would like to stay in a resort, try Vythri resort. Must be around 6K a night, but worth it!

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by Lightening-Fast

Hotel Woodlands is economical and right in the heart of Kalpetta. Most tourist places in Wayanad are best covered if you stay in kalpetta. However, there are other hotels too. Really depends on your budget. If you have a decent budget and would like to stay in a resort, try Vythri resort. Must be around 6K a night, but worth it!

Thanks man, Woodlands is good enough for me

[Peets]

Just returned from Wayanad. Stayed at Planet Green Plantations Resort at Kalpetta. A great place to stay. Would recommend it. Road condition is good apart from the Mysore - nanjangud stretch 25 - 30 Kms which is full of small potholes.