[v&v]

Originally Posted by kala

If the Ranni/Pathanamthitta road isn't in great shape, then it would be wiser to go via Vazhoor-Changanacherry-Thiruvalla-Chengannur (Or one could even bypass Changanacherry and save some time by taking a left turn from Thengana which is about 4 kms before Changanacherry. That road was quite OK when I used it in April, and you join MC road a few kms before Thiruvalla).

Generally Erumeli-Ranni-Pathanamthitta road are ok as quite a lot of Shabarimala visitors take this route.

The below said route via Vazhoor , would you clarify more.

Thanks in advance.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

AFAIK, there is no route from Vandiperiyar to Erumeli, the roads start only from Mundakayam onwards, and then Kanjirapalli and Ponkunnam.
I heard that roads around Ranni and Pathanamthitta are bad now.

Have heard there is proper bus service for the 180 km stretch from
Kumily-Vandiperiyar-Erumely-Plappally-Pamba.
I have a cousin at Ranni trying to get an update on the same.

[kala]

Originally Posted by v&v

The below said route via Vazhoor , would you clarify more.

There is junction called Pulickal Kavala (also called Pathinaalaam mile - i.e 14th mile) on the Kumily-Kottayam NH220 near Vazhoor about 22kms before you reach Kottayam. The highway takes a sharp right turn here to go to Kottayam. The other fork that goes straightish (may be about 10-15 degrees left) goes to Changanacherry (approx. 25 kms or so) via Kangazha, Karukachal, Mammood and Thengana.

Actually there are multiple routes to get to Pandalam from here. You could turn left at Karukachal and proceed via Mallappally - Kozhencherry, or turn left from Thengana and hit MC road (SH1) midway between Changanacherry and Thiruvalla (and then go to Pandalam on MC road via Thiruvalla - Chengannur).

If you proceed straight on the Vazhoor Changanacherry road, you'll of course hit MC road at Changanacherry, but it is better to avoid this since the traffic in Changanacherry town can be quite painful during peak hours.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by v&v

Have heard there is proper bus service for the 180 km stretch from
Kumily-Vandiperiyar-Erumely-Plappally-Pamba.
I have a cousin at Ranni trying to get an update on the same.

That will be good info, look forward to your update. Am sure that teh route will be fabulous.

kala, from Karukachal, you can also go through a road (turn left) and avoid Changanaserry town, so that you reach the outskirts towards Chengannur on MC Road.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by v&v

Also my brother will be joining me with his car. So i did need to pick from Mangalore. I think i can ask him to join me at Bangalore. Is there any other place where he can join ?

If your brother is driving his car and you don't have any specific requirement in Bangalore, its better to ask him to take NH17 and join somewhere in Calicut/Trichur (if you take Kerala route) or at Pandalam itself.

He can save a lot of drive.

[v&v]

OK Now the final route decided is

Delhi - Udaipur - (Via Godbunder Rd) - Pune - Blr - Dindigul - Kumili - Vandiperyar - Kanjaripalli - Kangazha - Karukachal - Mammood - Thiruvalla - Pandalam.


Day - 1 - Delhi - Ahmadabad - 900 kms - 12 - 13 hrs

Day - 2 - Ahmadabad to Pune - 650 kms - 10 to 12 Hrs

Day - 3 - Pune - Blr - 850 kms - 850 Kms 12 - 13 Hrs

Day - 4 - Blr - Pandalam - 650 Kms - 12 to 13 Hrs


Now some more information required.

1. Hotels Details at Ahmadabad bypass .

2. Where to stay in Pune. - Any good hotels.

3. While approaching Bangalore - To bypass the city should i take the Nice Road and Join all the way on NH - 7 or any other better route.
Hotel Suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

[khoj]

v&v,

I would recommend the following hotels
1.a. Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.(Rajasthan Government Undertaking)

This is a RTDC motel at Ratanpur border of RJ and GJ. 115kms from Udaipur and 140 kms from Ahmedabad. Reviews for the same are good and has been stayed at be a couple of team members with satisfactory reviews.

1.b. Hotel Anjali in Chiloda 07923272069,98
Chiloda is on the Ahmedabad bypass road and the hotel was recommended by ramkya1 during my run from BOM to DEL in mid August.

Though if you are travelling with family I would recommend that you take a halt in Udaipur itself plenty of hotel choices there.

2. At Pune stay at the Ginger hotel in Wakad. This is perfectly located on the Highway itself and just as the BOM Pune Xpress way ends. No going into the city, no lanes nothing right on the Pune Bangalore Highway. Also you get 20% off the Besr Available Rate of (Rs.2000) if you book 2 weeks in advance and 10% for a week's advance booking.

Ginger Pune(Wakad) | Reach us

In fact i will be doing this run too to reach the Ginger hotel at Wakad on the 24th evening to be a part of the Kaas meet at Satara on the 25th. Sending you a pm with my contact details to explore the possibilty of driving down with you as a convoy. Infact we have quite a few members driving up from B'lore with their families for the Kaas trip and maybe this could be of interest to you too. See Kaas and have company for the drive to Bangalore, let us see how it pans out. Here is the link for the Kaas meet

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...t-24-25-a.html

[hvkumar]

I would suggest you go on to Satara and stay at Hotel Mahendra Executive, a cheaper option to Pune hotels.

Hotel Anjali location - exactly 43 kms after crossing Himmatnagar town, to your left. It is 7 kms further down to Chiloda Circle. You can check out my detailed log books for the coordiantes for Hotel Anjali too. Same for Hotel Mahendra.

12 kms after the exit toll gate (between Tumkur & Nelamangala), you will see the ramp leading to the overpass for the NICE Road. You will cross the Himalaya Drug Co to your right before reaching that point. Take the NICE Road till the very end to the E-City/Hosur exit and at that point, you will join NH7 towards Hosur/Salem, some 24 kms before Hosur city flyover.

[khoj]

Tbhp will be taking over Hotel Maharaja at Satara on the 24th/25th/26th. If we are able to get a good deal I will pass on the details to you.

3. Satara
.: Welcome to Maharaja Group of Hotels - Maharaja Regency - Location :.

[v&v]

@ khoj - Though if you are travelling with family I would recommend that you take a halt in Udaipur itself plenty of hotel choices there.
My target will be the reach at least Ahmadabad or Baroda on day one. I did this when last traveled in march 10. Hope to achieve the same timing.

Tbhp will be taking over Hotel Maharaja at Satara on the 24th/25th/26th. If we are able to get a good deal I will pass on the details to you.
That would be great.


@ HVK - if i am able to cross pune before 6 pm, then will head to Satara other wise Ginger pune. As for Blr after E-city, any good hotels. i know sarovar group has a hotel after hosur in maruthi nagar.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by v&v

@ HVK - if i am able to cross pune before 6 pm, then will head to Satara other wise Ginger pune. As for Blr after E-city, any good hotels. i know sarovar group has a hotel after hosur in maruthi nagar.

After Electronic city, E-Inn, Jade Empire, The Lark, Keerthana International are some options in highway. Renaissance is a good option just after Hosur.

Check this link for more: http://www.electronic-city.in/hotels/

[pradkumar]

I'm planning a trip from Pune to Chengannur late Oct and I'll be watching this thread for your road updates. I'm contemplating going via Bangalore because of bad coastal roads near Mangalore.

From Ernakulam, I recommend that you take the NH 47 via Alapuzha to reach Chengannur and then Pandalam. Much better than the twisty MC road. The road from Alapuzha to Changanassery should be good. The road from Chengannur to Kozhencherry should also be good (not a big stretch though) and from there you can eventually hit Pandalam. I've been there this Jan; the roads were good then. Don't know what is the state of roads after the monsoons.

Pradeep

[rhandle]

Originally Posted by v&v

1. Hotels Details at Ahmadabad bypass .


Thanks in advance.

In Himmatnagar, you would be taking a right, towards Ahemdabad. There is a hotel Landmark (I am not very sure about the name though), you will not miss it, which a veg hotel but very nice rooms. Himmatnagar is 70 kms before Ahemdabad. A big room with plasma TV dinning table and even exercise machine would cost you around 2500 INR.

Few hotel have opened up on Ahemdabad bypass but they did not looked very appealing to me in month of June while I was passing from there.

If you reach Himmatnagar early then you cross Ahemdabad and reach Baroda (Himmat Nagar to Baroda should be around 2.5 hrs ) and then enter Baroda city to get good hotels.

In Pune we had issues finding out hotels on highway as I was with family and almost every hotel is "business" hotel, in Maharastra the best bet would be to find a good hotel in city itself and not on highway.

[khoj]

Originally Posted by v&v

@ khoj
My target will be the reach at least Ahmadabad or Baroda on day one. I did this when last traveled in march 10. Hope to achieve the same timing.

Yes that is quite doable. The thing with Ahmedabad is that there are no hotels on the highway as yet. I did notice some coming up on the Sardar Patel ring road but these should be operational only in 2011.

For the nearest hotel when coming from Himmatnagar take the right hand turn from the Ransan chowk going towards the airport. The left goes to Ahmedabad Baroda expressway and straight goes into the city. The thing to remember as you go towards the airport is that you should not cross the Sabarmati river. The turnoff is a Yish fork and is Rightish for the river/Gandhinagar and leftish for the airport.

Just as you cross the turnoff to the airport you will have the Taj gateway on your right The Gateway Hotel and a little ahead to your left dot after the turn to the airport as you turn is the Comfort inn Sunset. Ahmedabad, India hotel close to Sardar Patel Stadium - Comfort Inn, II042
I have stayed at both on occassions and these are the closest to the highway.

I am attaching a map given to me by ramkya1 it has all the necessary details and is a wonderful tool to have with everyone who is on this road.

Originally Posted by rhandle

In Himmatnagar, you would be taking a right, towards Ahemdabad.

Errr.. As far as I can recall when coming down the highway from RJ you hit the Himmatnagar T juction with Himmatnagar town/Abu road on your right and Ahmedabad on your left.

Unless you are also referring to the Ransan chowk intersection. while coming from Himmatnagar towards Ahmedabad.

[issigonis]

Originally Posted by kpzen

Due to rains, Pune - Satara section has become a bit tricky now, good tarmac and all of a sudden a rim breaker crater will appear.
Once you reach Satara its all concrete and dream to drive till Belgaum.

>>> kpzen,

How recent is this condition?
I drove down this stretch on the 9th and 15th of August and it was good; not excellent, not bad either.

Regards