[rajivtelang]

I too had plans to travel to Mangalore tomorrow morning via Shiradi. Never taken the Charmadi route. Could somebody help with Charmadi's condition? Also what is the best route to hit Charmadi? Is it via Hassan-Belur?

Kindly provide your help since I will be traveling for first time from this route.
Regards,

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

I too had plans to travel to Mangalore tomorrow morning via Shiradi. Never taken the Charmadi route. Could somebody help with Charmadi's condition? Also what is the best route to hit Charmadi? Is it via Hassan-Belur?

Kindly provide your help since I will be traveling for first time from this route.
Regards,

A colleague drove to Manipal from Bangalore during the last weekend of July via Charmadi and reported overall road conditions to be good. Only very small sections around Hairpins were little bad.

You have 2 options to reach Charmadi from Hassan:

Option 1 : Hassan Belur Mudigere(Handpost) Banakal Kottigehara Charmadi

Option 2 : Hassan Sakleshpur Anemahal Hanbal Jannapura Mudigere (Handpost) Banakal Kottigehara Charmadi

Both routes are equally good barring 2-3 culverts between Hanbal and Jannapura where they haven't laid new layer of asphalt. But these are not even 50 meters in length but come as a surprise.

Both routes will take similar times to reach Mudigere but you get to avoid a series of speedbreakers between Hassan and Belur with option 2.

I drove till Banakal 3 weeks before and roadz remain good.

[rajivtelang]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Option 2 : Hassan Sakleshpur Anemahal Hanbal Jannapura Mudigere (Handpost) Banakal Kottigehara Charmadi

Thanks Paragbhai,

I will go till Sakaleshpur tomorrow and check the status of Shiradi, if it still not operational, will divert via option 2 and take Charmadi route. Google maps show around 30KM extra drive and 1 hour extra time though via this route.

Regards,

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

Thanks Paragbhai,

I will go till Sakaleshpur tomorrow and check the status of Shiradi, if it still not operational, will divert via option 2 and take Charmadi route. Google maps show around 30KM extra drive and 1 hour extra time though via this route.

Regards,

Not sure about the difference with the timings as It has hardly been accurate. I normally take both the roads as I never return taking the same route.

Shiradi will be faster no doubt but only by a margin and not much. Charmadi will be charming and if you are doing this drive during the long weekend, traffic on this will be very thin too. Of course, based on preferences, one opts for Shiradi for the facilities you get all along and in contrast after Mudigere till Ujire/Belthangady you almost have no places to stop. But this takes only an hour (40 kms) and if you compare that to Sakleshpur - Gundya - Uppinangady, its again the same.

Since Hanbal option is now viable after good roads, you always have a choice to decide and take a call from Sakleshpur as you said.

I recall how I and another Bhpian FunkyKar decided at Saklespur that we need to to quickly fork out of the messy traffic on Shiradi and turned right after Sakleshpur for Charmadi. The wisest decision that evening as traffic was near zero on Charmadi and it was a long weekend and we had started to drive impromptu to Mangalore that noon.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

I will go till Sakaleshpur tomorrow and check the status of Shiradi, if it still not operational, will divert via option 2 and take Charmadi route

Rajiv - do share shiradi status

[rajivtelang]

At Mangalore currently. Shiradi is open and quite drivable. The tar sections after concrete ones are in poor condition but could manage with santro. Need to be careful on sides of concrete sections since the step gradients are quite deep at places. Police have marked the area where the lpg tanker had the accident 2 days ago. The bridge is open to traffic.
Couple of accidents though around 10-20km from Sakleshpur slowing the traffic down for a while. Started at 6.30am from Marathahalli and reached to Ginger Mangalore by 2.30pm with one breakfast break of 30 min at Swathi hotel after Kunigal.
Going to udupi tomorrow morning. Will write complete travelog once I return since the plan is to visit udupi, kollur, kukke and dharmasthala by sunday. If anything significant and useful to other bhpians is seen, will update immediately.

Regards

[fast_elegance]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

At Mangalore currently. Shiradi is open and quite drivable. The tar sections after concrete ones are in poor condition but could manage with santro. Need to be careful on sides of concrete sections since the step gradients are quite deep at places. Police have marked the area where the lpg tanker had the accident 2 days ago. The bridge is open to traffic.

I drove Bangalore - Mangalore yesterday via Shiradi. I was initially thinking of charmadi in case the traffic was high. However, decided to start at 4:30 am and therefore was able to avoid some long weekend traffic. Reached mlr by 11:30 with a 30 min breakfast break at sakleshpur.

I felt Shiradi is driveable if you are doing blr-mlr and not the other way round. The opposite direction of the road has deteriorated to a large extent. I will take the charmadi for return.

It was raining on and off all the way from sakleshpur to uppinangady. I did see a lot of cars being driven rashly on the broken section including a skoda superb and honda city. You need to practice patience when driving in Shiradi from now on for cars sake.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Not sure about the difference with the timings as It has hardly been accurate. I normally take both the roads as I never return taking the same route.

Shiradi will be faster no doubt but only by a margin..

I recall how I and another Bhpian FunkyKar decided at Saklespur that we need to to quickly fork out of the messy traffic on Shiradi and turned right after Sakleshpur for Charmadi. The wisest decision that evening as traffic was near zero on Charmadi and it was a long weekend and we had started to drive impromptu to Mangalore that noon.

Ha, so others too noticed that G maps aren't 100% accurate in terms of time on ghats.

There's a reason. GPS will give your exact speed and time to reach if on level roads. GPS signals can't differentiate well in terms of height. So if the gradient is steep as it is on Shiradi, Ooty and Charmadi, it will invariably be wrong.

That's why a map navigator does not predict turns well when you are on a flyover with multiple levels. I had this "what's going on &$#" moment at the chennai flyover system that you cross on the way out.

I was new to town and hemmed in by a scorpio and an innova both with important looking official flags (chennai residents may understand). The voice navigator was going haywire on it.

I stopped my car and looked at the sun. I opened my compass and found out which was west (to reach Blr.) and drove in a generally westward direction.

The flag carriers may have had the Blr city IT chaps image reinforced. The innova was heading towards krishnagiri and attempted to prove itself as the better car/driver for a couple of km.

I deliberately stopped for coffee and allowed him to "win". No point in 2 drivers getting killed proving their cars.

Maybe one day I'll have my own country's flags fixed on my cars.


Then I'll go back and find that innova.


And replace its flag with mine.

[rajivtelang]

Just saw a route from udupi agumbe thirthahalli shimoga. Has anybody tried that route recently for traveling between bangalore udupi? How good or bad this road is? Once again I am driving a santro and with my family.
Regards

[Samurai]

People of this thread avoid shimoga while travelling via thirthahalli-Bhadravathi road. Look for ampere's route in this thread. While this road extends the distance by 30-35kms or so, it has minimal ghat road (just 7kms of Agumbe twists), so family generally appreciates the drive.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

... Shiradi is open and quite drivable...

Regards

Originally Posted by fast_elegance

...

It was raining on and off all the way from sakleshpur to uppinangady...
I did see a lot of cars being driven rashly ...

+1 to both quotes above.

Did the BLR-MLR via Shiradi. Stuck to slow speeds as it was raining on the Ghats. Roads are definitely slippery beyond 60kmph on wet water logged roads, having aqua-planed once in the past.
Except for a couple of short sections, the potholes are manageable (shallow).
Did scrape below the front bumper on a couple of potholes though.

Be very wary of vehicles blindly overtaking the vehicle approaching you, especially on the curves that turn towards your right. Slow down, please watch out, honk or flash if required and proceed at blind curves.
1. If you see a bus/truck approach you at a corner, expect a car suddenly directly ahead coming towards you in your lane. Lots of people are blindly overtaking in the corners and curves, a clear lack of awareness/training or don't care attitude.

[V-16]

but.... Well for whatever its worth if anyone is in Mangalore and fond of fish.. please go to two places for the best fish meals i have ever tasted;

1) Mahalaxmi fish meals somewhere in the middle of the market in Mangalore city and
2) Narayana Hotel at the Docks or "Bundar" as called in local lingo.
You will bless me.
Sorry for being OT but food is an integral part of the travel regime. As is popularly known , "An army cannot march on an empty stomach" !!

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by V-16

1) Mahalaxmi fish meals somewhere in the middle of the market in Mangalore city

Where exactly is this 'Mahalaxmi Fish Meals'? Is it the exact name?
I am NOT able to find anything sounding closer on zomato or on other sites.

Any landmarks or indicators?

[samaspire]

Originally Posted by V-16

1) Mahalaxmi fish meals somewhere in the middle of the market in Mangalore city and
2) Narayana Hotel at the Docks or "Bundar" as called in local lingo.

Originally Posted by JMaruru

Where exactly is this 'Mahalaxmi Fish Meals'? Is it the exact name?
I am NOT able to find anything sounding closer on zomato or on other sites.

Any landmarks or indicators?

You will NOT find it on Zomato - but trust me it's better than most hotels found on Zomato

Just go to the particular locations and ask any shopkeeper - he will direct you. BTW Narayana is walking distance from the Taj property at Mangalore.

But don't expect 5-star comforts. The tables are shared during lunch time and people will be queued up beside you for your spot.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by V-16

1) Mahalaxmi fish meals somewhere in the middle of the market in Mangalore city and

Originally Posted by samaspire

Just go to the particular locations and ask any shopkeeper - he will direct you.

Narayana is well marked and one can find it easily.

But this 'Mahalaxmi' is news to me. When you say 'market' am assuming it is the central market in M'lore.