[balechaparka]

Finally we are getting some good news.hope they complete all work related to that stretch.
Last time we saw half completed work and they opened the road and we saw few accidents due to improper side patch up work.
Instead of hurry let them finish fully with proper side walls, drainages and proper marking.

[NFS2024]

Folks I want to cover Mangalore, Udupi, kukke Subramanya and Dharmasthala over this weekend. Will be staying in Mangalore. Please suggest the best route options and itinerary to cover all these places.

Will leave Friday early morning and back on Sunday night

Thanks in advance.

[meetbadri]

Originally Posted by NFS2024

Folks I want to cover Mangalore, Udupi, kukke Subramanya and Dharmasthala over this weekend. Will be staying in Mangalore. Please suggest the best route options and itinerary to cover all these places.

Will leave Friday early morning and back on Sunday night

Thanks in advance.

If you are planning to start early in the morning you can follow the route

Day 1
Bangalore --> Hassan --> Belur --> Charmadi --> Dharmasthala --> Karkala --> Udupi.
You can visit Dharmasthala and head towards Udupi post lunch.
Day 2
Keep the visit to Udupi Temple and Mangalore.
Day 3
Mangalore --> Bantwal --> Uppinangadi --> Subramanya --> Suliya --> Sampaje --> Madikeri --> Bangalore.

For Day 3 after reaching Madikeri you can decide how you want to come back to Bangalore. Route via Mysore will be with lot of traffic and would suggest you to take the route

Madikeri --> Kushalnagar --> Ramanathpura --> Holenarsipur --> Chennarayapatna --> Bangalore.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Just did a trip to Adigas Home Stay, Beejadi (near Udupi) & back over the long weekend. Below are the routes taken for onward & return journey.

Onward journey

Bangalore - Hassan - Charmadi Ghat - Karkala - Udupi - Beejadi

Roads are mostly good throughout, felt more traffic on the Charmadi ghat. We left Jayanagar at 1 AM Friday morning & reached Beejadi by 9.30 AM with 45 mins break at Ujire.

Return journey

Beejadi - Theerthahalli - Agumbe - Shivamogga - Tarikere - Ajjampura - Hosadurga - Tumkur - Bangalore

Here was the surprise package (at least for us) from GMaps, initially we wanted to take the regular route through Tarikere - Arasikere etc, but then GMaps suggested the above route, with two minds we went ahead. From Tarikere onwards till we reach the 6 lane road, its a single lane road (which is about ~100 kms). More than 90% of the route is very good with sparse traffic and around 5+ kms is good with some patches done. Really enjoyed driving this route. BTW, this road is called TH Road, probably Tarikere-Hiriyur Road.

Also, just before reaching Shivamogga (for about ~5+ kms), the road was pathetic and lots of deviation as it was under repairs.

We left Beejadi at 11.15 AM and reached Jayanagar at 9.45 PM with 2 hrs breaks at Shivamogga for lunch and at friends place in Tumkur. That's about 10.30 hrs in total and 8.30 hrs driving time.

In hindsight, we would have taken the above route over the Charmadi route for the onward journey also if we had known about the route, just for avoiding the traffic on the Charmadi ghat.

KK

[procrj]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Tarikere - Ajjampura - Hosadurga

OT but there are a couple of lesser know Hoysala temples around Ajjampura. Baggavalli & Hirenallur

[aithalsandy]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Beejadi - Theerthahalli - Agumbe - Shivamogga - Tarikere - Ajjampura - Hosadurga - Tumkur - Bangalore

Here was the surprise package (at least for us) from GMaps, initially we wanted to take the regular route through Tarikere - Arasikere etc, but then GMaps suggested the above route, with two minds we went ahead. From Tarikere onwards till we reach the 6 lane road, its a single lane road (which is about ~100 kms). More than 90% of the route is very good with sparse traffic and around 5+ kms is good with some patches done. Really enjoyed driving this route. BTW, this road is called TH Road, probably Tarikere-Hiriyur Road.

Also, just before reaching Shivamogga (for about ~5+ kms), the road was pathetic and lots of deviation as it was under repairs.
KK

Shimoga-Chitradurga is one of the options if you don't like Arsikere-CR Patna.

Also, which 5km section is bad? From Thirthahalli to Shimoga? Or was traffic diverted due to Rahul Gandhi roadshow? Or was it the Bypass?

[mohan41]

Folks, I am planning to travel to Sringeri with family. Please suggest a good hotel for overnight stay in Chikmagalur. Reason for staying in Chikmagalur is I will be starting from Bangalore late in afternoon and dont want to drive till Sringeri late into night. Thanks in advance.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by mohan41

Folks, I am planning to travel to Sringeri with family. Please suggest a good hotel for overnight stay in Chikmagalur.

Hotel Aadrika, The Lotus and The Orchid are a few good ones that are near the Bus Stand and will be good choices for an overnight stay with family.

[unk9ja]

The Bisle ghat stretch is now closed for completing the remaining 10+ kms of road. My friend who took that stretch yesterday had to retrace and take alternate route. So folks who are planning this, look for another option. The road till the view point is open.

[rajivtelang]

I have a plan to visit Belur and then visit Udupi in 1st week of May. According to google maps the route recommended is Belur-Chikmagaluru-Vastare-Aldur-Balehonnur-Jayapura-Agumbe-Hebri-Perdur-Udupi.
I will be travelling with my wife and daughter, starting in the noon from Belur. Is this a good route to travel? Any precautions/care that is needed?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by rajivtelang

I have a plan to visit Belur and then visit Udupi in 1st week of May. According to google maps the route recommended is Belur-Chikmagaluru-Vastare-Aldur-Balehonnur-Jayapura-Agumbe-Hebri-Perdur-Udupi.
I will be travelling with my wife and daughter, starting in the noon from Belur. Is this a good route to travel? Any precautions/care that is needed?

You ideally have 3 choices to reach Udupi from Belur:

• Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Charmadi - Ujire - Belthangady - Guruvayanakere - Naravi - Bajagoli - Karkala - Belman - Udupi
  
• Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Kalasa - Kuduremukha - SK Border - Bajagoli - Karkala - Belman - Udupi
  
• Belur-Chikmagaluru - Vastare - Aldur - Balehonnur - Jayapura - Agumbe - Hebri - Perdur - Udupi

Given the fact that Charmadi is now used (heavily) as an alternate due to closure of Shiradi, I would neither recommend the first route due to tailing traffic and second due to the fact that via Kalasa too you will have to follow the same traffic at least till Kottigehara and after this roads are never ending when it comes to twists and turns all the way to Bajagoli.

However, don't expect anything different with the Chikmagalur - Agumbe option too which will be equally twisty.

In terms of facilities all the 3 roads fare more or less same - The options enroute are strictly OK and manageable.

My choice given the current scenario: I would take the Agumbe option and that is to avoid much traffic on other 2 routes!

EDIT: Route conditions are overall good to very good for all the 3 options. Charmadi is patchy but that is how it remains since few years and hasn't really deteriorated to an extent that one avoids it due to that sole reason. The main reason to avoid Charmadi today is because Shiradi is closed and its not worth it.

[Shubbi]

Return journey
Beejadi - Theerthahalli - Agumbe - Shivamogga - Tarikere - Ajjampura - Hosadurga - Tumkur - Bangalore

Thanks to gmaps, drove this route at night the last weekend -> HSR Layout - Hiriyur - Hosadurga - Tarikere - Lakkavalli - Muduba - Tirthahalli - Agumbe - Udupi.
Took 4.5 hrs from Hiriyur to Udupi with four 5-mins breaks (2 of them forced by election related checks).

Upside -> new tarmac on Hosadurga - Tarikere stretch makes it a butter smooth drive. This route avoids all bigger cities en route like Shimoga, so hardly any traffic
Downside -> no options to eat/drink except for road-side tea vendors. I don't know how good this option is for a day-time drive or with family around

[ThilakNex]

Visiting Mangalore/Udupi from Bengaluru is always a bliss with a whole lot of different scenic routes to try. Now that is Shiradi ghat is closed its best chance to explore all.

Below are some of the routes we (I along with my wife) have tried.

1. Bengaluru -> Nelamangala -> Hassan -> Beluru -> Chikkamagaluru -> Balehonnuru -> Jayapura -> Koppa -> Agumbe -> Hebri -> Udupi/Mangalore

This is by far our favorite route for a number of reasons. This is the shortest route to reach our hometown Brahmavara near Udupi. You will hardly find traffic no matter at what time you travel. It's a fine mixture of break free highway till Hassan and beautifully banked curvey roads from Beluru to Koppa.

2. Bengaluru -> Nelamangala -> Hassan -> Beluru -> Mudigere -> Kottigehara -> Charmadi -> Ujire -> Guruvayanakere -> Naravi -> Bajagoli -> Karkala -> Udupi

This used to be the most beautiful stretch during monsoon season. But the closure of Shiradi ghat has increased the traffic here now.

3. Bengaluru -> Nelamangala -> Tumkur -> Gubbi -> Arasikere -> Kaduru -> Bhadravati bypass -> Thirthahalli -> Agumbe -> Hebri-> Udupi

Used to hate this route because of the patchy stretch from Tumkur to Bhadravati bypass and now the ongoing construction of bridges along Shivamogga to Thirthahalli stretch.

4. Bengaluru -> Nelamangala -> Tumkur -> Hiriyurui -> Hosadurga -> Tarikere -> Lakkavalli -> Thirthahalli -> Agumbe -> Hebri-> Udupi

One of the preferred route because of the stressfree highway till Hiriyuru and newly tarmacked road from Hosadurga to Tarikere and the blissful green route from Lakkavalli to Thirthahalli.

5. Bengaluru -> Srirangapatna -> Ilavala -> Kushalanagara -> Madikeri -> Sampaje -> Sullia -> BC road -> Mangalore -> Udupi.

Yet another famous and not so preferred route because of the heavy traffic till Srirangapatna and then patchy road till Kushalnagara though the ghat stretch from Madikeri to Sullia is in very good condition. After Sullia to BC road it's again a pain to drive because of the heavy traffic on single lane road.

6. Bengaluru -> Nelamangala -> Tumkur -> Hiriyurui -> Hosadurga -> Tarikere -> Lakkavalli -> Thirthahalli -> Mulubagilu -> Masthikatte -> Hulikal -> Hosangadi -> Shankara narayana -> Barkur -> Brahmavara -> Udupi

This is yet another favorite route of ours. Even though this is the longest route to reach Udupi or Mangalore, you will really love to drive on this stretch because of very less traffic and newly laid tarmac on Hulikal ghat stretch. Hulikal ghat is also one of the easiest ghat roads to reach coastal belt.

7. Bengaluru -> Nelamangala -> Hassan -> Beluru -> Mudigere -> Kottigehara -> Kalasa -> Kudremukha-> Bajagoli -> Karkala -> Udupi

Goes through the Kudremukha National Park and also you will get to see beautiful Samse tea estate on the way. Road condition is fairly good along this route.

Having said that its always fun to explore more routes to reach your home isn't it. :-)
If interested you can also go through our recent vlogs on these ghat roads to get a better idea of the route and road condition.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...8wqQjVhlCY5h1M

[ThilakNex]

Just to make my previous post more presentable I am sharing the video logs separately.
Happy travelling folks.

Sampaje ghat road

http://youtu.be/DqVR6C2GMVU

Hulikal ghat road

http://youtu.be/-e_fnJd97js

Kudremukha ghat road

http://youtu.be/aWg1fenb_4s

Charmadi ghat (Bit old one though..)

http://youtu.be/PYjEKn0AXD4

Agumbe ghat road

http://youtu.be/WoJYP8-rlnI

If you have little bit of time to visit few places on the way, below is the list.

Kundadri Hill (On the way from Thirthahalli to Agumbe)

http://youtu.be/kGm7aNZhqZ0

Kuppalli (On the way from Chikkamagaluru to Thirthahalli )

http://youtu.be/vaq6FeBEXyA

Kudremukha town (On the way of you take Kudremukha ghat road)

http://youtu.be/sIW1m96NO3Y

Samse (On the way of from Kalasa to Kudremukha)

http://youtu.be/xIIR58rDZjw

[gopikb]

Dear All, I plan to cover Kukke and Dharmasthala over this weekend and have already booked a hotel in Kukke for one night stay on April 28th. I was planning to take the usual Bangalore - Hassan - Sakleshpur - Gundya - Kukke route. When I just checked this thread, I realize that Shiradi ghat road is closed now. Now the new plan as recommended by gmaps is as below

Onward:
Bangalore - Mandya - Srirangapatna - Hunsur - Madikeri - Kukke

Return:
Kukke - Dharmasthala - Mudigere - Belur - Hassan - Kunigal - Bangalore

I am confident about the return route as it has been discussed extensively in this forum and many has recommended it to be good. However, I am not sure about the road condition from Madikeri to Kukke and if it is drivable. If someone has traveled in this route recently can you help to update the road condition between Madikeri and Kukke?

Thanks for your help