[sudhirbhan]

While driving from BC Road to Mangalore, be wary of the haphazard lanes - thanks to the four lane expansion going on for ages. There are certain stretches of road which give a false sense of security. If you are the adventurous types like me, you will experience several screeching halts, thanks to some of the lanes ending suddenly. Also if you are traveling at night, be careful about the barricades without reflectors. I narrowly missed a couple of them recently.

Btw folks who are taking the Belthangady - BC road route, if interested take a slight detour at Karinja and visit the Karinjeshwara temple. If you are a nature lover, you will enjoy it. Be prepared to climb a few hundred steps to reach the temple though!

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by sudhirbhan

Btw folks who are taking the Belthangady - BC road route, if interested take a slight detour at Karinja and visit the Karinjeshwara temple. If you are a nature lover, you will enjoy it. Be prepared to climb a few hundred steps to reach the temple though!

Oh yes.. getting nostalgic

I used to live in Bantwal during school days and visited this place every year.. nature at its best.. and yes..alot of climbing

[lohithrao]

I wanted to visit this temple last year but could not, lets see if i can this time around

Next week am off to M,lore and i will be taking "charmadi", heard its raining in the coast hope the roads will hold up

[bullinb]

Just back from a trip to Udupi. Tried two different routes either way and boy! what a difference it made.

From Bangy, took the NICE - Magadi - Kunigal - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Kalasa - Karkala - Manipal route on Friday night. The journey was a nightmare with the downpour of the year from Kunigal to Hassan with literally zero visibility. The 420km drive took 11 hours! The road from Mudigere to Bajagoli is very slow with way too many curves and switchbacks - occasional fog makes it even worse. Not recommended for night travel.

Return journey was much more pleasant. Took the advice of a frequent traveler and came back via Agumbe - Sringeri - Jayapura - Balehonnur - Aldur - CM - Belur - Hassan - Magadi - NICE. Distance is exactly 420km and took just about 8 hours with a couple of breaks totaling around 45 mins. Much better roads and very peaceful to drive at night. The surface is broken only from Hebri to Agumbe else quite smooth the rest of the distance.

[lohithrao]

bull, guess i can take the route 2 and divert towards karkala- Mangalore. only that the road gets narrow towards karkala and the private buses can make life miserable at times

[bullinb]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

bull, guess i can take the route 2 and divert towards karkala- Mangalore. only that the road gets narrow towards karkala and the private buses can make life miserable at times

Lohith, you can go by Sringeri - SK border - Karkala - Moodabidri. SK border to Karkala is very good and fast. Especially if it is after 9 PM - you'll have the road for yourself

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

bull, guess i can take the route 2 and divert towards karkala- Mangalore. only that the road gets narrow towards karkala and the private buses can make life miserable at times

Don't you think going to Mangalore via Karkala will be a big roundabout?

The road conditions from Karkala to Mangalore via Moodbidre was very good the last time I went there (during May-June). But even then, going via Charmadi-Belthangadi-BC Road would be better. Why I advise this route is that even the Kottigehara-Kalasa road is pathetic and it will definitely get on your nerves (it certainly got on mine) and I guess the Belthangadi-BC road stretch is better.

[lohithrao]

addy, hmm i guess you are right, even i was thinking of the same.

and that route has too many twisty's cant sharpen rally driving skills too hehe as mom is coming along

[laluks]

Hows the condition near coorg side. This weekend I am travelling to coorg. Is it still raining heavily there?

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by laluks

Hows the condition near coorg side. This weekend I am travelling to coorg. Is it still raining heavily there?

if you are going to Madikere, then your route ideally should be Bangalore -Mysore - Kushal Nagar - Madikere. Mysore Kushal Nagar is excellent. From Kushal Nagar its about 35 kms of bad road. Well thats how it was 3 months back and I don't think would have changed a lot. Those 35 Kms are absolute heaven for SUVs

[sudhirbhan]

Originally Posted by bullinb

Lohith, you can go by Sringeri - SK border - Karkala - Moodabidri. SK border to Karkala is very good and fast. Especially if it is after 9 PM - you'll have the road for yourself

Any idea on the current road condition between Sringeri - SK border? I had taken that route while going to Sringeri in Jan. Mangalore-Moodabidri-Karkala-SK Border was a breeze; road was fantastic! From SK border however, I had the lunar driving experience with virtually no road for about 15 kms and bad patch for the next 5. My new car took a good amount of beating on this crater filled road. So, please check before taking this route.

[sushrutha]

Originally Posted by laluks

Hows the condition near coorg side. This weekend I am travelling to coorg. Is it still raining heavily there?

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

if you are going to Madikere, then your route ideally should be Bangalore -Mysore - Kushal Nagar - Madikere. Mysore Kushal Nagar is excellent. From Kushal Nagar its about 35 kms of bad road. Well thats how it was 3 months back and I don't think would have changed a lot. Those 35 Kms are absolute heaven for SUVs

Rightly said milecruncher.
Laluks, the condition is still the same, most of the coorg route is full of potholes. Rain has reduced, but be careful in not to scrape your Civic.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by sushrutha

Rightly said milecruncher.
Laluks, the condition is still the same, most of the coorg route is full of potholes. Rain has reduced, but be careful in not to scrape your Civic.

Thanks guys for the update.
This time for a change I'm taking my Swift.

[dkamath]

The road between Kushalnagar and Sampaje is in very bad shape, bad for a utility vehicle too.
Hi laluks, think twice before you venture out on this trail. You'll be lucky if you can avoid every pothole on the way. That aside, if you plan to drive through the night, be prepared for a q&a session with the DK district police, hehe. They are screening vehicles coming into the district. A ledger entry is made at a junction just after Puttur with your vehicle as well as your details, source and destination. Four check points in total, Puttur-Mani, BC Road, Padil and Pumpwell.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by dkamath

The road between Kushalnagar and Sampaje is in very bad shape, bad for a utility vehicle too.
Hi laluks, think twice before you venture out on this trail. You'll be lucky if you can avoid every pothole on the way. That aside, if you plan to drive through the night, be prepared for a q&a session with the DK district police, hehe. They are screening vehicles coming into the district. A ledger entry is made at a junction just after Puttur with your vehicle as well as your details, source and destination. Four check points in total, Puttur-Mani, BC Road, Padil and Pumpwell.

Oh man is it that scary. Any other routes to touch Madikery other than kushal nagar route.

How about entering in from the dubare / kakkabe side?