[vinboy]

YouTube - Drive thru Charmadi Ghat!

Sorry the link did not appear in the post! so reposting it!

[cuboid]

Guys,

Need some help here. I am planning for a trip to Udupi from Bangalore in early May. I have never driven on those routes - so have no idea about them. Please guide me.

We would have two cars carrying 9 people. Good road conditions are must (one car is an i10). We would have two babies (4 and 10 months) with us. So please suggest the most comfortable route, and of course which would take less time. I hope these two conditions are not completely orthogonal.

Here are the questions:

1) Going through the forum, I have decided to go via the Chikmagalur-Kudremukha-karkala route. Is it the best option? We want to avoid tough ghat section.

2) If indeed that is the best option, then which of these routes should we take?
A. Bangalore-Nelamangala-Kunigal-Hassan-Belur-Chikmagalur-Vastare-Aldur-Balehonur-Kalasa-Kudremukha-Karkala-Manipal-Udupi (Google maps does not show the Balehonnur-Kalasa link)

B. Bangalore-Nelamangala-Kunigal-Hassan-Belur-Chikmagalur-Vastare-Aldur-Mudigere-Kottigehara-Kalasa-Kudremukha-Karkala-Manipal-Udupi (Google maps show this)

3) How much time would these routes take? We plan to leave at 4am in the morning - would we be able to reach Manipal by 12pm? Please suggest some good stop-over options enroute.

4) How would we identify the bypass routes around the major towns? Are there enough road signs/directions?

Really appreciate your help here.

- Subhadeep

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by vinboy

I will be driving to Udupi in couple of days! from the postings here I have decided to drive through Shiradi ghat route. last few trips I have been driving through Hassan-Belur-Mudigere-Kottigehara-Charmadi-karkala-Udupi route. Till recently the stretch from Belur to Mudigere was decent but now trucks laden with sand are moving through this route.

Last time when I took the Shiradi ghat route the roads were so bad that it broke my suspension struts!!

Sand mining is rampant in and around Belur and you ll spot most of these trucks on the Belur-Mudigere stretch as these trucks ferry sand from Agrahara (near Gonibeedu).

Which route did you take to reach Mudigere from Belur. Was it via Gonibeedu which is in real bad shape since more than a year now or via Gendehalli?

[vinboy]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Sand mining is rampant in and around Belur and you ll spot most of these trucks on the Belur-Mudigere stretch as these trucks ferry sand from Agrahara (near Gonibeedu).

Which route did you take to reach Mudigere from Belur. Was it via Gonibeedu which is in real bad shape since more than a year now or via Gendehalli?

I have not gone through Gendehalli! Earlier the road via Gonibeedu was patched up and one could drive without much hassle. The mining trucks are a bane to all roads including the Shiradi Ghats!

How to go via Gendehalli? Should I take the chikmagalur route at the junction in Belur and then turn somewhere?

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by cuboid

Guys,

Need some help here. I am planning for a trip to Udupi from Bangalore in early May. I have never driven on those routes - so have no idea about them. Please guide me.

Here is the most optimal route as of current road conditions:

Bangalore - Hassan - Sakleshpura - Gundya - Dharmastala - Karkala - Udupi

[vinboy]

Originally Posted by cuboid

Guys,

Need some help here. I am planning for a trip to Udupi from Bangalore in early May. I have never driven on those routes - so have no idea about them. Please guide me.

We would have two cars carrying 9 people. Good road conditions are must (one car is an i10). We would have two babies (4 and 10 months) with us. So please suggest the most comfortable route, and of course which would take less time. I hope these two conditions are not completely orthogonal.

Here are the questions:

1) Going through the forum, I have decided to go via the Chikmagalur-Kudremukha-karkala route. Is it the best option? We want to avoid tough ghat section.

2) If indeed that is the best option, then which of these routes should we take?
A. Bangalore-Nelamangala-Kunigal-Hassan-Belur-Chikmagalur-Vastare-Aldur-Balehonur-Kalasa-Kudremukha-Karkala-Manipal-Udupi (Google maps does not show the Balehonnur-Kalasa link)

B. Bangalore-Nelamangala-Kunigal-Hassan-Belur-Chikmagalur-Vastare-Aldur-Mudigere-Kottigehara-Kalasa-Kudremukha-Karkala-Manipal-Udupi (Google maps show this)

3) How much time would these routes take? We plan to leave at 4am in the morning - would we be able to reach Manipal by 12pm? Please suggest some good stop-over options enroute.

4) How would we identify the bypass routes around the major towns? Are there enough road signs/directions?

Really appreciate your help here.

- Subhadeep

I would advice you to take the following route if you going for the first time!

Bangalore-Hassan-Sakleshpur-Shiradi Ghat-Mangalore-Udupi

I am basing this advice from the posts here that the Shiradi Ghat road has been repaired/relaid. This route is pretty straight forward and there is regular traffic on these roads. So it is ideal in case of confusion.

I have traveled on these roads number of times and I prefer the Shiradi Ghat route anytime if the road is in a good condition.

Apart from these, If you are driving during the night, other routes like Charmadi, Agumbe etc, would deserted. You wont find even a small shop for miles which is pretty unnerving if you are traveling with family.

There are some areas like Naravi, Some areas in and around Kudremukh, Karkala,etc to be areas with naxal activities so it would not be a great idea to be in these areas with family late in the night!. Till date no incidence have been reported though so its best for us to take the necessary precautions.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by vinboy

How to go via Gendehalli? Should I take the chikmagalur route at the junction in Belur and then turn somewhere?

Once you enter Belur, after passing the Bus Stand on the left you need to go further (Head straight) for almost half a kilometer where the road forks into a Y (Ambedkar Statue at this junction). The left fork takes you to Mudigere via Gonibeedu while the one onto your right takes you to Mudigere via Gendehalli (The road is inclined).

Using the Gendehalli option you will reach Mudigere town opposite to the Bus Stand and from there take left all the way for 4 kms till the Mudigere Handpost. At this junction/circle take right to continue towards Kottigehara.

If you would take the Gonibeedu route, you will reach this same handpost and head straight (whereas a right would take you into Mudigere town).

The Gendehalli route is a single lane road but in much better condition than the other option. The only place where a patch of the road gets bad is before Mudigere town (for almost a kilometer, this was in Jan).

[@400Kph]

How is the road from mangalore to udupi ? Has it been repaired ? I am leaving to udupi tomorrow morning 4 AM and would take mangalore -udupi route if the potholes have dissapeared.

[vinboy]

I was told that the road is in a better condition. However in many parts 4 lane conversion is going on so there are bottle necks. So one has to be careful while driving as the local service buses ( read private buses ) plying between Mangalore and Udupi drive as though you are a trespasser

[Samurai]

Today I traveled between Udupi to Mangalore on my way to airport. There are no potholes, but there is lot of construction activity, narrow lanes, etc.

[lohithrao]

Just avoid the peak hour and it should be fine....

Originally Posted by @400Kph

How is the road from mangalore to udupi ? Has it been repaired ? I am leaving to udupi tomorrow morning 4 AM and would take mangalore -udupi route if the potholes have dissapeared.

[recshenoy]

KSRTC have started multi axel volvos between MLR BLR. saw one other day at Majestic. 2 of my friends traveled on same and found it very good. Over heard Driver and conductor were talking "they have started 4 multi axel between Bangalore Mangalore. Soon they might extend to Kundapura as well"

Not sure why buses come so early now a days yesterday i started at 10.30 from Suratkal in KSRTC volvo, it reached Majestic at 5.05. Had to wait almost till 6 to get a bus to electronics city :( early morning very big rush in majestic

[@400Kph]

Hi Guys , Visited udupi for Ugadi.Left on Saturday morning , reached at 1:00 PM and left back to bangalore on monday 12:00PM and reached bangalore at 6:30.Did the trip in my maruti 800 and have to say the roads are in excellent conidtion.Took the shiradi ghat route after reading your posts and i have never seen shiradi ghat in such a nice condition LOL. Lets see if they survive this rainfall as they seemed to have used some different material at some U turns.It had something embedded inside it.Any idea what it is ?

[slicvic]

Forgive me for being a little off the topic, but didnt find a better thread to post my query.

I'm Planning to drive to chikmaglur from udupi on saturday and was wondering which route to take. Any suggestions?

Mods: all other threads discussed routes from bangalore. Only this thread has a lot of people from the coast, hence the query here.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by slicvic

Forgive me for being a little off the topic, but didnt find a better thread to post my query.

I'm Planning to drive to chikmaglur from udupi on saturday and was wondering which route to take. Any suggestions?

Mods: all other threads discussed routes from bangalore. Only this thread has a lot of people from the coast, hence the query here.

The shortest route is the following:

Udupi-Karkala-Belthangady-Charmadi-Kottigehara-Mudigere-Belur-CKM