[Fauji]

Originally Posted by cr_nath

Hi Fauji,

Thanks for the suggestion. This detour to Chikmagalur is the result of reading so much about the road condition between Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Kalasa. Somebody even said that this stretch has the potential to break any car down. (So I chickened out) Are the roads ok now? Can I take this route?

The Info on Masale Dose is gleefully acknowledged

Most welcome sir!! If you are a Dose lover like me , you will just love it

I am not sure of the condition of Belur - Mudigere via Gonibeedu which was bad. The route via Gendehalli was good.

Can anyone provide latest condition pls?

[SMARTF]

Originally Posted by cr_nath

Hi Fauji,

Thanks for the suggestion. This detour to Chikmagalur is the result of reading so much about the road condition between Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Kalasa. Somebody even said that this stretch has the potential to break any car down. (So I chickened out) Are the roads ok now? Can I take this route?

The Info on Masale Dose is gleefully acknowledged

I don't know about alternatives but Belur - Mudigere is real bad, you must avoid.

You can try -
Mysore- Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur- Shimoga - Jog Falls - Murudeshwara (Day 1)
Murudeshwar-Kollur-Agumbe - Sringeri (Day 2) - Horanadu - Dharmasthala - Hassan - Mysore

Halt at Sringeri or Horanadu depending on time taken.

[drkakkilaya]

Originally Posted by cr_nath

This is my first post. I'm planning a trip from Mysore to Murudeshwar on 28th May. This is the tentative route. (Purely based on the knowledge from this thread)
Mysore- Hassan - Belur - Chikmagalur-Vasthare- Balehonnur- Kalasa-Horanadu- Jayapura-Sringeri (Day 1)- Agumbe -Kollur-Murudeshwar (Day 2) and return.
Aim of this trip is to enjoy the scenic beauty of these great places.
Expert comments on the route and road condition are solicited. Secondly, is the season ok for this trip? Thanks in advance.

Mysore to Sringeri

1. Mysore - Ilwal - K r nagar - hassan - sakleshpur - gundya - dharmasthala ujre - charmadi -Kottigehara - khalasa - sringeri.

Sringeri - Koppa - Thirthalli - Shimoga - Sagara- Honnavara - Murdeshwar.

Scenic - Sakleshpur-gundya
Charmadi - Kottigehara - Khalasa - Sringeri
Sagara - Honnavara
Honnavara - murdeshwar.
Road status - Excellent roads throughout
Narrow roads between sagara and honnavar ( Try clearing this stretch by evening.)

It ll get very hot after 1100 clock morning then driving might not get as much fun. but i suggest wait for monsoon, then the entire journey gets just dramatic. Plan such that you reach honnavar by 4 or 5 in the evening, so that entire coastal road is all the more dramatic with a setting sun
Murdeshwar gets burning hot by 10. But worth every centigrade of it.

2009 and 2010 mid , i had been in and around chikmagalur. roads not good. irrespective of the landscape journey gets annoying after sometime. Not sure how the roads are now.

[indianrunner]

Hi,

I have to go to Manipal from Bangalore for my son's counseling in June. What is the best route to take and any recommendations for a neat place to stay in Manipal with a secure parking?

TIA

[airguitar]

Bangalore-Tumkur-Kadur-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Hebri-Manipal is what I did a few days back : about 7.5-8 hours is what I took and was not disappointed with the roads.

[Fauji]

Latest update on the road condition beteen Bangalore - Chikmagalur. Based on my drive on Saturday last.

Bangalore - Chikmagalur via Hassan

a) Kunigal bye pass closed on both sides. Had to go through the town.
b) The four laning is done only till Bellur cross and after that it is still the same old NH 48. Not a pleasure to drive with excavations on sides and tankers in the front
c) Our drive was in day time and hence it was OK. I dare not take this route at night. Read Raghu Holla's post some where on this thread!!
d) The road through Hasan is same old story. No improvement.
e) The road beyond Hasan till belur is top class - they want to impress UNESCO guys for approving World heritage status - and beyond Belur is not bad except for perennial spot at Hiremagalur!!!

Chikmagalur - Bangalore via Kadur

OK guys, this was a revelation and a risk worth taken. People in CKM asked us not to take the road and we dared to do and it was a blessing!!

a) CKM - Kadur - Old concrete road with asphalting on sides. The road though not be called as very good can defintely manageable. No potholes but cracks in concrete which is not a problem. There are two small patches - over all 500 Mtrs - where the road is broken but still doable.
b) You will have a nice valley view as you leave CKM towards kadur.
c) Can viist the pristine Ayyanakere lake near Sakharayapatna on the way!!

AYYANAKERE
Flickr: Ajay Dinesh Ahire's Photostream

d) Took 40 Minutes to cover 42 KMs in my Scorpio. Not much of traffic on the road but for some buses.
e) Beyond Kadur it was a breeze as usual!!
f) We took five and half hours from CKM to NICE road junction at ELectronic city with a Jack fruit byuing break at KB cross, Mango eating/buying break at Gubbi - tasted new variety called Raj Puri a Cross between Badami and Raspuri which was really good! - and Lunch at Kamat after tumkur. Overall break time one hour (thanks to heavy rush in Kamat!!)

I hav decided to take the road via Kadur next time and not venture on NH 48 till four laning is complete!!

[triedeverything]

This highway is still closed. If you are lucky, you can get pass by greasing a few dirty cops.

[Rajesh K R]

@Fauji : Thanks for the update on NH-48 status. I drove on this road last in Nov'10. Obviously things have changed since then !!

I now have to think of an alternate route to Hassan from BLR. ( if only the Arsikere to Hassan road was good & motorable ) My wife is from Hassan and we keep doing frequent trips to Hassan.

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by Rajesh K R

I now have to think of an alternate route to Hassan from BLR. ( if only the Arsikere to Hassan road was good & motorable ) My wife is from Hassan and we keep doing frequent trips to Hassan.

2/3 of the distance from Arsikere to Hassan is good enough, but the remaining 1/3 is probably the worst road I've ever driven on.

There is an alternate route to the bad Arsikere-Hassan road. From Arsikere take the regular Hassan road. At Bageshapura, take a right turn towards Nittur. From Nittur you can join Salagame road near MCF. Distance wise, it is the same. This is a single road with no signage and in decent condition. Most folks I know, who drive from Hassan-Arsikere take this route. Only trucks and KSRTC buses take the regular route.

[Rajesh K R]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

2/3 of the distance from Arsikere to Hassan is good enough, but the remaining 1/3 is probably the worst road I've ever driven on.

There is an alternate route to the bad Arsikere-Hassan road. From Arsikere take the regular Hassan road. At Bageshapura, take a right turn towards Nittur. From Nittur you can join Salagame road near MCF. Distance wise, it is the same. This is a single road with no signage and in decent condition. Most folks I know, who drive from Hassan-Arsikere take this route. Only trucks and KSRTC buses take the regular route.

@ Addy : Thanks for the info !!

Maybe it isn't worth taking so much trouble to go via Arsikere. I am not such a frequent user of this NH-48 as you & Sushrutha are !!

[SMARTF]

I now have to think of an alternate route to Hassan from BLR. ( if only the Arsikere to Hassan road was good & motorable ) My wife is from Hassan and we keep doing frequent trips to Hassan.

Kunigal bypass should be operational in couple of months if not sooner (completion may take longer), so won't need an alternative to NH-48.

[airguitar]

Yes, it's officially still closed, but a number of vehicles ply - not just local vehicles from KA 21 or KA 12 but many others as well. Blackboard KSRTC shuttles play between Madikeri and Sampaje.

Cops were present at the Bhagamandala 1st cross exit, but they didn't seem to care. But then again there is no telling on when they can stop you for a quick buck.

The roadwork is still in progress, many stretches are fully done ( e.g from Bhagamandala 1st cross via Made(ಮದೆ) up until the Chamundeswari temple, right after which it's a bit of a mess with earth movers and other equipments and muddy stretches which again turn into a neat tarmac after a bit )

Still a while from being fully complete.

Maani - Puttur stretch is a bit of mess too, with the full 2 laning in progress. Puttur - Sullia : no complaints.

[Pri2]

I had been to Mangalore last week. Though there is construction going on now, the roads are very good. I started Mangalore at 12 in the afternoon and managed to reach yeshwanthpur at 5.5 PM (that too with a tea break of 15 mins).

You need to be a little careful on the new 4 lane highway from Nelamangala towards Hassan. As some parts of the roads are closed from one side, we have to go on the wrong side and face on coming traffic from the wrong side.

The Shiradi Ghat stretch is simply awesome, here are some pictures!!

[Fauji]

Originally Posted by Pri2

I had been to Mangalore last week. Though there is construction going on now, the roads are very good. I started Mangalore at 12 in the afternoon and managed to reach yeshwanthpur at 5.5 PM (that too with a tea break of 15 mins).

You need to be a little careful on the new 4 lane highway from Nelamangala towards Hassan. As some parts of the roads are closed from one side, we have to go on the wrong side and face on coming traffic from the wrong side.

The Shiradi Ghat stretch is simply awesome, here are some pictures!!

Attachment 553149

Attachment 553150

5.5 hrs from Mangalore with a break? That is too good to believe during the time you have travelled.

[Pri2]

Originally Posted by Fauji

5.5 hrs from Mangalore with a break? That is too good to believe during the time you have travelled.

That is 5.5 hours to Yeshwanthpur, after that it was a different story. There was bumper to bumper traffic and traffic Jams as it was raining. I managed to reach home by 7 PM (CV Raman Nagar) Which again isn't a bad time !