[ilbkrishna]

Originally Posted by CLIX

If the news reports are to be believed the Shiradi route will soon be closed for repairs. Will be interesting ... what are other options? Charmadi... and... any pointers?

Mainly two options: Charmadi via Mudigere, Ujire or the Sampaje via Madikeri, Sullia.

Other options do include: Shimoga -> Agumbe ->Udupi.

Does depend on where you want to end up at: Mangalore or Udupi. A lot has been discussed here already on the alternatives available.

Happy motoring

[cool_dube]

Hi folks,

I am planning a Bangalore-Kundapura drive soon. Having tried most of the possible routes via Hassan/Mangalore/Belthangdy/Karkal/Chikmagalur/Sringeri, I wanted to try something via Shimoga. Here are the options I had in mind:

a) Shimoga - Thirthahalli - Agumbe

b) Shimoga - Anandapuram - Hosanagara - Hulikal

Any other options?

Thanks in advance...

[NPV]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

a) Shimoga - Thirthahalli - Agumbe

This one is in good condition, not so sure about conditions of other roads and other options.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

a) Shimoga - Thirthahalli - Agumbe

Originally Posted by NPV

This one is in good condition, not so sure about conditions of other roads and other options.

Dont take the Hulikal ghats for sure. There are two main ways:

- Via Shiradi/Udupi
Hassan-Sakleshpur-Belthagady-Bajagoli-Karkala-Udupi-Kundapur

4-lane till Hassan, and also between Udupi-Kundapur (but with diversions)
But you go through Shiradi which is holding on.

- Via Agumbe:

Bangalore-Chitradurga-Channagiri-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Somehswar-Ampar-Kundapur.

- 4-lane till Chitradurga
- Decent road to Shimoga
- Belter of a road between Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe.
- Ghats are OK.
- Someshwar-Ampar is just about OK.
- Ampar-Kundapur is good. There was 3-4km stretch that they were re-laying in Dec. In dont know whats the latest on that.

[explorer09]

Ampar-Kundapur is good. While coming back to Bangalore from Kundapur, I tried the following route :

Kundapur-Ampar-Agumbe-Sringeri-Balehonnur-Aldur-Chikmagalur-Belur-Hassan-Bangalore

Roads were good all the way through except for very small stretches of bad roads. I still do think though that Shiradi remains the fastest but the route that i took was far more enjoyable.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by explorer09

Kundapur-Ampar-Agumbe-Sringeri-Balehonnur-Aldur-Chikmagalur-Belur-Hassan-Bangalore

Thanks for sharing. When I drove to Kollur last year end, I remember @kala mentioning the turn-off to Vandse from Hemmadi was horrible. So I tried this alternative where I exit Nh17 at Kundapur onto the Hulikal road which takes one to Ampar. And there on I took the road to Vandse. Over it was much much easier to drive all the way. During that time I think @NPV drove through Someshwar-Ampar for Kollur. I put the two and two together to find that to be the best option to Kollur as well as Kundapur.

[fast_elegance]

Just reached Mlore after visiting Jog. The route taken is

Bangalore - Tumkur - Tiptur - Arsikere - Shimoga - Sagar - Jog - Sagar - Ripponpet - Thirthahalli - Agumbe - Hebri - Manipal - Mangalore

Excellent country roads throughout. Small section after birur railway crossing had broken road. Agumbe is decent but heavy traffic today. Udupi - Mangalore has lot of deviations. Cattles on road is the only thing that one needs to be alert about throughout the route.

[CLIX]

Did BLR - Haasan - Belur - Charmadi - MLR, last Friday.

Started: 4:00 AM
Reached: 10:00 AM with 15 minute break at Haasan.

If one can manage the 4:00 AM start - great time to drive.
No queues at Toll Gates, no people on streets, traffic was almost not there, and you hit Charmadi at an awesome time of the day, especially if you have an itchy Shutter finger.

The return to Bangalore was quite the opposite. Same route, but started at 2:00 PM. Bad idea! Crawled past heavy traffic on Charmadi.

Overall roads in Great shape.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by fast_elegance

Just reached Mlore after visiting Jog

Going by your report, Bangalore-Tumkur-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Haladi-Ampar seems to be a good otion for B'lore-Kundapura. Thanks for the udpate! How painful is it to cross the towns on NH206? Last I was on this road was in 2011 and passing through some of the towns took ages!

[fast_elegance]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

How painful is it to cross the towns on NH206? Last I was on this road was in 2011 and passing through some of the towns took ages!

I started at 5:30 AM on Saturday and didn't really find it hard to cross any of the towns. There was hardly any traffic. Not sure if it was because of holidays or I was plain lucky.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Going by your report, Bangalore-Tumkur-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Haladi-Ampar seems to be a good otion for B'lore-Kundapura. Thanks for the udpate! How painful is it to cross the towns on NH206? Last I was on this road was in 2011 and passing through some of the towns took ages!

Last i travelled on this route six months back and i had started in the afternoon on a week day. Most of the towns are manageable. You can maintain 60-70kmph

[speedsatya]

The ghat is slowly getting to the state it has always been famous for. Just back from the weekend drive. Took us 10 hours on the return leg. We were stuck for 1 hour at BC road because of this jam.
It seems the narrow overbridge was opened for 2 way traffic and we had a day long jam !! Heard this was jammed since morning.

Started 3 pm and reached 12 45 am ! Stopped for evening tea at Laxmi Nivas and Kamath for lunch.


As usual we had the weekend racers and the ones driving with hazard lights on the ghat who simply ended up causing unnecessary jams.




Sent from my mobile phone , please excuse typos

[CLIX]

I was in this very jam at about 3:00 pm on Sunday !!

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by ampere

Dont take the Hulikal ghats for sure.

I have been planning to do Hulikal ghats for some time now but deterred by the horror stories around road conditions. Has this always been bad?

Originally Posted by ampere

Via Agumbe:

Bangalore-Chitradurga-Channagiri-Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Agumbe-Somehswar-Ampar-Kundapur.

I'd prefer NH206 for Bangalore-Shimoga. Any idea on good eating joints on this road (after Tumkur)?

Also, how are the twin railway crossings on the ORR just before Yashwantpur? That overbridge has been under construction for ages and getting on to NH-4 from ORR has been a nightmare.

[fast_elegance]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

I'd prefer NH206 for Bangalore-Shimoga. Any idea on good eating joints on this road (after Tumkur)?

I had breakfast at Matha Sagar few kms before Tiptur. The place I felt was decent. Tried dosa and vada. There are a couple of CCD's as well along this route.