[Acelerar]

I am planning a trip from Bangalore to Mangalore and Kumbashi next week with wife and daughter.

1) From Bangalore to Mangalore, I intend to take Shiradi Ghat route. Even though there was news that Shiradi ghat would be closed again, I gather that it would be open till Jan 2016. So I assume this is the best route?

2) After staying in a resort in Mangalore, I will stay in a beach house in Kumbashi (near Kundapur). Will take the usual udupi road to reach Kumbashi from Mangalore.

3) From Kumbashi back to Bangalore, I gather that this would be the best route.
kumbhashi-Agumbe-Thirthahalli-Arsikere-CR Patna-Bangalore.
Please suggest if this is best route? Also, are there any good/clean places for lunch in this route between Agumbe and Arasikere?

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

On road updates , a new set of speedbreakers have come up just before Perne while driving from Mangalore. They werent there last week though.

Apologies it's not Perne. This speedbreaker is located 6 kms before Uppinangady while driving from Bangalore

One more new set of speed breakers have come up just before Hassan. And why ? Because locals have opened the median there as well.

Saw a live accident yesterday at the A2B junction

https://m.facebook.com/comment/repli...orid=646439997

Luckily no one was injured. This could have been a bad one if there were vehicles coming from the other side as the truck jumped the divider and almost went inside Aadya!




These days we take charmadi to Mangalore if starting in the evening. Very sparse traffic as most idiots would be trying to commit suicide on Shiradi. Took us overall 7 hours including a 1 hour dinner stop. Started at 615pm IST and reached at 1 am IST

[Car_fanatic]

I am planning to drive to Dharmastala from Bangalore on 25th morning around 4 AM and am planning to take the following route.

Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Charmadi - Ujire - Dharmastala

I will be driving alone and will be using my Honda Accord for the journey. I have never driven on this route and am avoiding Shiradi Ghats due to proposed press reports possible road work to start soon and general comments on the road conditions. I would like to find out if the above route is indeed the best option, road conditions and also approximate time it will take for the journey.

I plan to do the return journey on 3rd January.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Car_fanatic

Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Charmadi - Ujire - Dharmastala

This route should be fine but Shiradi is still an option if you're starting early from Bangalore. Shiradi closure is planned from Jan 1 2016, so should be fine for your onward journey from Bangalore.

[samaspire]

Originally Posted by Car_fanatic

Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Charmadi - Ujire - Dharmastala

I did a Chikmagalur to Manipal trip via Mudigere - Charmadi - Ujire 2 weeks back. The stretch upto Mudigere and maybe 2 kms beyond it was bad. By the time you reach that place, local and KSRTC traffic would have started and then you are bound to be stuck behind them. And with the Accord ground clearance, you will have to drive carefully.

But after that it's smooth sailing

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by Car_fanatic

I am planning to drive to Dharmastala from Bangalore on 25th morning around 4 AM and am planning to take the following route.



Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Charmadi - Ujire - Dharmastala



I will be driving alone and will be using my Honda Accord for the journey. I have never driven on this route and am avoiding Shiradi Ghats due to proposed press reports possible road work to start soon and general comments on the road conditions. I would like to find out if the above route is indeed the best option, road conditions and also approximate time it will take for the journey.



I plan to do the return journey on 3rd January.

Shiradi is still the quickest option for you. It's better to avoid Charmadi on weekends or on holidays. I never take Charmadi unless I can cross it between 12 am to 6 am.

The road is in good shape and can be managed by most cars low GC.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by Car_fanatic

I am planning to drive to Dharmastala from Bangalore on 25th morning around 4 AM and am planning to take the following route.

Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Mudigere - Kottigehara - Charmadi - Ujire - Dharmastala.

Well, if you're going to Dhatmasthala for a specific reason, I suggest you take Shiradi Ghat.

It's closing Jan 01 onwards.

If by chance they start the work early (and pigs will fly), you can drive back about 5 km. Cross Sakleshpur.

On your left side is an old theatre. I don't recall its name. Maybe Veeresh or Venkatesh. It's closed though.

Turn left. Drive about 15 odd km through some of the greenest coffee areas this side of Coorg.

You'll hit the Charmadi route. When you hit the state highway go left. Right takes you to Belur.

Return trip is most likely better via Charmadi. I usually come back via Subramania > Bisle ghat > Manjarabad > Sakleshpur.
But sadly that ghat is currently closed for repairs. Clowns.

While in Dharmastala, you can pick up some cool stuff. There are shops selling jungle produce. No, not eating things! For your hair.

They sell a dry mix of some tree barks and roots. You're supposed to mix with coconut oil and apply on the cranium. It's the secret to shah rukh and shahid kapoor's hair. I swear.

There are shops selling Amla oil in half liter cans. You won't get purer or cheaper.

Cheers.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by hangover

On your left side is an old theatre. I don't recall its name. Maybe Veeresh or Venkatesh. It's closed though.

Turn left. Drive about 15 odd km through some of the greenest coffee areas this side of Coorg.

You'll hit the Charmadi route. When you hit the state highway go left. Right takes you to Belur.

Now I am wondering about 2 things.

1. No doubt turning left anywhere between Hassan and Donigal till lead into Coorg - Did you mean take a right here that leads towards Hanbal and then touched NH 234 at Jannapura where turning right leads to Belur and left for Mudigere (and hence Charmadi)?

2. Once you have take left from Sakleshpur, no doubt you would enter Coorg(Right side is still Hassan and Chikmagalur Districts) but where would one hit Charmadi on this one? Ideally, there's no way to hit Charmadi by turning left and if there is any, its only after you cross Shiradi also.

So did you mean Sakleshpur Hanbal Jannapura Mudigere Charmadi Route and it was a typo?

Also, Sakleshpur to Hanbal is very rough. Hanbal to Jannapura is in good condition.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Now I am wondering about 2 things.

1. No doubt turning left anywhere between Hassan and Donigal till lead into Coorg - Did you mean take a right here that leads towards Hanbal and then touched NH 234 at Jannapura where turning right leads to Belur and left for Mudigere (and hence Charmadi)?

2. Once you have take left from Sakleshpur, no doubt you would enter Coorg(Right side is still Hassan and Chikmagalur Districts) but where would one hit Charmadi on this one? Ideally, there's no way to hit Charmadi by turning left and if there is any, its only after you cross Shiradi also.

So did you mean Sakleshpur Hanbal Jannapura Mudigere Charmadi Route and it was a typo?

Also, Sakleshpur to Hanbal is very rough. Hanbal to Jannapura is in good condition.

Ok. I may have some leaking gearbox oil. Sorry for confusing you.

I meant if you go up to shiradi and have to turn back. You'd turn left at the theatre.

The theatre is called Thejasvi.

Please find a map attached.

Search for Thejasvi theater to Charmadi route on your favorite mapping software.

That's what I meant.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by hangover

Ok. I may have some leaking gearbox oil. Sorry for confusing you.

I meant if you go up to shiradi and have to turn back. You'd turn left at the theatre.

The theatre is called Thejasvi.

Please find a map attached.

Search for Thejasvi theater to Charmadi route on your favorite mapping software.

That's what I meant.

And that's precisely the Hanbal Jannapura route that I was mentioning.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

And that's precisely the Hanbal Jannapura route that I was mentioning.

Good. We're on the same road now!

I took that route in September this year. I didn't notice much roughness. It's narrow. So you can't go too fast in any case.

Just keep this as your back up route.

Have fun.

Actually, now is the best time. Rains have ceased. Waterfalls will abound and greenery will make you forget all worries.

Take Shiradi.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by speedsatya

Shiradi is still the quickest option for you. It's better to avoid Charmadi on weekends or on holidays. I never take Charmadi unless I can cross it between 12 am to 6 am.

25 th is a Friday. And 4 am is quite unearthly. He'll go past Belur from Blr by 8ish. Is that still crowded at that time?

That aside, how and why do you land up on Charmadi b/w 12 - 6 am?

Just wondering.

I have travelled on that route several times and still manage to lose my way in the day time.

Though not much. I have many backseat drivers to guide me.

And family members usually dissuade me from night drives.

So Naturally I ignore them and drive at night.

I take inspiration from my grand father. At the age of 70 he, grand mom and myself (maybe 7-8 years old) would drive from Blr to Pune in a premier padmini.

And drive back after 3-4 days. He was quite a mad driver even at 70. This was of course in the early 80's. Roads were narrower and the padmini was a fast car. We did our own service and repairs.

It had a horizontal speedometer as I recall. And it was trouble free. Except for fan belts getting cut. We'd carry a couple of Fenner belts always. It was barely a 10 minute job to change it.

Later when he was 75 family members played spoilsport. They insisted on a driver for long drives.

The hired help would only drive till Yeshwantpur. After that grand dad would take over.

We'd go all around Karnataka and Maharashtra and handover the car to the driver only 4-5 km from home.

Driver got paid for sitting in the backseat. And some baksheesh to keep his mouth shut!

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by hangover

25 th is a Friday. And 4 am is quite unearthly. He'll go past Belur from Blr by 8ish. Is that still crowded at that time?
.
!

Traffic on charmadi builds up after 6-7 am IST , especially on weekends. While most of the ghat is in super condition , it is the hairpins that aren't perfect and aren't repaired completely. It is in the lower part of the ghat on these hairpins ans S bends that buses / trucks get stuck because of all the idiots in cars trying to gain that extra mm of road space on these roads.

Originally Posted by hangover

That aside, how and why do you land up on Charmadi b/w 12 - 6 am?

!

😀 the days I start directly from work when driving solo , I leave by 8-9 pm IST. And by the time I reach Shiradi around midnight , I would have to deal with all the buses with 3 sets of headlights in high beam aimed right at me. Add a few cabbies in rattling Taveras and Indicas trying to kill each other and everyone else on road / inside their vehicles while trying to race each other on blind corners.

You mentioned about relatives advising on being safe by not driving in the night. I have been driving on this route since 2005 and I have seen most of them listen to this advice and decide to stay away from these " narrow " roads around midnight till sunrise. Charmadi at night is an awesome expedience. Also the time taken is similar to what one would do taking Shiradi in the night.

[speedmiester]

Planning for a quick drive to Sringeri, Horanadu and Kalasa over this weekend with my parents.
We will be leaving from Mysore and plan to visit Kalasa and Horanadu first before staying overnight at Sringeri.

Now for the queries
1. How is the road condition between Kottigerhara and Kalasa?
2. We will be returning back to Mysore from Sringeri via Chikmaglur, any idea on the road condition between Sringeri and Chikmaglur for the return drive on Sunday
3. Google Maps indicate a shorter 42Kms route between Horanadu and Sringeri, any pointers on the road condition.

Thanks in advance.

[Nikhil_blr]

Hey Guys,

I'm confused between Shiradi and Charmadi. I'm planning to go from Bangalore to Mangalore on 25th and return on 30th or 31st. Will be travelling with wife and 2 young kids. So cant leave too early, perhaps between 9am and 10am both ways.

Which would be the best route? I'm not looking for speed or save time. Just want a safe (I love my family), smooth drive (no bad roads with potholes or cracks - I love my SX4) with some good restaurants on the way.

Also any good suggestion for a beach resort around Mangalore/Udupi?

Thanks
Nikhil