[kishore1984]

Adding to Bejoy's query, I have planned a trip to cover Dharmasthala,kukke and kollur this weekend.
plan is to start on Sunday early morning and be back by Tuesday evening.
This is my first long drive with 2 kids(1 infant). so any suggestions on route is appreciated.

I have no clue which place to start first, should it be
Bangalore - Dharmasthala - kukke - kollur - Bangalore

or

Bangalore - kollur - dharmathala - kukke - Bangalore ?

If time permits, Would like to cover belur halebeedu as well

Looking for inputs

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by kishore1984

Adding to Bejoy's query, I have planned a trip to cover Dharmasthala,kukke and kollur this weekend.
plan is to start on Sunday early morning and be back by Tuesday evening.
This is my first long drive with 2 kids(1 infant).

That's similar to what I have planned but doing in 3 days. I have done Kollur trip once and the Dharmasthala/Kukke trip separately and plan to combine this time. Do note that the Kollur drive from Bangalore can be a little tiring - plan for a 10hr drive with breaks.

[pkrish]

Originally Posted by kishore1984

I have no clue which place to start first, should it be
Bangalore - Dharmasthala - kukke - kollur - Bangalore

One way would be Bangalore - Hasana - Sakleshpura - Kukke - Dharmasthala - Kollur - Bangalore. Beluru/Halebeedu is near Hasan (~45kms), so you can take a detour in the beginning itself or during your drive back to Bangalore. Maybe better on your first half of the drive itself, as it might get a bit tiring in Beluru/Halebeedu with the hot days and site-seeing. Or you can plan Beluru/Halebeedu to some other time.

[hothatchaway]

Posting at the 11th hour but great if somebody could chip in. Planning to leave Bangalore (Indiranagar) at 11PM tonight for Manipal and taking the Hassan-Belur-Kottigehara-Charmadi-Ujire-Karkala route. I have driven a lot on ghat roads but not in this stretch, so anything to watch out for? Will be with my wife in a small hatch and plan to drive leisurely.

I have my NaviMaps navigator but would be great if someone can point out any specific directions/turns from Belur onwards to Charmadi. May not find people around to ask for directions. Read a few pages back that there are yummy dosas available at Kottigehara even at 4AM!

Also, should I drive till Padubidri from Karkala and head north along the coast for Manipal? Or is there another route?

TIA

[fast_elegance]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Posting at the 11th hour but great if somebody could chip in. Planning to leave Bangalore (Indiranagar) at 11PM tonight for Manipal and taking the Hassan-Belur-Kottigehara-Charmadi-Ujire-Karkala route. I have driven a lot on ghat roads but not in this stretch, so anything to watch out for? Will be with my wife in a small hatch and plan to drive leisurely.

I have my NaviMaps navigator but would be great if someone can point out any specific directions/turns from Belur onwards to Charmadi. May not find people around to ask for directions. Read a few pages back that there are yummy dosas available at Kottigehara even at 4AM!

Also, should I drive till Padubidri from Karkala and head north along the coast for Manipal? Or is there another route?

TIA

This route is almost void of traffic post hassan. You might start feeling lonely on this stretch. There is no place to stop till kottigehara and yes the dosas are indeed served hot even at 4 am. Multiple small shacks at this junction that serve dosas.

Take a left at the first roundabout after you enter Belur and take a left again in front of the ksrtc bus stand. Proceed straight and go around the temple to join the mudigere stretch.

Watch out for a couple of deviations that take you to sakleshpur on the belur-mudigere stretch. It can almost fool you as they look like the main road.

Early morning in Charmadi is a bliss. I am not sure about the current fog conditions. Enjoy the drive.

[hothatchaway]

As planned, left Bangalore at 11 PM and drove through Yesvantpur to reach NH 48. It was choc a bloc traffic right upto the Goregantapalya flyover with no let up even when we hit the Hassan highway at Nelamangala. Seems like a lot of folks had the same idea of starting around midnight, perhaps to beat the heat. I had never seen so much traffic on this stretch and some were just flying past at speeds well over triple digits. There was barely any traffic as we turned off the highway at Hassan and took the route to Hagare. The Belur Mudigere stretch was downright eerie with huge tree trunks looming ahead in the headlamps like frozen giants. From Mudigere to Kottigehara and onwards to Charmadi the tarmac was flawless with red cats eyes studding the two shoulders of the road. As recommended by fellow BHPian 'Fast_elegance', we stopped for neer dosas at Kottigehara at 4AM! Charmadi, as expected, had sparse traffic and great for a spirited drive. The bends are sharp and the gradient steep however and anybody in the back seat would hate it for sure, so not recommended for kids and the elderly. Next up was Belthangady, followed by Karkala with roads good throughout until we hit the Kochi Panvel highway where there are diversions with road widening on with patch road surface.

We stayed at Manish Live in comfort at Manipal close to the university campus: a service apartment with clean rooms and complimentary breakfast. Since it was hot and muggy we decided to hit only one beach - Kodi Bengre, an off beat one as promised in http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-kemmannu.html. It barely had any tourists as promised but the beach did not look like one where one could wade into the water. As compensation, we stumbled onto a beach shack at Hoode where we gorged on Bangra fry, Kodi roti and chilly chicken, all washed down with a local cola which tasted like cough syrup! The shacks prime offering was toddy, which I had to forego as my wife does not drive. Oh well! Out for a walk in the evening, we discovered a place called 'Snack Shack' at Tiger Circle, which serves pan Asian cuisine. Such was our surprise at finding an eatery which offered Nasi Lemak on the Malnad coast, that we decided to do a takeaway of chicken NL and Thai fish with peanut rice. We did not regret our choice as the food was light and flavours great!

We started for Bangalore at around 10 AM on the 1st and decided to do Agumbe ghat on our way back, encouraged by Samurai San's report of the ghat roads having been done up recently. The road was indeed top notch and we did the 50 odd kms to Agumbe in no time. Shot a few quick pictures around Dodda Manne (I had stayed here on a previous visit to Jog-Tirthalli two years back) and were on our way to Belur via Balehonnur and Aldur. It had become overcast by then and we had a few stray showers for company. Apart from the coffee estates, we also spotted a tea garden and the lush green cover was quite a sight. Road surface is good throughout this stretch. Stopped at a veg restaurant for meals at Mudigere (cannot recall the full name but it had 'Atithi' in it) From Hassan onwards the mad rush of traffic back to Bangalore gets onto your nerves. I had planned to not exceed 100 on this traffic and had to be on guard as cars whizzed by. Had enough of it and turned right just after Kunigal to reach Bangalore via Magadi. A great short impromptu trip!

Toll gate traffic at midnight



Neer dosa at 4am



Kodi bengre beach









Doddamane

[manjubp]

Any update on Bisle Ghat?

Planning to take the route for yearly visit to temple towns in DK.

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by manjubp

Any update on Bisle Ghat?

That road is one of the most scenic roads I've been to, this was several years back, before it went to the dogs.
There are some posts in this thread on the road condition last year. Those looks downright scary for a normal motor road.

Eagerly looking forward to drive on this stretch when restored.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by whitewing

Eagerly looking forward to drive on this stretch when restored.

Not sure on the update on Bisle ghat. But even if they fix it, it wont advisable for generic travel. Its too narrow and there is in general no one the road but heavy wild life. Shiradi/Gundya/Kukke still would be preferable.

[Samurai]

Bisle ghat shouldn't be tried unless you have a SUV that can handle really bad roads with aplomb. It is a true torture test for cars.

[vnabhi]

I'm planning a trip to Eagle Eye Resorts next week. It is near Kadavanthi, around 90 minutes drive from Chikmagalur.

Any update on the road conditions will be helpful.

Google shows the route via Hassan and Chikmagalur, and estimates 300 kms/ 6 hours for the trip. I was curious of how much of the route will be a 4-lane highway, and if the road from Chikmagalur to the resort can be done in a Fiesta. A friend went there last summer on his Verna. but i am not sure of recent road updates.

Lastly, any good place for breakfast, as we plan to leave Bangalore around 7 am.

Thanks.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Any update on the road conditions will be helpful.

Overall Road conditions are very good to good throughout.

You get 4 Lane till Hassan (184 Kms) and then typical 2 lane all the way to destination.

Beware of Speedbreakers at regular intervals both on the 4 lane (Mostly rumblers) and on the 2 lane between Hassan and Belur (usual big ones). Although most of these are well marked, you might miss them easily.

Google shows the route via Hassan and Chikmagalur, and estimates 300 kms/ 6 hours for the trip.

This is a realistic estimate and even with your breaks and sedate driving, you will not need more than 6 to 6.5 Hours, Door to Door.

I was curious of how much of the route will be a 4-lane highway, and if the road from Chikmagalur to the resort can be done in a Fiesta. A friend went there last summer on his Verna. but i am not sure of recent road updates.

Answered above.

Further, Hassan - Belur is 35 kms and done in 30 minutes. No such twisties but beware at every curve of a median placed right there. So overtaking on such curves should be avoided.

Lastly, any good place for breakfast, as we plan to leave Bangalore around 7 am.

If you leave at 7 (presuming Whitefield), you should hit the Nelamangala highway around 8AM and thats a good breakfast time anyway.

You have Shark Food Court which will hardly be 20 minutes soon after you turn left at Nelamangala for the Mangalore highway. Beyond this, after another 20 minutes, you have the much famous Swati Delicacy soon after Kunigal Bypass.

Another 20 minutes after Swati, you have Mayura as well.

Hence you basically have 3 to 4 good options to eat breakfast and you can make a choice accordingly. In case you have a delayed start, you can have lunch either at A2B at Udyapura or Hotel Raama at Hassan - This one doesn't need any detour.

You can target to have lunch at Chikmagalur town itself.

Since you are heading to Eagle Eye Resorts, that falls on the Aldur Road, please take the Mudigere - Aldur Road to read here and the roads conditons are good and you need not bother much about this.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

If you leave at 7 (presuming Whitefield), you should hit the Nelamangala highway around 8AM and thats a good breakfast time anyway.




Since you are heading to Eagle Eye Resorts, that falls on the Aldur Road, please take the Mudigere - Aldur Road to read here and the roads conditons are good and you need not bother much about this.

Thanks a tonne. We are starting from Kodihalli/Domlur area.

[carlosTHEjackal]

Just an update on the Bangalore Mangalore Highway.

Had been to Kukke over the weekend of 20 and 21 May 2017.
Fresh Asphalt is being laid in multiple places between Nelamangala and Devihalli toll plazas. Some areas have diversions, but I assume the asphalt work should be complete by end of May as the work is progressing quickly.

Interesting to note, the life threatening rumblers near Bellur Cross (In front of AIMS) seems to be devoured by this fresh asphalt process. But I recon, these rumblers might appear in near future.

Fasttag's still are not the efficient toll paying mechanism. So plan accordingly.
There are some rare potholes near the bridges due to pre-monsoon showers.

Including breaks I could easily complete the drive in 5H45M going and 5H30M returning.

The bridge across Kumara Dhara which would get inundated during all monsoon has been discarded and new Taller and better bridge has appeared. So Kukke doesn't get cut-off during heavy monsoon weeks.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I'm planning a trip to Eagle Eye Resorts next week. It is near Kadavanthi, around 90 minutes drive from Chikmagalur.

Any update on the road conditions will be helpful.

Google shows the route via Hassan and Chikmagalur, and estimates 300 kms/ 6 hours for the trip. I was curious of how much of the route will be a 4-lane highway, and if the road from Chikmagalur to the resort can be done in a Fiesta. A friend went there last summer on his Verna. but i am not sure of recent road updates.

Lastly, any good place for breakfast, as we plan to leave Bangalore around 7 am.

Thanks.

It's near balehonnur, I came back from this area last week. Left BSK at 5:30 and reached homestay at 11 am with 30 min breakfast break

This should give you rough idea. Roads are very good as parag mentioned