[anandharamanp]

Hi , I am planning a family trip to Munnar in couple of days. Following are the 2 routes mostly recommended, I prefer Route 2 on the way to Munnar(with an intent to enjoy the travel via Chinnar wild life sanctuary) and route 1 during return Journey.

Option 1 - Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Theni - Bodi - Munnar (580 kms)
Option 2 - Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Palani - Udumalpet - Munnar (600 kms)

Please help me understand the following:

1) How good are the road conditions in both the routs - How long is the 4 lane in both the routes? if roads are not proper in any of the routes, i may want to avoid that.

2) Route is familiar for me until Trichy beyond which i have to follow the GMaps . In route 2, After dindigul, Gmaps diverts to SH 193 instead of NH83, How do i avoid this google prompt to enter into SH but get into NH83, Any land mark that i can get from you will help me navigate to dindigul - Palani route?

To avoid gmap's diversion into SH/small roads , i am thinking of setting the gmap until Dindigul Bus stand first, then set the map to palani bus stand and then set the map to Udumalaipettai bus stand and then to Munnar finally. but this may mean a additional time for getting into towns and getting out - Any other better workaround you may have, Pls suggest.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by anandharamanp

Option 1 - Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Theni - Bodi - Munnar (580 kms)
Option 2 - Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Palani - Udumalpet - Munnar (600 kms)

Question is where in Munnar is your destination? If your stay is in Chinnakanal, then Theni/Bodi makes sense. If its it main Munnar then Udumalpet makes sense.

Please mote: Bodi-Chinnakanal should be about 50km while Udumalpet-Marayoor-Munnar is about 90km and then again another 22 to Chinnakanal.

Dindigul has a clean bypass. You dont need to enter the town. Take the bypass depending on destination its either Theni exit or Oddanchatram. From Oddanchatram you can take either the road via Dharapuram or via Palani.

[anandharamanp]

Originally Posted by ampere

Question is where in Munnar is your destination? If your stay is in Chinnakanal, then Theni/Bodi makes sense. If its it main Munnar then Udumalpet makes sense.

Please Bodoi-Chinnakanal should be about 50km while Udumalpet-Marayoor-Munnar is about 90km and then again another 22 to Chinnakanal.

Its 6 Kms from Munnar - Deshadan Resort, so Udumalpet route seems fine. Thanks for your suggestion.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by anandharamanp

Its 6 Kms from Munnar - Deshadan Resort, so Udumalpet route seems fine. Thanks for your suggestion.

I see its about 600km. That means easily 11-12 hours. If you go via Udumalpet account at least 3 hours for 90km from Udumalpet to Munnar. I also see Google still suggests to go via Theni/Bodi. I dont know how is the last section from Poppara. One suggestion can be to break overnight stay around Theni and drive early morning fresh.

[anandharamanp]

Originally Posted by ampere

I see its about 600km. That means easily 11-12 hours. If you go via Udumalpet account at least 3 hours for 90km from Udumalpet to Munnar. I also see Google still suggests to Goa Theni/Bodi. I dont know how is the last section from Poppara. One suggestion can be to break overnight say around Theni and drive early morning fresh.

Agree that Theni-Bodi is the shortest route and taking Udumalpet route will mean extra 25 kms approx whin may consume 45 mins-1 hour. My personal liking to travel via Chinnar jungle is the OLNY reason, i am preferring this route, if not, i would also prefer Theni-Bodi. As you rightly mentioned not sure about the road exit from Pooppara too.

Planning to start by midnight, Depending on how early i reach dingidul, will decide the routes. Thank you for your inputs.

[Yieldway17]

Originally Posted by anandharamanp

Option 2 - Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Palani - Udumalpet - Munnar (600 kms)
.

Here is a bus trip video from last month of Udumalpet-Munnar road I watched a couple of weeks back. You can check the road condition (seems to be quite narrow in many places).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrjBn09ccaQ

Option 1 has wider roads relative to Option 2. Option 1 - Theni to Munnar highway was also being widened and toll plazas were being constructed from another video I watched few months back.

[anandharamanp]

Originally Posted by Yieldway17

Here is a bus trip video from last month of Udumalpet-Munnar road I watched a couple of weeks back. You can check the road condition (seems to be quite narrow in many places).

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=HrjBn09ccaQ

Option 1 has wider roads relative to Option 2. Option 1 - Theni to Munnar highway was also being widened and toll plazas were being constructed from another video I watched few months back.

Thank you for sharing, Udumalpet road seems narrow mostly. Let me go with option 1 both ways then. Thanks to ampere for his right suggestions too.

[CArspeed]

Originally Posted by anandharamanp

Option 1 - Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Theni - Bodi - Munnar (580 kms)
Option 2 - Chennai - Trichy - Dindigul - Palani - Udumalpet - Munnar (600 kms)

If you love driving take a different route onward and return. Take the tough route based on your timing and convenience either onward or return. After all, we love road tripping only to enjoy nature and nature always throws up surprises and this can happen only if you explore. Nothing wrong with both the routes as it is hardly few kms apart.

[anandharamanp]

I completed my Munnar trip and following are the updates:

Onward route: Chennai-Trichy-Dindugul-Palani Bypass-Udumalaipet-Munnar- 600 Kms.
complete 4 lane till Dindugul, post which its a combination of 4 lane bypass and 2 lanes but very decent road conditions until Udumalaipet. Udumalaipet to Munnar specially through Chinnar wild life sanctuary, the roads are very narrow, just enough for a single bus to pass by (I travelled on week days so this road was deserted but did NOT sight sight any elephants). Now i know why Yieldway17 and ampere suggested me to avoid this route but the best part of me taking this route helped me to avoid a one day trip(from Munnar) to visit sightseeing in this route.

Return route:Munnar-BodiMettu-Theni-Dndidugul-Trichy-Chennai: 580 Kms

Roads from Munnar to Bodimettu - around 40 kms was excellent and very broad - have never seen such broad and well laid roads in hill station so far. Bodi mettu to down hill was with 16 hairpin bends with regular narrow ghat roads for around 20 kms approx.

Weather condition:
Weather was so hot on the day i checked in that it made me even think of checking out the next day and going to Kodai but the weather turned pleasant that evening and continued to be very pleasant for the subsequent days, so i continued staying in Munnar.

Stayed in Deshadan Mountain Resort- on the Munnar Cochin Road.
Pros:
1) From the room and balcony one will get excellent view of the valleys and all round greenery.
2) Service is good.
3) Complimentary buffet is very good.
4) Lunch and Dinner comes at reasonable rates.
5) 7 kms Away from hustle of the town, so one will get a very peaceful stay.

Cons:
1) 7 kms away from town
2) Last 1 km road to the resort is very steep(much steeper and longer than Ooty Kalhatty route) that i have not witnessed in any of my trips to any other hill stations and made me nervous for the first time when i was climbing up but i gained confidence to maneuver this section subsequently.

It was very narrow in some stretches that one will have to struggle if there is any other vehicle coming in the opp direction - but the best part is it was more of a private road to this property, so the vehicle movement was very limited to those visiting this resort alone. Only those who are well versed driving in ghat sections can handle this last 1 km road.

From google reviews i understand that this last 1 kms was damaged earlier and looked like an offroading but during my trip i can see that resort had relaid the road with proper tarmac completely for the last 1 Km which is a good.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by anandharamanp

Roads from Munnar to Bodimettu - around 40 kms was excellent and very broad - have never seen such broad and well laid roads in hill station so far.

Its finally done? The entire Bodi-Munnar route was in tatters in 2020. We stayed in Siena Village then and had to go via Suryanelli for motorable roads. At that time, only a handful of sections were wide sections and rest were total dirt tracks.

[anandharamanp]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Its finally done? The entire Bodi-Munnar route was in tatters in 2020. We stayed in Siena Village then and had to go via Suryanelli for motorable roads. At that time, only a handful of sections were wide sections and rest were total dirt tracks.

Yeah, complete 40 kms stretch from Munnar town to Bodimettu is fully complete and driving on those roads was a breeze - so wide and so clean roads in midst of scenic views