[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Budget for 4 hours from Palani to Munnar via Udumalaipet & Marayoor. Animal crossings mostly after sun down since the summer heat will keep them away in the shade. Road OK any time.

Good tarmac on Udumalpet-Munnar route. I could see fencing on both sides of the road after Marayoor up to a certain distance. Don't know why? But hindering the animals' movement in their own back yard!

[geeash]

Hi I am put up at munnar now. came here on a trip from thekkady. would like to know the best road to take enroute back to chennai. Should i take the udumalpet route and come to dindigul via palani or should i come to dindigul via bodinayakanur-periakulam-dindigul. please suggest me the route and oblige

geeash

[ampere]

Originally Posted by geeash

Hi I am put up at munnar now. came here on a trip from thekkady. would like to know the best road to take enroute back to chennai. Should i take the udumalpet route and come to dindigul via palani or should i come to dindigul via bodinayakanur-periakulam-dindigul. please suggest me the route and oblige

geeash

Anyday the fastest and the cleanest drive would be :

Munnar-Chinnakanal-Bodi-Theni-Dindigul-Trichy-Chennai. Very wide road from Theni to Dindigul. And there on 4-lane.

But if you want to enjoy one section of the drive to Udumalpet, then you can do:

Munnar-Udumalpet-Dharapuram-Karur-Kulithalai-Thuraiyur-Perumbalur-Tindivanam-Chennai

This way you can enjoy initial part of the drive to Udumalpet. Thats 90km in about 3 hours. Then drive back home. You can also bypass Trichy by taking the Kulithalai-Thuraiyur-Perumbalur option. But note that sections are 2-lane here. But most of them are very good roads. Beyond Perumbalur its GST (4-lane).

[rameshnanda]

The Tamilnadu side of Munnar-Bodi section is in pathetic condition currently. I drove on this route couple of weeks back. And the traffic from Theni-Dindigul is high these days.

If you are particular about Udumalpet route, the faster route would be Munnar-Udumalpet-Dharapuram-Perundurai-Salem-Attur-Chennai. It may be 20-30 kms. farther but will be much faster as you will get 4 lane from Perundurai and also the road from Udumalpet to Perundurai is also a bliss to drive.

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by Gokrish

Good tarmac on Udumalpet-Munnar route. I could see fencing on both sides of the road after Marayoor up to a certain distance. Don't know why? But hindering the animals' movement in their own back yard!

Nope that is to protect the sandalwood trees.

[smrtdvl]

Guys any suggestions on good restaurants at Munnar. Am driving in a Scorpio AT for the first time from Coimbatore via Udumalpet - Marayoor. Stay will be at sterling. Is it on the way to Munnar in this route? Is there anything else I have to be aware of?

TIA

[Gokrish]

Originally Posted by smrtdvl

Guys any suggestions on good restaurants at Munnar. Am driving in a Scorpio AT for the first time from Coimbatore via Udumalpet - Marayoor. Stay will be at sterling. Is it on the way to Munnar in this route? Is there anything else I have to be aware of?

TIA

Sterling is on Munnar-Bodi route and thus you will have cross the Munnar town to reach there if you are taking Chinnar route. There is a Rajasthani restaurant at Munnar town just as you reach the town from Chinnar-Munnar route. There are lot of other options including road side dhabas available there and food will be really tasty at dhabas too! You should be only wary of monsoon now in Kerala which may start anytime now!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by smrtdvl

Guys any suggestions on good restaurants at Munnar. Am driving in a Scorpio AT for the first time from Coimbatore via Udumalpet - Marayoor. Stay will be at sterling. Is it on the way to Munnar in this route? Is there anything else I have to be aware of?

TIA

You wont find separate restaurants to go and eat. Almost all of them would be associated with a resort.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by smrtdvl

Guys any suggestions on good restaurants at Munnar. ... Stay will be at sterling. ...

Is this Sterling Holidays Green Vistas ? If yes, there is a north Indian speciality restaurant (pure veg) nearby, on the Chinnakanal-Suryanelli road, which serves decent roti/naan with the standard side dishes. Another south Indian restaurant nearby. But these are small outlets, and you can probably pack the food and have it in your hotel room.

Note that these restaurants usually close early at night.

[smrtdvl]

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

Is this Sterling Holidays Green Vistas ?

Terrace Greens it is. I had been there 6 years ago and I faintly remember seeing some roadside shops outside the resort and not so good restaurants inside the town. But this time it's with the kid and in-laws so cross checking. Hope there isn't much rain around during daytime.

[pushpender_s]

Hi

I am planning for a kerala trip from chennai in the long weekend of 2nd to 5th October.

Detailed Plan is as below:
2nd Oct : Reach Wayanad by 12 PM
3rd Oct : Reach Gurvayoor by 10 PM (For a night halt)
4th Oct : Reach Munnar by 11 AM
5th Oct : Reach Chennai by late night

I am planning to take the chennai-salem-wayand-kozhikode-gurvayoor-munnar-dindigul-trichy-chennai route.

Please advise whether the route is suitable or not.

Moreover, Please advise what all places can be covered in this schedule along with decent resorts/hotels.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by pushpender_s

Detailed Plan is as below:
2nd Oct : Reach Wayanad by 12 PM
3rd Oct : Reach Gurvayoor by 10 PM (For a night halt)
4th Oct : Reach Munnar by 11 AM
5th Oct : Reach Chennai by late night

You will need to spend time as well once you reach these places. What is the point rushing to such places and you cant even enjoy them. I would say cut down to one. May be you can combine Munnar and Guruvayur.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by pushpender_s

I am planning for a kerala trip from chennai in the long weekend of 2nd to 5th October.

Looks too tight to do in a 4-day weekend. Either do Wayanad or Munnar (can combine Thekkady which isnt too far), that way you'll have time to sightseeing.

It'll take about 12 hrs atleast for Madras-Munnar budgeting photography stops on the way up and down (we took 15 hrs including 2 hrs of getting lost in Trichy ) so basically you are looking at 2 full days and change to cover what you want. Which still is less I'd say!

[pushpender_s]

Originally Posted by ampere

You will need to spend time as well once you reach these places. What is the point rushing to such places and you cant even enjoy them. I would say cut down to one. May be you can combine Munnar and Guruvayur.

I was planning to do the sightseeings on 2nd and 3rd Oct in wayanad and depart from wayanad by around 4 PM to munnar.

Guruvayoor is chosen just as a night halt and not for any sightseeing.

Lastly, munnar sightseeing would be done on 4th and 5th October.
On 5th i am planning to leave somewhere around 3 PM for chennai.

I know its bit tight but then the luxury of some extra leaves hasn't been granted by boss.

In case its not doable, then please suggest some alternate.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by pushpender_s

In case its not doable, then please suggest some alternate.

You wot be able to stick to timings easily. What I would say is as Narayan said stick to Munnar and Thekkady. Since there are long weekends, it would be crowded. You would ideally like to stay a home stay or an estate enjoy time standing still, rather than running from one location to another.

- You reach Munnar by late afternoon say 2/4 PM
- 3rf You go around Munnar
- 4th You drive to Thekkady and stay for night
- 5th you drive back.