Team-BHP > Travelogues > Route / Travel Queries


Reply
  Search this Thread
4,777 views
Old 25th February 2011, 09:54   #1
BHPian
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 35
Thanked: 0 Times
Route Queries - South India Road Trip in May 2011

Hi Guys,

I am planning a trip to South India in my Fiat Linea In May 2011.
Intended Route: Mumbai - Murudeshwar - Alleppey - Kovalam - Kumarakom - Munnar - Sawantwadi - Mumbai.
Planning to take NH 4 till Belgaum and then head to Dharwad and join NH17 to Alleppey.
Can you'll please advise the best route to take and also the condition of the roads along the way.
Hotels are almost booked but any suggestions will be welcome.

Cheers.
jazzyb is offline  
Old 25th February 2011, 13:10   #2
Senior - BHPian
 
ranjitp1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 3,708
Thanked: 1,918 Times
Re: Route Queries - South India Road Trip in May 2011

NH4 till Dharwad.

Dharwad to Ankola take NH63.At Ankola take a left and you are now on NH17.NH17 is in excellent shape till Kundapur.After Kundapur,the road is in tatters at the moment all the way till Kasargod,due to 4 laning.From Kundapur,traffic density increases and progress will be slow all the way till Alleppey.

Stopover for the night at Kozhikode.Stay on NH17 till Edappally.At Edappally junction,you take a right and you are now on NH47.NH47 takes you to Alleppey.

Not sure if you really want to go to Kovalam,since you are seeing the same sea at Murudeshwar!(Arabian Sea).Alleppey to Kovalam is a long and exhaustive drive.In case you do want to go to Kovalam,continue on NH47 and it takes you there.

Also another point in question is,why would you want to do Alleppey and Kumarakom.Both are more or less part of the same backwater channel and there is really no clear distinction between the two places..Kumarakom being the more expensive option of the two as all the luxury resorts and houseboats originate from Kumarakom.

If you do want to go to K'kom,then retrace your path on NH47 from Kovalam back to K'kom.From there climb upto Munnar via two routes.Either take the NH49 and go via Muvvatupuzha or else drive via Kottayam-Pala.NH49 would be a better option.

Munnar-Sawantwadi,the route is Munnar to Eddapally and then onto NH17 all the way till Sawantwadi.You can do a stopover at at Udupi on Day 1 or at Turtle Bay Resort at Marvanthe and enjoy the sea front.

IMHO,it would be good if you can replan in the following manner:

Mumbai-Murudeshwar

Murudeshwar-Alleppey.This is going to be a very long drive for 1day.Suggest instead stopover at Kozhikode and continue onwards to Alleppey.

Alleppey-Kumarokom

Kumarakom-Kovalam

Kovalam-Munnar

Munnar-Udupi

Udupi-Sawantwadi
ranjitp1 is offline  
Old 25th February 2011, 14:14   #3
Team-BHP Support
 
ampere's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 17,921
Thanked: 12,885 Times
Re: Route Queries - South India Road Trip in May 2011

I agree to what Ranjit said on the other thread. Take NH7 all the way and come back via NH17.

So the sequence you do is:

Munnar-TVM-Allepey-Udupi-Goa-Sawantwadi-Mumbai.

1. For Munnar you leave NH7 at Dindigul to hit Theni on NH45 and branch off at Theni to Munnar via Bodi through NH49.
2. Come down from Munnar via Adimali till Muvattupuza. Take the MC and head to TVM
3. On the way back you can do Kumarakom/Allepey. Please note the road from Kottayam-Kumarakom-Vaikom has been dug up for
world bank water project. Hence it may not be motorable (as per what I heard earlier in this forum. Not sure of the current status.
4. From Allepey its the same NH47/NH17 as per what Ranjit mentioned.
5. Do note there is 4L work happening around Udupi-Mulki sector on the NH17
6. The road at Baindur is pretty bad (bad is an understatement) as per MX6. You can check with him/others on the current status.
ampere is offline  
Old 25th February 2011, 18:50   #4
BHPian
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 35
Thanked: 0 Times
Re: Route Queries - South India Road Trip in May 2011

Thanks Ranjit and Ampere for the advice.

How abt if I do it this way:
Mumbai - Chitradurga (NH4), Can do this distance in one day and stay overnite at Chitradurga.
Chitradurga - Alleppey (this will be via Tumkur, Kunigal, Chamrajnagar, Coimbatore - Alleppey). This is about 700 kms. Any idea on the condition of this road.
Then from Alleppey as mentioned before.
This will be just to avoid the NH17 as it is 2 laned and also as mentioned there is work going on for 4 laning.
Doing Alleppey coz we are taking the houseboat from Alleppey and then the wife wants to stay at the Zuri in Kumarakom.
Kovalam just for the beach for my daughter!!

Cheers.
jazzyb is offline  
Old 25th February 2011, 19:14   #5
Senior - BHPian
 
ranjitp1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 3,708
Thanked: 1,918 Times
Re: Route Queries - South India Road Trip in May 2011

Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzyb View Post

How abt if I do it this way:
Mumbai - Chitradurga (NH4), Can do this distance in one day and stay overnite at Chitradurga.
This is too short a distance!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzyb View Post
Chitradurga - Alleppey (this will be via Tumkur, Kunigal, Chamrajnagar, Coimbatore - Alleppey). This is about 700 kms. Any idea on the condition of this road.
this is tooo long a distance irrespective of which route you take,plus you would lose out on a night at the zuri,as you would just use it for sleeping(if you are lucky!)

Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzyb View Post
Kovalam just for the beach for my daughter!!
the beach at goa would be a better option plus it falls into your scheme of things without going out of the way!
ranjitp1 is offline  
Old 25th February 2011, 19:30   #6
Team-BHP Support
 
ampere's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 17,921
Thanked: 12,885 Times
Re: Route Queries - South India Road Trip in May 2011

If its only for the beach, I would say skip TVM and do only Munnar/Kumarakom. Then head back to Goa. As Ranjit says it would be difficult even covering Munnar. As you have two heavy duty legs of 600-800km each day.

For such distances better to stick to GQ.

One stretch : Mumbai-Davanagere (NH4)
Other Stretcg: Davanagere-Munnar (Via Dindigul). (NH4/NH7)

But I admit both stretches are long and tiring. May be for the second stretch you can do Madurai by evening stay over night. Visit the temple next day and head to Munnar. That way you spend at place where you dont waste the stay.

Driving longer in GQ would be easier.

Last edited by ampere : 25th February 2011 at 19:33.
ampere is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks