[sachinj12]

Folks, I am driving down to Murudeshwar tommorow and will head to Gokarna on 16th. Driving back to Bangy on 17th. I would be grateful if I could get some info on :

1) Route I should take.

2) Present road conditions of the suggested route.

3) Good eateries and fuel station* on the mentioned route.

4) Budget hotels to stay in Murudeshwar and Gokarna.

5) Places I can visit en route without deviating too much.

6) Approximate time required to travel.

* No Shell bunk please (their diesel is too expensive)

Thanks a lot!

[ampere]

The best route I think would be take the NH206 all the way till coast (Honnavar) and the come down to Murdeshwar.

Not sure about stay options. I would let others comment.

[ranjith.rajaram]

I second Ampere on that, here is the complete route. Comes between 480-500 Kms.



Roads are good. Lots of Hotels and petrol bunks on the highway.

For Stay you can check Hotel RNS Residency, its good.
Tel : (08385) - 260060. Mobile : 94484 94958

Approximate travel time will be between 9-10 Hrs with breaks.

[prasad14]

I too second Ampere. You could visit Jog Falls enroute. Jog Falls-Honnavara is a nice descend.

If you want to try more scenic route, you can consider:
Bangalore-Chikmagalur-Sringeri-Agumbe-Someshwar-Kundapur-Bhatkal-Murudeshwara. The advantages of this route are:

1. Lot more scenic.
2. Lot more spots to visit (Shravanabelagola, Belur, Halebid, Shringeri, Agumbe and Maravanthe - the last 3 are enroute and without any deviations)
3. Relatively lesser traffic from Hassan to Kundapura

The disadvantages are:
1. Single, winding roads post Chickmagalur
2. Petrol pumps only in big towns. You'd be dependent on town hotels for food. No highway eateries/toilets.
3. About 30kms more

If you are of the type that want to zip thru and reach the destination in the fastest way possible, choose the Shimoga route. If you are of the type who enjoy driving in winding roads with greenery all around, choose the Shringeri route.

Prasad

[Fauji]

Go by one route and come by the other. Make the best of both .

Yes, RNS Residency is the best. See if you can get a sea facing room. The views are awesome. If you dont get this place, then book in Naveen beach resort from the same group. Slightly upmarket.

In Gokarna you can try some good home stays or OM beach resort. If you are a sea food lover and happen to travel via Kundapura, then dont miss eating in Shetty Lunch home.

While in Gokarna, you will be surrounded by purohits asking you to do rituals. Just ignore them and visit the temple. Being summer vacation time allow delays in darshan due to rush.

If you are visiting Jog, then dont forget to eat juicy Pineapple!!!

[ampere]

There would be hardly any water in Jog today. (Correct me if I am wrong)
But it would be good to visit the Linganamakki reservoir. (I am not sure how far one needs to deviate from NH206).

But if it becomes hot, then it would be difficult.

[recker_us]

I returned from Gokarna last night. The route taken was Shimoga - Jog Fall- Honnavar.

The road is good in most of the places except a short stretch before Shimoga.
The top later of tarmac is peeled off in most of the sharp curves on the ghat section.
Overall road condition is good.

[shishir_bn]

Just have a look at this thread. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...bangalore.html

Originally Posted by ampere

But it would be good to visit the Linganamakki reservoir. (I am not sure how far one needs to deviate from NH206).

Yes. Deviation to an extent of about 10 km from NH206 is involved. However, on the peak of the Western Ghats on NH 206, there is a view point from where one can take photographs. Here is the one that I clicked on 27.2.2010 during my Goa trip:

[ampere]

I heard that no one can visit the reservoir. No permissions given to general public, even if one were to apply through formal channels.

Originally Posted by ampere

I heard that no one can visit the reservoir. No permissions given to general public, even if one were to apply through formal channels.

It's a high security zone. Permission is not granted to visit the dam. However, one can drive on the Linganamakki colony road overlooking the dam to have a close glimpse.

[sachinj12]

So, finally, I get to do the trip! Due to unforeseen circumstances, I couldn't do it in April.

Doing the same trip morrow. Is there water in JOG, considering that its the beginning of monsoon? Or should I skip Jog?

[libranof1987]

I guess you should wait for a better time to go to Jog Falls; sometime 1st week of August. Then, the falls are in their full glory.

IIRC, there's just the RNS chain in Murudeshwar; they have everything from tiles to a Maruti dealership to education institutions to hotels. And the hotel is located just at the entrance of the Murudeshwar temple. Opposite the hotel is the Murudeshwar railway station.

About Gokarna, I'm not sure the shacks on the beach would be operational now. Generally they dismantle them during the monsoons. Namastey Cafe is the best bet.

Since it is monsoon, I doubt if it is a good idea trekking to the other 2 beaches : Half moon and Paradise.

Do go over at Bhatkal (40km from Murudeshwar) for the famous Biryani.

[sachinj12]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I guess you should wait for a better time to go to Jog Falls; sometime 1st week of August. Then, the falls are in their full glory.

IIRC, there's just the RNS chain in Murudeshwar; they have everything from tiles to a Maruti dealership to education institutions to hotels. And the hotel is located just at the entrance of the Murudeshwar temple. Opposite the hotel is the Murudeshwar railway station.

About Gokarna, I'm not sure the shacks on the beach would be operational now. Generally they dismantle them during the monsoons. Namastey Cafe is the best bet.

Since it is monsoon, I doubt if it is a good idea trekking to the other 2 beaches : Half moon and Paradise.

Do go over at Bhatkal (40km from Murudeshwar) for the famous Biryani.

Timely help! Thanks a ton.

We do not intend to do a trek, so its not a prob. And thank you again for that biryani pointer

[vijus_n_n]

Guys,

You can take Bangalore - Haveri - Sirsi - Kumta route. Since that is my native place been there around ten times in last 1.5 years. A good 6.5 -7 hours drive to cover 485 km. ( Around 360 km 4 lane highway and 120 km good single road ). Then you can proceed to Murudeshwar or Gokarna or Goa.

Shimoga route is normal single road, requires more attention & night driving sometimes painful.

Cheers,
Viju