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11th November 2015, 12:37 | #1 |
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| Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor It was the beginning of October. Wife and me were discussing plans for attending 2 family functions that were 5-6 days apart in different parts of Kerala. One was on 22nd October-A Temple puja in our ancestral temple in the town of Palakkad in Kerala. Next was on 29-30th October which was a wedding in the City of Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala. 22-25 was the Dusserha period and the long weekend. So initial plan was to go on 21st, come back to Bangalore on 24th and then go again on 28th. Then I came up with an idea. Why don't we just take the whole week off, attend one function, go somewhere for a couple of days and then head to Calicut. Wife was disbelieving at first- 'Really, that would mean almost 2 weeks off. What about office?'. I said lets give it a shot. To our surprise, both of us got leaves approved. Next step was the itinerary. Some parts were fixed.
So we had the time from 23 to 27th October. The idea was to just go somewhere to relax. No real plans of site seeing or any touristy activities. Preferred a hill station. Also needed to be relatively close to Palakkad/Coimbatore. Since there was a lot of travel planned, did not want to put too much strain on my kid. Put down a short list.
Finally decided on Coonoor with a day trip to Ooty on the Mountain Train and an option of going to Valparai from Coonoor and then going to Calicut via the scenic Sholayar-Athirapally-Thrissur route (This last part was later dropped). Then the next problem came up. Since it was a long weekend, expected all places to be full and crowded. Was not keening on going to Coonoor-Ooty side at the peak of the long weekend. I felt that going to Coonoor on Saturday-24th October and leaving on 26th or 27th would be suitable. Had narrowed down on 'Sunvalley Homestay' in Coonoor (details later) and they had availability for 24th. Confirmed that. So one problem solved and a new problem came up. What to do from 23rd noon to 24th morning. Then the idea of staying a day in Coimbatore came up. Part of my education was in Coimbatore and it is a city that I really like. So thought some nostalgia was in order. There was also a dream of staying in 'The Residency' Hotel (A 4 Star Hotel in Coimbatore) from the college days (When it looked wow and unattainable) So the final itinerary:
Last edited by Rajeevraj : 12th November 2015 at 21:39. Reason: Formatting |
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11th November 2015, 18:23 | #2 |
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| re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor October 21st-Day 1
Since we were not in any hurry, we started leisurely after breakfast at 9.30 am. The Bangalore-Coimbatore-Palakkad NH is a nice drive. 6 Lane for about 100 km, 4 Lane for most of the remaining stretches. Being vacation time, expected delays at the toll booths. But most tolls were free and did not involve any waiting time. Arrived at Palakkad at 4.30pm with a 1 hr break for lunch. A highway that I enjoy, have done this route several times, Eases out after you cross the town of Hosur, and further eases out after Krishnagiri, where the highway to Chennai splits off. During holiday times and long weekends, the tolls get really crowded. 2 notorious ones are the tolls at Krishnagiri and one on the outskirts of Bangalore (Attibelle). Couple of sample images. The route is dotted with eateries and we stopped for a lunch at the Adayar Anadha Bhavan (A2B) just after Salem. Place of stay in Palakkad was Hotel Indraprastha. A relatively old establishment, recently renovated. Nothing to complain about. Website: Hotel Indraprastha The actual puja and ceremonies were in a temple around 20km from Palakkad. The Palakkad countryside is an area I love to visit and drive through. Places like below which have not changed as far as I can remember. We keep talking about how our cities and towns have changed so rapidly and have become unrecognizable. So it is kind of soothing to see places that have not changed at all. This countryside and temple is one such place. Calm and Serene- Paddy fields, temple and a Banyan Tree. One of the typical small temples that dot the Kerala Countryside. What is seen below is an offering to light lamps all around the temple. Called Chuttuvilakku in Malayalam. This night and the next day went in several Puja's and ceremonies. Nothing that would interest the audience here. So restricting to the above photos October 23rd-Day 3
After that tryst with tradition and spirituality, we were ready to get back to the more materialistic pleasures in life. Next on the agenda was a day in Coimbatore. After short drive from Palakkad, we checked in to the Residency Hotel in Coimbatore. We did not have any specific plans for Coimbatore. Idea was to just relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotel. But then decided to find out something to do. My college education was in Coimbatore and hence had visited most of the usual places. So was wondering what to do and was casually browsing the 'Top places to Visit in Coimbatore' in TripAdvisor. At number 6 on the list was 'GeeDee Vintage Car Museum'. Looked interesting. Checked the location. Right across the road from where I was staying. This ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. I have already put up a detailed thread on this visit. Detailed thread link Just reproducing the summary and a couple of images here. Please refer to the above link for the detailed report on the visit. What is it?
Last edited by Rajeevraj : 12th November 2015 at 21:54. |
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11th November 2015, 18:43 | #3 |
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| re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor October 24th-Day 4
This was the actual 'Touristy' part of the trip. After a relaxing stay in Coimbatore, set off for Coonoor by ~10 am. Most folks will be familiar with The Nilgiris and the Hill Station of Ooty. Coonoor and Kotagiri are couple of the smaller sized, less known towns close to Ooty. With Ooty becoming crowded and more commercialized, Coonoor and Kotagiri are becoming popular destinations. These Nilgiri towns are situated at a height of 7000-8000 feet above sea level. This means reaching there involves driving via reasonably steep ghats with a bunch of hair pin bends. There are multiple approaches to Ooty and the surrounding areas from the plains. Listed below for reference
Since I had done the regular Coonoor Ghat before, decided to take the Kotagiri route as I was keen on trying it and as per reports here, it had less traffic. It did mean 30-45 min extra driving time, but I was ok with that. The stretch between Mettupalayam and the foothills. Lovely road and surface. Couple of pictures of the climb. Lovely scenery and roads. Traffic was almost nil. Was a very enjoyable climb. Sunvalley Homestay: Website Link Some Details:
What I liked
Things I did not like
Summary: It is a nice place to stay. Have breakfast and go out site seeing. Come back by night, have a great dinner and go to bed. If you are the kind who prefers not to go out and would like through soak in the ambiance of the place from the place of stay, this is not the place. They do encourage family get together and arrange stuff like bon-fires and Barbecues also. The weather in the hills was pleasant. Just a hint of chill. Approach to the Homestay. Passes through some residential areas and he road is not great. But this is specifically called out when booking. The front view The side and rear tea garden views. All rooms look out into the tea garden. Nice views. We spent the rest of the day soaking in the surroundings and doing a Tea Garden walk. Next day morning set off after breakfast. One of the highlights was the fresh and homely food. Nothing like a breakfast as below Ready for the Coonoor-Ooty train ride. The folks at the home stay had asked us to be there atleast 45 min in advance. We were there 1 hour in advance but there was still a queue. Luckily managed to get tickets and a seat. But could not soak in the scenery like I wanted to. Daughter enjoyed it. Some random snaps. The train now runs with a Diesel Engine. Makes it lose some of the charm. The older coal engine was quite unique. Sample image of the old coal engine. After we had spent some time walking around Ooty and buying some tea and stuff, we decided to return. I think we would have been the tourists who spent the least time in Ooty ever . It was lunch time and we had lunch at the 'Sidewalk Cafe' near Charing Cross. The folks at the Home Stay had told us about the 'Wellington Lake'. Wellington is a small place between Ooty and Coonoor famous for a Defense Establishment and College. They had taken the initiative to rejuvenate a dead lake. This was completed in 2013. Decided to make a visit and it was a good decision. By virtue of being new, I think not many people know of it. It is a small lake with boating and a dancing fountain show at night. In spite of being a holiday, there was hardly anyone there and we were able to spend a peaceful couple of hours boating. There was small play area for kids which my daughter enjoyed. We also came back at night for the Dancing Fountain Show. It was decent, but more importantly it was nice to watch it from close by without any crowd around. Some pictures of the lake and the Dancing Fountain below. In short, it was the kind of day we enjoyed. Apart from the initial crowding to get into the train, it was peaceful. Since it was Sunday, most of the crowd was starting to return, and walking around Ooty town at noon was pleasant. Got back to the Home Stay at night, had a sumptuous dinner, and called it a night. Last edited by Rajeevraj : 13th November 2015 at 07:02. |
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11th November 2015, 18:56 | #4 |
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| re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor We were in 2 minds whether to stay another day, try to head to Valparai and then to Calicut or just leave to Calicut on 26th. Finally, considering we had a wedding coming up which meant few hectic days, we decided to head back to Calicut from Coonoor Ever since I saw this thread (Bangalore - Ooty - Manjur - Mulli - Mannarkkad Trip) about the 5th option to descent from Ooty,had been keen on trying this. Considering that I was driving with my family and the fact that this route was supposed to be deserted, I was in two minds. In addition this increased the driving time by at least 2 hours. Finally decided to go ahead as this was the best option I had, weather was good and wife was also fine with it. October 26th-Day 6
General Landscape pictures. Some are from Dashcam. The Upper Kundah Reservoir. Typical view of the roads. A drivers delight A Tea Center in the Hills. They claim to be the highest Tea Estate in India. A quick stop with some best I have ever had Lime Tea. The Typical roads when descending. Narrow with overgrowth from both sides. I had a few photos of the Hydroelectric Power Station area at Geddai and the Massive pipes that bring water from the top of the hills. Awesome view. But post taking pictures a little down the road, we saw the Photography strictly prohibited' Board. Respecting that, not posting those pictures here. In summary it was a refreshing, partly scary experience. Kudos to my wife and kid who sat through 5 hours of ghat driving including ~60 hairpin bends (This was all the way to Calicut.After descending the ghat we still had to pass through the Attapadi Forest area in Kerala before we emerged into Civilization) Will I do it again: Not with just family, maybe with a group. Too many things can go wrong and if you get stuck somewhere along this route, with minimal cell phone coverage, it would be a nightmare. Last edited by Rajeevraj : 12th November 2015 at 21:43. |
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11th November 2015, 18:59 | #5 |
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| re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor The next few days were spent in Calicut. Post all the festivities, we decided to do a quick beach trip before heading back to Bangalore.
The travelogue would not be complete without pictures of the trusty steed that carried us through the journey. Over the 2 weeks, we drove ~1900 km and the TSI handled everything with no hassles. Be it the 4 lane highways, the winding ghats, the steep hair pin bends, some non existent roads. In addition it also did wedding duty and carried the bride and groom around. Was also pleasantly surprised to note that post starting with a full tank from Bangalore, I needed to refuel only twice. Once in Coimbatore and once in Calicut and I reached Bangalore with half a tank to spare. Considering the driving conditions, the fact that it is an AT Petrol Sedan and the fact that I was in S mode pretty much throughout, felt that this is a good testament to the range and efficiency of the TSI +DSG combination. Thank you for reading. Of course, this is not anything like some of the spectacular travelogues we see here. But this was a trip that had a little bit of everything. Some elements of tradition and spirituality in Palakkad, some pampering, luxury and a dose of learning with the car museum in Coimbatore, the clean fresh air and breathtaking views of the mountains in Ooty, a wonderful wedding celebration, a short tryst with the sea at the Kappad beach and last but not the least a lot of driving in a whole range of conditions. So overall wanted to write it down and share. In the process hopefully some of the information will be useful to fellow readers and travelers. Last edited by Rajeevraj : 12th November 2015 at 21:48. |
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13th November 2015, 07:14 | #6 |
Team-BHP Support | re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing! |
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13th November 2015, 09:28 | #7 |
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| re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Nice thread. One to be bookmarked. "The Palakkad countryside is an area I love to visit and drive through. Places like below which have not changed as far as I can remember. " Fast disappearing i must say sadly, with the contagion spreading out radially from town-center. In a decade or so, it would be nothing like how it is now, sadly. Huge in-flow of riyals/dollars/pounds will ensure this. "One of the typical small temples that dot the Kerala Countryside." Beautiful quaint temple, where is this temple located? Curious since iam from Palakkad too and have fond childhood memories of kaavu / pooram / vela, etc. |
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13th November 2015, 14:33 | #8 |
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| Re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Very beautiful thread. As WindRide said it, this has been bookmarked. Very beautiful pictures too! |
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13th November 2015, 14:36 | #9 |
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| Re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor You have portrayed the journey so well through your words and photographs. While going through your thread various random images of your drive was coming to mind. I have never been to South India before but your thread has inspired me to start planning for a road trip down south. |
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13th November 2015, 14:57 | #10 |
Team-BHP Support | Re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Wonderful travelogue Rajeevraj. It's been a while since I travelled in that part of country. Your report brought back a lot memories - the tea gardens, Wellington Lake, etc. The roads out there are truly a delight to drive on. I was lucky enough to have the right car for the occasion - Ford Fiesta. I hope they have improved the lighting on the Coonoor - Calicut section though. The GeeDee Museum is a place I need to visit soon. Kappad Beach looks nice too. Hope it remains this way in the years to come. |
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13th November 2015, 16:22 | #11 | |
BHPian | Re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Awesome travelogue Rajeev! Rating it 5 stars Loved the photos. Nicely done - especially the Kappad beach ones. Love that place. Quote:
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13th November 2015, 16:30 | #12 |
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| Re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Nice thread with beautiful pictures, especially the "Kappad Beach" which has a great historic importance Went through the "detailed thread on Gedee Car Museum". Great collection of cars! A must visit one. Planning to visit Valparai in January. Was contemplating between Pollachi and Coimbatore to stay for a night. You helped me to decide where to stay and what to do there |
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13th November 2015, 16:57 | #13 | |
BHPian | Re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Very nice Travelogue. And thanks for the listing various approaches to Ooty! I also traveled to Kerala on 21st and left at 3AM. I think you got lucky by starting late. Folks who started by around 5 were stuck badly at toll booths. Quote:
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13th November 2015, 17:59 | #14 |
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| Re: Driven: Bangalore to Calicut via Palakkad, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Ooty & Manjoor Great thread. I had also stayed at the Sun valley home stay when I visited in 2013 and it looks to be still the same with the same awesome views from the balcony. Did you try the tea estate hiking? Nothing much but enjoyable none the less. And their food as you say is fantastic, with all special needs (my kids was 1.5 yrs then) taken care off with extreme efficiency and politeness. |
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14th November 2015, 11:39 | #15 | |||||||
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