[Torqy]

@mansidea: Nice pics. Where is this place?
Can i get atleast half way through with a 2WD?



-- Torqy

[mansidea]

Yes you can torqy. My car is a 2WD.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

60 odd kilometers from ernakulam, you reach thodupuzha.
another 30-40km you reach naadukaani/kulamavu
from the SH33 the climb to kulamavu is 16km, with 12 delightful hairpins and fantastic views.

sorry I dont have the exact distances,as i had'nt planned on going there. i just took the first road i saw and ended up there.

but fun begins right from ernakulam itself. the road surfaces are good but narrow with heavy traffic till muvattupuzha. but after that, it is heaven. the initial section(ernakulam -muvattupuzha) is best done early morning before 7AM. after muvattupuzha, time of the day doesnt matter, because the roads are good(did I say good?wrong-excellent) and traffic is light.

Did not go to Idukki Arch Dam? The dam reservoir is a great place to boat in and sight elephants and bison on the banks, just like in Thekkady. Boated there in 1978, sometime after the dam was built!! Do they still allow you there? Next time anyone is planning to go to Munnar or Thekkady, this is an exciting route since you can go via Kulamavu to Painavu and onward to Kattapana, where you can link up to either Vandiperiyar/Peeremade on the Kottayam-Thekkady road or near Udumbanshola/Vandanamedu on the Thekkady-Munnar road. These routes are very picturesque too.

[WhiteKnight]

Great work Geo.

Originally Posted by rippergeo

from the SH33 the climb to kulamavu is 16km, with 12 delightful hairpins and fantastic views.

I guess it is 14 Hairpins. Highlight of those are the one with a well at the middle of the road (donno whether it is still there). I remember driving down at the night with thick fog in company. Visibility down to few meters, it was the thought of the well that was giving me headache.

Guys, please exercise caution, especially on Moovattupuzha-Thodupuzha section.

Also, if you ever get a chance, take this route sitting on the front row of a private bus (next to the driver). You'll never forget the journey

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Next time anyone is planning to go to Munnar or Thekkady, this is an exciting route since you can go via Kulamavu to Painavu and onward to Kattapana,.

Been there, done that:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-...eat-drive.html (April 2008 Cochin - 4 days of meets and 1 great drive!)

[speedzak]

Ripper! Yes, after reading HVkumar's post I just remembered. You haven't been thru the best yet. After Kulamavu dam, starts a heaven down here on earth.

Next time, you know what to do!

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Did not go to Idukki Arch Dam? The dam reservoir is a great place to boat in and sight elephants and bison on the banks, just like in Thekkady. Boated there in 1978, sometime after the dam was built!! Do they still allow you there? Next time anyone is planning to go to Munnar or Thekkady, this is an exciting route since you can go via Kulamavu to Painavu and onward to Kattapana, where you can link up to either Vandiperiyar/Peeremade on the Kottayam-Thekkady road or near Udumbanshola/Vandanamedu on the Thekkady-Munnar road. These routes are very picturesque too.

I've been to Idukki arch dam before, but didnt do it on this trip. and I cant find the pics on my hard disk. will re do that trip sometime.
this trip was totally unplanned, and I was tempted to do the remaining 30kms to idukki from kulamavu, but that meant I wouldnt be able to use the dam as an excuse to try those hairpins again.

I think there are some restrictions in the dam area, but some strategic string pulling should solve those issues.

now that I have new routes from HVK...time to drive again!

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Great work Geo.

I guess it is 14 Hairpins. Highlight of those are the one with a well at the middle of the road (donno whether it is still there). I remember driving down at the night with thick fog in company. Visibility down to few meters, it was the thought of the well that was giving me headache.

Guys, please exercise caution, especially on Moovattupuzha-Thodupuzha section.

Also, if you ever get a chance, take this route sitting on the front row of a private bus (next to the driver). You'll never forget the journey

The well is still there, atleast the remnants of it. did not take a closer look as I was busy keeping the swift pointed away from it.

It is 12 hairpins to kulamavu. atleast thats what the signboards said.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Been there, done that:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-...eat-drive.html (April 2008 Cochin - 4 days of meets and 1 great drive!)

Damn!

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

I think there are some restrictions in the dam area, but some strategic string pulling should solve those issues.

What restrictions? The only string pulling that had to be done there was Zak pulling at his knicker strings to take a leak.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

What restrictions? The only string pulling that had to be done there was Zak pulling at his knicker strings to take a leak.

getting to the foot of the dam is not restricted, but getting on top is restricted IIRC. also boating and trekking needed express permission. last time i was there in 2005, it was like that.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

getting to the foot of the dam is not restricted, but getting on top is restricted IIRC. also boating and trekking needed express permission. last time i was there in 2005, it was like that.

We did the boating because we knew someone in the Dam, and the boat we took also had a VIP in it. It is a fantasic boat ride, as good as Thekkady's Periyar ride, and we sighted lots of wild elephants on the mountain sides.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Did not go to Idukki Arch Dam? The dam reservoir is a great place to boat in and sight elephants and bison on the banks, just like in Thekkady. Boated there in 1978, sometime after the dam was built!! Do they still allow you there? Next time anyone is planning to go to Munnar or Thekkady, this is an exciting route since you can go via Kulamavu to Painavu and onward to Kattapana, where you can link up to either Vandiperiyar/Peeremade on the Kottayam-Thekkady road or near Udumbanshola/Vandanamedu on the Thekkady-Munnar road. These routes are very picturesque too.

How do you remember all these details??


You are a Walking GPS.


-- Torqy

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Torqy

How do you remember all these details??


You are a Walking GPS.


-- Torqy

Was in school in 1978 - we have family connections in Thodupuzha, went on a small picnic to the Moolamattam Power House and Idukki Arch Dam.

Driving from Trichy to Trivandrum by bike one night, lost my way at Vandiperiyar (remember the steep left curve there) and landed up at Kattapana, had to retrace my route in the middle of the night back to Vandiperiyar.

Driven from Trivandrum to Munnar on this beautiful Kattapana route - totally unspoilt and picturesque.

[Torqy]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Was in school in 1978 - we have family connections in Thodupuzha, went on a small picnic to the Moolamattam Power House and Idukki Arch Dam.

Driving from Trichy to Trivandrum by bike one night, lost my way at Vandiperiyar (remember the steep left curve there) and landed up at Kattapana, had to retrace my route in the middle of the night back to Vandiperiyar.

Driven from Trivandrum to Munnar on this beautiful Kattapana route - totally unspoilt and picturesque.

I'm definitely going to try this on my next drive to Kerala.

-- Torqy

[ram_hyundai]

Good one rip.Nice pictures and the froggy was the best of all,lucky to be present at that time with the right machinery.
ram

did a little trip to thodupuzha. just me and my swift. the way I like it. not many pics as the route taken was the same as last time.
the first one is some water body in idukki, dont ask me the name.

the others are taken on the road from the NH47 byepass towards willingdon island.

decided to put them up , even though they are pics from cochin,just to give you an idea what a brilliant day it was for driving aimlessly for 150km

guys wanting to drive around idukki this year are running out of time. monsoons are due to hit kerala sometime next week, and when the rainy season is over, all these billiard table smooth surfaces will be gone.
also driving on these superfast bends and corners while they are rain slick will be tricky.
so hurry! last chance boys!