Team-BHP - Chennai - Thrissur & Back through the roads not taken

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1429592)

The "Tindivanam - Ulundurpet GMR Expressway" must possibly be the costliest to travel in South. One has to pay Rs.50 at Vikravandi toll and there is another toll booth coming up just before Ulundurpet effectively meaning we are going to pay atleast Re1/- per km for cars for using this stretch.

One of the Toll guys told me that the rates will go down once the other tolls start functioning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossiter (Post 1431758)

Lovely stuff Srikanth. I am planning to visit Athirapally and Vazhachal once again. I last visited this place with a friend in December.

One pic:

I think you had mentioned about this in Xbhp as well, while trying to figure out if the Athirapally - Valparai stretch is doable or not I did go through your thoughts on the other forum as well.

It would be a sea change from your last visit and this time around. This is the time to visit both these falls, they are at their majestic best.

Roads between Dindigul -Trichy is good, but not smooth. Speeds in the range of 60-90 kmph can be maintained . Done that before 2 weeks

Is this trip done all alone by you? I never done a trip like that.. do not know why. I always prefer someone along with me, though in the passenger seat :), talking some interesting subjects. I appreciate your interest in trying out newer routes (esp if you have traveled all alone)

Going to Athirapalli falls via Valparai is in my list. Which is the best season to do that? Any accommodation near Athirapalli falls?

I have been there once by bus.. stayed in Chalakudi then I guess

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1426092)

Finally I owe a special thanks to rippergeo who had created this urge in me to take the Athirapally - Valparai stetch when he posted this travelougue http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post1009763.

Dont mention it.
I was actually about to PM you asking for route details, so that I could do a trip to madras later on avoiding all the major roads, when I saw the above sentence. Everytime i go somewhere new, I try and and avoid the shortest/fastest route so that I can drive longer and see more of this wonderful place we call our country.
The expressways and highways are all very convenient, but they really, really take away driving pleasure.

I hope the future will be like this in india, where all the people in a hurry take the big, wide smooth roads where you can test your top speed/luck/patience, and people who travel for the heck of travelling will have the option of taking the narrow winding routes through the countryside where life has a nicer pace

PS-SH209 is lovely. I think I did a bit of it on a trip to chidambaram last year. took the indirect, longer route,200kms extra just for the hell of it. It was totally worth it.

And thank you for sharing this great travelogue. posts like yours are the only reason I still hang around this forum

EDIT- TN has a lot of nice state highways that meander around the countryside, going nowhere, that are very useful if you like getting off the beaten track.
Karnataka has a good number of backroads, but the surface of these backroads are usually fatal to most cars :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise (Post 1433830)

Roads between Dindigul -Trichy is good, but not smooth. Speeds in the range of 60-90 kmph can be maintained . Done that before 2 weeks

Is this trip done all alone by you? I never done a trip like that.. do not know why.

Going to Athirapalli falls via Valparai is in my list. Which is the best season to do that? Any accommodation near Athirapalli falls?

Another reason for avoiding Dindigul was to byepass Trichy all together. In the evening time you lose a lot of time reaching Chennai road from Dindigul road.

The trip was done all alone. Somehow am comfortable going alone as much as going with others. I prefer going alone for trips like this because I can stop where I want and I can continue without stopping as well. I had breakfast at a small shack before Athirapally at around 7.30 in the morning post which I had lunch at around 3.00 PM when I reached Dharapuram, dinner was at home around 10.00 PM, did not stop anywhere in between except for a Fuel break at Ulundurpet. So it works both ways for me.

In my opinion this is the best season to see Athirapalli in full flow, during the leaner months you could possibly walk over the falls which would be a diffferent experience. May be visiting during monsoon and post monsoon would be worth for the two different experiences. There are quite a few resorts near Athirapally though they could be slightly expensive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rippergeo (Post 1434166)

Dont mention it.
I was actually about to PM you asking for route details, so that I could do a trip to madras later on avoiding all the major roads, when I saw the above sentence.

PS-SH209 is lovely. I think I did a bit of it on a trip to chidambaram last year. took the indirect, longer route,200kms extra just for the hell of it. It was totally worth it.

And thank you for sharing this great travelogue. posts like yours are the only reason I still hang around this forum

Thanks for the compliment, let me know when you are coming down will try to send you some "Roads not taken" routes for you including some ECR as well :thumbs up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1429753)

It better go down because I have been paying 50 bucks every time I go to my home town for which I take a left onto the Kumbakonam highway. Imagine paying that toll for a distance of not even 50 kms.

NICE Expressway in Bangalore is even more expensive, at about 1.75/km (IIRC).

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1432247)

Yes, I plan to do a large-ish circuit of the famous falls in S.India. This is definitely on my list.

There are 2 routes I see on google maps. SH21 from Pollachi via Parambikulam to Chalakudy. Then there is SH78 from Pollachi - Aliyar - Valparai - kalady-malayathoor-rd which ends abruptly. After reading it looks like this further goes into Athirampally falls and into Chalakudi - which is not plotted on google. Can someone plot it? The exact point on SH21 where the SH78 meets? In other words we get Valparai or we get Parambikulam but not both? Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1424535)

From there until Pattikad took me almost 20 minutes with some big craters on one side of the road.

Lovely pics and travelogue I must say, where is this place Pattikad located?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth (Post 1425227)

I had an exhibition to attend which took place at "Lulu Convention Centre" which I must say is a faboulous place. Would not be out of place even in a metro like Bangalore or Chennai.

Yeah, agree:. I was in Lulu this January to attend a marriage, it has one of the best amenities for functions.

Spike

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeevmenon (Post 1832121)

I did not see physically any road deviating towards Parambikulam while on my way to Valparai. My understanding is the actual road goes somewhere in between the two dams marked as Idamalyar & Sholayar and join the road marked SH78 to continue onwards towards Valparai via Upper Sholayar. I doubt if you could continue onwards to Chalakudi from Parambikulam, though there did exist a train path roughly on the road marked SH21.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR (Post 1832304)

Lovely pics and travelogue I must say, where is this place Pattikad located?

Pattikad is on NH47 where you get the turnoff for Peechi Reservoir. Its after this place the Kuthiran Ghats start.