Kerala - God's Own Country!

[mukeshus]

Hey the route suggested by Shynish is perfect IMO. I have been to Guruvayoor , Munnar and Thekkady before and these are places worth visiting. But you said only 5 days , is it possible for you to cover the tour suggested by Shynish?


But be prepared for poor road condition in Kerela , sorry fellow mallus no offence meant. And also beware of the Kerela state transport buses , they drive like they own the road!

No idea whether i can cover all places in 5 days.
So please suggest best & worth places within these stretches.
Dhaya i did Bangalore-Pune-Shirdi-Shani signapur-Nashik-Pandarpur.
Distance covering 3250 kms in 5 days, So thinking i can visit all these places.
Provided roads are in better condition.
I don't mind if places are limited.
Just want to make it a memorable one with stay in between.

 

[cooldhaya]

The route which you must have done must be atleast 4 lanes most of the times i guess. But the roads in Kerela are mostly two-lane only and mostly ghat like roads with lots of twists and turns , though the road conditions are good. So expect to cover only around 50-60km in an hour.

Munnar , Thekkady and Guruvayoor are places surely worth visiting.

 

[mukeshus]

The route which you must have done must be atleast 4 lanes most of the times i guess. But the roads in Kerela are mostly two-lane only and mostly ghat like roads with lots of twists and turns , though the road conditions are good. So expect to cover only around 50-60km in an hour.

Munnar , Thekkady and Guruvayoor are places surely worth visiting.

Oh thank you, I love especially Ghat driving rather than normal highways.
And we are going in 2 cars, One is Xing & Hawk.
Total 12 members, So we have to travel together, So more time may consume.
Thanks for suggesting the place.

 

[Shynish M]

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask once you have decided the duration. We wil work it out in the best possible way.

 

[mukeshus]

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask once you have decided the duration. We wil work it out in the best possible way.

Thanks a lot shynish, will inform you well before the date of travel.

 

[mukeshus]

Guys how is the recent road conditions to Kerala.
Can any one update the weather conditions.
And is September best time to Kerala.

 

[Shynish M]

Roads are not that bad as you are expecting. Do expect for normal path holes and humps, apart from the normal maintenance work (if some thing is going on). Neither it can be rated as below average nor as excellent. There were some rain last couple of weeks. Did you decide your dates?

 

[mukeshus]

Roads are not that bad as you are expecting. Do expect for normal path holes and humps, apart from the normal maintenance work (if some thing is going on). Neither it can be rated as below average nor as excellent. There were some rain last couple of weeks. Did you decide your dates?

Decision is going on whether to go in 2 cars(Xing & Hawk).
As 2 cars have to keep the same speed.
And is September a good time to visit kerala.
We are planning to visit after Ganesh Chaturthi.

And Shynish apart from Hosur, Is there way to go to Kerala via Mysore.
I was thinking to Go via Gundlupet(Ooty road), I think some deviation near Gudalur has to be taken.

 

[Shynish M]

Alternative Route

It is always good fun to travel together in a big vehicle, such as a Force traveler. Xing + Hawk is also a nice option and you are supposed to keep the same speed for sure! Sept is always a nice period to visit Kerala as its the festal season. However be prepared for some rain too. For the last 3 days its raining (more of drizzling) in Kerala. But the good news is that it is not hot in Kerala now! Check out an alternative route for your trip:



Please go to google maps and enter the directions in the exact same order one by one and you will get the driving directions. Please note the following:

1. From Gundelpet you need to take the Ooty highway which will lead you to Gudalur.
2. From Gudalur, you need to take the road for Nilambur. You don't have to go the Nilambur town. This is very famous town for Teak woods. There is a Teak museum as well which is worth visiting. Check it out if you have time.
3. From Nilambur, take the Wandoor - Pandikkad - Perinthalmanna road. I am familiar with all these places, and the road is good. So no worries.
4. From Perinthalmanna, take the route to Shornur. You can either go via Pattambi or Cherplassery. I think the first one is the shortest. Target to reach Cheruthurity, which is on the highway itself. This is a very famous place as Kerala Kalamandalam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is located here. Pay a visit if you are interested kerala kalamandalam
5. If you are not interested to vist Kerala Kalamandalam, you can skip it and directly proceed to Guruvayoor from Pattambi.
6. Rest is all the same as the previous route except:
7. at Palakkad, there is a famous dam known as Malampuzha Dam and an old fort built by Tipu Sultan, the great!. Both are really impressive and you can try visiting those too.
8. From Palakkad, you can proceed on the NH 213 to Calicut. After Mannarkkad, at Kumaramputhur Junction take the deviation toKumaramputhur - Olipuzha Rd and subsequently follow the Manjeri - Olipuzha Rd. This will take you the SH 39 some where at Melatoor.
9. Following the SH39 will take you to Nilambur againand you will reach at the Nilambur - Gudallur Road. Now you know the return from here

Please note that, if you wanna visit Silent Valley National Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (near to Mannarkkad, on your return path) , you can do that as well.

 

[mukeshus]

A small query can all these places be visited in 5 days.
Because i can drive all the way till destination, But the other car will be driven by my bro.

 

[Shynish M]

Well, we can not take the actual distance for the parameter to calculate time. If I am the guy traveling:

1. Will start early morning (3 AM) from Bangalore. Bangalore -- Nilambur will take arount 8 to 10 Hrs as per the speed/ traffic. I should be there in Nilambur for lunch! probably will visit teak museum if possible, and will continue to Guruvayoor. I will skip Cheruthuruty Kerala Kalamandalam as I will find it difficult to accommodate.
2. I will reach Guruvayoor by First Day Evening. Check in in the hotel, have nice bath and food. The go to the temple by say 8.00 -- 8.30 PM. Will stay in the temple till 10.00 PM as I want to see the day closing rituals.
3. Next day morning, I will visit the elephants (check the links given earlier) and other historic temples near by if required. Proceed to Alappuzha and reach there by Second Day after noon. Arrange for a house boat stay / house boat trip and relax in the house boat.
4. Next day around 11.30 proceed to Thekkady Lake. Will find a stay near by or in Kumali will try for theboat trip in the evening (if not possible next day morning) and see around. So Thrid Day, I will stay at Thekkady.
5. fourth day morning I will proceed to Munnar, I should be there by 3.00 PM. Check IN and browse the hilly terrain. Fourth Day stay in Munnar.
6. Fifth Day after noon, I will return to Bangalore!

I guess this will be a comfortable schedule. Though you can include lot of places, that will just cramp your schedule and will make it hectic!

 

[mukeshus]

The dates are almost fixed.
We may visit Kerala on 14 or 15 th Of Sep.
The main places in their mind is Munnar,Thekkady,Waynad.

 

[Shynish M]

If Wayanad is there in the list you should go for the very first option for entering Kerala. For return, you can use this alternate route.

 

[cooldhaya]

Hey Mukesh the roads will be in good condition but don expect 4 lane roads inside Kerela! You will have to manage with only two lane roads but they will be in good condition. And since it is two lane you cannot cover great distances and the average speed will be pretty low around 60-70kmph only.

 

[Shynish M]

Hey Mukesh the roads will be in good condition but don expect 4 lane roads inside Kerela! You will have to manage with only two lane roads but they will be in good condition. And since it is two lane you cannot cover great distances and the average speed will be pretty low around 60-70kmph only.

Come on man You have not visited Kerala for a long time, I presume. Trichur - Trivandrum, its 4 line already. Calicut to Kasarkode is 4 lines, though some of the sectors are still 2 lines. 4 line activities are in progress between Calicut and Trichur. This covers almost entire Kerala in a stretch! In fact the work for 6 line is in progress, land acquisition has finished insome of the sectors. And considering the terrain, 60 to 80 Km speed is good figure, though you will be driving at 80 to 100, 80% of the time.