This is our recent road trip from Bangalore to Madikeri for our 5th wedding anniversary celebration. We went on 3 days holidays to celebrate in Madikeri and totally loved the weather and the stay. I have given here the best route to reach Madikeri, the place we stayed, and the best cafe to hangout in Madikeri.
And this was our first long road trip post covid -19 lockdown, and first long road trip by our #AllNewCreta2020.
Road Trip From Bangalore to Madikeri
Onward Journey: Road trip from Bangalore to Madikeri (Day -1)
We started from our home leisurely around 8am, on Friday 11th Sep, 2020, after having breakfast at one of our favourite restaurants nearby our home.
(For those who think 8 am is too early, usually we start our bike trips / car trips by 5am).
As Usual we have packed our lunch boxes and snacks from home. But, when we found our favourite restaurant’s branch, called Aashirvaad grand, we were happy and couldn’t resist our temptation to eat here.
Anytime you are on road trip from Bangalore to Madikeri, do look up for this restaurant near Mysore.
Our bags packed for 3 days including Work bag just incase needed
(All these 3 road trips are entirely different, we stayed in different places each time and did various activities altogether. Click on the 2 links above to know all about sightseeing in Coorg and Wayanad including wildlife safari.)
Surprisingly, thanks to Our comfortable SUV, we reached Madikeri by 2pm itself.
Checked ourselves in a room at Woodstock villas, stretched our legs and rested for some time.
By evening, we took our Creta for a ride to look around our favourite sightseeing place – Raja’s seat, where we made many memories on our last trip.
All the sightseeing places in Madikeri were closed for the pandemic. We found only a couple of shops and restaurants here and there. But we chose not to go any places for shopping.
Came back to our resort, spent some time hanging out in Big Cup Cafe nearby our resort. Sipped tea enjoying beautiful weather and freshly brewed coffee aroma which filled the entire cafe.
We had to cancel our short walk plan since it started raining heavily.
So, we had ala carte non veg food items at the resort early, and tried local cuisines before we retired for the day.
The next day, we checked out of the room and headed to another breathtaking destination.
Drive to Cliff Resorts on Day -2
On our day 2 of our road trip from bangalore to Madikeri, we drove for about 2 hrs to reach our next stay, called Cliff resorts.
What was supposed to be 1.30hrs travel via Arekadu – Siddhapura route, we took 2 hrs, since we stopped at many places to click nature’s pic. We travel to enjoy every bit of travel, right?.
Travelduo Madikeri PicsDrive towards Cliff resorts – travelduo Madikeri pics
So we took our time, clicked lots of pics, and by the time we reached Cliff resorts after driving through some scary hairpins, it was already lunch time.
We had a buffet menu (not that great food for 700 bucks per head) before we retired to the room.
After the usual routine of relaxing for some time, we booked ourselves a nature’s guide who took us for an hr walk through the Resort’s coffee estate. The 100s of acres of coffee plantation was under the property of the cliff resorts’ four brothers and they kept it open for their guests.
It was a much needed walkthrough to get some good sleep in that chill weather.
Otherwise also we had an enormous super comfortable room with a spacious balcony open to the woods.
We skipped dinner as we were feeling heavy from grand lunch and evening sandwiches and tea.
Return to Bangalore Via Bavali route
Rajesh had kept this 2nd stay as secret as he wanted to impress me with this resort’s forest view. Definitely it was an amazing view even better than Raja seat’s view in Madikeri.
Although it was an entirely different experience, for the price we paid here we could have stayed in Woodstock villas for another 2 days comfortably including food costs.
But the best part of this resort is closer to the city, that is Gonikoppala and virajpet. Needless to say I love Gonikoppal for its good restaurant and even better roads to reach Bangalore.
And we stopped at a couple other shops to fill our snacks bag for the return journey.
Just like how well we know the places in Mysore and Kumbakonam, so well we know about madikeri and Wayanad now. Especially the drive through the forest via Kutta – bavali route to reach Bangalore.
I have written all about different routes (and forest rules) to help you plan the road trip from bangalore to Madikeri, click here. Have fun.
Travelling by bike is not new to us, but riding a motorbike in the dark night – definitely it was a new and scary experience. This was my first ever “well – planned bike trip” on Shivaratri night from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai temple.
The reason I particularly mentioned as “well-planned” is because we had another night bike ride experience which was “not-planned” but gave us thrill down our spines. You can find that story link at the bottom of this article. And after night bike ride of 200 kms from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai temple, the next day we went on 1 hr trekking to Theerthamalai temple near Dharmapuri.
Whoaaa yes. Read the story to know how we did this thrilling + adventurous trip by Bike.
Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Temple Distance and Travel Route
Little Intro on Our regular Trips from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai temple
Tiruvannamalai temple has been our favourite destination for bike rides for 5 years since our marriage in 2015. We have always enjoyed the ride, riding amongst the never ending mango farms were our favourite.
After a couple of times from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai temple, there was no need to look at google maps for directions, because literally our bike took us there. It stopped in all our favorite pit stops, it stopped when we needed to click pics and it even stopped whenever we crossed village fruit stalls.
Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Temple Route – 1 (203 kms) (Moderate roads after Krishnagiri)
Bangalore – Hosur – Shoolagiri – Krishnagiri (turn towards Chennai Highways, take Tiruvannamalai route) – Mathur – Uthangarai – Chengam – Tiruvannamalai temple
Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Temple Route – 2 (285 Kms) (Best Route NH 48, only the last 80 Kms are state Highways -moderate roads)
Bangalore – Hosur – Shoolagiri – Krishnagiri (turn towards Chennai Highways, take Vellore route) – Ambur – Vellore – Tiruvannamalai Temple
Of the two routes mentioned, We prefer route -1 for bike trips and route – 2 for the car trips. Route -1 (chengam route) has a single state road once after you cross Krishnagiri. Most of the places are damaged or under construction always. For bike rides, we prefer this route for the less distance comparatively.
Since our couple of car trips to Vellore and Kanchipuram, we love this route – 2 with continous NH 48 2 ways – roads with partition barricades. The best route if you love to drive non -stop to the destination. Only the last 80 kms are bit narrow roads, but better than route -1.
The time takes to cover both the routes are the same, only route – 2 is better in terms of good roads and many restaurant choices.
We usually start our road trip journey by 7 to 8am, stop at Krishna Inn in Bangalore -Salem highways around 9.30 for a long break for breakfast and coffee.
The best TamilNadu style Pongal and vada from Krishna Inn, Bangalore – Salem Highways restaurant
We put on music from our Boat mini speaker, listen to songs to beat the boredom riding bike in the hot sun, all the while enjoying the countryside view and agrilands.
After a couple of pit stops, and lunch, we reach our destination by 2 to 3 pm, check-in the room to freshen up, preferably a short bath.
We would then ride to Tiruvannamalai temple by late evening for darshan, if possible (and lucky) we would stay back to watch 10pm Thiruoonjal sevai before calling it a day. Usually the next day, we always – mostly always went to Tirukoilur temples, situated about 1hr ride from Tiruvannamalai town towards Pondicherry.
Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Distance – 200kms* (little varies based on the location you start).
Tiruvannamalai to tirukoilur temples – 37 kms*
*Distances mentioned only for just onward journey
It is another countryside ride we love riding for the love of Tirukoilur Ulagalantha Perumal temple. We usually reach by noon, attend the noon pooja just before the temple closes.
Trip to Tirukoilur From Tiruvannamalai
Before we return back to Tiruvannamalai town we lunch at Arya Bhavan, the only possible good vegetarian restaurant in the Tirukoilur town.
Then we collect our packed bags from the hotel reception (usually the saddle bags so we can ride stress free), stop at our favourite french coffee shop before we take the Bangalore road.
(Update: This coffee shop is permanently closed as on our recent trip to Tiruvannamalai on 8th Feb 2020).
The next day, Rajesh would go to office as if nothing happened in the past 2 days. He would resume his work in office as if he didn’t ride 470 kms by bike with just one night rest in between in 2 days.
I too force myself to go to the office on Mondays even though I was not the one driving bike for 8 hrs straight.
This has been our routine so far, until one day we decided to break the routine.
Night Bike Trip to Tiruvannamalai Temple – The Experience
This time, on 24th Feb 2017, at 5pm, we started our night journey from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai temple.
We rode our bike for 7 long hrs, reached the Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarar temple around 1 am. Had we not delayed in Krishnagiri, we would have reached about an hour early to the destination (explained in detail below).
The main reason behind this night trip plan was to attend the ‘Shivratri’ pooja in the most significant Lord Shiva temple.
Since it was going to be a night bike ride on the highways and country side, we had to make sure everything was 100% perfect.
Just a week before our journey, Rajesh had got the bike from the service station, spent about 15k on the bike fixing all the issues, adding some fancy headlights and tail lights.
As a travel partner, I double checked on the travel essentials and packaging for the much expected Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai temple trip.
“What if anything happens along the way, how would we ensure our safety and road safety?”
It was Rajesh – who by nature never deviated from any set out goals, pressed me on to continue planning for the journey.
So, I went on to do what I do best for the travel plans. Write down all to-dos, things to pack, buying all the necessary stuff and packing the bags a day before the journey.
Rajesh would cross check the itineraries ensuring I have not left out anything in the overwhelming of planning.
Always expect the Unexpected – Delay in our well thought plan– In Our Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Temple Night trip
Since we had planned to go straight to the temple for darshan, we packed light and carried just one backpack for the trip.
Our bike is ready, bags are packed, mobile phone chargers, bluetooth speakers are cross checked. We all set to go from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai temple.
We started our bike at 5pm.
I never thought our journey would be delayed more than the usual travel time.
Though I kept the extra buffer time since we were starting on weekend evening, and very well aware of the volvo bus traffic until we crossed Hosur.
But this is how we got delayed.
Since both Sivarathiri and pradosham are falling on the same day making the day super special, I had a plan to stop at the Krishnagiri Lord Shiva temple for a quick darshan on Pradosham.
So, we diverted from the actual route from the national highways, entered the Krishnagiri town, found the temple I marked in the google map a week before.
To our shock, we found the entire town was gathered in that temple, we could not even walk past the main gate. Thinking that the crowd will clear like they usually do on the auspicious days, we kept waiting in expectation for about an hour only to realise we took a bad decision of stopping here.
And as the time went by, riding in the dark in the dark was becoming challenging as we were slowed down by the heavy beam of the opposite vehicles.
Not to mention the annoying tiny insects hitting on our helmets, some even crawling up under the helmets giving a tough time to focus and ride the bike.
Finally we reached the Tiruvannamalai temple on the next day i.e. 25th Feb, around 1 am. We then found a place in the temple, listened to the Navrathri songs until we waited for the early morning darshan.
Around 4am, we joined the early morning queue for darshan and by the time we came out, it was around 6am.
Tiruvannamalai temple
Then around evening we went to our next favourite destination – Tirukoilur.
Since we needed to take a good rest from the previous night long journey, I didn’t plan any other destinations except Tirukoilur.
Tirukoilur Perumal Temple Gopuram – Main Entrance
What followed the Night Ride was An Unimaginable Day
On our 3rd day, on 26th Feb 2017, Theerthamalai in Dharmapuri, a hill temple which was crowded beyond my imagination on the day we went.
Since it was “no-moon” day, devotees gathered in huge numbers to darshan Lord Theerthagirishwarar on the top of the hill.
As usual, Rajesh did not back off from the plan, so with no other choice, I decided to trek the hill on a hot summer. We dropped our backpack at a shop near the bike parking area and went on to climb 1km uphill with just 1 litre bottle in hand.
What seemed like easy to climb 1km in the google map, it took us more than 1hr with just 10 min break in between.
After standing in the long queue for the Lord Siva darshan, and Parvathi devi, Rajesh managed to get some of the holy water from the multiple tiny waterfalls (they say it never dry out).
Overall, it was more than we could take.
All the experience was new and it was too much to handle at once.
First ever experience riding 200kms in the dark.
As if that was not enough, going on a trek for an hour to the hill temple on the next day, cursed my guts to plan this trip, we suffered indefinitely.
But looking back now, I could not believe that we took all that risk, we have stretched our boundaries and achieved something great.
In July 2017, we went on a 3 days trip from Bangalore to Visit temples in Madurai city. We traveled by train to Madurai, where we rented a motorbike to roam the city. This was purely a temple trip, as we are always fond of exploring the less explored.
So, this was one such trip, where we wanted to see beyond the great Meenakshi temple. Because it is the only popular temple in Madurai among the tourists.
We dedicated 3 full days just to explore the temples in Madurai city, and we were not disappointed, thankfully.
In Fact we could not cover all the ancient temples you see. We picked the most historic and popular, and filtered those were within the feasibility of our travel distances.
(You scope is limited especially when you have rented a rotten bike).
Having said that, feel free to copy this list for your next spiritual trip to Madurai, a list filtered with only most ancient and important temples. A short and sweet list of temples in Madurai, closer to the city. You can thank me later.
List of Ancient Temples in Madurai
Even Though Madurai is significantly famous for just one temple – The Meenakshi Amman temple, there are many other temples in Madurai which are not widely popular. I have taken a list of those temples, selected the most ancient and important; and are also closely located ones to visit as much as possible in one day.
Since we have planned this trip to visit Madurai from Bangalore on auspicious days; Friday and Sunday being most auspicious, I kept flexible timings keeping the waiting period for darshan in each temple in the list.
Why We did not Visit Madurai Meenakshi Temple on Day -1 : Two Reasons
The entire Madurai tourism is weaved around the great Meenakshi Amman temple. Yet, I have planned to visit them on the 2nd day for the following 2 reasons.
First, we will become more tired of visiting this enormous temple on the very first day itself.
Second, this temple is always crowded on regular days, and extremely crowded on auspicious days. On the day we arrived it was auspicious Friday falling on the auspicious month for Hindu religion – Aadi month (Some call it Aashada).
So it’s decided to visit the temple on the next day – Saturday, that too early in the morning to avoid a long queue. Yet we could not completely avoid the crowd, we had to be in the queue for 30 mins before we darshan Lord Shiva and Goddess Meenakshi.
Day Wise List of Ancient Temples in Madurai
I have carefully planned our 3 days travel fitting all the famous temples possible in the map, also being careful not to overburden Rajesh like how did in Kumbakonam visiting 24 temples in 3 days.
Temples in Madurai – Day 1 (21 July 2017) Itinerary:
Morning trip:
1. Aapudaiyar Kovil, Madurai
2. Thirumohoor Kalameha Perumal temple
Evening trip:
3. Thiruparankundram
Day 2 (22 July 2017) Itinerary:
Morning trip:
1. Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple
2. Koodal Alagar, Madurai
3. Thiruvedagam Edaganatheswarar Temple
Evening trip:
4. Thirupuvanam Sri Pushpavaneswarar temple, Sivagangai district
5. Inmayil nanmai tharuvar temple, Madurai
Day 3 (23 July 2017) Itinerary:
1. Palamuthircholai and Rakkayi hill temple with waterfalls
2. Aaru padai murugan temple
3. Alagar temple
Short Note on the List of Temples in Madurai
If you are planning a trip to Madurai from Bangalore by road or any transport, feel free to copy my 3 days trip plan mentioned above.
For example, Thiruparankundram (see day 1) and Palamuthircholai & Arupadai Murugan temples (see day -3) are notable temples for Lord Muruga.
We absolutely loved riding to the Palamuthircholai located in the outskirts of Madurai City, riding among the trees, watching the atrocity of the monkeys was one of an experience.
Also, to add thrill to our trip, we have coupled a trek to a Rakayi temple with waterfalls on the hills near to Palamuthircholai. Since we had planned it on an auspicious day, we ended up in a long queue but otherwise it was overall a good experience. If we had planned to go to this hill temple on the normal days, we were not sure of the safety of the travelers given the location and ambiance of this temple.
And the final temple in the list, is Alagar temple, a sight to the sore eyes. Just as the name depicts, the Lord Vishnu is such a charm and beauty to darshan.
On day -3, we returned back to Bangalore with plenty of memories. We really did have a good time. Infact we watched a movie named ‘vikram veda’ at Vishal De mall, Madurai just before leaving the town.
This is guide for people looking to travel from Bangalore to Wayanad by road and guide on how to reach Thirunelli temple.
On September 14th 2019, We went on 3 days road trip from Bangalore to Wayanad to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary. During our stay in Wayanad, We visited Thirunelli Mahavishnu temple on the hills, about 10 mins drive from our resort. Early morning pooja performed at 5.30 in this temple is said to be very special. Though we couldn’t make it so early, we went around 10am and absolutely loved it.
So, this how to reach Thirunelli temple, a famous Maha Vishnu temple on the hills of Wayanad.
How to Reach Thirunelli Temple Wayanad
Thirunelli Vishnu temple in Wayanad, Kerala is situated 32 kms from Mananthavady. The Temple is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and trees with good parking facilities.
Thirunelli temple lies in the valley of Bhramagiri Hills, the name is connected to Lord Brahma and the ancient history of this temple.
We traveled from Bangalore to Wayanad in mid of September by car to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary. Thirunelly was our stay destination in Wayanad, we checked in at Jungle Retreat on our first day, and Visited Thirunelli Vishnu temple on the next day morning.
There are 3 routes if you are travelling from Bangalore to Wayanad with almost same distances.
Since there are 4 routes from Bangalore to Wayanad, If you want to know the best route on how to reach Thirunelli temple from Bangalore, read here.
Of all the routes, If you are planning to take Nagarhole reserve forest route, call up their office to confirm the entry for visitors to save any unplanned deviation.
There are hardly few shops selling refreshments, pooja items and some ayurvedic products.
Driving your own vehicle – Once you reach the temple, park your vehicle from the ample parking area, walk about 200 meters to reach the temple. There is no vehicle parking fee, nor any shoes counter fee.
Taking Bus or Auto or Taxi– You could take it from Kutta, the nearest public transport with bus and taxi facilities connecting Wayanad, including services to Nagarhole National park.
Ambalam View, Thirunelli temple Wayanad, Kerala
How We Planned Our Wayanad Road trip
During our 3 stays in Tirunelly Kerala, we came to know that the restaurant choices are very limited. We found a good restaurant in Kutta while we were on the way to Nagarhole Jungle safari, called Safari Inn , an accommodation serving with veg and non – veg food choices. Both Food and price were satisfactory.
This was our travel itinerary –
Day 1 – Travel from Bangalore to Wayanad
Day 2 – Tirunelli Vishnu Temple and Nagarhole jungle safari
Day 3 – Travel From Wayanad to Bangalore
Another suggestion I have for restaurant while you are travelling via Gonikoppal, is Spice Rack Restaurant, click here for the location and review.
Wayanad to Bangalore distance is 250 to 300 kms depends on the location you start.
Definitely you would need 2 days for up and down travel to Tirunelly, visit temple, do jungle safari and return back to your home. You could plan one day trip if you are travelling from Coorg or Mysore or any other nearby places in Kerala district.
We skipped Thirunelli wildlife sanctuary since we had plan to go Nagarhole wildlife jungle safari.
Our Experience in the Famous Maha Vishnu Temple Wayanad
This was our very first trip to Wayanad and to the ancient MahaVishnu temple, unlike our frequent visits to Thirukovilur Vishnu Temple (TamilNadu near Tiruvannamalai).
First thing you notice here is the calm and serene location of the temple located in a valley surrounded by trees and mountains.
Second, despite all the crowd, you could only hear the noise of the surrounding nature, definitely a rare sight in a very famous temple I say. That’s how we listened to the Papanasini river nearby, otherwise we had no clue of its popularity and historic significance, since we didn’t do much research about this temple beforehand.
When it is normal in pilgrimage places to get surrounded by the aggressive beggars before you even set foot inside the temple, worst even when you are pulled between the street vendors, this temple was offering a tranquil experience.
Third, People were offering prayers in silence, moving in disciplined pace inside the temple maintaining silence. Some were praying by lighting up the temple’s embossed brass lamp of different sizes kept exclusively for the purpose. Hundreds of the lamps are kept for devotees as personal belongings are not allowed inside except for the pooja items.
Fourth, since it was maintained by a private trust, there was no unholy behavior of priests and administration are witnessed. Temple surroundings are including the parking area are beautifully maintained, even the stairs and the path leading to the holy river are maintained well.
Fifth, Small Sivalingas about 10 to 15 cms are found in the couple of places inside the temple, around the main sanctum which I believe is connected to the temple history.
Panchatheertham with Sivalinga (almost invisible) and Lord Vishnu Foot carved on Rock stone.
Thirunelli Temple – How to Pray, Dress Code and Temple Timing
Before you know how to reach Thirunelli temple, I think it is essential to plan the trip according to the Thirunelli temple open timing and the temple procedures.
Before Entering Tirunelly Vishnu temple – Know this: After parking the vehicle, we went straight to the temple to pray. But, ideally you will be carrying a change clothes after taking a dip in the nearby holy River called “Papanasini”. Then pray to the Sacred pond called Panchatheertham, a rock carved with miniature sivalinga with footprint of Lord Vishnu. There is a change room near this pond, but not sure of the tidiness. There are no restrictions if you want to enter the temple wearing wet clothes straight from the river.
Thirunelli Vishnu temple is open from 5.30 am to 12.30 and 5.30 to 8.00 pm. Early morning pooja is very special here, and many devotees visit this temple to perform respect to their forefathers.
If you are planning to attend the early morning pooja, it is better to book the Thirunelli agraharam resort at the foot of this temple stairs.
Thirunelly Vishnu Temple dress code for ladies is to wear decent attire of sarees or salwars, and for gents, only dhoti is allowed with no shirt.
To know about the ancient history, check this website.
The holy river called “Papanasini” where poojas performed for forefathers
The name “Papanasini”, a holy river name of this Thirunelli temple reminded us of the similar experience we had in our recent trip to Papanasam, another famous tourist location near Kerala border. Even there is similarity in the name you see. And it was also a beautiful temple location amidst hills, with Thamirabarani river and Agasthiyar Waterfalls to crown the place.
Here in Thirunelli temple, we did not visit the Lord Shiva temple / cave near to the Vishnu temple due to lack of time. We left temple as soon as clicking pics in river and panchatheertham.
Then after chilling out for some time in Kutta, had lunch and went for jungle safari by 3pm.
Places to Visit Thirunelli Wayanad
Returing To Bangalore From Wayanad – Via Kabini River
Next day, we checked out of the resort and returned back to Bangalore.
We took the following route to return back to Bangalore.
This route is one of the best scenic route suited for a peaceful drive.
You could use the same route to reach Thirunelly Vishnu temple, that is Bangalore – Mysuru – Bavali wildlife road – Tholpatty road. Somewhere in the tholpatty road it is approx. 13 kms journey to the temple. Less traffic and no bumpy roads to reach the destination.
On the way back, we stopped in Mysore for a long break. We had lunch in one of the non veg restaurants called Nandhini. Then had evening coffee at Malgudi cafe house situated inside the green hotel.
This is guide for someone on how to reach Thirunelly Vishnu temple from Bangalore by road via Mysuru and Nagarhole. Hope it helps to plan your journey.
When you are planning on a Bangalore to Wayanad trip plan, you will be presented with 4 different routes. Which one is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad?.
We went on a 3 days Bangalore to WayanadRoad trip, and stayed 2 nights in Jungle Retreat resorts on Thirunelli road.
When we started our onward trip, our journey didn’t go as planned. We had to pivot from the plan to reach Wayanad. And we had to take entirely different route for the return journey.
So, I now know how to reach Wayanad from Bangalore.
Bangalore To Wayanad Trip Plan By Car
Whenever we plan a trip, it is always my responsibility for the itinerary and the baggage packing.
It is in my best interest to look for a best route with more good choices for pit stops.
So I take at-least a week’s time to analyse the routes, gather info from the forums, etc., Finally it wouldn’t take much time to plan the travel including pit stops and list out the travel essentials.
After the trip plan is designed, I would then discuss with hubby to take his opinion. Sometimes he agrees with the plan, sometimes he suggests alternative. At times he would add any additional sightseeing places along the way.
Now, all my research has gone for a toss as we faced an unexpected roadblock, and had to take an entirely new route to reach Wayanad.
So, from our experience I am suggesting the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad by road.
Even Though we stayed in Thirunelli, for the ease of reading I have mentioned the end destination as “Wayanad”. Since your destination could be anywhere in Wayanad so feel free to change it accordingly in google map.
Best Route from Bangalore to Wayanad: 4 Routes with Same Distances
When you are presented with 4 different routes with same distances: then which is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad. I have given both pros and cons for the most frequented route by travelers, to make an informed decision.
Route 1:
Bangalore to Wayanad via shravanabelagola – Srirangapatna – Bandhipur Tiger Reserve(320 km)
This route looks best for the people travelling from Peenya, Yeshwanthpur, Malleshwaram and other nearby places. And I suggest taking the Nice ring road (toll road) and connecting to the Mysore highways.
Restaurant choices – Plenty of Veg and Non veg Choices on the NH until Karnataka Border.
Route 2:
Bangalore to Wayanad via Srirangapatna – Hunsur – Nagarhole national park – Kutta (253 km)
This route looks best for the people starting from Bangalore South zone, this was the route we took to reach Wayanad on our onward journey.
The drive was smooth in NH, except we were diverted from Nagarhole National Park because of heavy rains.
Nagarhole National park route was closed for both – travelers and the safari tourists.
So we had to take the Gonikoppal route to reach Wayanad (route 3).
Note: To avoid any time delay like how we faced at that time, you could call Nagerhole National park office to check for the entry and timings if any.
Note on Nagarhole Wildlife Safari
Although Nagarhole to Kutta route was closed for wildlife safari, Safari from Kutta to Naharhole was operative. And we were able to book tickets to safari from the resort we stayed at, and it was a seamless process instead of booking directly. If you are not booking through the resort / hotel you are staying, you need to be there 45 mins before safari time to stand in a queue for booking.
Restaurant choices – Limited after you cross Hunsur, and very limited going forward. We found a small restaurant called Safari Inn lodge in Kutta during our wildlife safari, otherwise we had no choice but to eat in our resort.
Route 3:
Bangalore to Wayanad via Srirangapatna – Hunsur – Gonikoppal -Tholpetty – Tirunelli – Kattikulam (303 kms)
This is the next best route from Bangalore to Wayanad, with good restaurant choices and good roadways connecting the destination. We had a good time travelling via Gonikoppal, we absolutely loved driving through woods and hair pin bends.
We reached only around 8pm to the Jungle Retreat Resort in the Thirunelli road.
View from our resort in wayanad
One of the main attractions in the Thirunelly is the Vishnu Temple on the hills and we were just 6kms ride away from the temple.
Next day morning we went to this temple on the account of celebrating our Wedding anniversary.
Restaurant Choices – After Hunsur, Gonikoppal is the best place with good restaurant choices. Otherwise it’s difficult to find any except for small tea shops.
Route 4:
Bangalore to Wayanad via Kanakapura – Malavalli – Somanathapura – Kabini -Bavali – Kattikulam (290 kms)
We discovered this route on our way back from Wayanad to Bangalore. Since route 2 doesn’t always work, this is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad I can strongly suggest.
This is also the only best route to reach Kabini river from Bangalore.
Which is The ONE Best Route to Reach Wayanad from Bangalore?
From the list of 4 routes mentioned, I found Route 4 is the best route for Bangalore to Wayanad trip plan with so many advantages –
1. Good roadways all the way connecting Wayanad
2. No restriction for drive through Nagarhole National park entrance
3. Enjoy Wildlife enroute
4. Awesome view of the Kabini river as far as your eyes could see (some resorts here with Kabini River view are pretty expensive).
Don’t Break Forest Law – Otherwise Pay 500 rupees Penalty
Note that when you drive through Nagarhole national park, you have but 1hr to cross the exit gate.
If you delay more than 1 hr to reach the exit gate, that means you have stopped your vehicle in the middle of forest, which is against the forest law.
And you will be levied Rs. 500 fine for breaking the law.
Also if any forest rangers found you wandering outside the vehicle anywhere in the forest route, you will be levied heavy penalties, just a heads up guys :).
No one would warn you about this at the entry gate. You can inquire about this time restriction at the entry gate when you purchase an entry ticket (Ticket with a time stamp, with fare 100 rupees for a car).
Things to Note Before Plan Your Bangalore Wayanad Road Trip
Don’t bother to take route 1 and route 2, directly go for route 4. It is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad I could suggest.
Mandatorily pack some food and snacks, or you could buy some when you are in Mysore. It helps when you are left with no good restaurants of your choice. This tip is actually helpful for travelling to any place you see.
Carry a water kettle to make instant noodles, instant soup and instant coffee when you think your resort is charging you way too much for simple snacks and beverages. This is the best water kettle I have been using for ages and it works best for all kinds of travels.
Thanks to our car we were able to charge our phones, otherwise it would have been so difficult in those 3 days. Also it doesn’t hurt to carry 3 or 4 different network sim cards, from our experience “Jio” saved us more than “Airtel”. On the safer side it is better to share the resort’s contact details to your family members for emergencies.
While you are in Tirunelly / Wayanad, you could take your kids to Tholpetty park as well apart from Nagarhole National Park safari ride. And Visit Thirunelli Vishnu Temple for spiritual experience.
Are you a regular road tripper?. Here are some interesting articles for you to explore from my Website. Feel free to explore more of our bike trip experiences
Travelling to any new destinations, we both invest some time to know the places, temple histories, places to see around, good restaurants and good accommodations.
So, I have compiled all the blog articles that I read which talk about Coorg travel, Trekking in Coorg, Homestays, Coffee plantation experiences and much more.
And I shared my travel experience in Madikeri Coorg, at the end of this article.
About Coorg – Kodagu, also known as Coorg, is a rural district in the southwest Indian state of Karnataka. In the area’s north, Madikeri Fort has 2 life-size elephant statues at its entrance, plus a Gothic-style church with a museum on its grounds. Nearby, the Hindu Omkareshwara Temple dates back to the 19th century. Farther north are the domed Raja’s Tomb, a burial place of Kodava kings, and cascading Abbi Falls. (Source Wikipedia)
Part I: 7 Real life Traveler’s experience on Trekking in Coorg
This is an interesting travel article where every bit of trek to Tadiandamol, Coorg is explained. I loved the way the author narrated her story from start to end of the trekking at Coorg with a group of 15 members. She narrated that how she had a difficult time trekking without proper shoes, lack of water and food supply and unforgettable experience when the team saw a snake in the trails. It was quite an article with many pics.
But, no much information on where she camped (if any), transportation and accommodation details. All I learnt from her article is I would need good supportive shoes, food and water supply and team coordination as I might get split up on the way up.
So, overall this article is helpful for travellers interested in Coorg one day trip and trekking in Coorg.
This article caught my interest because the author traveled by bike to Coorg from Bangalore, and shared his both bike ride and trek experience to Mandalapatti. Our extensive Bike ride experiences have taught us many lessons – one of them is “be prepared for any sudden deviation in the plan at any point in time”.
I was not surprised when the author mentioned that they could not go trek on the planned day due to bike ride delay. I could very well relate to our bike ride experiences, where many things went wrong in our bike travel, one of them is in Dubare Elephant Camp.
It is an interesting article to see his pics of his bike ride, trekking and camping in Coorg.
This is another useful and descriptive article on one-day trekking in Coorg from Bangalore. If you are looking for a guide on one-day trek guide to tadiandamol from Bangalore, this article explains it all. From her trek experience I understood, they returned on the same day to Bangalore – accommodation details also provided. She has carried her food and water supply, so no complaints on those. Overall it seems to be a pleasant experience. Pics say it all.
Yet another descriptive article on one day trek to Tadiandamol, Coorg from Bangalore. I liked the way the author first experienced trekking in rain and kayaking. And her trip ended at Golden temple in Nisargadama. In her words, it is “soul-satisfying experience”. If you are looking for a one-day trek in Coorg or planning to book one-day trekking in Coorg via Thrillophilia, this article would be useful. And useful for travelers looking for Coorg one day trip from Bangalore, especially for trekking plans.
Even though the author has not gone any trekking in Coorg trip she went, I listed this article for the information, “do’s and dont’s” from her 3 days and 2 nights travel plan.
She has covered Mysore and Coorg in 3 days, spending 12k on budget. Overall, this is a very useful article for someone who is planning to couple 2 places (Mysore and Coorg) in one trip and how you can make maximum out of the trip sightseeing many places.
Like her, we too did stay in Mysore on day-1, roamed around the cleanest city in the evening, headed to Coorg on day-2. If you are looking for one day trip to Coorg from Mysore, I would suggest following this article, pick the places from her article which would fit your plan (Just saying 🙂 )
This is the best Nishani Motte trek (Coorg) blog article I have come across. Author has captured some breathtaking pics in his Nishani Motte Trek, Coorg and shared his 2 days homestay and trekking in Coorg.
You can follow his article if you are planning to go trek to Nishani Motte, I would too in future inspired his very own words in the article,
“If you want to experience wilderness in its rawest form, trails which are crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, fulfilling, leading to the most amazing views and experiences, Nishani Motte gives you that Thrilling Experience ! !”
Am sure you would fall in love with his words and photography. Also you will know all details like Nishani motte from coorg, best place to stay in Coorg etc.,
This author has written general guidance about –1. Tadiandamol trek 2. Bramagiri Trek 3. Galibeedu Trek and the best season to travel and trekking in Coorg. Wish he had written more about the trekking places in Coorg and added few more pics to narrate the experience. Not much you can learn from his article, but it was in my research list, so sharing with the readers here.
