Bangalore-Mangalore-Kundapur : Route Info.

I knew there were multiple routes from Bangalore to Mangalore. With the help of Team-BHP's forum and MSN maps, i set out to draft my detailed route plan between Bangalore-Mangalore-Kundapur.

(Unfortunately, at the time of writing this post, MSN had altered the look and feel of their maps. The maps now no longer show the different waypoint names or names of places enroute!)

I'll just provide the alternative google maps version of the route here :
Start - Bangalore
End - Mangalore

Route 1 : The shortest time/distance route (NH-48) (420 kms) :

Bangalore - Nelamangala - Tumkur - Tiptur - Hassan - Sakleshpur - Shiradi ghats - Uppinangadi - Mani - Mangalore

Pros :

1. Shortest time/distance
2. 80% good roads
   
3. 420 kms from Bangalore. Journey time approx. 8~10 hrs.

Cons :

1. 20% bad roads (i mean really bad - searching for tar types)
2. Shiradi ghats is one section people curse about. The HP tankers and mining lorries that use this route, cause heavy damage to the road. Appoximately 30 kms stretch takes more than an hour to traverse!
3. At night, traffic jams are common on this stretch! Jams lasting for 6+ hours are commonly reported here. Please avoid this route at night and during rains.
4. Car chassis takes a beating! With pot holes resembling surface of the moon, beware of chassis kissing the ground at regular intervals. Careful about that gear-box too!

Inspite of all the hassles in this route, the buses that ply between Bangalore-Mangalore still take this route and manage to cover it in 10 hours flat! Beats me :)

Considering the points above and also the taking note of the alarm bells raised by other motorists at Team-BHP forum about this route, i decided to search for an alternative!

Route 2 : Madikeri - Scenic route (450 kms) :

Bangalore - Mysore - Hunsur - Piriyapatna - Kushalnagar - Suntikoppa - Madikeri - Sampaji - Sulya - Puttur - Mani - Mangalore

This was another alternative i picked up at the Team-BHP forum. I'd travelled upto Madikeri in 2008 and knew that the roads were decent and motorable. But, Madikeri onwards i had no idea how the roads would turn out to be. If what some of the Team-BHPian were saying was right, this route would provide a scenic and more pleasant ride compared to route 1. A little more investigation and i'd decided to go for it! Took a print out of the map and wrote down the names of places i'd pass through (waypoints).

Pros :

1. 90% fine roads
2. Scenic drive
3. Avoids NH-48 which is heavily used by trucks

Cons :

1. Roads are a little narrow compared to route 1
2. 10% roads out of shape (after piriyapatna upto madikeri) but are motorable
3. 30~40 kms more compared to route 1
4. Little more time consuming since the roads are narrower
   

Route 3 : Chikmagalur route (450 kms) :

Bangalore - Tumkur - Tiptur - Arsikere - Kadur - Chikmagalur - Ujire - Bantval - Mangalore

I have been to Chikmagalur many a times. So, this time around i decided to avoid this route. Ujire to Bantval is reported to be a bad patch. This was out of my list soon...

So, route 2 it was!