28 Roads that a Bengaluru (Bangalore) Rider should have in their travel list

So.. here is the list. Count how many have you rode through.

1. Nice Road, Bengaluru:

It is one road that probably every biker must have hit and it is an awesome experience... but but but.. just in case you have not, then pick your bike right now and experience it.

2. Nanjangud to Ooty via Gudalur

  The Highlight of this route is the amazingly beautiful ride through the Amazing Bandipur National Park.

If you happen to ride sometime in Monsoons, you might get to ride above the clouds if you are lucky.

 This is going to be an Amazing Ride, I must tell you.

Do not forget to savor the amazing varieties to tea offered at a tea vendor in these gardens.

3. Masinagudi to Ooty (Hairpin Bend Route)

There is one more route to visit Ooty and that is via MasinaGudi and you can take this route without missing the fun of Bandipur and Madumalai National Parks. This is also called as Hairpin-bend road because you will get a lot of them on this route.

4. Bangalore to Ooty via Chamarajanagar

We took this route while returning from Ooty and found it an awesome alternative to the Myosre route. But I didn't take any Photograph on this route but yes, you will get Shivanasamudram falls on the way. Do try it once, I promise you won't be disappointed.

5. Ooty to Avalanche:

I asked a lot of people who had traveled to Ooty about Avalanche Lake but very few knew about it. I was shocked when I myself went there. It is way too amazing to be missed. Its all green all around.

I wish I could leave my bike there and glide down this valley.

This is the Avalanche Lake and you can not get closer than this. It is Deepak standing there with his bull. Most amazing part of it is that you can take your bike into the water too. We saw many locals who were washing their vehicles.

It was taken on the bridge between Avalanche and Emerald lakes. This one was on the Emerald side.

6. Gudalur to Nilambur:

We traveled it during the monsoons and it was raining heavily all the time. So, there is no photograph to prove you the awesomeness of this route. But you have to believe it.

7. Pollachi to Palani:

You will hit this road while going to Kodaikanal from Ooty via Coimbatore. I could have written as Ooty to Kodai, but then this particular stretch couldn't have been highlighted. Your best companions on this amazing stretch of road will be the windmills on both sides.

8. Udumalpet to Munnar (Heaven):

Udumalai or Udumalpet or Udumalaipettai is a small town located along the foothills of Anamalai Hills. This is according to me is the best way to go to Munnar. It starts with Chinnar wildlife sanctuary and as soon as you complete the sanctuary, the amazing world of tea gardens welcome you.

 It is such a road that you will wish it never ends and you just keep on riding. So amazing is the beauty.

9. Munnar to Dindigul

If you ever go to Munnar from Bangalore, the best is to enter via Udumalpet and then return via Dindigul. In that case this would be the return from Munnar. Highlight of this route is the Z-road while going from poopara to Bodi and a lot of rocky hills in different shapes and sizes.

10. Kanyakumari to Bangalore:

It is a 685 km stretch of 4-lane highway and is a dream road to ride on. Not too picturesque though but the road is too amazing on Indian standards wide, clean and with very less traffic. We did it in a single day.

Apart from the windmills, you will also find a lot of Sunflower farms on the way. Don't forget to capture one such shot if you happen to stop by them. It is one of my all time favorite shots.

11. Kochi to Allepey - through the villages:

 I know, the road is very good from Kochi to Allepey and going through the villages will take thrice the time but I would still insist to take this route if you want to want to get a hint of real Kerala and what backwaters are all about apart from tourism.

12. Mysore to Madikeri:

This is one amazing road and images show it all.

Do not miss the mangoes on the way.

13. Coorg to Bekal Beach:

If you desire to feel what a tropical rain forest looks like, this is a great option. Once you cross Jalsoor, dense forests start and the light struggles to hit the road directly. Sound level is too high because of insects and birds. Above all, there is a river flowing beside the road, though you wont be able to see it because of forest cover.

14. Bangalore to Goa via Shimoga and Honavar:

15. Munnar to Thekkady:

Hills, blind curves, lakes, tea gardens etc. It has everything that takes a journey to be awesome.

16. Kodaikanal to Palani:

We entered Kodai via dindigul and then returned via Palani. The journey towards Kodai was tiring and boring because of the traffic the locals parking their vehicles anywhere for picnic and then littering the forests which also attracts a lot of macaques and baboons. So, I didn't mention that ride but the return towards Palani was fantastic: clean, narrow hilly road almost empty throughout. Once you get down to the plains, you will be amazed by the frequent sight of elephants on the road. I wish I could have photographed more but sun was setting and we had some distance to cover.

17. Bengaluru to Sawandurga:

It is around 60km from center of Bengaluru city and is just a morning ride. On the way to sawandurga, you will find Manchanabele Dam, It is so calm and serene. Now days entry is restricted but still try if the gate is opened. Enjoy the fun if you are lucky.

18. Hogenekkal falls:

It is one of the most amazing destinations around Bengaluru. 

If you have stayed in the city and never visited this place, it is a matter of shame or you are not fond of traveling. But then if you are fond of riding, then do have to plan a ride.

There are several routes and the best one is via Anekal > Thally > Denkanitottai  > Anchetty. It might surprise you and some places when there will be no tarred road for kilometers altogether. Situation might have improved now but I'm not sure.

19. Honavar to Chikamaglur via Bhadra Wildlife sanctuary

It starts with the NH-66 (earlier called as NH17) then enters into the western Ghats through Kundapura then cross Agumbe and Sringeri to reach Chikamaglur. National highway is good but still you can't speed up because of the traffic.

 When you enter the forests, road is not good but decent enough to ride for a biker but it might test you at some occasions. You will find a lot of baboons while crossing the forests sometimes in herds of hundreds. Be careful. You will also find a lot of rubber plantations on the way.

20. Road along the Maravanthe beach:

This could have been covered in the previous point but this is too good not to be highlighted. Sea on one side of the road and river on the other, what else could a rider need?

21. Kochi to Kanyakumari:

One hell of a road. If you want to test your patience, driving skills and perseverance, this is the road to be tried. It is like riding hundreds of kilometers through a city. You can never take the traffic lightly but then the question is that why would someone ride such a road? It is because of the places to visit around it. Throughout the journey, you are always a few kilometers away from the beach, whenever you feel tired, just turn and hit the ocean and relax.

22. Kochi to Calicut:

Good , wide road with hell lot of traffic. Again the great thing is that beaches are just a few kilometers away.

 Natural beauty is amazing all around. One thing that is common is the greenery.

There will be a lot of local fishermen. Try communicating with them if possible. It will be a new experience and if you are lucky, you might get a boat ride into the sea.

23. Calicut to Mysore via Wayanad

Its a ride uphill till Vythiri. Road is bad almost all the time because of continuous rains. It will be adventure most of the times because of rain. You might encounter dense fog sometimes. Once you cross Kalpetta, there wont be much of hilly terrain. Here too you have to cross a few kilometers of  Bandipur National Park but we never found anything watchable on the way. Then reach Gundlupet and have coffee at that famous CCD.

24. Rameshwaram / DhanushKodi:

Is any description needed?

25. Pondicherry to Mahabalipuram (East Coast Road):

Another Awesome road to ride on.

26. Bangalore to Shravanabelagola:

Amazing 4 lane highway and then a good road through the countryside.

27. Kolli Hills Road:

Nothing great about it but it is a must if you are a lover of hairpin bends. This road is all about bends.

28. Nandi Hills : 

Last but not the lest, Nandi Hills.

So, what's your score ? Do share your score with us.

We must have missed a lot of other amazing roads, let us know if you have any.
All the best for your rides and ride safely.

A Ride Till Bekal Beach

Trip Summary :

Route : Bangalore > Mysore > Hunsur > Madikeri > Sulya > Bekal and back

Start Time : June 17^th 2011, Friday 1900 hrs, from Bangalore Corporation Office.

End time : June 19^th 2011, Sunday 1845hrs , to Marathahalli.

Total kilometers traveled : 907

Level : Medium, considering the distance traveled per day and rainy season.

Day 0 : Bangalore to Mysore

Day 1 : Mysore to Bekal

Day 2 : Bekal to Bangalore

Warnings : Be careful about the humps from Bangalore to Hunsur. You’ll find many of them and at very stupid spots where you’ll never really expect them to be.

Day -1 , Mysore

Detail Route Description :

·         Bangalore Corporation Office to Kengeri :

It took over an hour just to reach the outskirts of Bangalore. Traffic was too much especially where metro construction is going on. You can’t really comment on the road condition since you can’t judge the road in huge traffic jams.

·         Kengeri to Mysore:

The road is simply awesome but there’s a lot of traffic and that too very speedy. So, be careful while driving at night if you are not experienced. And yes, be careful about the humps on the road.

Eat outs : You’ll find many of them such as Kamat, Adiga’s and McDonalds. If you are a North Indian, then don’t get cheated by the so called Punjabi Dhabas on the way. They can be anything but Punjabi. I was shocked to see what they called a yellow Dal makhni.

·         Mysore to Hunsur :

A driver’s dream. Wide and curvy road with beautiful scenery around, reminded me of Road rash, one of my favourite computer games ever. But you won’t get much to eat on the way.

·         Hunsur to Madikeri:

This too is a road, every biker would dream of. Slightly hilly terrain, clean, smooth and wide roads with less traffic. If you have a decent bike, you’d rarely need to go below 80 but still, better be careful and enjoy the road at less speed. On the way you’ll find Buddhist Golden temple and Dubare sanctuary. For both the places you’ll need to take left turns. Be careful about the sign boards that signal left, you might miss them.

·         Madikeri to Sulya :

First few kilometres of this road were as good as Hunsur to Medikeri road but later on the road was under construction. I won’t say it was pathetic but it was not good too. But with the greenery around, you won’t mind the condition of the road.

·         Sulya to Jalsoor :

It is just a few kilometres but road was fine.

·         Jalsoor to Mularia:

It is the entry point to Kerala and undoubtedly the most amazing part of our journey. Just as you cross Jalsoor, you’ll enter into the tropical rain forests of Kerala. The road would be covered by trees all around and sun rays struggling to hit the road directly. There would be loud noise of insects and chirping of birds, accompanied by the sound of some stream flowing somewhere around. If we talk about road, I can bet there was not even a single 5 cm hole on it and traffic was so less then you won’t find anyone for kilometers together.

Mularia to Bekal Beach:

   A fine road but be careful about the turns and keep asking the locals for the way to Bekal fort and beach


Story :

Finally, we had someone in our flat who loves to travel, of course apart from me. This guy, Deepak was recently posted to Bangalore from Noida. He is famous in our friend circle for his bike conquests and once he was in Bangalore, we had to plan something with him. It was all decided in a booze party, the very next day which was a Saturday. We all decided to visit Sivasamudram falls on the coming weekend, which is at its ferocious best during monsoons. Everyone was exhilarated about the trip.  

But by Thursday, every discussion and planning that happened during the weekend booze party was forgotten. I think we failed to understand that a planning in a booze party ends with the party itself. Ultimately, we were only two guys left and Sivasamudram won’t have been a great idea for two guys. The plan was changed and Coorg was the destination now.

Friday evening it was and we left our offices towards our first destination, mysore.We had planned to meet at Bangalore Corporation office, which was the first common point from our offices. It was nearly 7 in the evening and we took slightly over an hour to come out of the city, thanks to a few huge traffic jams on the way. We stopped somewhere near Kengeri to capture a couple of photos to officially begin our joy ride since there was no joy within the city traffic.

We drove towards Mysore crossing Ramnagara, Channapatna, Maddur and Mandya. The road is simply awesome but you have to be very careful about the speed breakers. You’ll be driving at good speed and out of nowhere you’ll find an irritating hump. Try to spot them early otherwise it could lead to any sort of disaster. We had our dinner at Mc Donald’s which is located between channapatna and Maddur. We spent that night at a friend’s place in Mysore as we don’t like riding during night because it is waste as you can’t enjoy the scenic beauty and moreover the risk involved is always more.

The Lovely Mysore-Hunsur Road.

A backwater on the way

On Mysore-Hunsur Road

Next day, we started at 6:30 in the morning towards Madikeri, via Hunsur. The sky was overcast and there was light drizzle. The view was heavenly. I had never ever enjoyed bike ride as much as I did there. It was one of the best roads I’d ever seen in my life and the surroundings made it even better. Then there was a small spell of light drizzle and we both took no time to remove our helmets to feel the tiny droplets on our faces.

Buddhist Golden Temple

We visited the Golden temple and well before 11 am we were at Raja’s seat. Just when we were planning to take some hotel to keep the luggage and head for other destinations, it starting pouring and this time it was heavy. I just told Deepak that this is not going to work for us. We had already understood that there was nothing much we could do in Coorg during that weather. There had to be something else.

I have a habit of surfing the maps and it paid off that time. I told Deepak, “Shouldn’t we head towards the sea?”

“Wow... ” He said, “But it would be too far and where?”

“There’s some beach called as Bekal Beach.” I replied.

“Anything is fine for me. I’m used to riding long distances but it is going to be a problem for you. It is always easy while we are heading towards the destination but it is hell lot more difficult while returning.” He warned me. It was the first long distance bike trip for me and my excitement could have taken me anywhere. I was not worried at all. Moreover I knew he had never been to a beach and it would be great for him.

“Fine then... Lets go.” I said and there we were, on our way to Bekal Beach.

It rained heavy and it stopped, it again poured and again stopped. The hide and seek of clouds, sun and rain continued. We were doing our part and the weather God was doing his. Sometimes the rain scared me and the sound of wind blowing through forests was adding the horror. Sometimes the wind was so strong that it seemed to push us out of the road into the ditch. I was lucky to have an experienced biker with me and he kept assuring that there was nothing to worry. We slowed down the speed but kept going.  

Deepak, with his bike stuck in the sand.

Finally, after 4 hours of ride, we were standing in front of the Arabian Sea. Deepak couldn’t control his excitement and took the bike on the beach which eventually got stuck in the sand and we had a tough time getting it out. Next tough task was to find a hotel there which took more than half an hour. We spent that evening on the beach, had dinner and slept to wake up early for our return journey. Deepak had already warned that the retrun journey was going to be tough and I was already feeling it.

Bekal Beach

We woke up well before the sun rise and left the place at around 6. Luckily, it didn’t rained that day. We saw Raja’s seat again that day and went to Abbey Falls. It was tough but nearly after 13 hours, we were standing in the parking of our apartment. The odometer of my bike read 907 km for the current journey. Being my first ever long distance bike trip, it was undoubtedly the best trip of my life till then.

In Bekal beach park

The Fort

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