Need Suggestions: Chennai, Pondicherry, Pichavaram, Tranquebar


Thread Starter #1
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Hi folks,

Planning for a trip on the east coast. I know, it is raining hell. But I have to be there in Chennai on 18th Nov for a family function. So why not combine a few sight-seeing nearby places. If it rains horribly, I just have to come back to Bangalore on 19th/20th Nov.

18th Nov: Chennai (from Bangalore)
19th Nov: Pondicherry (native)
20th Nov: Pichavaram (I am not sure about this, as the Cuddalore district was devastated in the last week storm).
21st Nov: Tranquebar (stay in one of the beach bungalow).
22nd Nov: Touch Vedaranyam & drive to Bangalore

Need your advice on:
a. Chennai local travel: Taramani, Guindy & T Nagar areas. Are they flooded too much? How much water is expected? The Mount Road flooding video is very scary.
b. Pichavaram: Is it advisable now?
c. Beach bungalow stay: That too in a storm (In my native, we are always on the beach when the cyclone crosses. It is actually pretty usual for people to do this)
d. The uppalam (salt grounds) is accessible from roads? How good the roads are?
e. As a detour, how is Gingee fort (how many steps to climb for the Raja fort) / Gangai Konda Cholapuram?
f. Is there anything to see in Poompuhar nowadays?

Note: Will be traveling in my Scorpio with a small family.

Thanks in advance,
CS
 
Thread Starter #2
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Just an update on the road conditions.
Bangalore - Chennai: Perfect, except for about 5-10kms near Vellore. Lots of pot holes.
In Chennai: Heavy traffic jams everywhere. Adyar rivers overflown in a few areas. Water logged roads in many places. But nothing to stop a Scorpio in the areas I had been (Taramani, Guindy, Trunk Road, T Nagar, Usman Road, etc).
Chennai - Pondicherry: ECR Road. Perfect. No worries whatsoever. A few water logged areas (just after heavy rains in few places in Pondicherry)
Pondicherry - Cuddalore - Chidhambaram - Tranquebar : Avoid for sometime. Luckily my brother's friend warned us not to take this trip (He was coming from Tiruvarur to Pondy).
Pondicherry - Tindivanam - Tiruvannamalai: Excellent
Tiruvannamalai - Chengam - Krishnagiri: The road conditions are mixed. You will see 5-10kms of excellent roads, followed by 0.5kms of pot holes / diversions. But mostly good. Very scenic roads, lots of villages to cross. Absolutely no commercialization (no cafe coffee day, McD, KFC, etc). Not much vehicular traffic as well. Be prepared to use public spaces as toilets!
Krishnagiri - Bangalore: Excellent, as usual.
 
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
490
Likes
281
Location
Trivandrum
Driving in the village stretch is really a fun. As you said there is no commercialization, it gives a pleasure of getting attached to village foods. I guess in the Pondicherry - Cuddalore - Chidhambaram stretch, its mostly of village in between right ?
 
Thread Starter #4
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Driving in the village stretch is really a fun. As you said there is no commercialization, it gives a pleasure of getting attached to village foods. I guess in the Pondicherry - Cuddalore - Chidhambaram stretch, its mostly of village in between right ?
Yes, Pondy - Cuddalore - Chidhambaram route is not commercialized as well. But lot of dusty towns & villages. Good toilet facilities will be few & far.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
1,736
Likes
2,545
Location
Hosur/Chennai
Just an update on the road conditions.
Bangalore - Chennai: Perfect, except for about 5-10kms near Vellore. Lots of pot holes.
In Chennai: Heavy traffic jams everywhere. Adyar rivers overflown in a few areas. Water logged roads in many places.
Thanks for the update. We have to go to Chennai from Hosur very soon. May go this weekend or the middle of next week, depending upon the weather. I was worried about the road condition from Vellore to Chennai, especially near Kanchipuram and Sriperambattur.

In fact I was wondering if it will be better to go by train. I need to go around Usman road, Purasaiwalkam, Annanagar and Mogappair. I guess it will be better to use cabs once in Chennai.
 
Thread Starter #6
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Thanks for the update. We have to go to Chennai from Hosur very soon. May go this weekend or the middle of next week, depending upon the weather. I was worried about the road condition from Vellore to Chennai, especially near Kanchipuram and Sriperambattur.

In fact I was wondering if it will be better to go by train. I need to go around Usman road, Purasaiwalkam, Annanagar and Mogappair. I guess it will be better to use cabs once in Chennai.
If you have not done the trip, better postpone it. Highways can get you till outskirts (Poonamalle). The only way into Chennai would be to enter Anna Salai from Poonamalle via Egmore. You need to remember that Saidapet bridge is under water as well. And Adyar is overflowing everywhere.

The areas you mentioned all are flooded. No point going there now.

If you are already there, let us know. I guess I have to inform my friends to send you a boat to rescue!
 
Thread Starter #7
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
Just an update on the route from Bangalore to Pondy & vice versa.

Did the Bangalore --> Pondicherry --> Bangalore on 23rd & 24th Dec.

Route taken was (to & fro).
Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Velore - Arcot - Cheyyar - Vandavasi - Tindivanam - Pondicherry (~380kms one way).

Bangalore - Arcot: AH 45: Superb all the way. I was maintaining 100-110kms & most of them overtook me!
Arcot - Tindivanam Bypass: SH 5: Good roads excepting bad sections of about 1/2 km in Cheyyar & Vandavasi. You pass through many villages. You can easily maintain 80-90 on most occasions. Do mind the speedbreakers before many villages. (No divider, just a 2-lane road)
Tindivanam - Pondicherry: SH 66: Amazing road condition.

Journey time:
Bangalore - Pondicherry: 530am - 12pm: 6.5 hrs: With breakfast & many nature's-call-breaks. Time measured upto Rajiv Gandhi statue.
Pondicherry - Bangalore: 6am - 2pm: 8 hrs: With breakfast & many nature's-call-breaks. Reached Chandapura Circle @ 1230pm (6.5 hrs).

Restaurants:
Bangalore - Pondicherry: Better to have your breakfast before Krishnagiri. Otherwise postpone till you reach Tindivanam.
Pondicherry - Bangalore: Better to have your breakfast in Tindivanam. (or) pack. No point waiting till Krishnagiri. There are some restaurants in Arcot, if you can wait till then. The one I had was opposite to Arcot Bus Stand. Not bad, but don't expect cleanliness like Saravana Bhavan / A2B. One of the easiest towns to go in/come out soon on this stretch with decent restaurants.

Watch out for

  • Taking right in Arcot (rather Arcot Bypass) towards Cheyyar can be tricky, when you try the route for the first time.
  • Enjoy the Palar River (although barren) for 3kms or so along the roadside.
  • Cheyyar / Vandavasi bypass turns
  • SH 5 joining Tindivanam Bypass. Temporarily you will be going towards Chennai (4-5 kms).
  • And join NH 45 (Chennai - Trichy Road) going towards Trichy (for 1-2 kms) till you join SH 66 towards Pondicherry.
  • NH 45 joining SH 66 is a bit tricky as well. It's just a bylane (looks like going on to a service road).
  • Avoid Chain Factory / Rajiv Gandhi statue (in Pondicherry) between 11am - 230pm. Jam packed. It took me 20min to cross this junction to reach my home, which is just 1/2km from Rajiv Gandhi Statue.
Hope this helps.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
883
Likes
599
Location
Chennai
Thanks for the update. We have to go to Chennai from Hosur very soon. May go this weekend or the middle of next week, depending upon the weather. I was worried about the road condition from Vellore to Chennai, especially near Kanchipuram and Sriperambattur.

In fact I was wondering if it will be better to go by train. I need to go around Usman road, Purasaiwalkam, Annanagar and Mogappair. I guess it will be better to use cabs once in Chennai.
The route from vellore to sriperumbudur is sort of okay. from sriperudmbur to poonmalle is riddled with potholes and speed breakers moving of heavy vechile makes it more difficult. if possible go into sriperumpudur town and take the road that goes to kundrathur passing through periyar nagar. this is a SH but no potholes before kundrathur take left on chennai and join nazatherpet and reach poonmalle

started from blr yesterday morning on my freinds benelli TNT300 reached vellore in 2 hours 20 minutes and the rest of the journy to my home took 2 hours 30 minutes.

even roads in chennai city are riddled with potholes. they are relaying the strecthes that was washed in flood.
 
Thread Starter #9
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
388
Likes
313
Location
Bengaluru
A quick update on the routes for Pichavaram & Gangaikonda Cholapuram. 9am - 730pm is the day's start / end timings.

Pondy - Cuddalore - Cross the Vellar River Bridge - Killai - Pichavaram Boating. About 1.5 hrs is the journey time. Use 'Pichavaram Boating' in the search keyword for Google correct routing. 2 lane undivided carriageway for the most part. Before/After Cuddalore is patchy. Rest of the route is good. Way too much traffic. Overtaking isn't possible without risky manoeuvres in most of the route. Being patient is key. If you aren't starting from Pondy, avoid at all costs, especially Pondy - Cuddalore. Had breakfast at Ananda Bhavan (not A2B) opposite to IGMC on Pondy-Cuddalore Road, not bad. Decent parking with decent washrooms.

No need to go to Chidambaram. Turn off to left (after about 2-3 kms) from the vellar bridge. The motor boats can't go in very small alleys. Take the row boats. Ask the driver whether they can take you inside / special routes for extra charges. The 2-hour drive will cost you Rs 635/- (5 people, official) + Rs 300/- (unofficial to the boatsman, for 5 people, but negotiable). But worth the money. A decent binoculars will help you spot many birds. Usual season for migratory birds between Apr-May (as I heard, didn't make sense to me though!). 3rd largest mangrove forests in the world is a definite bucket list item for any family. 2-hour rides are not sold post 2pm or so, they start restricting it (hence reach early).

Pichavaram - Killai - Chidambaram (lunch stop) - Keerapalayam (otherside of the river is Bhuvangiri) - Sethiyathope - Meensuruty - Gangai Konda Cholapuram. About 1 - 1.5 hrs is the journey. Didn't know either route conditions (the other one being the Kattumannarkoil route).

Roads are good throughout. 2 lane undivided carriageway all the way. No need to cross Vellar River Bridge to go to Sethiyathope, rather turn left to join the Kumbakonam highway. After Meensuruty, you can see a right turn. From there about 1.5-2kms is the temple. A nice beautiful Chola architecture. It is not big, but lots of inscriptions on temple walls. My dad was saying that they used to allow to upto 5-6 storeys inside the main temple kopuram, but not any more.

Lunch at Palagaram, Chidambaram. Good food, decent washrooms too. But just road side parking. But must be good enough on non-festival days.

Return was via Gangai Konda Cholapuram - Meensuruty - Sethiyathope - Vadalur - Cuddalore - Pondy. About 2 - 2.5 hrs is the journey time.

Roads are 2 lane undivided carriageway. Broader roads. Excellent tarmac for the most part. Roads between Vadalur - Cuddalore are without reflectors (not even white reflective paints). And high beam users with lots of traffic too. Difficult for the eye. Then the usual Pondy - Cuddalore nightmare traffic, especially private buses coming directly in your lane (until you move completely to the shoulder!).
 

Top Bottom