Every traveler knows that sometimes the journey is the best part of a trip, even more than the destination.Road trips are a way to breakout from the monotony of routine life by embarking on a journey that can be full of discoveries and offer memories to be cherished for a lifetime.
Whether you are looking for a weekend escapade near your hometown or a long desertion to a remote holiday destination, these suggestions of road trips in different places of South India will surely help tempt yourself to a well-deserved break.
CHENNAI – PONDICHERRY
Being one of the most popular road trips in the country, it’s a getaway that’s very inviting and a scenic drive that makes it an ideal tour. This trip is the best to witness the mesmerizing beaches of the Bay of Bengal and discover the calm town of Pondicherry. The drive across East Coast road will be smooth and full of beautiful sceneries during the 4 hours that it takes. It also includes stopovers at the Mahabalipuram beach to treat your stomach with coast line delicacies.
On this stretch of 160 km, you can visit the beach of Mahabalipuram, the nuclear facility at Kalpakkam, the Alamparai Fort at Edaikazhinadu and much more.
This route can also be covered by bicycle, as it is one of the easiest cycling routes in India surrounded by coastal sights and sparkling beaches and it has been recently renovated.
BANGALORE – BANDIPUR – OOTY
This two-stops trip consists of a runaway from the hassle of the city life towards the depths of the Bandipur forest where you will find yourself diving into a sea of green and lush beauty. You can pass through the Bandipur National Park while continuing with the journey towards the second stop, the picturesque Ooty town. Once there you can visit the famous Chocolate Museum and take a ride through lovely landscapes on the Toy Train between Conoor and Ooty.
The total trip would be of 235 km, taking an approximate of 5 hours that can be covered with stopovers at various places and refreshments in different restaurants on the way.
BANGALORE – MUNNAR
This 10 hours’ trail along 477 km of the National Highway NH7 will indeed make you disconnect from stress as it lacks of nothing but phone network coverage. Filled with windmills, waterfalls, coconut trees and expansive tea gardens on each side, this trip will be clean of pollution and disturbances. The wooden bridges and forest patches that dot the surroundings make it an overall magical journey to embark on, with a myriad of South Indian cuisine food joints in it.
BANGALORE – GOA
This state in Western India is in itself an alluring destination but arriving there by a road trip has a charm of its own. The perfect weekend chill-out on the stunning beaches of Goa can be reached through a 566 – 600 km stretch that is calm and serene and counts with several Punjabi Dhabas lined up serving delicious food along the vivid route.
You can reach via Mangalore, Shimoga or Hospet if you want to stopover on the way and cherish the beautiful natural wonders or via Hubli if you prefer a straight drive to the final destination.
CHENNAI – YELAGIRI
This trip of 5 hours along the NH46 will take you through 230 km of fascinating views of rose gardens, lovely fruit orchards and Southern water attractions. The hairpin bends and the forested trees with their trekking trails add to the adventure factor of this track by testing your driving skills. That’s why it’s better to avoid passing by there during the monsoon, when the chances of landslides and road blockage are higher. When you’re in Chennai, you might consider doing two-wheeler ridesharing in ridoapp.com
The highway counts with a number of eateries where you can replenish yourself before getting back to the road.
BANGALORE – COORG
A road trip from the IT Hub to the marvelous Coorg is a fulfilling journey nature loving adventurers. The 226 km long track lasts for around 5 hours and is a delight to the eyes with its numerous waterfalls and extensive plantations of tea, coffee and pepper. Once in Coorg, the Dubare Elephant Training Camp and the Buddhist Monastery are worth a visit too, ending an intrepid ride with a peaceful destination. The trail is complete with city roads, off roads, hilly terrains and more; and offers a great deal of restaurants and drive-ins where one can refill their energy tank. The route has many appealing stopover places like Maddur, Mandya, Mysore, Hunsur and Madikeri in between.
HYDERABAD – KANNUR
This interstate trip takes 14 hours to complete with a distance of almost 900 km along the NH7 National Highway.
The roads lead you through sceneries of tender pastures to a land of historical influences and to one of the most popular Natural Retreat in the South after a journey that is smooth except for a few bumps, to finally reach to the serenity of the beaches of the Keralian city.
PAMBAN BRIDGE – RAMESHWARAM
This bridge connects the National Highway NH49 with the island. It stands between the shores of Mandapam in Tamil Nadu and Pamban town in Rameshwaram. A drive covering the length of the bridge makes it a memorable road trip that is characterized by the views of water all around, with the vastness of the ocean below and the freshness of the marine breeze above it. This results in a beautiful experience on a stretch of 13.5 km that can be easily completed within 30 minutes.
This route is also one of the best for a cycling trip with a moderate level of difficulty.
KARWAR – MANGALORE
The 260km trail along the coast of Karnataka has breathtaking views of the sea on one side and the Western Ghats in the other.
Coastal Karnataka has a lot of fascinating beaches and temples surrounded by nature’s beauty that take you to Karwar city, famous for its serene coasts and seafood.
BANGALORE – COONOR:
From Bangalore to the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, you can experience 8 hours of scenic views till the Bandipur National Park, with its tea plantations, waterfalls and engulfing greenery.
This road trip is ideal as a hill station holidays with filled with wildlife, tea and spice, peaks, forest traits, lake-side camp sites, grasslands, tribal interactions and aromatic fresh air all the way.