Have been regular on the Bangalore-Bhubaneswar route, and here are some of the key points which might be helpful for all of us
BHPian Silverbacknomad recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Hello all,
Itinerary
- Leave Blr by 5:30-6 am. Take the blessed KR Puram hanging bridge (and get instantly stuck in Battarahalli traffic of veg vendors and flower sellers). Pathetic highway conditions till you cross Kolar. Hosapete toll is so unjustified, given the uneven humps and the potholes.
- Post Kolar, reasonable speeds till Tirupati
- Post Tirupati, the roads have been updated to a dream, 6-lane roads. The entire Naidupeta stretch is a breeze now. Just a tad difficult to find the right entry at the entry just post Tirupati.
- The Vijayawada greenfield bypass is getting built super quickly. Not fully operational, but I took the below diversion and saved 2 hrs of madcap peak-city traffic
– Left from the Krishna River Bridge onto the road in front of the RTC bus stand (slightly crowded)
– The flyover in front of the Durga temple (yes, there’s an exit)
– Turn right into the Housing Board colony road and drive straight till the IRR, follow the IRR till the new bypass
– cut right into the bypass (no tolls for almost 75 km bypass of city and airport traffic) - Traffic till Vizag is a messy one with sedate driving a necessity, especially be aware of pedestrians and cyclists.
- Overnight halt options:
– Pithapuram – Gokulam Grand
– Annavaram – Volety Grand
– Bheemli beach (there’s a fantastic seaside suite called Casa Grande, apart from the Novotel) – awesome beachside - Anakapalle bypass for Vizag is another blessing, saving hrs of painful city traffic
- Vizag bypass till Bhubaneswar is mostly 6 lane with minimal traffic, very scenic, but lacks decent washrooms and eating joints
- Food options:
– Mayas near Kolar (pizza, dosa, even a MacD)
– Nandi food plaza just before Chittoor- Southern spice or Saravana Bhavan on Tirupati highway
– Habitat, Food Pyramid, and Varalaksshmi Just After Rajamundry-Amolabhavi Just Before Anakapalle Bypass
– Paradise Hotel At The End Of Anakapalle Bypass On Vizianagaram Side
– City Kitchen Restaurant in Mixed
Fuel cost was 91/lt in K’taka, 98/ltr in AP, and 93/ltr in Odisha. I regularly fuel up at Nayara only (best fuel for engine health and mileage both). So full tank at Kolar and then next tank up just after Chilika on the Odisha side
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