New Route Update:  

[Bangalore - Srirangapatna - Hunsur -  Gonikoppal - Virajpet - Makutta - Kootupuzha - Iritti - Matannur - Chalode - Kannur]

Follow the route in the map below (map loaded using the track info recorded via GPS on friday 20th Aug 2010). Will update details and road conditions in a couple of days. 

Old route via Gundalpet - Bandipur: 

Bangalore - Take Mysore road

Before Mysore watchout for the Ring Road - Take a RIGHT onto the ring road towards Ooty/Calicut; where the roadside board says Calicut turn LEFT :)  [so much so for the boards!]

The moment you take a right, you should see boards to Ooty and Calicut. Follow the ring road, there are multiple intersections, lookout for Ooty/calicut boards. Finally when you have completed the semi-circular orbit around mysore the 'Ooty-road' turns right. 

Continue towards Bandipur

: Nanjangud - 23Kms from Mysore
: Gundalpet - 36Kms from Nanjangud

In Gundalpet, lookout for the RT Office, take a right there..

The road heads straight into the forests of Bandpur; the road is excellent and the woods are green and serene, but drive slow when driving in the evening.

After Bandipur comes the Kerala border checkpost. Follow the road towards Sultan Battery. Gundalpet to Sultan Battery is 55kms. 

Sultan Battery is a good place for a food break. Hotel Prince is recommended.

Sultan battery to Meenangadi - 10 Km

Meenangadi turn right towards Mananthavadi - 33 Km

Koothuparamba to Kannur - 24 Km

: Koothuparamba to Mambaram
: Mambaram to Chala
: Chala to Kannur

Total Distance Approx : 400 - 410 kms

Driving time:  

    Bangalore - Mysore : 2 to 2.5hrs [depending on traffic on mysore road (time of the day)]

    Mysore - Kannur : 5 to 6 hrs depending on road conditions [time of the year], fog conditions [time of the day] and traffic when entering Kerala

Alternate Route Via Kalpetta

Alternate Route Via Calicut

 Sultan Battery to Kalpetta [25 kms]

 Kalpetta to Calicut [74 kms]

 Calicut to Kannur [95 kms]

    -Route info courtesy Ammoman

Update 10 February 2010

Approximate route on google map (from Whitefield to Chala)

The forest route from Bandipur (till the Kerala border in Muthanga) is banned for vehicular traffic between 9 PM to 6 AM all days of the week. So plan your trip accordingly.

Update 30 March 2010

I drove to kannur last wednesday and used my GPS phone to track the route this time from Gundalpet CCD till my home in Attadappa, Kannur. Here is the track file (OziExplorer plt format, right click and 'save link as'). You can use this file for routing if you have a GPS enabled device and a supporting software running on it.

I use a HTC Tytn II with gpsVP version 0.4.20 and cached google maps for tracking. I did loose GPS signal briefly at a couple of places in the Ghats, but the rest is covered. gpsVP exports tracks in OziExplorer plt format, which I then trimmed (deleted still times etc) and posted here.