South India Driving Vacation

screamgigi

My wife, daughter and I plan to drive around South India this summer. The tentative itinerary is:

Tirupati > Mysore > Kodaikanal > Kanyakumari > Rameswaram > Madurai > Pondicherry > Chennai.

Questions
1. Is this itinerary achievable under 12 days, with 4 nights in Kodai?
2. On the Tirupati-Mysore sector what is the best route between Krishnagiri to Mysore?
3. What is the best route between Mysor-Kodaikanal?
4. Ditto with Kodaikanal to Kanyakumari.

I would also seek opinion on typical driving times on the above sectors. How are the road conditions? Is it safe to drive in the night?

I am sorry if the above sounds confusion. I will appreciate and value any advice from fellow IM’er.

Next we shall talk about acco

john.sw

Are you thinking of driving yourself, or hiring a driver?

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screamgigi

Sorry I should have been more specific

I will be doing the driving. We live in Jamshedpur ( eastern India). So we would have driven almost 1600Km before we reach Tirupati. We have been undertaking long distance motoring vacations for a while, so that is not an issue.

Thanks for your response.

BaHaMo

Madurai to Pondicherry: If you go by Trichy and Villupuram it should take at least 6 to 7 hours. But not so interesting. If you go farther east there are so many famous temple towns, but the roads are slower.

screamgigi

Thanks
How about the road from Rameshwaram (by Ramnathpuram) to Pondi? Is that the famed East Cost Road?

I would have already seen Madurai on way to Kanyakumari from Kodai. Therefore, I would prefer to take a coastal route from Kanyakumari to Rameshawaram and then onwards to Pondi