Blessed with a diverse geopolitical landscape, Karnataka is one of the best states in India to hit for a mid-terrain trek, along with the opulence of lush green flora around, gorging waterfalls and rivers, and the cuisine!
I reached Bengaluru (erstwhile Bangalore) from Kolkata early morning on Decemeber 09, 2016. The plan was to catch up with some friends staying here, and take off with them for a weekend gate-away. With a plethora of quick trek options available withing the state of Karnataka, it was a hard time for us to narrow down to one particular place, while every option was equally tempting! Finally, we zeroed on the district called Chikkamagaluru.
Chikamagaluru is a district situated in south-western part of Karnataka, India. It was in Chikkamagaluru that coffee was first cultivated in India. Rivers like Tunga and Bhadra have their sources in the mountains, which are part of the Western Ghats. Chikkamagaluru district also contains Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in Kamataka. The hill stations, the waterfalls, the historical temples and the wildlife sanctuaries make this region a tourist paradise. Chikkamagaluru takes its name from the Kannada Cikkamagaḷa ūru that translates to "younger daughter's town". It is said to have been given as a dowry to the youngest daughter of Rukmangada, the legendary chief of Sakharayapattana; and we were out for the pursuit one such experience.
My first impression of Bengaluru was that it had too many fly-overs, and even more traffic! It took us almost 2 hours to reach Majestic Bus Station or Kempegowda Bus Terminal from Koramangala, for our overnight bus to Kalasa. So, make sure you always get out of your place taking the traffic into high consideration! We had taken a non-ac, non-reclining, 'normal' State-run bus service, Sarige, but there are more 'comfortable' options as well, like the State-run Airavat or the private-run bus service Sugam (which we took on our way back from Kalasa).
There are two effective stops where you may get off. Since we chose to stay at Nagagiri Comforts (definitely my best decision EVER!), the bus stops right in front of the main gate of the hotel. For this, you need to ask the driver to stop the bus at Nagagiri, or near Hebbale bridge. Or, one may get off at the Kalasa main town stop, which is about 2kms before Nagagiri Comforts, and warm up by enjoying a brisk walk up to Nagagiri Comforts through the winding paved road. We got off at the main town stop (by mistake, but definitely a good one!), and we enjoyed the eerily calm winter morning and sunrise by the time we reached Nagagiri.
The picturesque location of the hotel, right on the bank of river Bhadra, and the Western Ghats in the backdrop is a sight to be remembered. Though the water was at its lowest levels at this time of the year, still the murmur of the meandering spirit was a bliss. I had been in touch with Adish Jain (the owner), and he had made sure everything was ready before our arrival, and I was actually amazed to find staff 'almost ready' even so early in the morning (7am is when we reached Nagagiri, but we had seen shops open at even 6am on our way!) There were already a few cars parked in the premise, and honestly, I was pretty surprised by the 'posh-ness' of the the hotel, and was preparing myself for some serious hidden charges! (there were none)
The only thing lacking, though it did not bother me, was there is no Wi-Fi at the hotel, so if you want internet access, make sure you have a cellular data service on your phone, even which might have a poor reception.
Adish had already assured us of arranging for a jeep for us to spend the day sightseeing around Kalasa and Horanadu (adjacent town). I decided to have an hour's stroll while the guys freshened up. 30 mins down the road, there is a juice/tea shop called Green Valley (sorry wasn't carrying my phone, so don't have a photo). It is run by Joseph, and his wife, and would serve probably the best strong coffee around that place. They also serve a special Horanadu Juice, supposed to be made out of a wild fruit which doesn't even have a name, but it is seasonal, and is available only around January to March. Joseph knows the place pretty well, can help you give idea about the 'not touristic places' to go to.
One of the major reasons for us to visit Kalasa was a trek to Kudremukh Peak, the 3rd highest peak in Karnataka, but the itinerary had to be changed when we got to know about the insane crowd that had already gathered for the trek, it being a weekend. So, our destinations, would include (a) Bhadra Rapids, (b) Hanging Bridge, (c) Hanumana Gundi Waterfalls, and (d) Kyatanamakki.
(a) Bhadra Rapids
Apparently, the water rises up to the top of the rocks during the monsoon when the river Bhadra is at its full glory. The current was still somewhat strong in this area, but it soon stopped at a stagnant pool.
(b) Hanging Bridge
A little further downstream, there is this cute little bridge across the river.
(c) Hanumana Gundi Waterfalls
Visiting this place was a disaster, with a crowd already killing the placid serenity of that place. Also, the waterfall was trickling down, so not much of a 'waterfall' either. The owner/caretaker of the waterfall might ask you for ₹100 after you take a dip in the pool.
(d) Kyatanamakki Peak
This was probably the best place we visited in the entire trip. We came back to the hotel from the previous places for lunch, and then set out again at around 4pm for Kyatanamakki Peak. I had plans of trekking my way up to the peak (about 16kms from Nagagiri Comforts), but was advised not to because of the wild animals coming out after the dark. Neither was I carrying any camping-out gear with me, so the jeep had to suffice. I still remember the scared look on a villagers' faces blocking the road when we were driving back to the hotel, all of them holding farming knives and machetes, looking up at the steep side of a hill, and saying something in the local language to the driver, Anna, and his face immediately turned pale. Anna switched off the headlights and we sat there dead silent for a couple of minutes before Anna decided to slowly drive down the road again, but without switching on the headlight for another 20-30mts, and occasionally looking at the rear view mirror. Anna neither could speak Hindi, nor English...and we shall never know what actually had spooked everyone so bad back there.
Back at the hotel, we decided to ditch the Kudremukh trek plan for the next day, as that would leave us too tired to travel again at night back to Bangalore. Instead, we took a bus the same nigh, and were back in Bangalore by early next day. I would personally definitely wish to visit Kalasa - Horanadu again, but maybe during the monsoon...it is not worth not seeing Bhadra at its full glory.
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Nagagiri Comforts
Hebbale, Kalasa - Horanadu Road, Chikmagalur Dist. - 577124
+919448348106 | +919448318713 | +918263274036 | +919035090689
Complete vegetarian cuisine, clean rooms and well maintained premise, own restaurant. If you are a dog/animal lover, you would love their Labrador, Sony; over-friendly and super-excited, kid friendly.
WHERE TO EAT
You can have your meals at the hotel itself. Good clean vegetarian food. There is a small tea-shop right opposite to the hotel, you will get biscuits, fruits, snacks, toiletries and other stuff over there.
WHAT TO PACK
If you are visiting during winters, a light jacket/windcheater on top of a t-shirt should suffice. Please ensure you are carrying spare clothes if you are planning to hit the waterfronts, rapids, waterfalls, etc. A good pair of hiking boots will help.
I am yet to visit the place during monsoon, will update that later.
SAFETY
Like any hilly area, it is best to avoid going out of the premise after dark. Though the hotel is adjacent to the highway, so there usually is some activity throughout the night. The hotel itself seemed pretty safe, though we did not spend the night.
