Places around Bangalore

Kemmangundi

2008-01-23T17:02:00.000+05:30

Kemmangundi is a beautiful hill station located at a height of 1434m above sea level. It was the favorite summer camp of King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The place Kemmanugundi falls in the Tarikere Taluk of Chikmaglur District. It is about 235 Kms from Bangalore. This hill station is surrounded by the mountain streams, blessed with silver cascades, and Baba Budangiri range. It is ideal place for Trekking lovers.

Weather: The maximum and minimum temperature range varies from 20 to 28°C during summer.

Best time to Visit: The best time to visit Kemmangundi is in December.

Route Info: There are three route available:

Bangalore --> Nelamangala --> Kunigal --> Hassan --> Belur --> Chikmagalur --> Lingadahalli –-> Kemmangundi.

Bangalore --> Tumkur --> Tiptur --> ArsiKere --> Kadur --> Kemmangundi.

Bangalore --> Chikmagalur --> Kemmangundi.

By Bus: You will get KSRTC deluxe bus from Bangalore to Kadur, from there you have to take another bus to Kemmangundi.

By Rail: Kadur is the nearest station.

Road type : Good.

Kemmangundi Slideshow

Major attractions:

Raj Bhawan

It is a guest house built in Kemmangundi which offers a spectacular view of the surrounding hills. From this Raj Bhawan you can see the sunset something to be cherished.

Z Point

This place can be reached by steep uphill of about 30mins from Raj Bhawan. It is a vantage point to view a spectacular sunset.

Rose Garden

The Horticultural Department of the Kemmangundi maintained a beautiful rose garden here in Kemmangundi. You can see various variety of roses cultivated here.

Hebbe falls

It is of about 8 Kms from kemmangundi. From 250 Feet height water flows down here so it is called as Dodda Hebbe. Another where water flows down of about 200 feet height is called as Chikka Hebbe. So the reason you can find a beautiful coffee plantation here.

Kallathi Falls

It is of about 10 Kms from Kemmangundi. This place is also called by the name Kallathigiri falls and Kalahasthi falls, water falls from 122 meters. It is belived that the temple of Lord Veerabhadreshwara built during the period of Krishna Devaraya.

Tourist Info:

Things to carry:

Warm Clothes.
Trekking gear.
Basic First aid kit

Accommodation

You will get accommodation and good food facility in Kemmangundi. In the village name kallathi there is one Horticulture Department Guest Houses available for stay. Otherwise you have to stay in chikkamagalur its self. Here you will get so many good hotels to stay.

BiligiriRanga Hills (B.R.Hills):

2008-01-16T16:43:00.000+05:30

BiligiriRanga Hills a beautiful hill station of about 90Kms from Mysore and 230 Kms from Bangalore. The range of Biligiriranga hills situated between Cauvery and Kapila rivers. This hill stretches from north to south for about 16Kms at a height of 5,091 Feet above sea level.

This place is surrounded by green trees, birds. The temple of Lord “Ranganathaswamy” is on this hill, and this hill is always covered with fog. The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT) located at the eastern most of the Western Ghats. It is a little gem of astonishing bio-diversity, it is also considered as biogeographic bridge between Western and Eastern Ghats. This hill station falls in Yelandur taluk of chamarajnagar district of Karnataka.

This region has been home for semi-nomadic Soliga tribe since hundred years.

Here you can enjoy professional angling, fishing, coracle boat rides, bird watching, river rafting and trekking.

Weather: There is wide variation in mean temperature. 9°C to 10°C minimum temperature and 20°C to 38°C maximum temperature.

Best time to visit: This place looks very beautiful in September – May.

Route Info:

Buses: You will get buses from Bangalore Kempegauda Bus Stand. The first bus starts at 6.45 am.

By Road: There are two routes by road.

Bangalore --> Kanakpura -- >Halagur --> Shivasamudram --> Malavalli --> BR Hills.

Bangalore --> Maddur --> Malavalli --> Kollegal --> Yellandur --> BR Hills.

Road Type: The quality of the road is good.

BR Hills Slideshow

Major Attractions:

Biligirirangaswamy Temple:

This temple is situated on highest peak of the hill and Lord Venkatesha (also called as Ranganatha) is worshiped in this temple.

Biligirirangaswamy Sanctuary:

This sanctuary is home to animals like Gaurs, chitals, Sambars, Elephants, Tigers, Panthers and Bears. It is spread across 540sq.kms. During the time of June to October animals come out for water, so it is best time to sight wildlife.

Flora: The flora in this hill ranges from evergreen and grassland vegetation. That is the reason this place is home for wide variety of wildlife.

Events:

Ratha Festival:

During “Vaishakha “in the month of April, the ratha festival is celebrated at Biligiriranga Hills. The local tribes present a large pair of sleepers measuring 1 foot and 9 inches, made up of skin, to the Ranganathaswamy once in two year.

Tourist Info:

Things to carry:

Warm Clothes.
Trekking gear.
Basic First aid kit.

Accommodation:

Jungle Lodges and Resorts are available. Even you will also get Forest Department guest house and PWD Inspection bungalow in BR Hills. You can book Jungle Lodges of BR Hills from Bangalore itself. If you want stay in Resort you need to take permission from the Forest Department at Chamarajnagar.

Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd.
II Floor,Shrungar Shopping Centre
M.G.Road,Bangalore – 560 001.
Tel: 92-80-5597021, 5597024, And 5597025, Fax: 91-080-5586163.

Devarayana Durga

2008-01-14T21:12:00.001+05:30

Devarayana Durga is a hill station near Tumkur. It is good place for trekking and rock climbing. Its height is of about 1,188 mts. This is famous for the natural water spring called Namada Chilume and is at 75 kms from Bangalore. This Hill station situated along the hill chains running across the eastern part of Tumkur district and this range marks the boundary between the Krishna and Cauvery river basins.

Devarayana Durga name was given in 1696 by the king of Mysore Sree Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar. It was called by the name Anebiddajari before it named as Devarayana Durga.

Weather: The maximum and minimum temperature range varies from 18 to 32°C.

Best time to visit: It looks very beautiful in June – December, but, as an adventurous trekking place, you can visit any time except from March – May.

Route Info: There are 3 routes available:-

Bangalore --> Nelamangala --> Dabaspet --> Urdigere --> Devarayanadurga.

Bangalore -->Tumkur --> Devarayanadurga

Bangalore --> Nelamangala --> Kyatsandra (Siddha Ganga cross) --> Devarayana Durga hills

Bus: There is KSRTC bus to Tumkur departing from Majestic bus station every 15 minutes. From Tumkur you have to take another bus.

Road type: Roads are good.

Devarayana Durga Slideshow

Major attractions:

Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple:

This temple’s architecture is in Dravidian style, constructed by Kanthirava Narasaraja.In the month of Chaitra (March/April) Annual celebration or jatra takes places.

Namadha chilume:

Namdha Chilume is of about 8Kms distance from Tumkur and 62 to 65Kms from Bangalore. It is natural spring coming of the surface of the rock, situated near Devarayana Durga.During the period of Vanavasa Lord Rama,Lakshmana and Sitha were used to stay here as per history. When Lord Rama didn’t get water to apply Tilaka on his forehead, he shot an arrow into the rock then the water came out from the rock. That is why this place is called as Namadha Chilume.

Siddaganga Mutt:

This mutt is providing Education and free Hostel facility to poor children. In education they provide right from formal education to degree and also provide Medicine, Engineering professional courses to about 5,500 students. Sree Gosala Siddeshwara was the founder of this mutt. In the period of Dr. Sree Sree Shivakumar Swamiji this mutt was expanded largely and saw its extensive growth.

This mutt is situated on Bangalore-Pune highway about 6Km from Tumkur, 65Km from Bangalore.

Goravanahalli MahaLakshmi Temple:

It is situated of about 30Km from Tumkur and from Bangalore it is 80Km far. It is one of the popular pilgrim centers in Koratagere taluk.

This temple is dedicated to goddess Mahalakshmi. Here this Sree Mahalakshmi’s idol is self originated. On every Friday the special pooja performed. Every day free lunch provided for the devotees.

Kaidala Temple:

The chenna keshava temple is situated on south Kunigal road of about 6Km from Tumkur. The idol of this temple is carved in the period of Hoysalas by the great architect Sri Jakanchari and his son Sri Dankanchari.

Tourist Info:

Things to carry:

Warm Clothes.
Trekking gear.
Basic First aid kit.
Food, snacks, water bottle.

Accommodation:

You will get good lodging and boarding facility in Tumkur.
Hotel Woodlands, Tumkur. Tel:0816-281555,56.
Hotel Nanjudeshwara, Tumkur. Tel:0816-272877
Hotel Dwaraka, Tumkur. Tel:0816-278505

KAIVARA

2007-11-18T20:23:00.001+05:30

About the Place

Kaivara is centre for pilgrimage. This place is located in the Chintamani Taluk of Kolar district in Karnataka, a state that is in the south western part of India.. It is about 65 km from Bangalore. This place is historically significant. It is said that the Pandavas of the great Indian epic Mahabharata lived here during the exile in the forest (Vanavasa). Bheema is said to have killed Bakasura in this place. During the Dwaparayuga this town was known as Ekachakrapura. Narayanappa a famous saint who is popularly known as Kaivara Thathayya in Kannada and Telugu had lived here during last part of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. The town gets its name from this famous bilingual poet.

An Ashram that is dedicated to this famous saint is a pilgrimage and every year many thousands of pilgrims visit this place. It is fast becoming a tourist spot now.

Climate

This very beautiful town is situated in a picturesque valley and the temperature ranges between 18 to 23 degrees Celsius. The climate of Kaivara is salubrious. It rains here mainly during October. The rain usually is a heavy downpour. In fact this place gives the feel of a hill resort.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit this place would be between January to March and June to September. In fact from Bangalore you could visit there over a weekend.

Events

An annual music festival on Karnatic music is held in July every year here.

Night Life

The best thing for you to at nights here is to rest early.

Interesting Things to do at Kaivara

You should visit the Zoo, the snake park and the crocodile farm there which are being very well maintained by the forest department of Karnataka.
If you are a naturalist, you must study sericulture and horticulture and this place is a host many exotic flora and fauna. The place has many small scale industries flourishing in the business of sericulture and horticulture.
The hilly terrain would give ample opportunities for trekking and rock climbing. But please make sure you are there with an experienced trekker or rock climber. Do not undertake this adventure on your own. The rocks are and hills are deceptively dangerous.

Kaivara Slideshow

Interesting places to visit at Kaivara

Amaranarayana Temple: This is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple is famous for its architecture. The temple has four sculpted stone pillars with exquisitely carved designs. This constitutes the Navranga Mandapa. The idol here was installed by King Vishnuvardhana who belonged to the Hoysala dynasty.

Aranya Rama Temple: Close to the Amaranarayana is another small shrine dedicated to Lord Rama, where he resides with Sita devi and Lakshmana.

Bheemeswara Temple: Mythology has it that Bheema killed the Rakshasa Bakasura when the Pandavas were in exile here thereby relieving the citizens of this place of a tyrant. To honor this deed a temple was built here for Bheema which is the Bheemeswara Temple.

Narayanappa Mutt: A mutt/ashram dedicated to the famous Telugu/Kannada composer and writer Narayanappa (1730-1840 AD). It is said that this saint was initially a bangle seller. There after he got his call and dedicated his life to sainthood writing and composing many literary works some of which are the famous 'Amaranarayana Shathaka and 'Kaalagnana’.

Many social, religious and philanthropic activities are undertaken by the Management of the Ashram. Provision of free meals to pilgrims and accommodation at very nominal rates are some of these activities. The authorities also conduct mass marriages between June and December.

Yoganarasimha Swamy Temple: This temple is at a distance of about a kilometer from the Mutt, on a small hillock called Vaikunta. This is the place where Narayanappa was on meditation for over three years. The statue of Narayanappa is installed here. A magnificent prayer hall is within the precincts of the temple which is huge and boasts of an excellent view of the surrounding hills and valleys. This is an ideal place for meditation.

Other places of interest near Kaivara

Ambaji Durga Cave Temple: This place is about 7 km from Kaivara and is quick drive from Kaivara.

Lord Venkateswara Temple, Alamgiri: This is also within a 10km radius of Kaivar. Alamgiri is also famous for Paper Mache handicraft.

Route Information

By Air: Bangalore airport is the nearest airport from where a taxi can be hired to travel the 65 odd kilometers to Kaivara.

By Rail: Many trains from all over India run to Bangalore. From Bangalore a taxi or any other road transportation can be hired to go to Kaivara.

By Road: National Highways - NH4, NH7, NH212 and NH48 converge on Bangalore. Kolar where Kaivara is situated lies on NH4 to the East of Bangalore.

Tourist Information

Things to carry:

Warm Clothes.
Trekking gear.
Basic First aid kit.

Accommodation:

The Mutt Ashram provides good accommodation for the tourists at nominal costs.

Savandurga

2007-10-22T20:41:00.000+05:30

Savandurga
Savandurga is a hill 60 km west of Bangalore off the Magadi road. The hill is famous for a temple and is also believed to be among the largest monolith hills in the world. Savanadurga is a area with two huge mountains (besides others) & a vast valley around. The Arkavathi River passes nearby through the Thippagondanahalli reservoir and on towards Manchanabele dam.

Orientation:
Savandurga is located between Magadi and Ramanagar. The hill rises to 1226 m above mean sea level and forms a part of the Deccan plateau. At most places the slope is 70-80 degree, which makes it a challenging trek.

Weather:
The maximum and minimum temperature range varies from 22 to 27°C.

Best time to visit:
It looks beautiful in June – March, but, as an adventurous trekking place, you can visit here any time of the year.

Route Info:

There are two routes available from Bengaluru.
1) Bangalore-->Magadi-->Ramanagar Road on the left (75kms)--> Savandurga
2) Bangalore-->(Mysore Road)-->Ramanagar-->(Magadi Road on the right) -->Savandurga

Bus:Direct buses are not very frequent, but it is easily reachable from Magadi (30-40 Km from Bangalore). Buses to Magadi are available from Kalasipalayam Bus Stand. And from Magadi there are buses or one can take Auto's ( Fairly reliable rates) or Buses. There are enough of them so it is not a problem to reach Savandurga.

Road Type:Dusty, Muddy, bumpy; but very exciting for Bike riders.

Savandurga Slideshow

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Savanadurga has a famous old temple of narasimha swamy. The temple is located at the bottom of the foothills of the popular granite hills of savanadurga. The main temple has and adjacent temple dedicated to laxmi.There is also two scenic hills adding attraction to the environs. The tomb of a Muslim saint by the name of ‘Sayyed Ghulam Qadri’ is situated in between the temples.

Places Near this place:

Thippagondanahalli Reservoir: Thippagondanahalli Reservoir is 35 Kms from Bangalore towards Magadi.It is also known as chamarajsagar is located at the confluence of the rivers Arakavathi and Kumudavathi. This is a great place for picnic and bird watching. Best time to visit: September to Febrauary

TOURIST INFO.

Things to carry: Mineral water bottle, first aid kit etc.Hotel availability: Available at the spot/near the spot/on the way to spot/ service apartments/ etc.

Resorts availability: None

Local Taxi availability: Available from Magadi.

Nearest known city: Magadi, Mysore Etc.

Ghati Subrahmanya

2007-04-20T00:43:00.000+05:30

It is one of the pilgrimage center located near Doddaballapur of Bangalore Rural district. It is 60kms from Bangalore. Here Lord Subramanya and Lord Lakshmi Narasimha are worshipped. It is very famous as Lord Subramanya idol is said to be self originated. In this temple Lord Subramanya is facing to the east and Lord Lakshmi Narashima is facing to west in the same idol. A mirror is kept to see both the idols together. There are many choultries for people to stay. Afternoon lunch is provided free to the devotees.

Route Information:

Drive to Doddaballapur which is 39kms from Bangalore and then take the road towards Ghati Subramanya which is another 14kms. There are many busses from Doddaballapur and Bangalore.

Shopping Information:

There are many shops where you can get nice idols.

Ghati Subramanya Slideshow

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS/NEARER PLACES

Nandi Hills:

(Around 30kms from Ghati Subrahmanya)

It is around 30kms from Ghati Subrahmanya. It is very nice hill station which is 1478 meters above sea level. Rivers like Pennar, Palar and Arkavati originate in these hills. It was tipu’s Summer retreat and Tipu’s fort wall is still a nice view for people.1,175 steps lead from the Bottom of the hill to the top. Yoganandishwara temple is located at the top the hill. See the place details and photos of Nandi Hills.

Nrityagram Dance Village:

(Around 30kms from Bangalore)

It is via tumkur near Hessarghatta. This village was founded by Pratima Gauri, one of the famous odissi dancers of India. Here Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi are been taught by good trainers to people all over India. You can stay here overnight and enjoy the different types of dances.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Things to carry: It is better to carry water bottles.

Hotel availability: There are many hotels and PWD Inspection Bungalow nearby.

Resorts availability: There are many resorts on the way.

Local Taxi availability: You can book Taxis from Bangalore or Doddaballapur

Neared known city: Doddaballapur and Bangalore.

Shivanasamudra

2007-04-17T19:42:00.000+05:30

Shivanasamudra is a waterfall around 140kms from Bangalore. It is one of the wonderful waterfalls in Karnataka. It is called by various names as bluff Shiva’s sea. That’s how this place has got the name Shivanasamudra. It is located in Mandya district. It has the first Hydro - Electric Power Station which was done in 1902. The waterfall is 50mtrs tall. The river Cavery flows here. It flows in two cascades. The western branch of the falls is known as Gaganachukki and the eastern branch is known as Bharachukki. These two branches are a mile away from each other. Gaganachukki is 98mtrs tall and 667,000 cubic feet per second is the maximum flow of water in this falls. It is also known as the oldest power station in Asia. A Dorgan near the Gaganchukki is the best viewpoint, to explore the top stream of the Gaganachukki.

Here people can't swim as the gorge is very deep and the current passes in the falls. This place is also a famous pilgrimage centre. It is known as Madhya Rangam. The Ranganatha temple is worshipped here and it is constructed in the Dravidian style.

The temperature will be 20 degree Celsius to 32 degree Celsius.

The best time to visit this place is during rainy season between July and September.

Route Information

There are 2 routes from Bangalore:

1: Take the Mysore road, near Maddur take a diversion and drive till Malavalli.

2: Take Kanakapura road and drive till Malavalli.

At Malavalli, you can ask someone for the guidance.

Shopping information

Shivanasamudra is a village place and is not a significant shopping place. But you will find many shop where you can pick some snacks, cola, film rolls etc.

Shivanasamudra Slideshow

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Waterfall:

You can visit both Gaganachukki and Bharachukki waterfalls. You can enjoy the spectacular flow of water just after the mansoon. If you wish to have a closer look, you can take the steps to get down a bit and there you will find a viewpoint. Swimming is not possible here, as the george is very deep.

Below are some attractive places around Shivanasamudra and Mysore. You can cover these places in a one day trip.

Somnathpur:

(Around 35kms from Mysore)

It is very nice temple built in the time of Hoysala architecture. It is built in 13th century A.D. The temple is built in the shape of star shaped with three shines built after Prasanna Chennakeshava. Duration: 2 hrs.

Talkad:

(Around 45kms from Mysore)

It is an ancient town built in sand. Only one temple can be seen above the sand which is very nice to see. There is a river in which you can play. Once in five years many other temples are seen which are hidden in the sand. Duration: 2-3hrs.

Melkote:

(Around 60kms from Mysore)

It is famous for the temple which shows the old culture of India. Here Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple is worshipped. In this temple the oldest Sanskrit pathasala can be seen. Here they celebrate many festivals such as Vairamudi utsava, Teppotsava. Duration:1-2 hrs.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Things to carry: First Aid Kit, Travel Kit, Cap (in summer). You will find many Dhaba (Village hotels) on the way.

Hotel availability: No hotels/ accommodation available at Shivanasamudra. You can get nice accomodation in Mysore.

Local Taxi availability: -NA-

Neared known city: Mysore and Kanakapura.

Hogenakkal Falls

2007-04-14T02:40:00.000+05:30

Hogenakkal (aka Hogenekal) is around 150km from Bangalore. It is well known for waterfall and is a nice trekking spot. The river Cauvery (Kaveri) flows through the rocky hills and creates many bursts of water. In summer the temperature ranges from 27 degree Celsius to 34 degree Celsius. In winter it will be 13 degree Celsius to 24 degree Celsius.Best time to visit this place is soon after the monsoons, when the river is in full spate. This is a one day picnic spot.

Route Information:

Bangalore --> Hosur-->Krishnagiri-->Dharmapuri-->Hogenakkal

The best means of transportation is by Car. The route till Dharmapuri is very good. And you will have a peaceful and enjoyable drive from Bangalore to Krishnagiri, as the road is wide, clear and bump free. Start early in the morning from Bangalore, to make sure, you are not stuck in the Bangalore traffic itself on the Hosur road.

Shopping info:

Hogenakkal is not a significant shopping place.

Hogenakkal Falls Slideshow

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Waterfall:

The Hogenakkal falls are not a single waterfalls but a series of falls with the whole spectacle spread over a kilometer, with two sections, half-a-kilometer each, in a curve joint. The majority of waterfalls are on the first section and the second section is a gorge which forms the downstream of all the waterfalls.

There is a Viewpoint Tower from where you can see the whole topography. Well, this Viewpoint isn't the best place for taking closer pictures. Take the coracle (round boat) to have a closer look of the falls.

Near to the falls, you will find some small shops, where you can get some snacks, cold drinks and even beer & other alcoholic drinks. In fact, you will get some of these things in the coracle also!

Body Massage:

You will get body massage here. Be cautious, as some of the massage guys here are not experts and in many cases not even trained in massaging. If you can speak tamil, it may help you to negotiate better and understand what kind of ayurvedic oil they are talking about.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Things to carry: First Aid Kit, Travel Kit, Cap (in summer). Foods and Beverages as you won’t find any hotels for food. If travelling in group, you can get some catering service from Bangalore.

Hotel availability: No hotels/ accommodation available at Hogenakkal.

Resorts availability: No resorts nearby.

Local Taxi availability: -NA-

Neared known city: Dharmapuri

Chunchi Falls

2007-04-10T21:25:00.000+05:30

It is a one day picnic spot which is located in Kanakapura taluk in Bangalore District. As the name suggests it is a water falls. The river which flows is Arkavati. It is a beautiful place which is covered by forests. This place is about 90kms from Bangalore city. Chunchi is a small village which consists of few huts. The scenery of the village is very nice. There are small boys who help you to see some of the near by places and they accept a little money in return.

Chunchi fall drops in two different cascades which is nice to see. To go to the pool you have to walk on the rocks which will be smooth so you should be very careful .The river flows and join the Cauvery at Sangama which is 6kms from the falls. The view of the falls will be really good in rainy season .It is a very nice place to relax. The Temperature is same as the temperature in kanakapura (around 28 degree centigrade). The best time to visit this place is from June to August.

Route Information:

The distance from Bangalore to Kanakapura is 55 Kms and from there take a deviation to Sangam and drive on that road for 25kms and take another deviation towards Yelehalli. And after 5kms you will reach the falls. There are number of buses from Bangalore to Kanakapura and from there you have to take other buses to chunchi falls.If you like rock climbing then you can climb some rocks with a guide. You should carry food and water because there are no hotels. You get nice food only in Kankapura. This trip can be planned on bike, car or rented taxi's. As the distance is small, you can enjoy bike riding on the way. Taxi can be booked from Bangalore itself.

Chunchi Falls Slideshow

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Sangama :

(Around 6kms from Chunchi falls)

Sangama is the confluence of two rivers. The two rivers are Arkavathi and Kaveri(Cauvery). It is 90kms from Bangalore. From Sangam it is 6kms to Chunchi falls. In this place you get really nice fishes to eat and you can find some juice shops also. Arkavathi is a small stream for most of the year and when it rains you can see more water. To reach Sangama, drive on Kanakapura road from Bangalore. Take a left turn after Kanakapura.And there is also a sign board. Another option is to drive on the Kanakapura highway till Satanur and then take a left from there. Then you will get Sangama.

Mekadatu:

(Around 3kms from Chunchi falls)

Its a narrow river flow. The name Mekedatu in kannada means, "the place where goats cross the small river". It is about 3Kms from Chunchi falls. You can walk through the river. You can reach this place by buses available from Kanakapura. You can find more water in the monsoons.

Coorg (Kodagu)

2007-04-04T20:02:00.000+05:30

Madikeri is the capital of Coorg (Kodagu). It is around 6 hours drive from Bangalore - 260 kms. The nearest rail head is Mysore - 120kms.

Kodagu (Coorg) lies on the eastern slope of the Western Ghats. It is a hilly district. The principal river is the Kaveri River (Cauvery), which rises at Talakaveri. Best time to see the turbulence of river flow, visit in June to September. Kodagu has an average temperature of about 15 °C, the extremes being 11 °C and 28 °C. The hottest season is in April and May.The best means to travel to Coorg, is to take a Rajahansa bus from Bangalore. The road from Bangalore to Mysore is very good. From Mysore to Madikere, the road is very bad.

Routes:

Following are the two routes to Coorg from Bangalore:

Bangalore - Mysore - Kushalnagar - Madikeri (Total distance, around 260 kms)
Bangalore - Srirangapatnam. Take right from Srirangapatnam to take the byass to reach the road to Hunsur. Then, Hunsur - Kushalnagar - Madikeri (Total distance, around 240 kms)

Internet cafe at Madikere: in case you can't resist :)

Internet at Cyber Zone, Paramount Tourist Home Bldg, 1st floor, next to Hotel Chitra, has good cheap Internet facilities for Rs 25 per hr.

Shopping Info:

Coorg is famous for coffee,spices and honey. On each street, you will find a honey shop. One can also visit the Tibetan flea market.Seasonally you can buy best mangoes at Hunsur.

Coorg Slideshow

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

(Nearer to Kushalnagar)

Tibetian Monastry:

This is the second largest tibetian settlement in india.Inside the temple, there are 3 huge gold plated statues of Lord Buddha, Goddess Amitayu and Lord Padmasambhava. Prayer session starts at 1 p.m. Duration:1 -2 hrs

Dubare Elephant camp:

The elephant camp is situated in a small island in the dubare forest range.8kms road from Kushalnagar to Dubare Elephant camp is very horrible. Small boats takes you across the river (just in 2 minutes). Enjoy 15 min. elephant rides for Rs 100/- each. Best time is 9:30am. Duration: 1 - 1.5 hrs.

Kaveri Nisargadhama:

Man made island on the banks of river Kaveri. The accessibility is by a hanging bridge. It is a thick bamboo forest. You will find tree top huts here. You can do some boating (seasonal), Swimming, Elephant ride and Horse ride. This is a place for relaxation. You can book a cottage here, if planning to stay at this place, and a stay is worth it. Duration: 2 - 4 hrs.

Harangi Dam:

Good garden and you can play some watersports as well. Great picnic spot.Duration: 1 - 2 hrs.

Plantations:

Main plantation is Coffee. You will also find lot of Orange, Pepper, Cardamom and some other spices.Duration: 1 hr.

(Places in Madikeri)

Abbey Falls:

This is a small and scenic waterfall inside a private estate. 15 min. from the main road. You can do some swimming or trek along the upstream. Best view in rainy seaoson. Duration: 1 hr.

Raja’s Seat:

Viewpoint and a historic place. Watch sunset here. Well maintained garden with lots of different varieties of flowers.Duration: 20 mins.

Omkareshwara Temple:

Slightly distinct style of architecture.Duration: 10 mins.

Museum: Avoid.Fort: Avoid.Golf Course: Avoid.Raja’s tomb: Avoid.

(Nearer to Bhagamandala)

Bhagamandala:

This is the place where Kaveri confluencences with rivers Kanike and Sujyothi. There are many small shrines built in the Kerala style.Duration: 15-20 mins.

Talakaveri:

Birthplace of river Kaveri. The river originates inside a small tank and flows underground for a few kilometers and flows out into the open near bhagamandala. There is also a temple. Situated in the Brahmagiri hills, you will be literally touching the clouds here. Driving here is thrilling but little dangerous. Duration: 2-3 hrs.

(Nearer to Siddapura)

Nagarahole National Park:

One of the best wildlife Sanctuaries in South India. Be there early morning to enjoy the safari tour by the forest department. Overnight stay also is facilitated. Enjoy watching wild boar, mongoose, peakcock, jungle fowl, bison, spotted deer, sambhar, barking deer and many other birds and animals. Duration: 2 hrs.

Iruppu falls:

Beautiful water falls located in a thick jungle. Good treking spot. Beware of leeches. Duration: 30 min - 1 hr.

Other places to Visit are Igguthappa temple,Thadiyendamol Peak and Valanoor.

Nandi Hills

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Nandi Hills is around 58km from Bangalore. It is also known as Nandidurga, and was one of the summer retreats of Tipu Sultan. Nandi Hills was popular with the British too who built bungalows and laid out gardens here. Normally the climate here is cool. But preferred visiting season is October-December, as the hills will be foggy. And if you wanna beat the summer, you can still visit in March to May.

From bangalore, you can catch a bus to Nandi Hills. If you are taking your car, you will enjoy climbing the hill with few hairpin curves. Little care should be taken in driving and more importantly, plan to return back on the same day unless you have booked a lodge on top of hill.

Main attractions

Amrit sarovar: It is the first place you see as you enter the main gate of Nandi hills. To me it seemed a ordinary pond where no activity can be performed. Nothing special about the lake. The spot attraction is just the greenary.
Yoginandishwara Temple: Its an ancient temple dedicated to Bull Lord. There are other small temples also here. There is another temple inside, of Goddess Parvati. A temple of Ganesha and Hanuman are in Close vicinity to temple. The Temple is situated on a rocky terrain so avoid walking bare foot on a sunny day. Temple is not a great architectural marvel.
Nehru Nilya: Situated in Lush Greenary this white colored monument can not be seen from inside. But an ideal place for some photography.
Tipu’s drop: This is the place where Sultans used to punish the prisoners & criminals. This place is scariest of all the places. It is a steep around 1200 feet high.

Nandi Hills Slideshow