The Misty Coorg

Route -: Bangalore - Mandya - Srirangapatnam - Golden Temple - Dubare Elephant Camp - Coorg 

Time Of the Trip -: April 2016

Distance Covered -: 550 Km in 2 days

Type of Trip -: Weekend Getaway

Road Quality -: 8/10

DAY 1:

7:00 AM  - Left from bangalore

8:30 AM - Reached kamath on mysore highway for breakfast.

Left from Kamath for the Golden Temple Monastery.

Here we regrouped with a few of our colleagues going to Coorg.

Golden Temple Monastery.

From Here we left for Dubare Elephant Camp

Dubare Elephant Camp

This a  great place for cooling off in the intense heat. Here you can do water rafting and then have some splashing fun in the water.

On the other side of the river is an Elephant's Camp where they will get the wild elephants and train them.

Note -: Go early if you wanna do rafting and see the elephant camp both since it will take around 3 hours easily.

We left from here around 6 PM (not a great idea if you are planning to go to a hilly region with hairpin bends on a motorcycle)

Driving the treacherous roads in the pitch black of the night was super scary since the roads have recently been done and are covered in fine sand on almost all the bends.

Thanks to the huge lights of our colleagues car, we were able to make it safely to the resort.

Our Resort

Our Resort

Amazing resort in the middle of the jungle. It has 3 rooms and i would definitely recommend it to everyone.Super clean and big rooms. Amazingly clean and big washrooms.

Note - reaching the resort is a bit tricky since its in the middle of the jungle so do reach there before it gets dark or else you will have trouble finding it like we had.

DAY 2

8:00 am - Left the resort after packing breakfast for the Tadiyandamol trek.

9:00 AM - started the trek.

Its around a 6 km trek one way. The difficulty is easy for the major part. Only the last 500m to the peak is really steep and tough. But its definitely worth it.

                           

Starting of the Trek

View from the mid point

as we reached the midway, the clouds descended and it got cold. It was as if the gods were trying to motivate us saying that you came this far, dont turn back now.

Close to the Peak

At the Peak

 12:00 Noon - reached the peak.

Small trails to the top

4:00 PM - Reached back to the resort

5:30 PM - decided to leave for bangalore.

1:00 AM - Reached Bangalore.

The Tadiyandamol Trek was the highlight of the trip. Its one of the best treks i have done so far and was completely worth it.I reached the top which was completely surrounded by clouds. Played some nice music and relaxed for about an hour with all the peace and quiet in the world.

BottomLine

 A great trip. Short, sweet, and really rewarding. Found the much needed peace and calm on the top of a mountain which seemed impossible to conquer. Realized my limits and came close to my inner  self. 

And as always, 

 Fell in Love with Jenny all over again..!!

Latest Upgrades on Jenny

I removed the Cigarette Lighter i had installed earlier since the usb attachment for it used to come out when ever i drove over bumps. Hence finally i decided to remove it for a USB charger itself.

USB CHARGER on Clip On HandleBar

Problem -: Pulsar 180 has clip-on handle bars and attaching anything on them is not possible.

Solution -: I had tried looking at various USB chargers but most of them needed to be attached on the handlebar.
Finally i stumbled upon a USB charger that could be attached to the side mirrors and hence you dont have to attach it on the handlebar.

Product Link

MOBILE Holder for Bike with Clip On HandleBars

Problem -: All the mobile /GPS holders that are available in the market are for non clip-on handlebars. For a Bike with clip-on handle bars the only option left is to have a tank bag with a clear top.

Solution-: I found this amazing Mobile Holder from www.outdoortravelgear.com that has a croc Mount to fit any bar easily.

Using this i was able to mount this on the Clip-on Bar easily.

Product Link

Note -: The only problem happens with the angle of your mobile when the sun is up. The glare from the transparent sheet on top can be a bit blinding hence you will need to adjust the angle. On the plus side, adjusting this mount is a piece of cake.

Awaiting my Next trip to Tadiandamol.

And as always.

Fell in Love with Jenny All over Again..!!

Ootylicious

Route -: Bangalore - Mandya - Srirangapatnam - Gundlupete - Ooty (via NH275)

Time Of the Trip -: Feb 2016

Distance Covered -: 900 Km in 3 days

Type of Trip -: Romantic Getaway

Road Quality -: 8/10

Route Advice - In between NH 275 and NH 209 , i preferred NH 275 since it has a lot of eating joints on it. NH 209 might be a bit quicker but there is absolutely nothing where you can eat (except of a CCD and a south indian breakfast joint in the starting of 209 itself). Also since NH 275 is a 4 lane highway whereas 209 being a single dual carriage way, hence its easier to drive on NH 275.

DAY 1:

6:00 AM - Started from Bangalore.

NH 209

7:30 AM - realized staying on NH 209 was a big mistake as we were really hungry. Hnece decided to take a mid road to join Nh 275

Bad Roads between NH209 and NH275

8:30 AM - had breakfast at Mc Donalds on NH275 and continued further.

Roads inside Bandipur National Park

Extremely thin roads cause a lot of delay due to oncoming traffic.

1:30 PM - The hairpin bends start

Ooty Hairpin Bends

3:00 PM - Reach Ooty

Sagar Holiday Resort (view from reception)

Sagar Holiday Resort (view from Bottom)

We stayed in a place called Sagar holiday Resort and i cant stress the fact that how amazing this resort was.I got a deal on MakeMyTrip and i got a package for 3 days 2 nights for around 3500/-

This place has all the rooms on the side of the Hill so all the rooms have valley facing balconies and the design is such that the balconies are still private.

View From Our Resort

4:00 PM - After having lunch and resting a bit we went out for sight seeing in Ooty. It was a bit cold by that time but was perfect for roaming around.

Ooty Lake

 You can take a pedal boat here for 120 bucks for half and hour. I would definitely recommend that.

Short Train Ride near Ooty Lake

The train goes nowhere. It just goes ahead by 300m and then returns on the same track.

Clear Skies at Night

DAY 2

6:00 AM - Got up to see the sunrise and what an epic sunrise it was. I have never seen such a spectacular sunrise in my life. It was a strange and calming sight as the cold sun rays finally started to heat your skin and as the fury of the sun made your eyes sparkle until you cant take the magnificence any more and have to look away.

The sun peeking above the Horizon

The valley still slept as the sun woke up

Fog and Mist in the Valleys 

Finally its Up

10:00 AM - After having breakfast, left to see the Avalanchi lake. Its a lake around 50+ KM from Ooty and not many people know about it, but it turned out to be an epic place. Calm lake and colorful background. Kinda makes you wanna camp here and stay.

Top View of the Avalanchi Lake

The Lake opens Up 

 I couldn't find a trail that would let you take your vehicles right up to the lake so you will have to park your vehicle somewhere on the side of the road and then trek down to the lake. Its a simple trek but you need to be careful of the wild buffaloes in this area. they can be a handful.

Colors of Nature

1:00PM came back to ooty. Had Lunch and some nice coffee at CCD.

Went around ooty and did some chocolate shopping. 

Then finally went to the Botanical garden in Ooty.

Botanical Garden

Traffic in Ooty

3:00 PM set out to go to Coonoor. 

Found a guide on the way. These guys will go with your in your vehicle. If there is no place, then they will lead on their 2 wheeler. Best thing, they will drive your car if you want and you can rest your knee for sometime on these wretched small roads.

Tea Estates in  Coonoor

The face of a sleeping lady as seen from the Lambs Rock 

Catherine Falls seen from the Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint

The Never Ending Tea Estates

The Hidden Valley

The Guide will charge you a meagre 300 bucks but its worth it. He knows all the backroads and shortcuts. 

Tip - If you do not know the local language, these guys will be specially helpful on the road.

DAY 3:

11:00 AM - Checked out of the Resort

12:00 Noon - Went to the Tea Factory on the way to Dodda Betta.

1:00 PM - Reached Dodda Betta. Did some sight seeing and then Left for bangalore around 1:30 PM as there wasn't much to do there.

While coming back we had to come back via Gadulur hence it took us longer but its a much better and wider road. (P.S. this is the road that big busses take).

While coming back in Bandipur, we call a lot of wildlife around the road.

10:00 PM - Reached Bangalore via NH275

All in all it was an amazingly relaxing trip. and more than that it was super fun. The climate, temperature, roads, sights and experience, everything cumulatively made this trip , one of my most memorable trips.

BottomLine - Ooty is always fun. Its the closest hill station to Bangalore. Even though its highly commercialized now but still there are patches of nature untouched by man. And when you come across any such piece, cherish it, admire it and don't ruin it. 

Photogenic Hampi

Route -: Bangalore - Tumkuru - Chitradurga - Hospet - Hampi

Time Of the Trip -: January 2016

Distance Covered -: 1000 Km in 2 days

Type of Trip -: Photographic Getaway

Road Quality -: 6/10 (8/10 till chitradurga but 5/10 after that till hampi)

The Road quality till chitradurga is good but after that the road is average with potholes on the side of the road and a lot of heavy vehicle traffic.

Since its a single lane you will have to take a lot of calls while overtaking.

Be careful since the trucks overtake each other unexpectedly and might just block your way.

Day 1:

Left Bangalore at 6:00 AM sharp.

Had breakfast on the way at Shree Vrindhavan. (decent food..not that great) 

Horrible Sambar

Road till chitradurga is good since its a national highway.

Road till Chitradurga

Really Great Sunflower Fields on the Way

Reached Hampi by 1:00PM

Stayed at Vijayshree Heritage Resort. Its was an epic find. Its an entire rajasthani style village near hampi.

It has a really warm feel to it. Me being from Rajasthan really felt at home. And don't think that this is just a bad attempt at depicting Rajasthan in South India. It authentic. All the people working here , from the servants to the owner are all from Rajasthan so you will be given a proper rajasthani welcome with a pooja thali and garlands as soon as you enter.

This place is spread in a huge area and everyday evening there are rajasthani folk shows including tight rope walker, Cart rides, Puppet Shows, Folk dances, the whole shabang.

The rooms here are all individual huts with all facilities provided.

After reaching there and settling in the room we went from there to explore around

Sight Seeing

Virupaksha Temple

View of Virupaksha Temple from the Top

 Virupaksha Temple is the main center of pilgrimage at Hampi and has been considered the most sacred sanctuary over the centuries. It is fully intact among the surrounding ruins and is still used in worship. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Virupaksha, as the consort of the local goddess Pampa who is associated with the Tungabhadra River.

This temple is considered to be built somewhere around the 7th century and it initially started as a small shrine only to be later developed into a marvellous temple under the reign of the Vijaynagara rulers. Several evidences found in the temple indicate towards the fact that a lot of additions were done in the temple during the late Chalukya and Hoysala periods.

Although this amazing temple lost most of its wonderful decorative structures and creations during the 1565 war, worship here kept on persisting. This temple finally received a major overhaul and renovation at the beginning of the 19th century in order to keep it under working condition and to salvage its structure, artistic elements and aesthetics.

Triple Shivlinga

Reached the hotel back before sunset.

Rajasthani Thali

Had authentic Rajasthani thali at the resort for dinner. (Ghee Overload).Amazing daal baati and churma.

DAY 2:

Left the resort a bit late around 10:00AM and went for Sight Seeing.

Hampi Baazar

Hampi Bazaar is located in front of the Virupaksha Temple in Hampi. 
About a kilometre long, the bazaar is lined with a series of granite pavilions, some of them two storied. These structures were once part of a thriving market belonging to the Vijayanagara Empire.
All of these pavilions have been encroached upon and converted into shops, restaurants, and homes. Many guest houses can also be found in the Hampi bazaar area, mainly catering to backpackers. There are numerous shops that sell items like ethnic clothes, bags, and religious artefacts and this is also a good place to buy souvenirs. A photo gallery in the bazaar displays photos of the monuments in Hampi which were taken by Alexander Greenlaw in 1856.
Now the entire stretch in front of the temple has been razed to the ground, leaving hundreds of people with no means of livelihood.
The monolithic Nandi, Virupaksha Temple and the Hemakuta Hill are situated at a walking distance from Hampi Bazaar.
The bazaar is a perfect place for morning walks and also the ideal place where you can spend quality shopping time with your loved one. 

Krishna Temple

Balakrishna temple is a famous temple located in Hampi. Built by king Krishnadevaraya in 1513, this temple is a part of the Hampi ruins today. The main deity of the temple was Lord Krishna as an infant (Balakrishna). The original idol of the deity is now on display in the state museum at Chennai. 
One of the must see sites of Hampi, the Balakrishna temple, enthrals both the devotees and the tourists alike. The ruins tell the story of the grandeur of Indian Architecture of yore. A major attraction here is the carvings of epics on the temple walls. 
The best time to visit Hampi is during the months of October to March when the climate would be pleasant. 

Old Ruins on top of the Hill

Amazing Place to relax near Hampi Bazaar

Largest Monolithic Bull

Left Hampi for bangalore around 2:00PM

Reached Bangalore around 8:30 PM.

Traffic at Hampi

Advice - Do not go on any festival or else you will spend the majority of your time in traffic(like me). I went around sankranti and had to suffer the wrath of hampi's small jam packed roads.

Best way to cover Hampi is on Foot. Once you reach Virupaksha Temple , then everything around there can be covered on foot. Just have your running shoes on and a lot of water.Pack light and wisely.

Final Verdict

Its a great place to visit. Its a piece of history and for all the photographers out there , this is heaven.

There are so many vantage points from where you can click the entire landscape. The sunset and sunrise are epic here.

Also there are a lot of bicycle tours that happen here. I would recommend you do those as they are done early morning and they are not very expensive.

All in all a must visit place.