Have you been to Chikmagalur yet? Things to do, Places to see — Karnataka Hill Stations
If you have a sister then you will probably resonate with me when I say, it is one of the precious feelings of the world! Top it up with not one but two sisters, then you know life is everything easy and fun!
I am one of those lucky ones to have two of them — little sister that you know already (if you have read my previous blogs) and the other ‘amreekan’ one! I call her Amreekan, because she has been settled in US for quite some years now with no intention of homecoming. So whenever that she visits us, we make it a point to escape to the wonderland called Nature. Also when you have family gatherings or get-together’s, try moving away from the ‘regular’, the ‘known’ — this will bring you closer, this will make you go fonder. Family outings just refreshes you, it redefines ALL of you!
The last time, it was Chikmagalur for us. We took off on one long weekend to this place. Karnataka state in India has some beautiful hill stations and Chikmagalur is one the best ones. Located just 250 km from Bangalore, it is the most popularly visited weekend getaways for Bangaloreans and other nearby places. This place sums up as the perfect holiday destination by definition with pleasant weather, an amazing drive and coffee plantations. Legend has it that a Sufi pilgrim smuggled seven seeds of coffee in his belt while on his way back from Mecca and sowed them on the fertile lands of Chikmagalur. Thus came up this lush plantations of coffee in India.
We were five of us with and I had booked a car from the Zoomcar services in Bangalore. I am one of the early adopters of Car Rental companies and Zoomcar had been the top choice, up until sometime back, now I feel that their service quality is dropping. But that apart, by and large the car rentals are a favorable option for the ones who either do not want to take their car out for some reason or do not own a car. Having said that, the driving experience with my amreekan sister is always fun at a different level altogether! The occasional screams and squeals as the car passes by the stray cows, narrow lanes or unattended crossings is hilarious.
We started off at the wee hours and reached there by about 8am. There are plenty of stay options here and most of them offer beautiful view to your rooms. Check out Airbnb or Tripadvisor for recommended options. Chikmagalur means “youngest daughter’s village” in Kannada. Story goes something like the King gave this place off to the youngest daughter at her wedding as dowry. Must say the youngest daughter was quite lucky! Chikmagalur is famous for its waterfalls, trekking options and scenic pleasures. Hill stations such as Baba Budanagiri, Kudremukh, Mullayanagiri, Koppa, Sringeri, Balehonnur and Mudigere are all part of this place.
Be a little careful while driving around here, just like any of India’s other villages or remote set up. The roads are narrow two-lane driveways with unexpected and frequent animal or children intrusions. I had to brake suddenly as a mighty snake royally chose to cross the road without any prior notice to its admirers. The screeching sound and commotion freaked us all out, but thankfully I didn’t have any other car tailing me at that moment.
This place is nature’s paradise. There are beautiful mountains and valleys with picturesque landscapes. The highest peak in Karnataka called ‘Mullayanagiri’ is here. The height of this peak is close to 2000 metres and has amazing trekking trails. The plateaued mountain is a treat to the eyes. There is steady breeze that flows and during non-summer times it is pleasant and can be chilled too. Once at Mullayanagiri, you would not want to return home. We had a major debate on top about the name of this place. “Mullu” in kannada means thorns and “giri” means the mountain. Little sister is the urbane one with limited acquaintances to our roots (we are ‘Kannadigas’, meaning native Karnatakans) and language, so we had some tough time feeding logic and reasoning with the name and its origin.
2. Baba Budangiri
This was our favorite place. It is one of the popular tourist destination here and is known for its several mountain ranges. The range is quite wide and the first seed of coffee plantation was sowed in the Coorg region on this mountain. This place allows amazing sight seeing and trekking options. This is also called “Datta Peeta” or “Dattagiri”. There is a small shrine dedicated to the Sufi pilgrim and this temple also offers a breathtaking view of the valley below. The highest level is extremely windy and can be chilling cold. It is advisable to carry warm clothes and comfortable shoes for the high rise.
We had an amazing stay and the food at our Resort was also very homely. Usually when you are in any place in Karnataka, the food that you expect are the south indian delicacies like Dosas and Sambhar, but check with your resort owners if they are equipped to provide the food of your choice. While in Chikamagalur, a must visit for food can be the Town Canteen and the Food Palace. Each has its own legacy and unique offerings.
3. Kudremukha National Park
Located at an altitude of around 1800 metres above sea level, this place is about 100kms from Chikamagalur. Although I didnt cover this place while in our tour, I have read and heard good review of about the natural landscaping of this place. In Kannada, ‘Kudre’ means the horse and ‘Mukha’ means the face. Thus the name Kudre Mukha means like the face of a horse. There is a hill which is shaped like a horse’s face. Unlike most national parks in India, this is known for its pleasant climate even in the harshest of summers. The Kudremukh range was once declared a National Tiger reserve park. (Read here about my expedition to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve).
4. Hebbe Falls
I guess, this could be your favorite place if you visit Chikamagalur. With colorful scenery around this place looks like it is a set straight out of some movie or some artist’s landscaping. Coffee plantations around, think forestry and soothing calmness will be the much needed peace to your soul. The water in this waterfall is also infused with herbs and organic minerals, so bathing in this falls could be a good option. There are also some good homestays option close to Hebbe falls.
If you are interested in knowing how the coffee is produced and brewed, you are the right place. An initiative by the Coffee Board of India, you will get to know the history of Indian coffee, the legends, technological advancements in cultivation and marketing from harvesting to brewing. The ‘Coffee Yatra’ can be an interesting touring to the world of Coffee making. There is a nominal fee (less than INR 50 per adult) and the timings are between 10am to 1pm followed by 2pm to 5pm.
Commuting to this place is not that difficult. While, the way uphill can be tricky which is usually expected off any hill station. Nearest airport is Mangalore at around 150kms on the NH73. NH173 connects to Chikmagalur from Bangalore enroute Shimoga and Hassan. The whole trip costed me around INR 2500 per person inclusive of everything. :)
Evenings were very cold and misty. We had a beautiful bonfire lit for us and had a happy time discussing old times and talking about the Indian-American differences. :P All in all, it was one of the memorable trips. I always keep hoping, my stories will motivate you to keep exploring!.. Try make one soon.
Till next time.. just travel!
Cheers!
Sandy
