THE PLANNING After lots of careful planning, I had started the road trip to cover the entire coastal Karnataka till Karwar. I cover...

THE PLANNING

After lots of careful planning, I had started the road trip to cover the entire coastal Karnataka till Karwar. I covered Kushalnagar, Bekal, Udupi, Mangalore, and Malpe in my first 4 days. Please read the first part of the blog to get details.

Day 1: KushalNagar

Day 2: Bekal Fort

DAY 3 & 4: Malpe Udupi and St. Mary Island

Day 5: Wednesday, 28th December 2016ROUTE: Malpe-Murudeshwar-GokarnaTravel time: 3-5 hours from Malpe, 8 hours from Bangalore

BREAK POINT: MURUDESHWAR

I guess this stretch of the road trip has been covered by many fellow bloggers as Gokarna has emerged as a beautiful alternative to Goa with all its beautiful beaches minus the crowd. So if you are of the type who just wants to start the day with Surya Namaskar in a peaceful tranquil place Gokarna is your answer. Our plan was to start from Malpe beach and head to Gokarna.

Murudeshwar Beach

This side of the world even during December was having hot mornings and cool evenings, so we were starting after breakfast so that the hottest part of the day could be covered in the car. The only exception we made was for Murudeshwar. In spite of all glossy pictures of the tallest Shiva statue, I have heard this is not a place to stay and surf. Hence the plan was to visit it en route before heading to Gokarna. The road to the place is well marked and in good condition. Many places road widening exercise is in full flow but alternate routes have been marked not to cause traffic snarls.

Gopuram

We reached Murudeshwar around 10 am and after searching for a place to park our vehicle finally got down. By this time the sun was brilliantly lit and making sure we were getting a complimentary tan. We had great expectation for this place with all those postcards of Lord Shiva idol sitting next to the sea. And well as soon as you set foot at this place you start feeling the mismanagement/over-commercialization of the place. Commercial vehicles and Tour Buses are haphazardly parked everywhere and the ground is covered with throwaway garbage like bottles plastic and what not. You can not walk barefoot just because of lack of cleanliness.

Lord Shiva

Although things get better once you enter the temple premises as you are not supposed to take your shoes as expected. Just be aware that the place officially designated for shoes just in front of the Gopuram(Entrance Gate) is quite far from steps leading to Shiva temple. But having said that the Gopuram itself is a very impressive structure and is adorned by two huge Elephant statues right and left. There are some very intricate carvings and the height itself adds to the glory.

Once you walk towards the main premise you can visibly notice the place needing some more cleanliness. There are not many steps to the top but in hot weather, with no respite for sun, it was a bit difficult although not impossible. We reached the top and I agree the view itself is excellent with Gopuram and sea beach completing the postcard picture. There are other idols like Sun chariot in distance. We could see one well-maintained resort nearby and would be an ideal location to stay if at all you are planning to.

View from Top

The best view is through at the back side of the temple from where you get the full view of accompanying Sea. Water everywhere with boats floating here and there taking you to a panoramic view. There are a tunnel-like entrance and two more temples on the same campus. We sat there for some time to recharge as there was a cool sea breeze at this height giving a much-needed respite from the scorching sun. Still, before starting, we had some coconut water and ice cream. There were some small restaurants nearby but they were not looking very appealing so we ditched them.

BREAK POINT: MARAVANTHE BEACH

We kept on moving at a good pace till we hit the maravanthe beach road. One of the few roads in India that run parallel to sea and river on either side. there are many small places to park and eat here and should be tried just to enjoy the beauty. Although we were in for a disappointment as we were able to watch the only seaside view, the riverside view was blocked by a flyover construction that is happening at this place. For all of the travel enthusiasts, I really pray the construction company does not end up spoiling the exquisite beauty of the one of the kind place.The road after this stretch started turning hilly and greener and it was really a pleasure to drive amongst them.

We had touched 6 pm by now and sunset has begun giving us some real wow moments. Although the road is very narrow and you should not stop on the way but we could not resist the temptation and ended up stopping and staring the painted canvas of red and orange skyline. We were touching Gokarna village now and could see everyone busy with their own activities. Our stay Kudle beach view resort was still ahead and through the winding road that lay in front we kept on moving in an idyllic manner. There is no street light in these stretches so be careful while driving.

WHERE TO STAY IN GOKARNA

We actually missed our right turn for resort and ended up going towards the most famous Namaste Cafe. Google maps corrected our path and we really had to struggle in taking a U-turn in dark. Anyway, we finally reached our place and wow what a view was waiting for us there. The Kudle beach view resort is rated as the best place to stay in the vicinity and it completely lives up to that. We won't say that at the price we have not seen better resorts but at least in Gokarna, this is the best you can get. The reception and restaurant are very basic and all the rooms are situated below like a terrace garden. Our rooms came up with a portico and garden with chairs facing the world famous cliff beach of Kudle. The rooms itself as done very tastefully with a fully stocked bathroom with 24 hours hot and cold water.

The only issue is food as they will take orders in advance at night if you want to have your food in rooms. They have Russian friendly breakfast buffet it seems lots of Israeli and Russians frequent this area. There is an open yoga arena as well coupled with Spa. The spa is very much in demand here so do book your slots in advance else you might not get one. After the refreshing bath, we ended up having a decent dinner at room and cozy up sipping and talking late at night amidst cool night breeze.

BREAK POINT: KUDLE BEACH

The morning was more tranquil as with the sunrise came the view. The view made us get up and run towards the beach. Ok, now one important point the resort does not have a dedicated path to the beach as it is situated at some height from the sea beach. You will have to walk up towards the main reception take a left till you reach the end of the road near a hillock and again take left. You will find lots of auto and cars parked there.

The path is a bit rocky but comfortable still. It's covered in the canopy of trees and you will be welcomed by different bird sounds throughout. We managed to see many colorful and unique birds in the bushes. The steps finally open up near a beach shack and here it is the kudle beach a semi-circular beach with calm waters being guarded by cliffs from both sides.

This beach is kid friendly and you can happily let them play with your watchful eyes. I and my daughter ended up spending hours in the sand, water, and sun. Awesome place period. It was 7 am now and the place had the only handful of people mostly westerners either taking morning run or practicing yoga. Some of them were just enjoying the sun. You can literally spend your days here doing nothing and relaxing. As I said the most wonderful part of the trip.

I can now understand why this place was once a hippie paradise, where else do you get a place which is beautifully soaked in sun and yet to so disconnected from rest of the world. around 9 we finally started our journey back as we were really hungry after been in the water for so long. The sandal got dried and dusted off by the time we reached back. The buffet spread was very basic but still warm and good. Maybe it was the after-effect of the kudle beach we were not in the complaining mode for anything. After a long time, we were happy and content both. Once you become close to nature you come close to finding your own innermost sanctum of peace and harmony.

There is a small hillock nearby Kudle beach from where you get amazing views of the sunset, a must go place to have a perfect end to a perfect day. It's walkable distance forms the kudle beach resort and should not be missed. Overall a wonderful stay and we really didn't want to end but here it was the last day here.

PLACES WE MISSED

We could not cover two items here one was Paradise beach as it requires to go via ferry which operates only during the day. Also, camping gears are available for night camp at half moon beach if you want to stay under the star and hearing the seawater crash at your feet. My hotel staff told me about a bird sanctuary nearby that has some 200 variety of bird sightings recorded. So nature lovers there is something for everyone here and that too as if you are having a personalized package provided by nature. We did not have time for them so ended up exploring the neighborhood.

BREAK POINT: GOKARNA OM BEACH (Thursday, 30th December 2016)

In the next morning, we headed for Om beach the most famous of all due to its unique shape that resembles the auspicious universal sound called OOM. This place is also famous for the Namaste Cafe situated at the banks which serve some amazing sandwiches and drinks. They will play perfect host for any custom orders if you give them enough time. As compared to Kudle beach this beach has more waves and is more fun for adventure. Again unlike Goa you can always find one corner for your group away from all others and could reflect solemnly if that is what you want.

OM beach

This beach has some amazing rock formations that give this place a unique ambiance. Just next to the cliff at the end of this beach is Half Moon beach but to reach there you would either have to trek or move back and take full reroute. The fun fact all the beaches including Kudle, Om, Paradise, Half Moon are all connected via a moderate trek through forest and is really an awesome way to explore the place if you are physically fit.

My travel Buddies

But there is a high chance of getting lost so do take some guidance from a nearby shack or your hotel. Finally, after breakfast, we started with a heavy heart to the next destination of the small port town of Karwar.

TIPS

1. Once you make the turn towards kudle beach there will be very less cell reception and people to guide you to correct path, so travel within sunlight.

2. No food service except for hotel where you stay

I finally set off on this most remarkable journey of my life spread over 7 days. Read it on below links Day 1 - kushalnagar Day 2 - ...

I finally set off on this most remarkable journey of my life spread over 7 days. Read it on below links

Day 1 - kushalnagar
Day 2 - Bekal Fort

So my travelogue enters day 3 and 4 in a beautiful places called malpe and udupi and an unforgettable St. Mary's island. Some serenity and inner peace is what we all desire and this looked like the one place where we should get it.

Day 3: (Monday 26^th December, Bekal-Malpe, travel time – 3 hours)

This was one part of the journey that was supposed to be full of pit stops and it did live up to its expectation. So as per plan we started off early and headed to the first stop on the way a place called endpoint, this is a park inside Manipal University Township and has some amazing views of the river saraswati and the valley below. But alas as we reached a bit earlier than usual business hours the entry was closed. Saddened we pulled back and headed towards Mangalore. As soon as the city limits start you can make out the prosperity of this township. Compared to Bekal it is Manhattan of sorts.

Mangalore has a number of beaches namely, the Ullal beach, the Panambur beach, the Taneerbhavi beach, the Kapu beach and the Someshwara beach. The beaches of the city are the best places for sightseeing in Mangalore. Each beach has a unique experience to offer and this is what makes them so popular with tourists. 

Kaup Lighthouse Beach (source: Internet)

The best of the lot is Kapu beach although we reached the place during day could feel how photogenic it will be during sunset. Actually, a word of advice here all the beaches in coastal Karnataka have an awesome view of sunset not the sunrise so plan accordingly. We just did a pit stop at these places and kept on moving ahead. Having all these places on the same road makes it very easy to roam around. 

Paradise Isles beach Resort

Our place of stay was not Udupi town but Paradise Isle beach resort located 12 Km away facing the Malpe beach. The entry to the place is barricaded and only if you tell the guards that you are going to the hotel will they allow the car to pass. The place is very well maintained and has full beach view from all the rooms of first floor facing the road. Don’t forget to book deluxe room on the first floor to actually enjoy the view.

Malpe beach Sunset

We reached the place and after having a late lunch headed for the beach. The beach is a bit crowded and you will always find buses full of school kids doing day excursion here in the evening. The solution to this is going left towards the beach area where less crowd goes and enjoy the sun. The orange sun at sunset took us to a virtual dream world. It was a spell bounding moment the one which inspires poets and writers. The beach is empty after sunset and we ended up playing in sand long time at night. The place is active until 9 pm with lots of eateries and game shops nearby. They have beach cricket and volleyball options at very nominal rates.We had some street food and then headed late into hotel for the first night stay. We had planned to stay here for 2 nights as we wanted to keep one day just for St Mary Island. 

Day 4: (Tuesday 27^th December, Malpe-Udupi)

Next morning as we woke up we saw the beach in its full gory with no one there to disturb the peace. The restaurant is glass paneled and we had a sumptuous breakfast there enjoying the beach view. Total Paisa Vasool. After inquiring from Hotel we came to know that there are two places the boat to island leaves and luckily for us one of them was just a few meters from us. You need to keep going right and you will find a beach hut selling tickets for the place Rs 300 PP. There are many water sports activity also happening here with banana ride, para sailing, and speed boat. 

After waiting for some time our boat finally arrived and we headed for the Island. We had seen some pictures of the place and it looked appealing with lots of rock formation amidst sea and were pretty excited to reach here. As you start from Malpe the water color starts to change towards St Mary. Finally the jetty we arrived was as if someone has put turquoise blue color in the sea and painted brown symmetrical rocks everywhere to add to its beauty. This place should be in the same lines as of Bali but in a way it’s good that it has not become so famous. This allowed us to each pick one spot on the beach as our personal space. The island is not very large and you can cover end to end within few hours. 

Just one thing beware of jellyfishes here, they are very dangerous especially if you put your feet over them. One of the children actually was saved in nick of time when he was about to step on one of them. The boatman ended up killing the same I finally saw one up close and the name Jelly Fish is apt that’s all I can say. Oh forgot to mention carry your food and water here there is no place to eat here. The boat have no particular time and you can take any one to go back to civilization.

After lunch we decided to head towards the temple town of Udupi. Udupi is the religious capital of Karnataka and is actually is credited for giving Udupi cusine to the world. We parked the car near Shri Krishna Mutt parking space and started walking towards the temple square. We were right on time as Lord Krishna procession was just about to start. The idol is kept on the palaki and with the chants of priest and public goes around the area to finally end at the the same place. It was an awesome sight and we were feeling really blessed to have witnessed the same. The Krishna Matha was founded by the Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhwacharya in the 13th century. He was the founder of the Dvaita school of Vedanta. It is believed that Madhwacharya found the murti of Sri Krishna in a large ball of gopichandana. As told by Sri Madhwacharya, the murti is placed Pashchimabhimukha(West facing). All the other idols in other Ashta mutts are facing Western side as well.

A famous story is once Kanakadasa, a pious worshiper and devotee of Lord Krishna, was staying in a makeshift hermitage in front of Krishna mutt. Despite him being an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, he was not allowed to enter the temple as he was an untouchable. However, pleased with his devoutness, the idol facing the direction of east turned to west and there was a crack in the wall wide enough for Kanakadasa to have darshana of the murti. Even today the devotees worship Lord Krishna through this window. It is known as Kanakanakhindi, and is decorated by an arch named after him.

The temple opens by 5.30 in the morning. The unique feature of the temple is that the deity is worshipped through the silver plated window with nine holes (Navagraha kindi).The temple also offers prasadam (lunch) in the noon and I heard from friends it’s really very yummy. This is also the same place where you have awesome Neer dosa and GUDBUD ice-cream both of which are not to be missed delicacy. Once the place closed we headed back to Malpe where the night again was spent playing beach ball with my kid. Overall the best part of the stay till now. Content we slept for the next part of our journey to begin tomorrow towards Gokarna, the part which we were most excited about.

TIPS

1. The place is pre dominantly vegetarian because of tempes.

2. Must Try GUD BUD icecream and Neer Dosa

3. The place does not have supermarkets so carry not so common items from Bangalore

4. Fir Kids carry powder milk and tetra packs from Bangalore as they are not so common

I have been living in Karnataka for almost 4 years now and have travelled a lot on weekend trips near Bangalore. But longer holidays were...

I have been living in Karnataka for almost 4 years now and have travelled a lot on weekend trips near Bangalore. But longer holidays were normally destined for long hauls. This time the plan was to keep it simple, a road trip covering the entire coastal Karnataka till Karwar. So on the eve of Christmas, I finally set off on this most remarkable journey of my life spread over 7 days.

Please read Day 1 - kushalnagar adventures here.

Bekal Fort Wall

The next leg of the journey took us to Kerala backwaters and beach destination of Bekal. Although not part of Karnataka this was almost at the border and we thought of it to be a good chance to capitalise on seeing the place as we were passing so close to it. It is a small town that has a beautiful sea facing Fort, a unique backwater, and some very clean beaches. A multipurpose destination that is not there is any mainstream tour plan.

Day 2: (Sunday 25^th December, Kushalnagar –Bekal, 
travel time- 4 hours)

Bekal beach

We started after breakfast and took the Madikeri route and wow what a beautiful route it turned out to be. There were places so densely covered with trees that we had to switch on our headlights. Our next destination was Bekal. The credit for finding this place goes to my wife who while browsing found out about this beautiful place where the shooting for Tu Hi Re song was done (remember the fort where Manisha Koirala is running towards Aravind Swami). The place is not found on any tourist map maybe because the place has not been promoted well. 

WHERE TO STAY 

There is hardly any good hotel here except Taj Vivanta and Lalit which does not cater to Budget travelers. Although not taking anything away we did visit Taj Vivanta and the property location itself makes it worth the bucks along with the service. Bekal beach is within walking distance and that is where we headed. Few words of advice here, though, first as soon as you leave NH and turn towards the Bekal road around 5 KM road is in a very bad state filled with potholes and the driving of buses and autos in the area make things worse if you are driving your own vehicle. Secondly don’t blindly trust google maps here, the routes are not mapped properly and many times we ended up at alleys where there was no further way. So lesson learned is to look for road signs more than your google map.

BREAKPOINT: BEKAL FORT

Sunrise@Bekal Fort

The Fort itself opens at 8:30 am so plan accordingly. We reached early and ended up clicking the picture of a group of youngsters who like us were waiting for the fort to open. Finally, it opened at 8:30 a and we entered the fort walls. Once you enter after going few hundred meter turn right and proceed on till you reach the paved road. If confused don’t forget to ask. As there is no marking inside the fort for this place where the shooting of movie Bombay happened and which is the best place to feel the sea waves kissing the fort wall we ended up wandering around the place fully exhausted in the summer heat. 

Shooting Spot

The place itself has been well maintained with lawn and red stones. There used to be an excellent resort called nirvana@bekal which was next to the fort but it seems they have closed for good. Beside fort, there is a famous church nearby but it could be skipped if you don’t have time. This place has a hidden wonder of sorts in terms of being the twin of Kerala Backwaters near Poovar. There are many boat service here that will take you to multiple cruises, the most famous being the Sunset cruise. It’s a beautiful journey amidst all those lush green stretch of trees and water. 

Ananthapura Lake temple

We also visited Ananthapura lake temple. Ananthapura Lake Temple in Kasaragod, built in the 9th century, is the only lake temple in Kerala and is the moolasthanam (original abode) of Ananthapadmanabha, the deity of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is reachable only by a bridge. A crocodile at the temple pond said to be 150 years old, is a major attraction. 

TIPS

1. The Fort opens at 8:30 am only
2. As soon as you enter the fort and find the first unpaved road to right, take it as although unamrked it will take you to the TU HI RE movie spot.

I have been living in Karnataka for almost 4 years now and have travelled a lot on weekend trips near Bangalore. But longer holidays wer...

I have been living in Karnataka for almost 4 years now and have travelled a lot on weekend trips near Bangalore. But longer holidays were normally destined for long hauls. This time the plan was to keep it simple, a road trip covering the entire coastal Karnataka till Karwar. So on the eve of Christmas, I finally set off on this most remarkable journey of my life spread over 7 days. 

St. Mary Island

The Karnataka coastline stretches to 300 km from Mangalore in the Dakshina Kannada district to Karwar in the Uttar Kannada district. There are several beautiful beaches along this coastline that attract tourists from all over the country and the world. Normally I have found blogs talking about people making trips like Bangalore-Udupi or Bangalore-Gokarna which always meant a straight 8-hour car ride. I wasn’t ready for that. I had a baby traveller and hence wanted the entire plan broken down into small hops. For ease of reading, I will break it up on day wise.

Travel Date: Saturday 24^th, 2017, 
Route: Bangalore – Kushalnagar, Travel time = 6 hours

Cost: Budget-friendly hotels

BREAK POINT: Golden Monastery

Golden Monastery

The early morning start at 5 gave us a good opportunity to cover a fair distance in short time. As customary we stopped in between to have tea. We wanted to see Golden Monastery in the early hours before heading towards the hotel. The journey time was around 6 hours although the road conditions throughout were fine. This Tibetan settlement at Bailkoppa or Baylkuppe is the second largest Tibetan settlement outside Tibet. There are over 7,000 monks and students at the Tibetan monastery.

40 feet Lord Buddha

The 40 feet tall golden Buddha statues are the major attractions of the Monastery. The statues of Buddha, Padmasambhava, and Amitayus are the notable ones. The walls of the temples and the institutions are decorated with colourful paintings depicting gods and demons from Tibetan Buddhist mythology. The altar is decorated with flowers, candles and incense sticks. This was more of a pit stop rather than an actual destination but it provided us with a good break.

BREAKPOINT: NISARGADHAMA

Hanging Bridge

The major attraction of Kushalnagar is Nisargadhama. It is a small island in Kaveri River which has been converted into a small park cum zoo. The ticket cost is very nominal around 20 rs. The place became very crowded within few hours so it was good on our part to come just after lunch here. The entry is through a hanging bridge and has steps leading you to the boating place. Even though it was very sunny outside the trees and thick bamboo groves were giving much-needed shade. 

Kaveri

The place is enjoyable for kids as it has enclosures with animals like rabbit, birds, and deer. Saw signs of Elephant Park but could not find them. Don't compare it with a big zoo but its still a nice place to explore. There are many tree houses spread across the park and you can use anyone you like for a good top view of the place. Don't forget to walk till the end where you have deer cages. It’s a delight to see Kaveri up close and personal nestled among trees with minimal daylight. The place is full of rocks with water flowing gently over them giving you enough place to sit, play and dip your feet in the water.

WHERE  TO STAY

We stayed at Palm Era Resorts, which is situated in a large property almost opposite to Nisargadhama Kaveri. A beautiful and well-kept resort just next to the main road. We spent few hours there and then headed back to the hotel. The evening was spent at the resort having Christmas dinner around the fireplace alongside a very excited group of kids dancing to the tunes. The weather by this time has turned cold and everyone was huddled to the warmth of the fire. 

WHAT TO SEE

The other important place to visit here is Dubare elephant’s camp where you can watch elephants taking bath and playing with each other under the watchful eyes of the custodian or Mahavat as they are locally called. Full points for being a good place to relax and unwind for a short break near Bangalore.

Please read the following links if you want to read more about coastal karnataka.

Day 2 - Bekal Fort
Day 3 and 4: Malpe, St Mary Island and Udupi

TIP

1. The place remains hot and humid almost throughout the season so take AC rooms.

2. Nisargadhama is an animal zoo of sorts so choose either early morning or evening to enjoy the place.

This was the second day of my weekend Trip to Lepakshi, gandikota and Belum. Any of the three could well be converted into a one-day sol...

This was the second day of my weekend Trip to Lepakshi, gandikota and Belum. Any of the three could well be converted into a one-day solo trip if you are up for some drive. To read about first stop read the blog Part 1 - Lepakshi: Hidden Gem Part I, Part II : Grand canyon of India: Gandikota or for full transcript read Weekend drive: Lepakshi, Gandikota and Belum Caves. Belum cave is one of the most well-maintained caves in India and was always on the list of places to visit before you die checklist. Having covered the other two places yesterday we have kept Belum for the second day. So after relaxing in Haritha resort for the night, we were ready for the return to Bangalore.

Belum cave Entrance and Exit

The morning we got up and started at 8 am deciding to skip breakfast in Hotel but trying out something good on the road. Monumental mistake to the level of awesomeness of GandiKota, being a small town there was hardly any restaurant open at this time or maybe the people wanted to laze around on a Sunday morning. So we kept on driving empty stomach munching biscuits and cakes that we had packed for snacks. Savouring each of them and looking out of place to eat we detour to a resort based on google selection, but no joke was still on us, the entire place was booked for some political meeting and lots of people with big flags furling everywhere were gathered at the gate. We cursed under our breath and took a U-turn to meet a random Police check. Police guy was looking for something which they didn't find on us and ended up opening bags of diapers and baby milk. 

Anyways good news was that we were only 30 min of our destinations and there would be restaurants open there as confirmed by the inspector. We were so hungry that we were not even enjoying the amazing roads we were travelling. Unlike GandiKota road to Belum is well laid out and with good markings throughout. We found many school buses doing local excursion tours to the place. As soon as we reached the place the debate was on should we eat first and then go and visit the caves or first visit the caves and then eat so that we can do brunch and save some time as it was already 11 am. 


But the rumbling in my stomach convinced everyone that it has to be food, the restaurant inside Belum cave campus opens very late but luckily there are small places just at the gate that serve some basic south Indian delicacies. We settled on paratha, dosa and alu ki sabji all tasting amazingly fresh and tasty. I still don't know who was happier the shop owner for we being the first of the tour group or us devouring everything he said is available. After a smiling stomach, we entered the cave. There are few steps which lead you the cave and after that, it stretches for around 2 km. 



There is only a common entry and exit so walk to the limit you can come back as inside it becomes kind of claustrophobic as there is no natural ventilation but only artificial pumps taking care of letting fresh air inside. As you will go inside you might feel a bit light headed and getting tired soon. So be careful. But back to the cave in itself, it’s another wonderful creation of nature. The government has done some good work here for the 50 Rs ticket they charge as the area is well lit and aired. Even the paths have been made in such a way that you can walk easily. Even my kid was running on her own most of the parts. You should definitely go there at least once to get the feel of cave living.

Again after some heavy dose of picture clicking, we started back, where we found a storm of kids from the excursion tour of some local school. My kid became the instant hit among the crowd as she was the youngest one roaming around the place on her own. She happily waved to all her fans and we too said silent byes to the two wonderful places that we explored. Both of its own kind but worth a visit to see nature at its most creative mood. Savouring all the moments we stormed back in the setting sun to the blaring headlights of Bangalore (No in Bangalore we the car owners don’t know how not to use high beam!#$@#$) as we neared home tired but enthralled.

 But even before entering Bangalore had a flat and while changing the tyre in mid afternoon we understood how much our car was saving us with its AC running to the full. Finally, we managed to change the tyre and reach till a puncture shop. The guy was very welcoming and by the time he fixed the tyre we had a nice lunch in a hotel nearby. Simple but very tasty food. Delighted we finally started back to the end of the trip planning for the next one.

Tips: 

1. Take good amount of food with you as you will find nothing on long               stretch.

2. Caves could feel a bit claustrophobic so take precaution

5. If you want to stay in Haritha Gandikota do booking at least a month in         advance on aptdc official website.

Date of Travel: 19-20 November 2016 Time taken: 6 hours from bangalore cost: hotel cost 3000 per night, food no...

Date of Travel: 19-20 November 2016
Time taken: 6 hours from bangalore
cost: hotel cost 3000 per night, food nominal charge, no entry charge

Granary

THE PLANNING

The plan was to start early at 5 am on Saturday towards GandiKota with an intermediate break at lepakshi followed by Belum Caves. We surprisingly did manage to be ready sharp at 5. My kid seemed happy about getting up in the early hour, a good Omen of things to come. We were driving a TUV- Mahindra so we were not afraid of any potholes as we heard many stretches of AP State highways were being worked on. We took the outer ring road to reach the airport and then the NH-44 going towards Nandi hills. We covered good ground and had crossed Nandi hills in about one and half hour. 

Water Pond

Suddenly out of nowhere, a mist started forming on the roads, initially, we thought of it as smoke as Bangalore is not so chilly these days. But as we progressed we had to switch on our fog lights and the drive speed fell below 40 kmph. As the stretch is clear of any living population so the entire area was looking as if we are in by lanes of Ooty. My baby was full awestruck to even talk as she hadn't seen such a fog in her small life. We were also enjoying the beauty but were only worried about time. Luckily though it lasted for only around half an hour and then we zoomed past to Gandikota.

To read about first stop read the blog Part 1 - Lepakshi: Hidden Gem Part I or for full transcript read Weekend drive : Lepakshi, Gandikota and Belum Caves

As we continued on the stretch a fort wall came in the picture with a board confirming that it was our destination of GandiKota. No one was there to tell where to go next so we followed some car to enter the fort, it is a stony patch of road which continues till back side of the wall via a small establishment of people. Because of morning domestic animals like hen, dogs were all marching ahead of us and we were trying not to hit any of them. 

Soon the road ended and we parked our vehicle at one end. Again as no one is there to tell which route to take we followed a group of local people. There were few old ladies selling nuts at one of the steps and showed us to take the steps and move toward some granary buildings nearby. These all buildings look like old storehouse and also houses a JAIL here. In front of JAIL building, there is a beautiful pond having lots of steps o reach the water that is not worth use, Though be careful with it though as the path is not very well maintained and is also made of stone blocks. 

As we continued on the same path the mountain cliff started showing in the background. It’s a small walk of 500 meters but still be careful as it is made of stone only. Once you enter the cliff region you know you are entering a different world with all stone lying on each other as if someone has chiseled them and put them on top of each other to create a huge castle of sorts, that too all in red the same stone which has been used to make Red Fort maybe. 

Way to Gorge viewpoint

We excitingly pushed on keeping our breath close as we know this place has taken the breath out of many previous tourists. And well even the preserved breath found its way to skip as soon as we saw the gorge area. "PHEW" "WOW" "REAL??" all these questions if it comes to your mind join the group. It’s a place beyond explanation. Mesmerising to the core you can sit here without any sense of time. With the sunset, the whole place changes to god's place because only he can create beauty like this. You can stand on top of rocks feel like KING of the World or simply meditate and enjoy the serene unspoilt beauty of the place. 

Gandikota Gorge view

Though we didn't explore but there is a mild trek that can take you the bottom of the river for the adventurous types. 

WHERE TO EAT AND STAY

Now one word of caution here, the only hotel for the stay here is an APTDC Haritha hotel which is situated next to GandiKota fort but before booking it please ensure you have everything with you as for miles there is no shop. A better option could be staying at Kadapa which is the nearest town and has many options for stay and food.

Oh and yes they have ATMs which finally gave cash without any lines (For people who are unaware India is undergoing demonetization and all existing cash are null and void). As compared to metro cities there was no rush in front of ATM here and we merrily took out money from an SBI ATM. We stayed in Haritha Kadapa which was a basic hotel with average service but good food and dirt price liquor. Beat this Smirnoff listed price was 35 Rs along with Royal stag for 30 ml. The place in itself is very big with huge lawns and neat rooms. 

Tips: 

1. Take good amount of food with you as you will find nothing on long  stretch.

2. Carry your sun lotion, shades or umbrella if coming in afternoon as the   stone becomes very hot

3. Best time to come is early morning to see the Sunrise

4. If you want to stay in Haritha Gandikota do booking at least a month in advance on aptdc official website.