The Snake Charmer...!!

Near Rajghat, New Delhi. August 2009.

The Blue Vista...!!

Views captured from the top of North Cliff, Varkala. February 2009.

Serenity...!!

An evening sky over a serene lake in Malabar. This frame was captured from a moving train. May 2009.

6300 Feet Above Sea Level...!!

Beautifully nestled in the lovely Baba Budan Giri ranges of the Western Ghats is Mullayanagiri. At more than 6300 feet above sea level this is the tallest peak in Karnataka. An impromptu travel to Chikmagalur ended in us trekking this lovely peak. A 20 kms drive from Chikmagalur through the lovely coffee plantations and the winding roads lead us to the base of Mullayanagiri. The roads need a special mention here as they were narrow and the deep valleys looked scary.

The drive was quite adventurous with exceptional scenery all around. As we went higher, the lovely peaks of Baba Budan Giri spread out and the marvellous scenic view made the drive worth the risk. Though we were not interested in any treacherous trekking, we did climb up a couple of small hills to get better views of the wonderful landscape. The only colours that were visible were brown(of the hills), green(of the vegetation) and blue (of the clear sky).

A long ascend of more than 500 steps in a zig-zag manner took us to the top of Mullayanagiri. With the steps being cut out, it was comparatively an easy trek. However the blazing sun did not make things easy for us. A beautiful temple was peacefully perched atop the hill and the 360 degree view from top of the peak was breathtaking. The expansive landscape spread out below the clear blue sky  made for an enchanting view. 

The photo session and a visit to the temple was followed by the long trek to the base of the hill. Mullayanagiri is definitely a trekkers delight and the view from atop is sure to leave every single soul awestruck.

Signing Note : The highest point in Karnataka is definitely a delight for trekkers and photographers...!!

Distance- 265 Kms

Route- Bangalore- Kunigal- Hassan- Chikmagalur- Mullayanagiri

The Hue...!!

Sunset near Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai. March 2008.



Sakleshpur- A Sojourn Amidst Coffee Beans...!!

Running short of options for a weekend getaway is not so unusual and the situation was quite similar when we planned for one. A lot of googling led us to Sakleshpur, a small town in southern Karnataka, famous for coffee and pepper plantations. 20 kms away from this place lies a small home stay by the name Coffee Valley.

A train journey from Bengaluru landed us at the deserted Sakleshpur railway station at 4 am. That was indeed a spooky stay of almost half an hour before our pick up car came. With absolutely no trace of human beings around we found it to be quite adventurous. A bumpy and foggy ride through the coffee plantations to the home stay was exhilarating. Nestled beautifully amidst the coffee plantations and small hills, this cosy place is off the common travel routes and chances of you getting there without the owners help is highly unlikely. It was quite a foggy day with continuous drizzle and the whole place looked quite similar to the beautiful picturizations from the Kannada movie, Mungaru Male.

The hosts were very friendly and after a lovely coffee made from the beans from their plantation, we headed to our rooms. The rooms were situated behind the owners house. There were in total 4 rooms with all the facilities. After some tasty dosas, soft idlis, tangy chuntney and hot coffee for a mouth watering breakfast it was time to burn it down with a lovely walk through the coffee and pepper plantations. It continuously drizzled and the whole experience was quite romantic. Being situated amidst the plantations, all that we could see were coffee beans and pepper. It was wet, green, misty all around and the aroma of coffee beans and the spicy pepper was refreshing.

A short drive from there and we were deep inside the green hills with chilly weather and blood sucking leeches for company. A small trek through the semi-wilderness lead to a small temple on top of a hill. A couple of photo shoots later, we were further trekking up a hill. The mist had engulfed us by then and with the drizzle turning stronger we could hardly see anyone beyond a distance of 50 feet.

                           

The view from the top was absolutely stunning and the feel of getting drenched on top of a hill with just the mist surrounding us was bliss. Our host was quite helpful as he led us to all these unknown places. It neither looked touristy nor did it have any sort commercialisation. We just soaked into the natural surroundings and gaped at the mesmerising scenery. 

The hill we climbed

The trek down turned out to be with a lot of companionship in the form of leeches. With very few human beings around, they must have been quite surprised to find some tasty bloods walking around. A scenic return drive and we were back into the world of coffee and pepper. More lazy walks through the plantations, a sumptuous kannadiga lunch and it was time for a party in the wilderness. The night was chilly, windy and rainy. With pitch darkness outside, we were happy to enjoy the warmth of the rooms. 

Next day blossomed with some more refreshing coffee and a lovely chat with the owner about his plantations. The whole morning was spent listening to the birds chirping and the water droplets dripping. Any traveler who visits here would definitely pen down a few lines. After lunch it was time to pack, head back to bangalore and be content with the machine coffee. 

This is definitely an off-beat destination, with absolutely nil tourists, no view points, no famous waterfalls, no itineraries and no trekking routes. The attraction of Coffee Valley near Sakleshpur is that it is devoid of tourism activities and commercialisation. It is all about soaking into the aroma of coffee and enjoying the misty and wet climate of the western ghats. It is best reccomended to visit the place during the monsoon season.

Signing Note: Get soaked into the aroma of Coffee...!!


Route- Bengaluru- Kunigal- Channarayapatana- Hassan- Sakleshpur- Coffee Valley.
Distance- 250 kms

Deep into the Jungle...!!

Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Nagarhole. May 2010.

Sprinkling Over the Rocks...!!

Thirparappu waterfalls, Nagercoil. January 2008.

Swaying Palms and Floating Boats...!!

image courtesy- Kerala tourism

 On being transported from the world of traffic snarls, chaos, hectic work and continuous meetings to the world of lagoons and greenery, all of us stood awestruck when we entered one of the numerous houseboats parked on the very famous Vembanad Lake in Alappuzha. There are various types of boats like the 2 bedroom boats, 3 bedroom boats, boats with an upper deck, boats with A/C rooms etc. Everyday large number of such boats go on a lovely backwater ride with tourists gaping blissfully at the mesmerising scenery. Vembanad lake, the largest wetland ecosystem in Kerala has been the tourist hub of the state for past many years. Travellers from all over the world have a fascination for the renowned houseboat ride on this lake.

As we embarked on this quaint form of transportation, all that appeared in the vicinity were the numerous floating rice boats a.k.a kettuvelloms, the swaying palms on the banks, different varieties of birds and the placid lake. The boat propelled forward with no specific route (not for the driver though) over the massive water body which lay spread in all directions. Photo clicks, video shoots, blowing kisses at the gorgeous firangi women on other boats, trying a hand at driving the boat were some of the activities that we enjoyed during the initial 2 hours of our sojourn.

The well crafted boat sailed beautifully on the gleaming lake and went past the little villages, the tiny canals, the luring toddy shops and the green paddy fields. Due to the openness of the landscape, we were treated to some wonderful breeze under the hot sun which made us sway like the coconut trees on the banks. After a round of games that included cards and dumb charades it was time for some bacardi blasts and a sumptuous lunch. The lunch was prepared by the in-house cooks and the whiff in the air said it all. The mouth watering seafood delicacies were spread out and within a flash it was time to lick the fingers. 

As the blazing sun set, the gorgeous Kettuvellom was anchored to the shore.  In fact many other boats were also anchored at this place and it seemed the right spot for some village walks. We trod through narrow passages and went past the small houses besides the lake to go down into the paddy fields. The green blades of the paddy turned yellow with the sun setting beautifully in the background. A lovely walk on the narrow paths of the paddy field reminded me that the last time I did this was ages ago. All that I could see was the orange sun spreading its rays over the spread-out field. The rustic charm of the country side was clearly evident. A visual treat indeed!!

A visit to the villages of Kerala must include a visit to the toddy shops ( A big NO for the eves though). We however didn't venture into the shops but managed to get a few bottles of toddy. Toddy tastes best and fresh when it is had in the mornings. It turns sour as the day progresses. Nevertheless toddy is toddy and we happily gulped it down. Nestled nicely inside the comforts of the Kettuvellom, we stared at a few diminishing lanterns in the distance. These were either of the many anchored boats or of the houses besides the lake. That was in fact a very romantic sight. The place also had a small jetty and we had an extended photo session there.

A maverick dance (toddy does keep your spirits high) and a tasty dinner ended the day's itinerary. The anchored boat floated happily through out the night and we slept not so peacefully with horror stories and mosquitoes for companionship. The next day began with a typical Kerala cuisine for breakfast after which we were on our way back to the shores. It was one of the most laid back holidays with absolutely nothing to do other than staring at the floating waters,the swaying palms and taking in the fresh air amidst the green surroundings.
 

image courtesy- Kerala tourism

If you feel holidaying is all about just soaking yourself in natural surroundings while being floated around on a rice boat and eating some delicious sea food in Kerala style, I feel Vembanad Lake is the apt destination.

Signing Note: Life can't get lazier than this...!!

Route- Bangalore- Salem- Palakkad- Cochin- Alappuzha

Distance- 620 Kms

Coastal Circuit - Unplugged...!!

My longest bike trip was a solo ride of 5 days covering a distance of  more than 1500 kms through the western ghats and then along the coast of Karnataka. A lot of planning had gone into this big trip and I had all things(routes, accommodation etc) taken care of. On the D-day I left Bengaluru at half past seven(delayed by 2hours) in the morning and cruised on the lovely tarmac of NH-4 till Tumkur. From then on it was the NH-206 all the way till Honnavar. The single roads after Tumkur  were not so great compared to NH-4 but the landscaping made up or it. It was lush green all the way with very less traffic.


My frequent breaks in between were either at the Coffee days or the Kamats or in the middle of nowhere. During one such break next to a coconut grove, I had this good hearted stranger who called me inside his premises and offered me coconut water. Some strangers are seriously God send. He spoke to me a lot about himself, his land and his plantations. After bidding him goodbye I hit the road and vroomed towards Shimoga and further ahead to Sagar. After a quick lunch break at Shimoga, I was zipping away happily into the heart of western ghats. A beautiful winding road through the lush green forest with numerous streams and waterfalls took me past Sagar and then into the pothole filled ghats. From Sagar a 2km detour takes you to the world famous Jog Falls. As the sun set I crossed the ghat section and reached Honnavar. A right turn from this T-junction and I had Arabian sea on my left, the western ghats on my right, pitch darkness all around me and flashing headlights from opposite side. The roads were bad in patches and with no lights it was a bit scary and slow ride on NH-17. After a couple of stops to enquire about the direction to Gokarna, I at last got on to the deviation from the highway that would take me to the temple town. Gokarna is in fact 10kms off the NH-17 and a narrow, single and well tarred road took me deeper into darkness and loneliness. With very few people in the vicinity, there weren't much options for me, but to keep going on the same road.

The coconut man

Through the western ghats

After reaching Gokarna, I was in for further adventure as my accommodation was at Namaste Cafe on Om Beach, which is a further 6kms from Gokarna. A curvy road through the top of a hill with absolutely no living beings around and only the pulsar's roar for company made the ride quite a thriller. After a certain distance I could hear more roars, and definitely those were not of the engines. I was on top of a hill and the roar was of the sea. I could sense that I was riding very close to the sea and heard the waves rolling up to the shores; but what I saw was only pitch darkness. As I rode further with the Arabian beauty I saw the signage for OM beach and Namaste Cafe. The road ended at the entrance of Namaste Cafe. It was 8.30 in the night and I had rode for 13 hours and 525 Kms before reaching Om Beach in Gokarna.

Om Beach

Om Beach

Namaste Cafe is quite popular with travellers heading to Gokarna. Its a lovely beach cafe right on the Om Beach with a lot of shacks and rooms. The whole place has been carved out on a rock that leads down to the beach. An apt place for wanderers like me. However, there are numerous other shacks on OM beach. Gokarna is best known as a hippie's hangout and I wasn't surprised when I found so many scantily clad foreign nationals roaming around. Gokarna is also known to be home to the Halakki tribals, who go about doing their daily work in their traditional attire.

My trails

Gokarna boasts of five beautiful beaches of which a couple of them are completely secluded. After a tasty continental breakfast, I ventured out exploring the OM beach and Kudle beach. OM beach resembles the Hindu symbol OM and therefore gets the name. However only a helicopter view would give an exact OM symbol for the beach. Also the sea has taken away a lot of sand and rock and resemblance to the symbol has become more faint off late. The beach looked placid with a lot of rocks emerging from the waters, few cows roaming around, a couple of fishermen, a few bikinis, a gang of Buddhist monks and a couple of nomads. The beach has rocks jutting out from the waters in many places and these were definitely the best sunset view points. I walked the whole stretch of the beach towards south and found a few more shacks and restaurants. At one point the sea has encroached into the land and has formed a beautiful little lagoon. With absolutely nothing else to do, I chatted up with a few firangis, played in the waters and then headed back. Its in fact the best getaway for the lazy hearted.

Rocks on Om Beach

Beautiful lagoon next to Om Beach

From OM beach I trekked over the hills further north to Kudle beach. With not much signages, I was quite confused about the route and so was this beautiful lonely stranger, Freja from Sweden. We then trekked all the way together and ended up taking the wrong route. After a lot of treasure hunt we were back on the right track and walked up to the more tourist filled Kudle beach. Comparitively, Kudle beach was less rocky and had more family crowd than OM. Being on a beach is always incomplete without a bottle of beer and I entered a shack to get hold of one while Freja headed to the beach for a sun bath. Beer, Beach and Bikinis- now that is one cocktail which has no substitute. After her sun bath we had a beer chat w.r.t the best destinations in India, Swedish history and Gokarna. A lazy walk back and we were back in our respective dens.

Kudle beach

Kudle Beach

Freja Forslund on Om Beach

Sunset at Om

A splash and a dip in the waters of OM and some spectacular sunset views made the evening a memorable one. Frolicking in the waters all alone does seem quite odd for the onlookers but for a nomad like me, there is no better way to solitude. I climbed up a few rocks to have a few photo shoots of the setting sun and then it was time to sit on the beach, count the waves and stare at the horizon in absolute Nirvana. Life couldn't be more peaceful. A blissful day came to end with a wonderful dinner, a pleasant song in the back ground, the waves crashing on to the rocks in the foreground and a bottle of thirst quenching beer.

Kudle beach as seen from the top of the hills

Sunset at Kudle beach

The dawn breaks and I headed to Gokarna town with a ride over the hills. On my way I had this expansive valley next to me with he Kudle beach way down and the whole landscape looked like a smiley :). That was indeed a spectacular view. My first destination for the day was Murudeshwar, famous for its Shiva statue and temple. Cruising past the fishing hamlets of honnavar and kumta, I reached Murudeshwar in the hot and humid climate. The gopuram or the entry gate at the temple is a stunner, standing tall with carvings which are so intricate. Even more stunning was the massive statue of Lord Shiva which can be seen even from the national highway. The statue which is more than 120 feet tall is the second tallest Shiva statue in the world and is beautifully created just next to the sea. The Lord sitting besides the Arabian sea, towering over his devotees and blessing them is a sight to watch. After the temple darshan, it was time for fun and frolic. Murudeshwar beach has a lot of water sport options and one of them is water scooters which I had always wanted to ride. Hopped onto on one and off I went deep into the sea, with water gushing all over me. At one point I could see land far off and it was just the blue sea all around me. That was one hell of an adrenaline rush and its a must for all the adventure lovers.

Murudeshwar Temple

Murudeshwar beach

After a quick bite at the sea facing Naveen restaurant, I was out of Murudeshwar and through the dusty small town of Bhatkal, I headed further south on NH-17 to Ottinene sunset view point. A small dirt track off the highway led me to the viewpoint. I was awestruck at the breathtaking scenery and surprisingly the place looked deserted. Situated on a high plateau, it gives a mind blowing view of Baindoor beach way down and also of the beautiful river (I don't know her name) disembarking itself into the Arabian Sea. I had a wonderful feel of peace and serenity gazing at the picturesque landscape.  This beautiful view is famous for sunsets, however I was too early for the same.

Ottinene view point

A further 20kms from Ottinene and I was at Maravanthe. This is in fact a spectacular and rare scenery where national highway has the roaring Arabian Sea on one side and the serene Souparnika river on the other. The road  actually separates these two water bodies. A few kiosks is all what the neat and clean Maravanthe beach can boast of. A few photo shoots of the mesmerising view of the horizon made me realise that both the sun and the sea were deeply in love.

Maravanthe beach

From the abode of Lord Shiva I moved towards the abode of Lord Krishna. Udupi is supposedly where masala dosas trace back their roots to. Also famous for the renowned  Krishna temple, I rode further south to this temple town. A quick homage at the temple and I was off to Malpe beach. A westward ride of 8kms from Udupi took me to this local beach which had a lot of localites frolicking in the waters. This beach is also the entry point to St.Marys Island which is a boat's ride from here. I however decided to skip that and headed all the way back to Gokarna. With the setting sun for company, that was indeed a long, tiring and butt-breaking ride.

Malpe beach

After a good sleep and a much needed rest the previous night, the fourth day of my odyssey started with a visit to the Gokarna temple and the beach situated next to it. The beach looked quite dirty and had a lot of dogs and cows roaming around. A narrow winding route across the hills to the south of the beach leads to the Kudlee beach.  As far as the saying goes all pilgrims must have a dip in the sea before entering the temple. A crowded narrow street with small shops displaying religious paraphernalia all around lead me to the Mahabaleshwar temple. After taking the Lord's blessing I returned back to Namaste cafe.

Gokarna beach

After a  heavy continental breakfast, both Freja and myself walked down to the south of OM beach towards the hills. A half an hour trek over the hills lead us to the secluded and serene Half moon beach. The trek through the hills is a fabulous one with the rocks and sea giving company all the way through. On turning back to check the the route that had been taken, I was witness to some breathtaking scenery. Om beach looked stunning from the hills and the view of the expansive Arabian sea was a visual treat. Enroute we also saw this lone coconut tree jutting itself out from a hill with the sea in the background. The turquoise blue sea and the dark green hills made the landscape a photographers delight. Half moon beach is the ideal place for beach lovers in search of solitude. No shacks, no tourists and absolute serenity. However there were 2 bikini babes at this lovely beach before we arrived. The only thing that you can do here is to count the waves and go crab chasing. The beach is quite small and gets its name from the fact that it has the shape of a half moon. A must visit for all the people travelling to Gokarna. Do not miss this beautiful beach and the wonderful trek. A narrow path further  south of Half moon leads to Paradise beach. Due to the downpour the previous night, we were advised not to trek to this beach as the rocks could be quite slippery. That was quite disappointing and we trekked back to Om. With no road connectivity to Half moon beach and Paradise beach, the only options to reach them are either by trek or by boats. At OM beach there are boatmen who take you to both these beaches.

Half moon beach

Enroute half moon beach

Enroute Half moon beach

Om beach as seen from the hills

The last destination on this expedition was Karwar, the last major town on NH-17 before entering GOA. Freja was supposed to leave for Cochin the same night and we rode all the way from OM beach to Karwar on my super bike ( Freja wanted to know if owned a super bike. I gave her a wry smile and said that mine was definitely not a super bike, at least for everyone other than me. Its time for an R1, I suppose...!!). A gentle shower greeted us as we began our smooth ride to the port town of Karwar. We first went past the Karwar town and crossed Kali bridge. This bridge which is almost a kilometer long gives a panoramic view of the the beautiful sea. The Sadashivgad view point situated immediately after the bridge gives a mesmerising view of the sunset and also of the ferocious Kali river disgorging into the sensuous Arabian sea. A sight that left me awestruck. We also saw Devbagh island and Kurumbgad island far off in the sea, amidst the rays of the evening sun. 

Kali river bridge

Freja and RND

The Tagore beach in Karwar gets its name from the fact that Rabindrnath Tagore was quite impressed by this beach and had written his first play sitting on its shores. The sky looked quite colourful and the beach was swarming with evening walkers and kids all around. We had a quiet evening on the beach with vada pavs,pani puris and the setting sun. After bidding good-bye to Freja at the Karwar railway station, I returned back to Namaste Cafe.

Tagore beach

The final leg of my odyssey was from Gokarna to Bengaluru. This was the worst part of my travel as it was the most tedious and tiresome one of the lot ( At least thats what my heart said). Left Gokarna at  6.30 am and the same winding route through the western ghats and national highways 206 and 4 took me to Bengaluru. Reached home by 7.30pm.

Amidst all these exciting destinations I did miss out on a few of them:

1. Paradise beach (5th beach in Gokarna)

2. St.Marys island (off Malpe beach)

3. Netrani island- famous for snorkelling and scuba diving (off Murudeshwar)

4. Devbagh and Kurumbgad islands ( off Karwar)

5. GOA (kissed the border and came back) 

All these misses will definitely make me plan a bigger travel in the near future.

A blissful travel along the coast of Karnataka with the gorgeous Arabian sea, weird hippies, friendly tribals, lovely strangers (coconut man and Freja), adventurous treks, secluded beaches, amazing sunets and solitude moments came to an end with a bucketful of memories which keeps coming back to me like the tides of he sea.

Signing Note: The best odyssey till date...!!


Route: Bengaluru- Tumkur- Shimoga- Honnavar- Kumta- Gokarna- OM beach


Distance-
              Bengaluru to Gokarna- 525kms
              Gokarna to Murudeshwar- 77 kms
              Murudeshwar to Ottinene- 35 kms
              Ottinene to Maravanthe- 20 kms
              Maravanthe to Udupi- 55 kms   
              Udupi to Malpe- 8kms
              Gokarna to Karwar- 57 kms