Beautiful Places in Chikkamagaluru

Kudremukh & KurinjalLocated in Chikkamanglur district of Karnataka, Kudremukh in Kannada means horse-face. Which automatically means that the mountain range gets its name from a peak that resembles the face of a horse. Being an overnight journey from Bangalore, this calls for an ideal trekking destination of the Western Ghats. Kurinjal Trek is one of the less explored hiking trails located in the Kudremukh National Park. Kudremukh offers one of the perfect panoramic views in Karnataka, so don’t leave that camera behind! It is your chance to let the cool breeze kiss your face & lose yourself amidst nature, while exploring one of the best adventure trips in south India.

"I am in love with this world . . . I have climbed its mountains, roamed its forests, sailed its waters, crossed its deserts, felt the sting of its frosts, the oppression of its heats, the drench of its rains, the fury of its winds, and always have beauty and joy waited upon my goings and comings " by John Burroughs

Chikmagalur district nestles in the beautiful and bountiful Western Ghats. The ghats are home to some of the best coffee plantations in India. And no doubt became our escape for the weekend.Day 1 :

Day 4:Last day of the trip.Saddened to return,we left Koppa with a little breakfast of idli and chutney.The road en route chikkmagluru were beautiful.The romance of the evergreen forest and our bikes was never ending when we leaned on those curves.The morning sun which penetrated through the greenery washed our face off,of all the strains we had endured.

We stopped near Chikkmagaluru town for tea and continued to belur. Once you reach belur,the roads are straight and you can easily reach Hassan from here.One of my friends had to reach Mysore for a wedding and he deviated after Channaraypatna. The two of us continued to reach Bangalore at around 6 PM. The traffic welcomed us and was a stark reminder of the difference we have between the western ghats.Bangalore was also hit by continual rains by then somehow the rain gods did not want to leave our back!

The last patch of tarmac treated us well and we raced towards Chikmanglur only to stop at the entry board which read,“ Welcome to Chikmangalur, the land of coffee.” The sun was fast setting and so would have our tired bodies without some nice hot Coffee and Steaming Kebabs. After a nice sumptuous meal, we booked ourselves in at The Planter’s Court Hotel(₹ 1200), one of the oldest in town. By this time, we were completely exhausted. Riding for the whole day had taken a toll on our hands. Unless treated, the ride next morning would have been difficult. After checking in and a really cold shower, we got out to explore the city. Everything was on the brink of closing down at 8.30 pm. We finally got our hands on some Masala Dosa and Sambar and 2 cups of steaming Panduranga coffee. We then got ourselves 2 pairs of gloves (very very essential) and a few large boxes of Panduranga Coffee & Beans from their shop. Last Stop – Medical Store, got some painkillers and went straight to the hotel. The hotel has this old world charm, might even appear scary at times, my friend almost freaked out in the corridor at night. But a little nectar from the bar helped!

We left around 12 midnight from Bangalore... the crazy long drive trip.. we reached Chikmagaluru around 5 am in the morning.. it was a foggy morning .. evoked the Delhi winter morning memories .. foggy weather and Ilahi track on speakers while driving .. " bs nothing else is needed on a weekend morning".

It grew dark as we reached Chikmagalur and we were yet to find the place. We had to take a deviation into a forest and drive about 2 km further until you reach a sprawling gate with a huge parking area. The moment we reached, a huge boxer (the dog breed) came running out and I was too terrified to open the door. A man, laughing from the garden above us, said that the dog wouldn't do anything. I was too scared anyway. My friend stepped out, and the guy from the garden led the dog away for us to take our bags out.We later learnt that even though the dog was huge, she wouldn't have hurt a fly. She was just overly curious and always liked to run to people.

Third day, it was leisure and we were finally at chikmagalur amidst coffee plantation. Please make sure you live in one of the plantations to experience malnad food and fresh coffee. We stayed at Malagar valley homestay. It was itself a destination. Hosts are brilliant. They are honest and helpful. One this day we visited Mullayanagiri and some other local places.

So it started with a weeks of meticulous planning and cancellation of the plan. My uncle planned to go on a trip and asked me to make plans and after all that effort he cancels the plan saying that the trip is going over the budget!! This made me angry as a lot of effort had gone into this and I made up my mind to go on this trip on my own!So on a bright Saturday morning me and my mom (my partner in crime) left for Chickmagaluru from Goa. There are two routes to go to the land of coffee1)Via NH 48 > Shimoga > NH 692) Via NH 66 > Marvanthe > Agumbe > SringeriIf you are travelling from Goa and want a shorter route then opt for the first route. But if you are more of a nature lover and thrill seeker than you should take the second route as you will be blessed will unlimited nature to bask upon, wildlife sightings and looped roads to satisfy your thirst for adventure. The route is bit longer than the previous one, but worth every minute. It was noon till we reached Goliangadi, and our stomachs could no longer take it and forced our body to stop. We stopped at a quiet, rustic hotel (name of which I cannot recollect). The food here is served on a banana leaf; the menu is limited in both vegetarian and non vegetarian. They serve seafood too. We ordered for seafood thali and chicken chilly with parantha and we were not disappointed. The food was delicious (and for the first time I had chicken chilly made in coconut oil). After our delicious meal we left for our destination. As we neared Agumbe, I could feel the adrenaline rush pumping through my body with the thought of crossing the 16 hairpin bends on the ghat. The drive was adventurous and dangerous at the same time, I still remember my mom sitting with her eyes closed and it’s a STRICT NO TO THE NEW DRIVERS. One simple hack is that always allow the climbing vehicles to pass first. On the way you can gape at the beautiful sights from the sunset point. After crossing the Ghat you are blessed with thick forest of Agumbe also known as Cherapunjee of the South.Next stop was the famous Sringeri math!! There are two temples one is the old one and the new one both dedicated to Godess Shardamba! The old one is closed but has still not lost its splendour!! The intricate carvings on the stone murmur an age old tale echoing through the place.