When I planned Dandeli with my best friend I never expected that the trip would give me so many surprises on its way. Although it didn’t go according to the plan, it was still the most memorable journey with a bunch of my idiot friends.
We started our journey from Bangalore at night in KSRTC bus which dropped us at the Dandeli Bus Stand the next morning. We planned to hire bikes on rent and then go around exploring Dandeli. But unfortunately, it was a weekend and the end of the year too. I guess going without a private vehicle was the wrong decision. We headed directly to our homestay – Crocodile Edge Homestay. The place was decent and the owner also seems to be a nice person.
After inquiring with the owner and having a lot of discussions, we managed to get a cab which took us around the main tourist spots of Dandeli. We started in the afternoon and the first place we covered was Syntheri Rocks. The place was beautiful with steps leading to a water body which we don’t have access to but still a quite good place for photography and relaxation. The way also showcases different specimens of Rocks and information about it adding to the knowledge reservoir.
After having some amazing food at the roadside hotel, we visited the backside of the Supa Dam and managed to click some amazing views while police chasing us. Be aware of the signboards placed near property in order to protect yourself from trespassing private places.We visited Moulangi Eco Park, Crocodile Park and then the Dandelappa temple known for fulfilling all your prayers. To be frank, Dandeli is a place where the journey matters and not really the destination. The roadway cutting the forest woods is the only the exciting site.
At night we were asked to shift to the owner’s place since the owner faced some issue with multiple bookings for the same day. The owner did make efforts to provide us comfort and all the help needed during the travel. We were really moved with his gestures.
The next day we thought of exploring the Shivaji Fort at Haliyal which is approximately 20 km from Dandeli. We boarded the bus from Dandeli and got down at the Shivaji Statue and started walking to the Fort with the help of Google. We were quite unsure of the fort looking at the way we were walking to. At last we came by the location. There was just this wall with a flag pole on it. Don’t let the google photos fool you. It is just the wall and nothing beyond that. While exploring around, we found a small temple near a lake which we found worth visiting than the fort for which we travelled all the way from Dandeli.
We picked up one of our friend from the Haliyal bus stand and headed straight to our tent stay – Jungle Bell River Retreat. We were excited to see the place. It was next to Eco Park.
We got refreshed, had an amazing lunch buffet and then enjoyed exploring Eco Park again with our new member. We found an awesome location at the end of the Park where we had a good photography session. That made our day.
Swimming in the swimming pool, rain dance with music, playing carom and campfire lead to a perfect evening for the day. We managed to give a surprise bday party too to one of our friend in the tent. It was a wonderful night.
The morning we got ready for the trekking and I think we all agree that it was one of the most memorable moments of this trip. We enjoyed trekking around the place with mist surrounding us. We felt so alive.
We enjoyed our last meal at the Homestay. They arranged auto for us to take us to the place where all the water activities are carried out. It was Sunday and there was so much rush but we waited for our turn and managed to cover all the activities on the list somehow. The wait was unbearable but activities did provide some comfort at the end.
We ate our lunch at 4 pm and one of the thing which still lingers in mind is that one of our friends forgot her phone at the hotel and the guy came all along the way to the bus stand to find us and return the phone. It moved all of us.
The last place we visited was Dandakaranya Theme Park which houses some of the most famous characters of Hollywood. It was a nice place to hang around.
We boarded the bus to Bangalore with the satisfaction of covering one more place on the list. The trip was also about people who somewhere made me feel that there are still honest and genuine people on this earth probably because of whom this planet is still a good place to breath on.
Tips for travel in Dandeli:
1. Book your stays beforehand in order to avoid paying a huge amount
2. Try to have your own vehicle to Dandeli as the packages usually don’t include transport and it increases the travel expenses
3. One day is more than enough to visit Dandeli if you have a proper plan and your own vehicle
4. Try to finish water activities early morning itself in order to avoid the crowd and waiting periods
5. Places like Kavala Caves, Skyes Point needs prior permission to visit so plan accordingly