Tryst with Western Ghats- Karnataka Story
Western ghats are the lifeline for Monsoons, bringing rain to water starved plains, feeding many wild forest reserves, agriculture, plantations and rural and urban settlements.
This year(2018) we chose Madikeri to spend close to nature and avoid going to coffee plantations and artificially infused wildlife surrounding the plantations. yet we still could not avoid the coffee plantations for want of good private space to spend quality time.
we chose a location close to nature and it was located a good distance away from the bustling town hence the need to wait patiently for transport to ferry us to the location. the steep slopes and typical hill houses added charm to the location. the place we were staying was called Kabbinakad.
This story is meant to talk through images which we captured throughout our journey. We explored less trampled paths and reached few heights which got us to admire the nature without much humans milling around.
We start our journey from Chennai by train and reach Mysore. From there we travel by bus to Madikeri which takes us through a wildlife reserve and tea plantations. the plains near the hills are dotted with red tiled houses all across the way. we chose at the end of the year and celebrated our new year 2019 in this place. We had trekked to the highest point Tadiandamol.
THINGS TO MIND-
1. Littering has been low in these places yet i would advice the backpackers to kindly carry a bag to collect any plastics and get it back to your lodging to dispose and these hills are full of life and NEVER LITTER anything non degradable including paper.
2. Advice to mountain trekkers wear a good trekking shoes and careful about your footing and do not hurry just move at your pace. There is place to camp we need to enquire with local forest department, the area is well defined.
3. Next sun sets fast in hills hence plan your trekking early so that you can return to your place of stay early before dark.
4. Heed the advice of locals while exploring the terrain
5. Keep mobile charged to contact when in need
6. Keep well hydrated with water and do not carry much weight as the climbs can get steep
Continuing our tryst with Western Ghats we moved further north towards Mangalore to take in the mighty western ghats embracing the Chikmagalur. these mountain ranges constitute the majestic western ghats and they form mighty walls one behind the other stacked beautifully for 100's miles the eye can see. During the summer of 2017 we had an opportunity to visit Chikamagalur and Mullayanagiri hill.
As was the case with travel in Karnataka, the Western ghats cast a magic around its villages and people. Most major town bus stands are well maintained, clean and safe. Roads are not that smooth with regular bumps here and there. From Mangalore the bus journey takes a good 8 hours to Chikamagalur town. one has to take a private vehicle to climb the hills to the destination one is booked at. Most of the habitable hills in Chikamagalur is private estate mostly coffee and mono crop cultivation with particular variety of wood species. For more forest experience one has to trek towards Mullayanagiri and also visit places on way to Mullayanagiri to appreciate local flora and fauna. Being beginning of Summer, and in grip of drought the hills wore a patchy red and denuded green colour. Now to the beautiful Mullayanagiri hills.
This year(2018) we chose Madikeri to spend close to nature and avoid going to coffee plantations and artificially infused wildlife surrounding the plantations. yet we still could not avoid the coffee plantations for want of good private space to spend quality time.
we chose a location close to nature and it was located a good distance away from the bustling town hence the need to wait patiently for transport to ferry us to the location. the steep slopes and typical hill houses added charm to the location. the place we were staying was called Kabbinakad.
This story is meant to talk through images which we captured throughout our journey. We explored less trampled paths and reached few heights which got us to admire the nature without much humans milling around.
We start our journey from Chennai by train and reach Mysore. From there we travel by bus to Madikeri which takes us through a wildlife reserve and tea plantations. the plains near the hills are dotted with red tiled houses all across the way. we chose at the end of the year and celebrated our new year 2019 in this place. We had trekked to the highest point Tadiandamol.
THINGS TO MIND-
1. Littering has been low in these places yet i would advice the backpackers to kindly carry a bag to collect any plastics and get it back to your lodging to dispose and these hills are full of life and NEVER LITTER anything non degradable including paper.
2. Advice to mountain trekkers wear a good trekking shoes and careful about your footing and do not hurry just move at your pace. There is place to camp we need to enquire with local forest department, the area is well defined.
3. Next sun sets fast in hills hence plan your trekking early so that you can return to your place of stay early before dark.
4. Heed the advice of locals while exploring the terrain
5. Keep mobile charged to contact when in need
6. Keep well hydrated with water and do not carry much weight as the climbs can get steep
Continuing our tryst with Western Ghats we moved further north towards Mangalore to take in the mighty western ghats embracing the Chikmagalur. these mountain ranges constitute the majestic western ghats and they form mighty walls one behind the other stacked beautifully for 100's miles the eye can see. During the summer of 2017 we had an opportunity to visit Chikamagalur and Mullayanagiri hill.
As was the case with travel in Karnataka, the Western ghats cast a magic around its villages and people. Most major town bus stands are well maintained, clean and safe. Roads are not that smooth with regular bumps here and there. From Mangalore the bus journey takes a good 8 hours to Chikamagalur town. one has to take a private vehicle to climb the hills to the destination one is booked at. Most of the habitable hills in Chikamagalur is private estate mostly coffee and mono crop cultivation with particular variety of wood species. For more forest experience one has to trek towards Mullayanagiri and also visit places on way to Mullayanagiri to appreciate local flora and fauna. Being beginning of Summer, and in grip of drought the hills wore a patchy red and denuded green colour. Now to the beautiful Mullayanagiri hills.
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