Chikmagalur at its best !!

---

Chikmagalur in all its beauty !! I should say one should visit this place during the monsoons ... The light drizzling and a trek through the Bhadra jungle and Kemmangundi .. What an experience !! I just loved it ...
My husband and I were in a plan of visiting Chikmagalur for a long time and it finally took shape in August. And then the rains started 😞 .. It was raining heavily throughout Karnataka . We were skeptical about our trip but finally decided to continue with it.
Chikmagalur is approx around 250 kms from Bangalore . It falls under the Western Ghats cover called 'Malnad' region in Kannada.
We had booked a package tour kind of thing but slightly customised to our needs .

Day 1 - On Aug 24th 2010, we started off from Bangalore around 9 AM in the cab that was booked as part of the package. Since it was raining in Chikmagalur and the surrounding areas , it took us a little more than 5 hrs to reach the destination. 'The Spectrum' - a homestay situated at a distance of around 8 kms from Chikmagalur was booked for our accommodation. We checked in at 3:30 PM and had our late lunch. It was drizzling then. We then headed to Mullayanagiri- the highest peak in Karnataka. It is 6500 ft above sea level . Since it was drizzling , it was very foggy and the visibilty was also low. But the chill with the rain drops hitting against your face is all together a different experience. Later , we headed back to our homestay . By then it had started raining heavily. Had dinner and went to bed.

Day 2 - I would remember this day until my memory fails 😜. Too much adventure in one day !
In the morning , after breakfast, we started towards Kalhattigiri falls or the Kalhatti falls. As we drove towards our first destination, the view was breathtaking. Different shades of green painted all over by nature with the fog playing hide and seek. All thanks to the bountiful rain!! The beauty of Kalhatti falls is in the way the water flows down the hill while passing the Veerbhadreshwara temple on its way downhill. An absolute treat to the eyes. And to access the temple you have to cross the small stream on the rocks with water dancing through the rocks on both sides.
After sinking in the beauty of the falls, we visited the temple and took off to our next destination – Hebbe falls.

What do I tell about this adventure? You got to experience this !! Hebbe falls lies inside a private coffee estate and you have to trek from a certain point to reach the falls. Well, there are leeches who befriend you on your way up there ! But I guarantee you that its worth all the pain and strain that you have to take to get a view of this beautiful waterfall.

You are not allowed to take a private vehicle inside the estate and will not be able to because of the terrain. So there are jeeps which you could take till the trek point. We boarded the jeep. It's a mud road (kacchha road) all the way and the rains had added their bit of contribution in turning the mud road to a brown slush.The roller coaster ride in the jeep was fun though. We got down from the jeep and started walking towards the waterfall. Mind you , it’s not an easy trek. First, you have to be wary of the leeches, but sometimes you can’t do much. Just give in to the leeches ?. We walked for about 500mts in the coffee estate. And then came the most exciting part – crossing a fully swollen river – how? On your foot ! Yes , it’s not deep and not too wide , but it can just take you with it if you are not careful :D .
So we all held hands , made a human chain and slowly crossed the river minding our every step. And then trekked again for about 15-20 mins alongside the river. And here it was , Hebbe falls in all its glory ! Not even a single regret for having had to go through all the adventure to witness this beauty. That’s why they say – No gain without pain.
The water was roaring through the falls and we could hardly hear ourselves. White milky liquid gushing through the mountains . We spent some time there and when we were back in the jeep, only then did I realise that I had few leech bites on my leg and they were itching so badly !

As if the adrenaline rush was not enough on the last one, we now headed for more. We drove towards Kemmangundi – a 4km drive from Hebbe falls. Kemmangundi is a hill station also a trekker’s paradise in the monsoons.
So our driver left us at the foot of the hills and we began our short trek uphill. The monsoons add magic to hills . As we started walking along the trail up the hills, we could see the lush greenery around us with the hills covered in the fog and the tiny rain droplets hitting against your face . An everlasting experience. The Shanti falls on the way uphill is a tiny but beautiful waterfall. We trekked for about an hour and reached atop the hill – the Z point. What a scene! It was like the fog blanket was slowly being taken out to reveal the treasure that lay beneath. The view was gorgeous! I have never seen so many shades of green at once ! After having spent some quality time with mother nature, we trekked downhill and drove towards our homestay.

Day 3: Packed our bags and started our journey back towards Bangalore. On the way we stopped at Belur and Halebidu – home to one of the finest architecture marvels dating back to 12^th century A.D . The world famous Channakeshava temple and the carvings on the walls – each have a story to tell. The proposed UNESCO world heritage sites are definitely a must visit. The intricate wall carvings, the jaw dropping designs on the roofs and columns are a must see.

After witnessing nature in all its glory and having seen some of the best heritage sites, we headed back to Bangalore.

---

Photos

On our way to Hebbe falls
The jeep ride had some good views to offer