CYCLING TRIP TO HENNUR BAMBOO FOREST

CYCLING TRIP TO HENNUR BAMBOO FOREST

As the distance between Human and nature is increasing day by day, here comes a place in Bangalore completely man made for eco conservation and environment upliftment. Hennur Bamboo Forest is a man made forest situated approx 18 Km from Hebbal Flyover, Bangalore.(Google Maps Location)

Me and My friend Nayan started at around 4 AM from Hebbal to visit Hennur Bamboo Forest. The roads are tricky and after approx 10 Km, we were passing through village roads free of pollution and urbanisation. We thoroughly enjoyed the route through villages, had coffee on the way to forest.

At Hennur Bamboo Forest

The place was scenic and perfect for cycling surrounded only by Bamboo Plantations everywhere. As Google Maps do not support inside the forest, one need to keep track of entry and exit points. Also many people were coming to the place for walking as well. The place is very isolated and far from urbanisation. It is advisable to be in a group and carry own food and water. It will give you a feel of wild not so far from Bangalore. If reached early, you will be lucky enough to have view of Peacocks, wild birds etc. Some institutes also organise marathons inside the forest during Dec to Mar every year.

We enjoyed the time spent at Hennur Bamboo Forest as the place is having apt Biking Trails and you can test your biking skills at that place. But you have to take care of the thorns as once punctured, there is nothing till 5-6 Km from the forest. Also please avoid Rainy season as it becomes quite muddy at approach roads and in the forest as well.

Enjoy and take care till next time...Byeeeeeeeeee.....

DOSA SCAVENGING IN BANGALORE- PART 3- CTR OR SRI SAGAR HOTEL

DOSA SCAVENGING IN BANGALORE- PART 3- 

CTR OR SRI SAGAR HOTEL

Central Tiffin Room or CTR or Sri Sagar Hotel is a restaurant in northwest Bangalore started in mid 1920's. It is notable for its Masala Dosas which come in butter and non butter variants. It is situated at the 7th Cross Road corner of Margosa Road, Malleshwaram, opposite to the Malleshwaram Grounds.(Google Maps Location) Apart from the Dosas CTR is also known for its Idly-Vada, Poori-Saagu, Kharabath, Kesaribath, Mangalore Bajji , Maddur Vada and filter coffee. It has won awards including the Times Food Guide "Best Benne Masala Dosa in Bangalore" and Burrp.com's "Best Benne Masala in Bangalore". (Courtesy Wikipedia)

I and My friend Nayan on authentic dosa scavenging in Bangalore reached CTR or Hotel Sri Sagar early morning on our cycles and ordered Ghee Masala Dosa. At morning 7.00 am, the place was already beaming with customers. 

The order was attended bit slow compared to other places we reviewed (Vidyarthi Bhavan being the fastest).

Review of Ghee Masala Dosa - If you like your dosa crispy, then this is the one. The dosa made here was the crispiest among all dosa’s we had ate till now in Bangalore and also understood the delay in serving as the dosa takes more time on pan to make it that crispy. Taste was good and ghee in masala dosa was prominent. The side dishes like sambhar and coconut chutney were good but not upto mark as we expected. but Ghee Masala Dosa was ultimate.

Take care and Bye till next time.

Dosa Scavenging in Bangalore- Part 2- Janatha Hotel

Dosa Scavenging in Bangalore- Part 2- Janatha Hotel

Part 1 of this series covered Vidyarthi Bhavan- one of the iconic eatout in Bangalore catering since ages.

This blog is focussing on Janatha Hotel, another iconic eatout surviving the fast paced urbanisation and modernisation of Bangalore City. Janatha Hotel is situated in Malleshwaram, Bangalore. (Google Maps) 

Hotel Janatha is a pure veg south Indian breakfast home which serves you authentic dosas, idli, vada and speciality of this restaurant is that they serve authentic Maddur Vada and Mysore Pak which I think is not available in other restaurants nearby. It is also famous for its crispy vada and of course crispy butter dosa.

As we were more interested to taste the Ghee Masala Dosa (which we have made a standard to compare), we ordered the same. After waiting for some time, we were served our orders. The dosa were the crispiest I had ever in Bangalore till date, the best part was the accompaniments - Sambhar and Chutney. They were best.

You can really experience the old Bangalore here, be it the wooden benches to sit or the self service menu which is fixed since ages.

I feel all the food lovers should visit this restaurant once at 8th Cross malleshwaram, Bangalore and enjoy the past. This place still maintains its originality.

Bye and take care till next part of Dosa Scavenging....

Cycling Trip to Avalahalli Forest

CYCLING TRIP TO AVALAHALLI FOREST

Hi to all, in continuation to my Blog on Cycling Trails near and in Bangalore blog, I will share with you one of my favourite Biking trails in Bangalore...Thats....Avalahalli Forest Trail...

At Avalahalli Forest

Avalahalli Forest is one of my favourite biking trails. I am passionate about exploring off-roading trails in and around Bangalore and that’s where I discovered this place on Google Maps. This vast forest is open to public which has trails for biking, jogging and also has walk paths. It is very special to me now as it is closer to city and is very scenic and peaceful. I love to be closer with nature. You are always welcomed here by chirping of birds, screaming of peacock.  I feel rejuvenated and energetic after trailing in this place. The trails here tests your biking skills, endurance and stamina.

Avalahalli Forest is located in northern corner of Bangalore City and is a nice gateway to find peaceful solace in nature. The place is highly undervalued (Actually its Good) and home to several species of flora, fauna and birds and is majorly covered by Eucalyptus trees.

At Avalahalli Forest- Resting Hut

Avalahalli forest is approx 15 km from Hebbal Flyover (Maps-walking distance) and road till Sambram College in MS Palya consists of usual traffic. After Sambram College, the journey to the forest area is peaceful and less traffic. As you approach near to forest area, you can feel the greenery to increase and the feel of city diminishing, greater feeling towards village area and less pollution. You can breathe freely without worrying about toxins entering your body.

As you enter the forest just besides the entrance (which is free and only walkers n cyclists are allowed), a small butterfly garden welcomes you and path to right takes us to play area where a small hut and some physical activities arena is there to entertain you. Straight path takes us to cycling trails. You can select your path and proceed. 

At Avalahalli Forest- Cycling Trail

Please take your own food (biscuits, energy bars etc) and water. There are enough dustbins and resting areas inside.

Avalahalli forest is a man made forest and efforts are truly made by civic authorities to make it natural. Hats off to them. Please conserve nature while enjoying them.

One Day Short Trip to Hogenakkal Falls

One Day Short Trip to Hogenakkal Falls

Hogenakkal Falls is a waterfall in South India on the Kaveri river on the border between Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu and Chamrajnagar district of Karnataka. It is located 127 km (79 mi) from Bangalore (Courtesy Wikipedia).

We five friends decided to visit Hogenakkal Falls on 16th February 2020 on my cute little Chevrolet Spark. The journey started from Bangalore at around 5 AM and as we were in the North Bangalore, we had to cross Bangalore City to go towards East Bangalore. 

After numerous stop and go (due to scenic route), we managed to reach Hoggenakkal Falls by 10 AM.

Hogennakkal Falls are famous for its high speed waterfall and fish. 

At Hoggenkkal Falls- TNTDC Parking Area

We parked our car at Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Hotel Parking. Entry fees to Hoggenakkal falls was charged Rs 50.00. and parking fees was charged Rs 30.00.

After parking, we proceeded to the fish market.

At Hoggenakkal Falls fish market

The fish market is huge and the day we visited had more tourists than we expected.

The rates of fish at the market are average and I feel lower than Bangalore Market. Also some fishes out of the lot were only local fishes. (You need to be a fish expert to find out how).

Good thing in Hoggenakkal falls is that there are local ladies (Lady Chefs) roaming in the market who will offer to cook fish for you at some rates which you have to Bargain. We purchased 2 kgs of Local Fish (Black Rohu) and then bargained with a local lady to cook for us. She agreed for Rs 500.00 to provide us Rice, Fried Fish, Curry Fish and Rasam by 2.00 PM.( It was already 12.00 noon by then)

After finishing our arrangements for lunch we then proceeded to the Hoggenekkal Falls Bathing Area. We changed to our bathing dress and then indulged under the falls. The force of water was very high which was giving a natural massage to our bodies. We thoroughly enjoyed our Bath for approx 1 hr and felt relaxed having indulged in the water like children.

At Hoggenakkal Falls Bathing Area

After a hour, we went to the lady Chef for our lunch which was ready and served hot. The food was delicious, may be due to culiniary skills of the lady or being cooked on wood fire. Anyhow we enjoyed the food and after a while started our journey back to Bangalore. Also you may enjoy parisal boating in Hoggenakkal Falls which we didnt do as we were too tired after bathing.

Having Lunch at Hoggenakkal Falls

It was a journey to cherish and remember, be it the scenic route swirling through mountains and small ghat roads or the flow of River Kaveri, everything was there to be enjoyed.

River Kaveri (Before Hoggenakkal Falls)

Note: The route is very short if you come out of Bangalore City Limits. Also once you enter Tamil Nadu Limits, TN Police will be on the roads to penalise you for not wearing seat belts or not having proper documents. Please take all with you. If your intension is to visit only falls, then visit just after Monsoon or if you love Boating, then visit in dry months like Feb and March 2020.

Thanks and stay safe.

Two days short trip to Wayanad and Kozhikode Beach

This blog is about a two day short trip taken to Wayanad and Kozhikode Beach.

ITINEARY SUMMARY

• Trip Starting Point- Bangalore
• Mode of Travel- Car (XUV 500 W9 Model)
• Total Distance (Round Trip)-  860 Km
• Trip Duration-2 Days
• Total Places Visited - 7

We were seven adults – all Male group decided to go on a short two days trip to Wayanad, a small hill station in Gods own Country- Kerala on 25^th and 26^th Jan 2020.

We decided to take XUV 500 W9 vehicle for the trip. The total trip distance from Bangalore to Wayanad and return was approx. 800 Km as per our calculations. Route taken was Bangalore- Mysore- Gundlupet- Bandipur National Park- Muttil- Kalpetta (Wayanad district HQ).

 

At Mysore

We started our journey from Bangalore -Yeswanthpur at approx. 1.00 AM on 25^th Jan and proceeded towards Mysore road. As Bangalore- Mysore highway is under expansion and the road having lots of humps, we reached Mysore at approx. 4.00 AM and took a long break to freshen up our senses and also Bandipur National Park entry gates open at 6.00 AM. We reached Bandipur National Park Gate towards Wayanad at approx. 5.45 AM and at 6.00 AM we were zipping through the jungles amidst fresh air. We were able to witness some deers on the way. After a drive of around 2 hrs at approx. 8.00 AM, we reached Muttil- Our first destination. We had booked a budget hotel courtesy OYO- Oyo Rasha Residency, a very basic hotel with bare minimum facilities as we knew that we only need beds to sleep at night. 

At Oyo- Rasha Residency

Full day itinerary was to explore Wayanad. After freshening up, we started exploring Wayanad at 9.30 AM. We had our breakfast at Udupi Hotel in Kalpetta and then proceeded for Banasura Sagar Dam.

Banasura Sagar Dam is the largest earth dam in India and worth visiting.  Banasura Sagar Dam across the River Karamanathodu, a tributary of River Kabini, is placed in the foot hills of Banasura Hills, which got its name from Banasura, the son of King Mahabali, famous ruler of Kerala.Facilities available at the Dam are Bus facility to the DAM (Rs 10.00 one way), zipline adventure and many other adventure-oriented facilities. There are boating facilities available in the Dam area but the tickets were closed for reasons best known to the authorities at Banesura Dam

At Banasura Sagar Dam, Wayanad

From Dam, we proceeded towards Pookode Lake (the best one in Wayanad) which is approx. 20 Km from the Banasura Dam. The lake stands between Hills and has a great ambience. This fascinating natural fresh water lake is surrounded with evergreen forests and rolling hills. The lake has the shape of India’s Map and spread in 13 Acres. There is a path around the lake for leisurely stroll or cycling (available on rent). 

At Pookede Lake- Boatin

We took the boat ride at Pookede lake (costed Rs 500.00 for 7 people). Our Boat Guide Mr Sarfaraz was a nice person and explained all the history about the lake. There are several other boating options at Pookode lake. 

They also had fish spa where Small Doctor Fish are kept in captivity. Any interested person has to first clean their legs and put into water having doctor fish. They eat all the dead skin and we all felt stress free after Fish Spa (costed Rs 50.00 per Head).

Chain tree

After Pookode Lake, we proceeded to see Chain Tree Temple. It is a large ficus tree bounded by a chain. Local people say that a tribal youth Karinthandan who showed this place to Britisher engineer was killed by Britisher and after his spirit started troubling people, some priest chained the spirit to the Tree.

At Lakkidi View Point

After that we proceeded to Lakkidi View Point, located at the crest of the serpentine Thamaraseery Ghat Pass and undoubtably one of the nicest view point I have seen in recent past. We were able to see Wayanad Churam from that location which is one of the nine hairpin crosses if you travel from Wayanad (Kalpetta) to Kozhikode on Mysore- Kozhikode Highway.

We were not able to visit Chembra Lake (heart Shaped lake), soochipara water falls and kuruva islands as these places have been closed due to landslides last year and court order as well. Also due to time constrains we were not able to visit Edkal Caves- one of the must visit in Wayanad.

After finishing these all places, we proceeded back to our Hotel at around 6.00 PM. Before Kalpetta, we stopped at Udupi Agrahara to have our snacks and had our dinner also packed.

After reaching Hotel, all decided to proceed to Kozhikode next day early morning as nothing much was left in Wayanad. Original plan was to explore Wayanad for two days but now we were proceeding to enjoy Kozhikode Beach.

We started on 26^th Jan 2020 towards Kozhikode Beach at around 5.00 AM. 

The road to Kozhikode via Mysore- Kozhikode Highway is a beauty. It goes through the  serpentine Thamaraseery Ghat Pass and features nine-hairpin bends starting from Lakkidi view point till Adivaram downhill which I enjoyed much that too driving XUV500 gem of a car for these types of roads be it power or stability. The hill descend and hill ascend feature helped me a lot in these hill rides. The 12 Km Ghat Road is truly breathtaking and enchanting be it the lush green hills, gorges or streams on both sides of the Ghat road.

We reached Kozhikode Beach at around 9.30 AM after having numerous breaks to enjoy the views of surroundings full of nature. All immediately plunged into the Sea to enjoy. The beach is just like other western side Arabian sea beaches. I decided to take a walk around Kozhikode. As being Sunday that too 26^th Jan, most of the shops were closed. I visited a Gandhi Peace Center near to Beach and attended their function for 15 mins. It was nice and had a peaceful ambience. I felt Kozhikode to be a very sleepy town with no unnecessary traffic (as We came from Bangalore). I also visited a spice shop near to Beach and enquired about rates of spices available. I got cloves (Rs 700.00/Kg), Black Pepper (Rs 400.00/Kg), Dry Coconut (Rs 100/Kg). Also, you can have cardamom and many other local spices available at competitive rates. Prices vary as per quality is what I understood there.

After all others were saturated with sea and got cleaned up, we started our journey from Kozhikode towards Bangalore but with a stoppage at Thusaragiri Water Falls which is just in between the 9 Hairpin Bends travelling towards Kalpetta. 

It was truly beautiful and had four waterfalls in it but as we were getting late, we visited the first one where one could also take bath under the waterfall. After thoroughly enjoying the waterfall, we started our ride towards Bangalore. Infact in Bandipur National Park, we encountered Elephants, a lot of deers also.

We reached back in Bangalore at approx. 1.00 Am in night. All felt happy but felt two days is too little to explore places like Wayanad or Kozhikode.

Please write to me at prabhatmoharana@gmail.com for any query for this trip and want to know more.

Note: Bandipur National Park remains closed from 9.00 PM till 6.00 AM. Plan accordingly.

Wayanad is at 2100 mts above sea level compare to Bangalore 900 mts. Take a vehicle having good power and brakes to sustain the roads.