Hills and Beyond in Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur, meaning small daughter's town, is a little town in Karnataka that is famous for its beautiful scenic landscapes and hill stations. My friends and I recently visited this place and had an amazing time exploring the town. In this blog, I will take you through our journey exploring the place.
Our journey began with an early morning train ride from KSR Bengaluru station. We made sure to grab Masala dosa and a cup of Chai at Pavana Restaurant near the station before boarding our train. We opted for a Chair Car train and reached Kadur station after a comfortable three-and-a-half-hour journey. There's a bus stand very close to Kadur station, from where buses leave every 15 mins to Chikmagalur and every 30 mins to Bangalore. We took a KSRTC bus to Chikmagalur, which was around 36 km away and cost us only 45 Rs per person.
We had pre-booked our stay at Silver Suite, which was located in the heart of the city. The hotel offered us a great deal on their biggest room. We also found some great vegetarian restaurants nearby, including Soundarya Restaurant and Vishnu Delicacy, which became our go-to places for the rest of our trip. You won't get scooty or bikes easily here; most people come by car or hire a vehicle to explore the city.
On the first evening, we visited Hirekolale Lake to watch the sunset. The view was absolutely stunning and very soothing. We also saw some pre-wedding shoots taking place, including drone shoots. After the sunset, we came back to our hotel, which cost us around 500 Rs by auto for the round trip, including the waiting time. We spent the rest of the evening exploring the city and ended it with a game of cards. For the next two days, we hired a jeep, which cost us a total of 6500 for both days.
The next morning, we started pretty pretty early to make it to the Mullayanagiri trek, the highest peak in Karnataka, before sunrise. It's a small trek with around 550 stairs, with a Temple and a cave at the top. My most memorable thing there was a cat sitting on the temple entrance who had its entire life figured out. The aim of the trip was now to be this calm; it's clear to me now.
After the trek, we went to Jhari Falls. There’s a very rough road that leads to Jhari Falls, and a jeep there would charge 800 Rs to take you there for a round trip. The waterfall looked ….Uff. The water was very chilly, and the place was magical enough that it would make your visit worth it.
Then we headed towards Bababudangiri temple, a part of it was closed, though. This showcases a blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture and depicts the harmonious coexistence of different religions in our country. We went on yet another trek nearby. By now, our energy was draining with each step, and I, for one, was in a power-saving mode by the end.
Then we went to Siri Cafe for our lunch. We ended our day with the famous coffee there, Ice cream at Classic (they had a cone in their logo, but they didn't serve cones :’( ), and games of Poker, Judgement, and Queen Thief.
The next morning, we started our day at Deviramma temple. It is said that the temple opens for devotees only once a year. Then we went to Kallathgiri temple and Falls. The place was so peaceful. The drum and prayer chanting increased the energy of the place. Then we headed towards Hebbe Falls. You may need to wait for some time here to form a group of 8–12 people so that one safari vehicle can depart, which costs around 500 Rs per person. The waterfall was another beautiful sight that we did not want to miss.
Lastly, we visited the Krishna Rajendra Botanical Garden, which was scorching hot in the peak sun and probably was our worst decision to step down the car. However, on our way back, we saw some beautiful coffee plantations, some of which were owned by CCD.
In the evening, we caught a bus to Kadur station and boarded our train back to Bangalore, marking the end of our amazing trip to Chikmagalur. I highly recommend visiting this beautiful place for its natural beauty, scenic landscapes, and peaceful ambience.