When I wrote about taking some time off from writing the usual travel-logs and asked my readers what else they would to read on this page, Mridula and Mouna asked for little things interesting that happened during the journeys. Here is one to start with.
A few months ago, I made a trip to Thadiyandamol with a friend. We deliberately planned it on a weekday to avoid crowds. When we were there we figured it was indeed empty and there was just us in the peak and the forest surrounding it.
Also read – other small incidences when travelling
* An encounter with a hermit
* An encounter on the ghats
* I thought you are going to fall..
* A Struggle between fear and love
* Encounter with the pachyderms
* Ask for directions and have some coffee
We were equipped well for camping for a night, and had carried tent, food and other things we needed, and shared them between us. My friend had carried food for all the days, I had picked up the tent, etc… Previous evening, we had discussed and checked that we had everything we needed.
Come evening, we pitched our tent and were ready for the night.
My friend said: Keep the torch outside, it will be needed once it is dark.
Me: Yeah, need to keep the torch out.
Suddenly something flashed in my head.
Me: Me keep the torch out? Haven’t you got the torch?
He: No, you were supposed to get it right? You don’t have it?
Me: umm.. I thought I heard you say you have picked up the torch.
Obviously there was some mis-communication and now we had to spend a night in complete darkness. We did not see the moon anywhere in the sky either. Anyway it did not worry me much, as comforts and assurances are usually something that I don’t look for. Pretty much same with my friend. An hour or so later, we figured that both our cell phones had all the battery drained, and the last source of light is also lost! brilliant!!
Come nightfall, we were there without any light but for what is granted from the celestial sources. And it so turned out it was one of the most beautiful night I have seen in the skies and wilderness. Stars were appearing all over the place and soon they were denser than the city lights seen from an airplane. Moon’s absence added to the resplendence of the stars. Complete silence but the for gentle and pleasant breeze and the silhouette of the hills complemented the glory of the sky.
We kept conversation to the minimum, managed to eat in darkness and wondered how do we wake up early in the morning with our cell phones out of action. Lucky for us, I managed to wake up and little before six and walked out of the tent. Nature had a lot more to offer to us beyond the beauty of the starry night. The scenic beauty of Thadiyandamol in that clear weather has few parallels. It was my fourth attempt in search of this clear weather in Thadi, and I had found what I had been craving for.
Views from Thadiyandamol in the morning
I have climbed Thadiyandamol twice, not yet satisfied and looking to get there again as many times as I can. The first time I was there, it was raining on and off and clouds occasionally gave way to display pretty views of the green hills all around. The second time when I went up, it was early winter and I expected the weather to be clear, but turned out to be a more wet day. I am still hungry for the pretty views with clear skies and wish to try my luck again in the coming winter.
On the way to Thadiyandamol
We left on an overnight bus to Virajpet and changed over to a bus that took us to Kakkabe. A short walk towards Thadiyandamol from the bus-stop took us to King’s Cottage – a home stay where we freshened up and had breakfast. Nearly half the way up Thadiyandamol takes us through habitation. The jeep track passes through coffee estates interspersed with forests, and small streams running across the road. Enabled by the genius brains of some pig headed officers, part of this hardly used road has even been blessed with tarmac. Get higher than the habitation and we are suddenly greeted by bliss – unspoiled hills, thick shola forest and green mountain grass as far as the eyes can see. It is difficult find fault in this world encompassing a few rocks here and there, a few flowers breaking the dominance of the green grass and a stream running down from the sholas. Just how I would like it!
On the way up…
The trek looked easy till we reach a small plateau above the coffee estates. Views are awesome with many a layers of hill after hill forming waves of ridges somewhere in the distance. The stream above the plateau and a few big boulders offered a good place to rest and fill water for rest of the journey. The next two kilometers was not all the simple and it took some time and effort. It gets steep and tiring but the views and the surroundings makes the walk a pleasure. Last stretch goes through a shola that I would call ‘real’ forest. Another quick steep ascent and we are already at the top. It takes no more than three hours to make the journey, give or take an hour based on your fitness levels. And once on top, there is nothing else you would desire in life.
Views of the surroundings…
A lunch, some rest, some sleep and some explorations kept the time moving. We started back around 4pm. The steep descent is as much a pain as the ascent, but is at least faster. We camped for the night near the stream in the wilderness. Weather was much clear next morning and we did get better views of the place.
Clouds raising up the hills in the morning…
When we were back at the bus-stop, it was still morning hours and we had time to kill till evening. We headed to Bylakuppe, the Tibetan settlement near Kushalnagar. It is said to be one of the largest Tibetan settlements in the world. We walked around, explored the Golden Temple and a spent a few hours in the Tibetan village before returning to Bangalore in the night.
Inside the Golden Temple at Bylakuppe
The next time we went up the hill was in late October. We encountered residual rains that dripped now and then. And it was much more cloudy. Leeches on the way were bolder this time and hunted us even on the jeep tracks and grasslands. We returned back the same day and stayed in Madikeri for the night. As before, we had another day to kill before returning to Bangalore.
Rain drops on Bamboo
Aimless and plan less next morning, we toyed around with our options and decided to visit Dubare and Harangi dam. Harangi dam is built against a small stream in the forest. It was quiet, devoid of any people or noise – there were only a handful of tourists wandering in the place. The backwaters looked pretty, with some small islands here and there and thick forest on its banks. We drove to Dubare elephant camp from here, where we crossed the river in a motor boat, watched some elephants walking around freely in the camp, and walked a bit along the Kaveri. We did not stay here for long and drove back Bangalore, reaching late in the evening.
Harangi Dam
River Kaveri near Dubare forest
Our third visit to Kakkabe was in peak rainy days and was equal fun. Though we were determined to climb Thadi again, decided otherwise once we arrived and instead settled down cozily in a coffee estate home stay. Extract from the trip report on this visit:
We reached Kakkabe village at the base of Thadiyandamol at around nine in the morning. One look at the cold and cloudy weather and we decided against climbing the mountain and check-in to the cozy and comfortable home-stay resort run by Poovannas on the way. To tell you the truth, even when we started from Bangalore, I secretly dreamt of sitting and relaxing in the lobby of a warm Coorgi house, though I put up a brave face and made claims of climbing up Thadiyandamol. To my delight, I realized that my fellow travellers were no different and had the same thing in mind! And the fact that I had already climbed up Thadiyandamol twice earlier helped making the decisions. But end of the day, that‘s just an excuse, and we were just being lazy and looking forward to indulge in good things that came with the rains!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The trek up the Thadiyandamol starts from Kakkabe village, which can be reached from Madikeri or Virajpet by bus or car. It can be done as a day trek though it would be nice to camp for a night. It is probably a hike of an 8km or less one way. The best season to get the views may be winter, though my experience is limited to rainy days. For more information on reaching Kakkabe and nearby places to visit, see my earlier trip report to Kakkabe.
Also see other stories about Coorg on India Travel Blog
* Driving and sightseeing in Coorg
* Climbing up the Brahmagiri
Kushalnagar is the nearest town to Dubare forest and Harangi Dam. You can take ksrtc bus to Kushalnagar and then hire an auto-rickshaw to reach Dubare or Harangi. If you are driving, you need to continue on the road to Madikeri and take a left turn to Dubare after driving for 10 minutes, and right turn to Harangi Dam after similar distance. Ask for directions when you are in Kushalnagar.
+For more information and places to see in Coorg, see my comrehensive post on travel to Coorg.
As we drove up the hills beyond Kushalnagar early in the morning, the ubiquitous fog announced the arrival of the town of Madikeri. On a wet, cold and foggy Saturday morning, with visibility reduced to near nothingness and no soul seen on the roads, we arrived at Madikeri on our way to Kakkabe in Coorg. I first drove to Raja Seat – a garden where the king of Kodagu once used to sit and relax against a picturesque valley, but was predictably rebuffed by endless fog blocking the views, and the incessant drizzle of the cold morning. Despite the fog and the drizzle, it was beautiful, comforting and elating. A plate of steaming Idlis and hot coffee later, we were quickly on our way to Kakkabe.
More about Coorg on paintedstork.com
* Hiking up the Brahmagiri
* Driving to Coorg
On the few occasions when the rains did not lash the car‘s windscreen, a constant drizzle still kept the wipers busy. Every inch of the road was wet and every bit of earth was green. Distant hills were covered with clouds indicating many more rainy sessions ahead in the day. We were on our way to climbing Thadiyandamol, the tallest peak in Kodagu or its more popular anglicized name – Coorg.
Views of the distant hills from the place where we stayed
We reached Kakkabe village at the base of Thadiyandamol at around nine in the morning. One look at the cold and cloudy weather and we decided against climbing the mountain and check-in to the cozy and comfortable home-stay resort run by Poovannas on the way. To tell you the truth, even when we started from Bangalore, I secretly dreamt of sitting and relaxing in the lobby of a warm Coorgi house, though I put up a brave face and made claims of climbing up Thadiyandamol. To my delight, I realized that my fellow travellers were no different and had the same thing in mind! And the fact that I had already climbed up Thadiyandamol twice earlier helped making the decisions. But end of the day, that‘s just an excuse, and we were just being lazy and looking forward to indulge in good things that came with the rains!
The estate of Poovannas is at a picturesque location
We settled down to the warm hospitality of Poovannas and hot fresh coffee made from homegrown beans. We did not need much to do beyond sitting on the lobby and relax with a book or a cup of coffee while we watched the raindrops come down. In fact when I called the Poovannas previous evening telling that we shall be arriving tomorrow, the lady of the house said – “It‘s raining heavily here, are you sure you want to come?” And we had smiled, since it is the rain that we wanted to experience.
There is water and greenery where-ever you see
After we settled down, Prasad, the younger one of the Poovannas directed us to a waterfall close by. It turned out that the fiercely roaring waterfall was just five minutes walk behind the house and right inside their coffee estate.
Waterfall at the estate
I wonder how does it feel to live in a coffee estate with plenty of greenery and a private waterfall at your expense! We definitely relished the experience as we walked into the stream that flowed with full vigour. We stood in front of the fall, with its droplets lashing us as the wind blew into us, making us all wet, but completely amused. But for the cold weather, it was tempting to walk right into the falling water and get a back-massage from the pouring water – something I always look forward to when I am at a waterfall.
The stream is beautiful and was full of water when we were there
When we were not visiting the waterfall, watching the heavens bless the earth with raindrops or not indulging in the coffee, we spend our time talking to the Poovannas. By their own admission, they seemed to live a happy life with little to worry about. They spent a good part of their time looking after the coffee estate or setting little things right, like fixing the small leak in the roof or worrying about the slippery ground on the rainy days.
Coffee estate
But not everything was that simple. Being a little far from town, they had a hard time trying to get a mechanic to come all the way to where they live and see what‘s wrong with their new Maruti Omni. And then they spoke about all the good time they had entertaining eccentric foreign guests like the one who loved climbing tree after tree or the one who walked and walked and ate coconuts and nothing else!
The estate is a quiet place to relax and rejuvenate
Wind, rain and good views were always there
Another thing that we looked up to was food. The good thing that comes with a home stay is sharing the meal with the family and enjoying good local food cooked with love. You don‘t need bother to tackle professional waiters with a fake smile sticking on their face or run through obscure menus only to find nothing worth eating. Instead, sit with the hosts in the dining hall and serve yourself with all the delicious home cooked food piled on to you over an interesting conversation. Kodava food is delicious and especially worth remembering is the Kadambuttu with great chutney, ghee and honey to go with!
The Nalknad palace
View of the hills from the palace
The next morning we walked down to Nalknad palace that is just five minutes walk from the estate. The palace, built nearly 250 years ago was a retreat of then king of Kodagu – Doddaveera Rajendra. It looks hardly palatial but is pretty and is an ideal retreat. Anand, the resident in-charge who was looking after the palace showed us around and explained us of the courtyards, darbar hall, living room, escape routes for the king etc. It is built using plenty of teak pillars with carvings of designs and pictures of reptiles. Some faded paintings of animals and images of king‘s court on the wall are now being restored.
Darbar hall of the palace
Courtyard of the palace
After returning from the palace, I decided to sit quietly and listen to the sounds of the forest. Having missed my usual bird-watching sessions due to incessant rains, I decided to listen to them instead. The most raucous of the forest dwellers are the cicadas that never seem to get tired. Occasionally a bird or two was heard close to us somewhere in the bushes of the estate or in the forest near the waterfall. A pair of magpie robins and a few red whiskered bulbuls that I spotted moving around were the most prominent. Sunbirds and flower peckers came and went occasionally. Not to be seen, but heard often were woodpeckers and an army of malabar parakeets. The loudest of the lot was the unmistakable call of greater coucals. There was so much life in the estate and the surrounding forest, but it needed some careful listening to realize them. Unlike us human beings who always look for a shelter, they seem to go on with their life, come rain or come shine!
Along with coffee, they grow many other things in
the palace, including oranges
As the sun moved up(which we never actually got to see, thanks for the ever-present cloud cover) it was time for us to move on. We thanked the Poovannas for their wonderful hospitality and the great time they gave us. It was a pleasant journey back on the curved and inclined roads of Kodagu that gave way to the plains of Mysore and then Bangalore, with Dr.Rajkumar‘s melodies running on the tape. And as I write this, it is raining outside and I am still thinking of delicious Kadambuttu, the non-stop rains and the call of the cicadas.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The home-stay resort of Poovannas, called Palace Estate is located in the village of Kakkabe, around 40km from Madikeri and approximately 250km from Bangalore. The trek to Coorg‘s tallest peak Thadiyandamol starts from here. Other nearby attraction includes the Nalknad palace, which is just 5 minutes walk from the estate, a seasonal waterfall within the estate and the well-known Iguthappa temple that is a 10-minute drive.
To reach Palace Estate from Bangalore, drive on the Mysore road. Turn right 2km after Srirangapatna and continue till Madikeri. From Madikeri, take Bhagamandala road and ask for directions to Kakkabe. Once you are in Kakkabe village, it is another 10 minutes drive to Palace Estate. There are also state government buses to Madikeri and Virajpet from Bangalore, and Kakkabe is well connected by buses from both the towns.
For more on things to do and places to see, see my comprehensive story on travel to Coorg.