A Day Trip to Coorg (Mandalapatti)

Neelakurinji, the flower that blooms once in 12 years is the current topic in social media among travellers. The blossoms can be witnessed in Ooty (Tamil Nadu), Munnar (Kerala) and Coorg (Karnataka) at different times. This August, it has bloomed in Namma Karnataka, in particular a place called Mandalapatti in Coorg District.

Madikkeri is a 5 hour drive from Bangalore & we decided to make it a day trip as we had already visited most of the places in Coorg/Madikeri. The catch is that there is a weekend curfew in-place in Madikkeri, so we had to visit on a weekday.

On a Monday morning, we started around 4 am from home, took the deserted Mysore road to reach Mysore Ring Road in just more than 2 hours. The road to Madikkeri slowed us down, but still we managed to reach the Jeep-stand by 9:15 am. It is the junction where 1 road leads to Abbi falls & the other to Mandalapatti.

Mandalapatti peak is 15 Kms from that junction. After some discussion, we decided to take a jeep from that point itself to Mandalapatti. We could see that it had rained.

 
As we continued our journey in the jeep, we could feel the mist that made us half wet. The clouds were dark & it was foggy that we couldn’t see the surrounding places clearly. The road was narrow with mostly 4x4 jeeps plying with tourists; however private vehicles also can be driven on this route.

On the way, there was a check-post where we need to buy entry ticket (per head) and they checked our bags for any plastic covers. We crossed a place where private vehicles can be parked and jeep service can be taken. From here the roads are bad & suitable only for 4x4 vehicles. We also saw some people riding their 2-wheelers beyond this point. A lot were seen walking from this point as the distance from here to the peak was 1-2 Kms (I guess, not sure).

 

The off-road experience begins from this point onward that too with the rain pouring. In a short time, the jeep driver reached the final parking spot of Mandalapatti peak; a short walk from here will take you to the peak/view point. 

As it started raining again, we took shelter nearby. Initially we could not see anything but a huge tree similar to that seen in horror movies. 

We followed other tourists to the peak, on the way enjoying the Neelakurinji blooms. We spent some time there taking photos. Again as it started raining heavily with strong winds, we returned back to the parking spot, where our jeep was waiting.

 

On the way back, as the weather was becoming clear, we spent some time around the blooms to see the valley & take some pictures for our album. We took extra care not to damage the plants/flowers. The jeep then drove us back through the off-road & finally reached our starting point around 12pm.

 

We decided to go into the town for lunch for some Coorgi cuisine. After lunch we started to Bangalore by 1:30 pm. Later as Google Maps suggested, we took a deviation at Kushalnagar to join NH75 to reach Bangalore. This route was faster than the regular Mysore Road route and we reached home by 6:45pm for a nice sip of tea.

Two down and eagerly waiting for Kerala’s blooming season.

Travel Tip: Do carry a good rain-wear. Umbrellas are of no use and will get damaged at the peak due to strong wind. And a kind request to the visitors not to pluck the flowers/plants. We saw a few taking back a bunch of plants.😠

Route taken:
Bangalore-Mysore-Hunsur-Kushalnagar-Madikkeri-Mandalappati: 276 Kms
Mandalappati-Madikkeri- Kushalnagar-Channarayapattana-Nelamangala-Bangalore: 286 Kms

For more of my travel stories, do visit My Wanderlust Experiences

Kaiwara Betta Trek

In continuation to our last visit to “Bheema Bakasura Betta”, we planned to trek the Kaiwara Betta this Sunday. As this peak was under the control of the Forest Department, prior online booking is mandatory (myecotrip.com). It is just a KM away from Bheema Bakasura Betta and 65 Kms from Bangalore.
We booked our spots for the trek online a day before. As the trek starting time was 6:00 am, we left home early & managed to reach the Kaiwara Tapovana Main Gate by 6:15. The destination is visible from a distance of 15 Kms, along a straight road. As we reached closer, the peak was covered under the clouds.

 

By the time we reached, the guide had started the trek with another group of visitors. We followed his instructions over the phone to reach the trek start point (Gangothri Marg). We managed to continue the trek from there on. We started walking around the lush green surroundings. As we gained elevation, we could see the Bheema Bakasura Betta, the Kaiwara Mutt & other surrounding hills. The weather was also pleasant with the sun hiding behind the clouds.

 

We continued our walk & rested in between, also to click some pictures. All along the way we could see some different type of worms doing their morning-walk and of course were not harmful.

 

After an hours climb, we reached the entrance of an old fort. Another 10 mins of hike leads you to one edge of the peak, where from you can see the Bheema Bakasura Betta. It was a nice place to sit & enjoy the view with strong winds. A lone tree at the top was one highlight of the landscape.

 

Further walking to the centre of the Betta, you will find a small temple & 2 water bodies. Finally we met the guide at the top accompanying a team. They even had our National Flag as it was our Independence Day.

 

Now comes the best part of the trek. We found an almost flat place to sit near the water bodies to have our breakfast. My wife had prepared & packed some pālak-poori (with pickle) early in the morning. We enjoyed the home-made food amidst the nature, plus some strong wind and minus the sun. Finishing the breakfast, we made sure that we do not litter by packing the package materials in our boxes.

 

 
However, the homemade breakfast was the only excuse that saved her for her slow rate of climb. ;)
We could see more people joining at the top as we started exploring the peak. It was a nice place to click photos near the water body that too with our National Flag.

 

 

Later we walked to the northern edge of the peak. There were quite a few view points and some rocks on the top that you can climb.

 

After spending a lot of time, we decided to climb down taking the same path. We reached the trek starting point that took more than an hour. A small zoo with limited/no animals exists at the base on the road that takes you to the guest house.

 

Later we visited the nearby Amaranarayana Temple & Thathayya Cave before returning back to Bangalore.

 

Overall the trek was easy for us; however it can be classified between easy & moderate for not-so regular trekkers. Start the trek at 6am to avoid the heat later. The path is all rocky & muddy that will become slippery during rains. Carry sufficient water & snacks if you want to spend more time at the top, but take care that you do not litter the place.

Location: “https://goo.gl/maps/nYNPaix1uKKNyRQU7”
 

For more of my travel stories, visit “My Wanderlust Experiences”