A true blue Ghat trip


Abbey fall provide the perfect picturesque view.
Madikeri (aka Marcera) is a hill town in Karnataka and is the headquarters of Kodagu district. This place is named after King Mudduraja who ruled Kodagu from 1633 to 1687.

I was new to Karnataka, an intern in Mysore and was just starting to understand Kannada, so I knew that this road trip was going to be a great experience for me. I had my bike, a Royal Enfield Thunderbird 2002, and I am sure no one can ask for a better ride for a road trip.

I am also a photographer, so packing up the backpack with my camera and lens, a pair of clothes, some sweaters and jerkins; I started out at around 3 pm on a Saturday from Mysore.

Stopping once to fill the tank and took the Hunsor road towards Marcera. The road goes through villages and farms, so its quiet crowded most of the time.

Kaveri Nisargadhama is a point where the river Kaveri bifurcates and flows through a stream where people can take a dip to cool off.

The Kaveri Nisargadhama is protected by the forest department that does not allow people to enter after 5 pm. So I barely made it in. There is a park and lots of deer playing around in a fenced ground.

Proceeding there I rode on to Madikeri at about 8 pm. Now, if you are a bike enthusiast then you have got to ride through the Ghats.

It’s a whole different feeling just cruising along hearing the dhup dhup dhup of your bike ringing through the woods. The roads curve beautifully, allowing you to literally glide along.

I was able to find a place to sleep at a hilltop hotel, which is behind Hotel Kaveri. After checking in, I took a stroll in the night in the mild drizzle, which is likely to happen almost night during that time of the month.

The next morning, I took a walk from the hotel to the Raja’s seat and the Madikeri Fort. The town is so beautiful enveloped in mist and dew. The roads are empty with hardly anyone around. The cold air gives you such a chill that it literally jump starts you.

The places that are worth visiting are very close, hardly 500 meters from the centre of the town. I headed for Abbey Falls, which was about nine kms from the town bus stop.

At the check post just before the falls, I was greeted by a guard who was ecstatic at the sight of the bike. He was like, “Oh! You rode from Tamil Nadu? Which year is this bike… etc.” The people of Kodagu are very humble and hospitable and are known for rendering their service to the nation. The place is known for its coffee plantations.

The coffee powder and the beans from Kodagu are a must try. My father loves coffee and simply loved the packet I got him. I left Madikeri by 2 pm and rode back to Mysore. On my way back, I stopped at Bylakuppe, the Tibetan Town. I got caught in a bas spell of rain and had to ride very slowly. I reached my room at almost 9 pm, drenched and tired. But it was one great experience.

History

Raja’s Seat is a small square platform made out of bricks and mortar is surrounded by four arched pillars. It is said that, during those times, this was the favourite spot of Kings and therefore the name of the place is Raja’s seat. The beauty from this place is impeccable especially during the sunrise and sunsets.

Trivia

Abbey fall is located between private coffee plantations with sturdy coffee bushes. The sight of this place is beauty personified as we can see trees entwining with pepper vines. If you look closely, the falls that appear suddenly quietly turn into a silent lake.

Food

Sri Krishna Bhavan is one of the most popular restaurant in Madikeri. Serving traditional North Indian and South Indian cuisine, the restaurant offers lip-smacking paneer-based dishes like palak paneer and paneer bhurji. People from Coorg make sure they visit this place.

Stars promoting their soil

When a person like Jonty Rohdes asks you to visit his country, who would refuse? The South African cricketer, a well known travel enthusiast who has travelled to almost every country is inviting more travel enthusiasts to explore the beauty of South Africa.

In a first of its kind association, South African Tourism has teamed up with renowned cricketer, Jonty Rhodes to launch the book, My South African Diary, penned by Jonty himself.

As Jonty travels through his home country, he dons the cap of a narrator in the diary and shares his varied, exhilarating experiences of the scenic beauty of South Africa.

Jonty is not the only celebrity to promote his home country. Jackie Chan did a TV series where he narrated the beauty of China, we had instances of Konkana Sen Sharma taking us through the streets of Kolkata.

Harsha Bhogle’s Travel India with Harsha Bhogle is yet another popular show where he travels across the country explaining the rich tradition and culture of the country.

There is no doubt that the tourism departments of various countries have roped in stars to promote the tourism industry.

The writer is a photographer and a travel enthusiast

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> LifeStyle> Wanderlust / by Venkatesh Ravi / DC / Chennai / March 29th, 2012

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *