Haluvagilu falls

 

The falls might barely be 5 feet but if you are looking for a unique experience walking against the water flow above the falls amidst some mindblowing scenic surrounding, then you could try Haluvagilu falls. 

Haluvagilu is about 190 kms from Bangalore and ~20 kms from Hassan. Though it isnt worth traveling all the way from Bangalore, you could club this with other spots in case you drop by Hassan (Shettihalli Church is just 14kms from here)

For those of you who have visited Balmuri, this might look similar and familiar. Relatively this is more deep so get into the water below the falls only if you are a good swimmer. 

If you wish to walk on the slopes above the falls, make sure you drop your slippers at the entrance and walk bare foot. Certain parts are quite slippery and the water force makes it all the more difficult to walk.

Martin was delighted to step into the water. Something he missed doing in most of the falls we visited earlier ! 

Found it hard to deny his repeated plea to spend some more time in the water ! 

Last but not the least, if you are a nature lover, you cant stop admiring the scenic view. There was a lake very close by and that looked even more beautiful (not sure if both are the same). 

Madenur Windwheels

 In case you wish to see wind wheels from a close distance, Madenur is the place to be ! 

A small uphill drive heading towards a temple from where you could see many windmills over a long stretch.  

Madenur Wind wheels is located 160 kms from Bengaluru and roughly 30 kms from Hassan. 

After you deviate from the Bangalore-Mangalore highway, you would need to drive through a village and you would get a glimpse of the windwheels from a far distance. 

Once you are close to the destination you have 2 options - follow the directions to the temple top and watch the windmills from above, or take a small diversion and go to the foot of the windwheel

We started with the the 2nd option. A small diversion and we stopped by a spot which leads to the foot of the wind wheel. 

After spending some time here, we headed towards the temple top.

The climate was perfect and temple wasn't crowded (probably because we went on a week day). The view from the temple premises is mesmerizing ! Make sure you walk around the temple premises to get better views of the windwheels. 

After spending some quality time admiring the windwheels, we headed back home. On our way back, we stopped by a lake (located in Dudda) to have lunch. 

If the stories about this lake are to be believed, this is apparently haunted since this seems to be a favorite spot for many criminals to dispose bodies ! 

Jodgatta Lake

 A beautiful lake which is picking up popularity for photoshoots !  This looked like a good spot to celebrate our anniversary which marked our 7th year as a couple (officially :P) 

Jodgatta lake is located ~160kms from Bangalore. Though it might not be worth driving all the way from Bangalore just for this spot, it would definitely be a great idea to stop by if you are enroute Hassan/Chikmagalur/Sakleshpur/Mangalore. A small deviation from the Bangalore-Mangalore highway (few kms before A2B) and you would reach this beautiful spot. 

A long stretch of grasslands with patches of water here and there where you would find Pelicans and cranes.

Few things that you would need to note in case you plan to visit this lake - even a small drizzle can make it difficult to walk since there is a long stretch of grasslands. In case you plan to use this pit stop for Breakfast/lunch/snacks, make sure you carry a mat since the place isnt that clean to sit down.

After the stretch ends, you would reach the lake. 

 If you stay close to Hassan, this is a must visit spot. Else, like I mentioned earlier, you could stop by if you are enroute Hassan/Chikmagalur/Sakleshpur. 

Seegegudda Windmills !

 While watching windmills in some of the movies, I have always fancied going close to a windmill some day and it finally worked out when I visited Seege gudda

Located in Hassan district, this is approximately 200 kms from Bangalore. In case you plan to visit this place, make sure its a bike trip since cars would not go all the way to the hill top (unless you are fine with a long trek)

Also, this being a secluded spot, it would be better to go in groups.

On a sunday morning, we were all set for a bike trip (after ages!). 

We followed the google map and reached a spot which looked very far from the windmill. We had reached a field where bike wouldnt go and trek looked very difficult from the distance. The friendly localites guided us to reach the windmill. We could see the windmills from a far distance and we were all thrilled to go close to them. 

We reached the spot seen in google images and the windmills were just a stone throw away

The only scary part about the place was that it was secluded and there was a long stretch of road which barely looked like a road ! But there were spots where we could stop by and get a good view from the hill top.

We finally went close to a windmill and captured few snaps  

                              

 

When we stood beneath, it looked like a "Sasta Eiffel Tower" :D  

 

After spending some time far from the madding crowd, we returned back. Thanks for my 14 year old Unicorn for bearing with us :P 

Adichunchunagiri Peacock sanctuary

 The peacock sanctuary located close to Chunchunagiri temple (renowned pilgrim center) hosts several peacocks and serves as a good place to trek. You could either climb the steps and reach the hilltop or go hiking on an off road path. We chose the off road path since the steps were too crowded. 

The walk towards the hilltop seemed quite tiring and initially scary too (since we saw a warning on one of the rocks "beware of leopards"). We then saw a priest walk by and he said there are no leopards which gave us some relief. 

We continued walking past the huge rocks on either side hoping to see peacocks but unfortunately we couldn't spot any peacock (probably because we went there at the wrong time) 

We then noticed a temple and an adjacent lake. The lake looked beautiful and it looks like it is being developed for tourist attraction (though not complete).

The actual trek started from the temple which was at the foot of the hill. We had a temple priest to accompany us to the top of the hill. It was a short trek (a little tiring since it was during the afternoon) and we reached another temple which was filled with pilgrims. The crowd scared us (COVID !) and we returned back quite disappointed that we couldnt spot any peacock. But nevertheless, the trek was good. 

On our way back, we noticed a religious pond where devotees were hosting religious ceremonies along all 4 sides of the pond. We spent some time sitting near the pond and then headed back home. 

Note : After reaching home, I read another blog and was surprised to know that there are/were leopards in this place so I'm guessing the warning that we saw was true !... and I remember posing at a spot very similar to the one where leopard was spotted :P 

Source for the above note - Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary: Of Rocks and Rosettes | JLR Explore

Shettihalli church

 A very popular destination for bikers since many years - Shettihalli Church

Here's a small history about this church - Built by French missionaries during 1860's in Hassan (Shettihalli). After the Hemavati dam was constructed, the church got submerged in water but the ruins still remain ! For some of the localites this is a haunted ruin, for movie makers this is a popular shooting location and for travel enthusiasts this is a travel destination. 

If you plan to visit this spot, your experience would depend on which time of the year you visit. For most parts of the year, the church isn't submerged and the surroundings are dry. Initial monsoon days, the church is surrounded with water and during peak monsoon, the church gets submerged in water.

Early monsoon when the church is surrounded with water - The best time to plan your trip ! 

We carried tents for kids to spend some time on the green pastures on the way to church. There is enough space for kids to play around and you could even plan to have your breakfast/lunch/snacks here. 

We then proceeded towards the church which was at a walkable distance. Though we couldnt enter the church, the surrounding view was great and perfect for a photoshoot. 

After spending some time at the church we started our return journey.

Note : Make sure you check the weather forecast. Rains can ruin your plan since you might not find shelter if it starts raining when you are at the church (cars have to be parked on the roadside which is far from the church, when the muddy road leading to the church becomes difficult to drive) 

Pre monsoon when the surroundings are dry ! 

For most parts of the year, you can take your bike/car till till the church entrance (or inside too). This is when the film-makers plan their shoots too. We could enter the church and even walk around the church. We had to walk for a small distance to reach the water body. 

  

         

 

 Peak monsoon when the church gets submerged ! 

All you can do is stare at the church being submerged in water.

Mookanamane falls

 It wouldn't be wrong to call this a hidden treasure in Sakleshpur ! 240 kms away from Bangalore and a must visit spot if you are planning a trip to Sakleshpur. 

We reached the spot and noticed few resort rooms so I'm guessing there is a resort service which might have been operational before the covid breakout. There was ample space for car parking. We then had to walk a small distance to finally spot the waterfall.

It didn't match our expectation since there wasnt much to do apart from clicking a pic. After a few minutes we noticed people walking beneath and that is when we realized that this was just the start. There was a short trek to reach the bottom of the falls. Though we started off with confidence, I must admit that it didnt look very safe for minors. There were slippery rocks and it wasn't very easy for the kids. 

After we reached the bottom, the only regret we had was that neither could the kids get into the water nor could we leave them at a safe spot and step into the water ourself. This spot is better to visit without kids but it would be cruel to not let them enjoy this scenic view ! 

Since there was nothing much to do apart from clicking pics, we spent some time admiring mother nature and then started our return journey. The return trek was also a little scary but the boys were thrilled about their hiking experience ! 

In case you are planning to visit this, post monsoon would be the right time. Stay away from this spot if its raining and also consider the age group (15-50 yrs should be able to manage comfortably)