Ayyanakere

 Ayyanakere is situated at the eastern base of Baba Budan range hills (approx 225 kms from Bengaluru)

. It is the biggest lake in Chikmagalur and 2nd biggest in Karnataka. Being well maintained, this serves as one of the best Picnic spots in Chikamagalur. 

The lake is usually crowded on weekends and it is quite hard to find a parking spot if you visit on a busy day. Once you reach the entrance gate, you would find a small deserted forest area on your right and a small canal for kids to play on your left. If you go further ahead, you would find the lake which has a unique walkway.

You may have to wait for your turn to step into the walkway since you would find tourists busy clicking pics but if you like photography, it is definitely worth the wait ! 

The lake is surrounded by hills thereby increasing its scenic value. There are few spots from where you could jump into the lake and swim around (at your own risk). If you are not a great swimmer, you could spend some time enjoying the scenic view.

                    

While returning back to the gate entrance, you could take a diversion and walk through a deserted forest area close to the entrance gate

                    

We also spent some time at the canal for kids to play since they couldnt get into the lake earlier. 

                                    

After spending some quality time by the lake we started our return journey. 

                                   

Parvathamma betta - Hassan

 Parvathamma betta - At a distance of 21 kms from Sakleshpura and 33 kms from Hassan, Parvathamam betta is a scenic hills located in Dyathapura village in Karnataka

                  

This was there on my wishlist for quite sometime and finally visited on 9th Oct 2021. Located about 200 kms from Bangalore, the place is a bliss for nature lovers and beginners in trekking. The route is perfect for a monsoon ride since you will get to ride through lush green trees, fields and pastures on both sides of the road for about 20 kms after deviating from the bangalore-mangalore highway.

Pit stop at some estate on the way
to Parvathamma betta

              

Some pond on the way

                  

After reaching the spot, we started exploring some random spots before the actual trek started. Kids would love this spot since they have ample space to play around 

     

                          

Further ahead of this spot, less than a km away we found the parking spot and starting point of the short trek. My boys were thrilled about the trek and it looked perfect for all age groups. Initially there were few steps and thereafter you are free to chose your path to trek further. 

Martin's attempt at photography and I guess he fared well as a 5 yr old !

If you aren't tired yet, you can still continue trekking and after each stage you will be greeted by a stone entrance (like the above pic), few more scenic spots, space to relax with your family and beautiful landscape for photography. 

Small break between the trek

 

After the second stone entrance, there was a beautiful pond which is well maintained by mother nature ! A mandatory photo-spot for tourists ! 

There were lot of stones placed in such a way that it looked like natural sofas/chairs. We sat there enjoying the breathtaking view

Further ahead, there was a temple but we planned to return back since the place started getting crowded. We were fortunate to have reached there at a time (3:30 pm) when there were no visitors and the whole place was free for us to explore. We started our return trek (by 4:30pm) to stay away from the crowd keeping the covid restrictions in mind. 

This marked the end of our wonderful trek and I must say this is a must visit spot if you are passing by Hassan/Sakleshpur/Chikmagalur. 

Hulikallu

With a bunch of good friends to hang out with,

                                      Destination is just name sake

And once you have your destination fixed, 

                              Memories for sure you would make 

Doesnt matter where you go

                Be it a mountain, island, waterfall or a lake 

Hulikallu, here we come half a dozen guys

                                This sure is a much needed break !! 

Hulikallu : Like Jenukallu, Rotikallu and Ghatikallu, this is yet another beauty nested in Sakleshpur. Huli stands for tiger and Kallu means Stone. For your info, Tiger is the name of a well trained dog in this resort !! 

7th April 2016 : 6 of us were all set to spend the long weekend in Hulikallu (situated in Sakleshpur, approx 250 kms from Bengaluru). Our journey started at 6 AM from Bengaluru since we had to reach Hulikallu by 11 AM. After a couple of pitstops we stopped by Ossoor restaurant for breakfast. 

The adventure had started even before we reached Hulikallu due to the bumpy route. We reached Hulikallu right on time and were greeted by the resort guys with a welcome drink. After a quick glance at the resort surroundings, we freshened and up and had an early lunch. 

Next in line was a quick nap and then gully cricket following which the resort guys took us to the sunset point. A walk in the nature within the resort premises to view the sunset sounded interesting but unfortunately we reached after the sun had set :P 

After returning from the sunset walk, we played water polo in the swimming pool and then had snacks offered by the resort. Camp fire was set up by late evening and we had dinner. We had to sleep early since we had to wake up early the next morning for a trek.

The trek started early in the morning. Though it sounded a bit stressful, we were quite comfortable walking up the hill through some green pastures and forests.

After about 2 hours of trek, we finally reached the spot where we were set free to relax in the natures lap. 'Tiger' acted as a perfect guide and turned out to be a better poser for pics. Far from the madding crowd, amidst the natures art, we spent some quality time relaxing wondering if all these would remain the same years down the lane. Strange but true that the current traffic obsessed Bengaluru was as beautiful as any of these spots once upon a time. Hope these remote scenic spots do not fall under the cruel eyes of industrialization.

With the wonder dog "Tiger"

Up Up and away !! 

After an hours break we started our return trek to the base camp. All of us were thrilled to head towards the adventurous activities which were part of the package. We started off with the rope walk and then tried the tarzon slide. 

By 11 we were back to our rooms and it was time for us to bid adieu. Tiger being a super smart resort resource, turned sides when a new group checked in. We were quite amazed at how a dog could be trained to this extent. The guide also mentioned that Tiger was smart enough to guide a group on its own.

After packing our bags, we started our return journey. By late evening we reached Bengaluru, watched a movie in Sangeeth theater and reached home by mid night. 

Chandanakkampara, Kannur

A place that is quite popular among basketball players in Kerala but could have been popular with tourism as well !! Surrounded by Hills, waterfalls, water bodies and greenery, Chandanakampara offers a promising vacation !!



Paithalmala : A must visit spot close to Chandanakampara with breathtaking views and blood sucking leeches. A morning walk would be the best option in case you plan to trek. The government lodge close to this spot would be an ideal location to stay. You could take your vehicles till the lodge and then starts a trek through the forest to reach this absolute beauty. Beware of leeches - you would need some salt to keep them away.










Palakkayam thattu : A place that has picked up popularity and tourist attraction quite late. Strange that this place went unnoticed earlier. This qualifies as a must visit in case you visit Kannur. The right time to visit this place would be at sunset since you would be surrounded by clouds with a breathtaking view. You could travel by your own vehicle till the entrance and then preferably opt for a jeep (there are jeeps waiting at the entrance which would charge you Rs.300 for some off road travel). Once you reach the spot beyond which vehicles are not allowed, you would find Five star restaurant and here starts the trek. Though a small stretch to walk, the place looks ideal for nature lovers. After visiting a few spots we returned to the base and headed back home.

 

Mother Teresa church - A flawless human being who led by example and showed the world what charity means. A church built in the name of this humble woman has a historic relevance of being the first few churches built in her name. Natives have experienced several miracles here. However this church remains unknown to people outside Kannur, probably because there was
 barely any publicity for this place.

Alakapuri falls : A small walk through a forest which leads you to a waterfall and that Alakapuri falls. Not often would you get to stand beneath the waterfalls. Do remember to carry a towel as you would be tempted to get drenched !! The trek to this falls reminded me of Meenmutti falls in Wayanadu.



Meeshakavala : Close to Alakapuri falls is a junction named after a man who gained popularity with his mushtache. Not sure what his name is but he is addressed by the natives as "Meesha" and hence the junction is termed as Meeshakavala. This small town celebrity is the only one to run a tea shop in these premises so do not forget to stop by for a cup of tea and bread omlet.

Muzhipilangadi beech : A 2 hour drive from Chandanakampara will take you to the only drive in beech in India. In case you happen to wonder how people drive their cars along the beechside as seen in some movies, this is the place that would clear your doubt. Surprisingly the waters weren't fierce enough to soften the sand along the shore. This place also offers space for people to learn car driving. You would also spot fishermen with their boats filled with fishes.

Quarry : Another spot in Chandanakampara that you could visit in case you have some spare time would be the quarry. Though there is nothing much that you could do here, the drive to this spot and the view from the quarry is good.




Apart from the above spots, there are various other spots like Sasipara that you could trek or visit. A native by name Sasi had apparently jumped off this cliff and ever since, this was place was known as Sasipara !!

Basketball court : This blog would be incomplete if I don't make a mention about the basketball court. It amazes me that the whole town is filled with sportsman spirit and in most families you would find at least one basketball player. Like I said earlier, Chandanakampara is popular among basketball players and this place hosts numerous tournaments inviting teams across the state and at times other states as well. Every morning you would find players of all age groups working out with their routine exercises and the schools in this town give more priority to Basketball than other sports.

This sums up my experience in Chandanakampara and I feel proud to have my better half from here !! :)

Velankanni

A pilgrimage visit to Velankanni was due since 15 years and we finally made it. It also came in as a road trip !! #

Route : Bangalore - Salem - Namakkal - Karur - Nagapattinam
Distance : ~500 kms

May 1st being a holiday we decided to spend the extended weekend with a road trip to the most Popular pilgrimage among the Christian community. We started our journey early morning and reached Krishnagiri by about 7 AM. After a heavy breakfast, we continued our journey. Apart from a heavy jam before reaching Salem, the route was traffic free. By afternoon, our next target was to stop for lunch. We finally found a hotel beside a temple. Not sure if it was the hunger or the quality of the food, the veg meals was a delight. Post lunch, we continued our journey and we reached Velankanni by about 6 PM.

Accommodation was a big disappointment since we had not done an advance booking. With great difficulty we found a place to stay - Johnson Park Inn. A rip off in terms of room tariff but we had no other option. A suggestion for those of you who plan to visit Velankanni - book your room in advance since this place is crowded beyond your imagination.

After freshening up, we visited the beach which is a tourist attraction. The beach was a disappointment since it was neither clean nor safe. We barely spent few mins at the beach and then headed towards the church.



History of Velankanni church - Portugese sailors were on voyage and were struck by a heavy storm. They had taken a vow to build a church if they reach a shore safely. Miraculously the storm calmed down and they stopped by a shore which happened to be Velankanni in Nagapattinam. They then constructed a small church in remembrance of their miraculous survival. This was then followed by few more voyagers who kept contributing towards the construction of this church.



Appearance of Mother Mary with Infant Jesus - It is believed that Mother Mary and infant Jesus had appeared on a pond when a shepherd boy passed by. This pond shot to fame as 'Marys Pond' with this miracle and later became a pilgrim spot in Velankanni. A church has been built near this spot and devotees can be seen crawling on their knees on a sand laid path which is a half kilometer stretch.

Healing of a handicap boy - It is also believed that Mother Mary once appeared to a handicap who lived by selling buttermilk. Mother Mary's appearance cured the handicapped boy who went running to the village to spread a word about this miracle. A church has been constructed on this spot as well, which is yet another pilgrim spot in Velankanni.

The next day, we attended the holy mass and then started our return journey to Bangalore. We reached Bangalore by late night and had a good sleep to compensate for the 9 hour long drive.