Kabini Backwaters
Lush green location, glimpses of tiny villages on the way, fertile agricultural lands around and the feel of isolation from the busy urban life makes Kabini Backwaters an alluring destination to spend your weekend evenings around Mysore.
Planning
Wayanad is one of the common tourist destinations for the travel enthusiasts around Bangalore and Mysore. We too had a long pending plan to visit the place. Finally we planned for a 3 days trip Wayanad, more specifically few places around Lakkidi of Wayanad. As it doesn’t make sense to drive continuously for 9 straight hours to reach Lakkidi from Bangalore, we included Kabini Backwaters to our list. Kabini Backwaters is located almost halfway en route to Lakkidi from Bangalore, and It also introduces the possibility to drive through a different route which we have not explored yet. Since we planned to visit Backwaters, we thought of giving a try to Kabini Dam too. Plan was set.
Best route to Kabini Backwaters
We took our favorite Bangalore – Kanakapura – Malavalli – Mysore route to reach Mysore ring road. From then on, took the route which Google Maps suggested as below. It takes around 5 hrs. to reach the place with occasional short breaks for photography. Road condition is good till Heggadevanakote. After this place, till Kabini dam, road condition deteriorates and consists of broken tarmac and gets bumpy. When we got to Kabini Dam, we found that the main entrance gate closed for public visitors. But we went ahead a bit further and found yet another gate on the right side.
Poor maintenance
There was no one at this entrance when we visited. Even though a ticket counter was present in sorry state. It didn’t seem to be operational. The garden like area from this gate, till the dam gate, was very poorly maintained. It was evident that nobody has given any interest in maintaining this huge area, which is meant for a garden.
Once you get near to the gates, you can hear the roar of water from the gates if one of the gates are open. We were lucky to witness it. There goes a narrow structure of staircase, right near the dam gates which will take you above the dam wall. When we climbed the stairs, we found out that entry to the dam is restricted. We were able to see only a glimpse of an enormous area covered in backwaters on the other side of the dam.
Kabini Dam
Kabini Dam is 210 Kms from Bangalore and 60 km from Mysuru. This Dam is built over Kabini River (Kapila). It is located near Beechanahalli Village, Heggadadevanakote (H.D.Kote) taluk. Built in 1974, Kabini dam is 58 m (190 feet) in height and 696 m (2,284 feet) in length. The catchment area of Kabini dam is spread over 2141 square kms. Kabini dam submerged over 22 villages, 14 colonies, 6950 acres of forest, and 8,870 acres of agricultural land when it was constructed.
Kabini Backwaters
After spending around 20 mins around the place, we proceeded towards Antharasanthe to visit Backwaters of Kabini. This was not a well known tourist destination. Just by glancing around the area of Kabini dam catchment area, we had marked this place, hoping that this place would be interesting enough to visit. And the place didn’t disappoint us.
18 km drive via Yalamathur took us to the Kabini Backwaters. The last 6.5 km from SH 33 till Kabini backwaters is an unpaved, dirt road, passing through tiny village settlements. As soon as we approached the backwaters’ area, the road opened into a vast grassland, followed by the huge water reservoir beyond it. We enjoyed driving around on this perfectly plain grassland. One could see cows grazing in far from here. We spent around 40 mins doing photo shoots and relaxing in the calm and perfect ambiance.
Timings
- Monday
- 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Tuesday
- 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Wednesday
- 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Thursday
- 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Friday
- 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Saturday
- 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Sunday
- 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tips For Travelers
- There are no good food options available around Kabini Dam and backwaters. Better plan your mealtimes accordingly / pack your food before going.
- Please carry all the trash with yourself while travelling back from the place. Do not litter.
- Drive slowly while reaching backwaters as the road goes through villages.
- Please do not spoil the ambiance by making loud noises as it may disturb the wildlife around.
Places to Visit Nearby Kabini Backwaters
| Destination | Distance from Kabini Dam (in Km) |
|---|---|
| Nanjundeshwara Temple Nanjanagudu | 65 |
| Mysuru | 62 |
| Nagarahole national park | 62 |
| Iruppu Falls | 80 |
| Himavad Gopalswamy Temple | 80 |
| Edakkal Caves | 103 |
| Vythiri | 105 |
Food Options near Kabini Backwaters
There are no decent restuarents around Kabini Dam/ Backwaters. We suggest you to plan your food breaks / pack your food from below places which is around 15 kms from the dam.
Live the Experience
We suggest you to watch our short informative video on this place before visiting.