A Home Run through Magical Malenadu
Date: 28-Aug-14 and 31-Aug-14
Among the many beautiful routes connecting Bangalore to our hometown, the Shimoga route has always been one of the most scenic and popular among travelers. This post is about our experience of driving through this breathtaking stretch during the monsoon season.
This Ganesh Chaturthi was our first festival after marriage, so we had to celebrate it at my parents’ home. My hometown, Aroor, is a small village near Brahmavar in Udupi district. When we checked the bus fares, we were shocked. The private bus operators seemed to have gone completely overboard for the festive season. Almost every bus was charging nearly ₹1,000 per person for a one-way ticket. Traveling by our own vehicle suddenly seemed like the better option.
When Thilak mentioned our plan to his friend Sudhir, he immediately agreed to join us for the journey. Our little Nano was ready for the long drive, and we were excited to begin.
Bangalore-Shimoga-Aroor – Malenadu at its best (28-Aug-14)
We chose the Shimoga route for the journey. Our goal was simple, reach home in time for lunch. That meant an early start. At around 4:30 AM, we met Sudhir in Indiranagar and began our drive. It started drizzling as we entered the Bangalore–Tumkur highway. Since the roads were almost empty, we reached Tumkur by around 6:00 AM, much earlier than expected. Our next target was Shimoga before 10:00 AM for breakfast.
The weather was absolutely wonderful. The sun remained hidden behind thick clouds throughout the journey. Everywhere we looked, there was greenery. We had traveled on the same route a few months earlier, but the landscape looked entirely different during the monsoon. Every village, every field, and every roadside tree looked vibrant and full of life.
The roads were in excellent condition, making the drive even more enjoyable. As we approached Shimoga, the scenery became increasingly beautiful. We entered Shimoga city at around 9:30 AM, had breakfast at Madhura Residency, and resumed our journey by 10:00 AM. Normally, it takes around four hours to reach our hometown from Shimoga, so we assumed we would comfortably reach by 1:00 PM.
Through the lush green Malenadu
Thilak had initially declared that we would not stop anywhere during the trip. But the beauty of Malenadu had other plans. Soon after breakfast, our speed reduced drastically. Not because of the roads, but because we simply could not stop admiring the scenery. The route was covered with endless greenery. Large stretches of areca nut plantations appeared immediately after Shimoga. Soon, they gave way to lush green paddy fields stretching as far as the eye could see. The landscape looked so perfect that it seemed as though someone had enhanced it using photo-editing software.
Near the famous Sakkarebailu Elephant Camp, we were delighted to spot an elephant walking gracefully along the roadside. A little further ahead, we crossed the beautiful Thunga River, swollen with monsoon water. Several trees stood partially submerged, creating a picturesque scene. When we reached Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary, we noticed hundreds of birds gathered on a massive tree. Thilak could not resist stopping the car. We spent some time at the viewpoint, enjoying the scenery and taking photographs.
Rain, mist, and magic
As we left Mandagadde, it started raining. The rain only added to the beauty of the landscape. The winding roads, lined with dense greenery, seemed endless. Both Thilak and I felt extremely happy about choosing to travel by car.
After a few kilometers, we entered the beautiful town of Thirthahalli. Every time I pass through this place, I feel that the people living here are among the luckiest. Surrounded by such breathtaking nature throughout the year, their everyday life must feel special. As soon as we crossed Thirthahalli, the rain became heavier. Not surprisingly, we were approaching Agumbe, the Cherrapunji of South India.
The mist grew so dense that visibility dropped dramatically. We stopped near the famous Sunset Point, but there was absolutely nothing to see except thick white fog. Descending the Agumbe Ghat became the highlight of our journey. The steep hairpin bends, heavy rain, and dense fog made the drive both thrilling and nerve-racking. It required complete concentration, and Thilak handled the challenging conditions beautifully.
Once we descended the ghat and reached Someshwara, we felt slightly sad because our wonderful journey was almost over. The only thing that cheered us up was the thought of spending the next four days at home. It was still raining heavily, and we had about an hour more to travel. We drove via Hebri, dropped Sudhir at his house in Chanthar, and finally reached our destination, Aroor.
Travel snalpshot
The evergreen Malenadu region was truly at its best during this trip. We hardly realized that we had spent nearly nine hours on the road. Every moment of the journey was enjoyable. Driving through those rain-soaked roads felt nothing less than a dream.
Route Map: Bangalore to Aroor
Aroor-Charmadi-Bangalore – Heavenly road to concrete city (31-Aug-14)
After a wonderful stay at home in Aroor, it was time to return to Bangalore. As expected, neither of us was eager to leave. With considerable reluctance, we finally began our return journey at around 12:45 PM. This time, Thilak wanted to take the Charmadi Ghat route. It was his first time driving on this road, and none of us knew what to expect in terms of road conditions or travel time.
Through the beautiful Charmadi Ghat
During our entire stay at home, we had not seen the sun even once. The same weather continued on the day of our return. Fortunately, it was not raining when we started. We traveled via Hiriyadka and reached Ujire at around 2:30 PM as planned. The roads were lined with greenery and were pleasant to drive on. As soon as we reached Ujire, it started raining heavily.
Then came the highlight of the return journey, Charmadi Ghat. Although Thilak had often spoken about its beauty, I had never imagined it would be so spectacular. Compared to Agumbe, the curves were gentler and traffic was much lighter. The roads were in excellent condition, and the surroundings were incredibly scenic. As we climbed higher, dense fog began covering the hills. Numerous small waterfalls appeared along the roadside. Many travellers had stopped their vehicles and were enjoying the waterfalls. We too stopped at a completely fog-covered viewpoint and spent some time soaking in the atmosphere before continuing our drive. The higher we climbed, the denser the fog became. At one point, the road narrowed so much that only one vehicle could pass at a time. Fortunately, we did not encounter any traffic there.
After descending the beautiful Charmadi Ghat, we reached Kottigehara. From here, we had two options to reach Bangalore:
- via Belur and Hassan
- via Chikmagalur and Banavara
Although the Belur-Hassan route was shorter, Thilak chose the Chikmagalur route simply because he wanted to explore something new. It turned out to be a wonderful decision. The roads were lined with lush green coffee plantations, creating a beautiful landscape. We stopped at a quiet scenic spot and enjoyed the snacks my mother had packed for us. By the time we resumed our journey, it was already around 6:00 PM.
The shortcut we should never have taken
While checking Google Maps, Thilak discovered what appeared to be a shortcut to Banavara. Looking back, we probably should have avoided it. By the time we entered that road, it was completely dark. The road condition was terrible, and hardly any vehicles were using it. For long stretches, we did not see a single house. The entire area felt isolated and slightly intimidating. The stretch was around 30 kilometers long, and all three of us kept hoping it would end soon. Because of the poor condition of the road, it took nearly one and a half hours to cover it.
It became clear that we would not reach Bangalore before 10:00 PM. We therefore decided to have dinner at Tumkur.
Thilak found a shortcut road to Banavara in Google maps, which we felt we should have never tried. It was very dark when we entered this road. The road was in a very bad condition and there were very less vehicles travelling in that road. We could not see even a single house in that stretch. It was looking very very scary. The stretch was nearly 30 kms. All three of us were hoping for that road to end soon. But, the road was in such a bad condition that it took around 1-1.5 hrs to reach Banavara. Because of this horrible road, our journey got delayed drastically. It was clear that we would not be able to reach Bangalore before 10 PM. So, we decided to have dinner at Tumkur.
We reached Tumkur via Tiptur at around 9:45 PM and stopped for dinner. By the time we finished eating, it was already 10:30 PM. From there, we joined the Tumkur – Bangalore highway and finally reached Bangalore at around midnight. Although we had started the journey feeling sad about leaving home, the beautiful roads soon lifted our spirits.
Travel snapshot
The mist-covered Charmadi Ghat, the endless coffee plantations of Chikmagalur, and the unexpectedly adventurous road to Banavara ensured that this would remain one of our most memorable drives. The journey began in the heart of the Western Ghats and ended amidst Bangalore’s concrete skyline, but the memories of those green roads stayed with us long after the trip ended.
- Route Travelled: Onward: Bangalore > Tumkur > Shimoga > Thirtahalli > Agumbe > Someshwara > Hebri > Aroor
Return: Aroor > Hiriadaka > Ujire > Charmadi Ghat > Kottigehara > Chikmagalur > Banavara > Tiptur > Tumkur > Bangalore - Total Distance: 900 km
- Mileage (Car): 23 km/l
- Fuel Expense: 3130 Rs
- Total Expense: 3538 Rs