[strawhat]

Completed a last minute decided, whirlwind trip to Jog falls over the weekend.

This thread helped me gather information about routes and stay options on short notice. Especially this (Bangalore to Jog Falls - Route, experiences) post.

After dilly dallying over a few hotels in Shivamogga and Sagara, decided to take a punt on Tip Top Residency, Sagara. Booked a standard room on Friday midnight.

Route taken
Decided to take this route the previous night.

Bangalore - Tumkur: Departed HSR at 9AM on Saturday. Reached Nelamangala toll through Hebbal, Yeshwanthpur ORR. The Saturday morning showed me mercy with less than usual traffic. Congestion at the toll meant we were stuck for 10 mins. FasTag line was occupied by dozen trucks. Rest of the drive till Tumkur was regular affair. The Tumkur toll was negotiated in less than 2 mins with FasTag working flawlessly.

Tumkur - Tiptur: We were routed through Tumkur town before we joined with NH73. This is a smooth, spotless 2-line road wide enough to fit two big trucks. It was a pleasant drive all the way up to Tiptur outer with medium traffic. From Tiptur outer, the road turned rough and was polluted with several potholes for a few miles. Traversing through the town with lots of trucks and 2 wheelers was tough and tricky.

Tiptur - Tarikere: Great overall, apart from a few bad patches here and there. Do watch out for unmarked speed humps and cows. We encountered a heart-stopping moment when a couple of cows suddenly emerged out of a farm nearby running towards the road. We were cruising at 70. Thankfully I managed to brake on time to avoid any collision. The shell shocked cows immediately scurried back into the field.

Tiptur - Shivamogga via. Lakkavalli (Bhadra dam): Slightly narrow but drivable road through extremely beautiful lush green paddy farms with towering mountains as backdrop. As you approach Shivamogga, the road deteriorates but isn't undriveable.

Shivamogga - Sagara - Jog falls: New surface has been laid at many sections which makes for a comfortable ride through dense forest. The traffic was sparse too contributing to an enjoyable drive. The fails weren't roaring as they did just 15 days back. The water flow from upstream has reduced thereby making it an average sight.

We returned back on the same route except a deviation towards Huliyar on SH152. After facing heavy, overzealous traffic from Shivamogga we decided to say goodbye to NH206 near Kadur. We wanted to try SH152 till Huliyar and rejoin NH206 till Sira. Approximately 20km of SH152 was extremely narrow but manageable. The rest was superb 2-liner passing through open expanses. Unfortunately NH2016 was dug up for repair works after Huliyar. With no warning message boards, we had to make an unnecessary 15KM roundtrip. We were forced to proceed towards Kibbanahalli Cross on NH150A. Good roads. No complaints. At Kibbanahalli, we diverted towards Tumkur on the same onward route.

The return drive on NH48 was like a drag race, no less. Hats off to the impatient, inconsiderate folks who honk their way to glory. Trying to barge into every inch of space available to force an overtake. All of us trying to make life on NH a living hell.

Accommodation and Eateries
We broke for lunch here on our way to Sagara. Ordered the limited South Indian meal. The food was tasty and light on the wallet. They have sheltered car parking, giving your car a much needed rest.

We stayed at Tip Top Residency for the night. The standard room is non-A/C but spacious and neat. Good enough for a night's stay, I felt. Grabbed the room in a deal for 1500/- bucks on Makemytrip. Had dinner at their restaurant. They have a limited veg menu.

On return we stopped at Saanvi Hotel. They are a new entrant to the scene. They have limited parking space available. We had Andhra meals and lime soda. It was great and fulfilling. The staff went out of their way to make us feel at home. Nice gesture.

Our dinner stop was The Bilva Grand. They have ample parking space. The food was decent, not great. OK for a quick pitstop considering the paucity of options on the highway.

Some pictures
Between Tumkur and Gubbi


Near Kadur


Bad stretch near Tarikere


A dry Bhadra dam


A look down from Jog falls road bridge


Talakalale reservoir


The fall



Sagara - Hosanagar Road

[gadadhar]

Hearing Jog is in it's glory after the rains, we are planning a family trip on 28th Sep weekend. We are booked in JLR (Sharavathi Adventure Camp Jungle) 6 kms from Jog. It is only a Sat/Sun trip and the schedule is expected to be packed. Plan is to start around 4 am from South Bangalore, and start return trip by 11 am next day .

Looking for suggestions on 1. Route (plan is to follow Google) 2. Options for food and other breaks 3. Trip itinerary while at JLR

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Hearing Jog is in it's glory after the rains, we are planning a family trip on 28th Sep weekend. We are booked in JLR (Sharavathi Adventure Camp Jungle) 6 kms from Jog. It is only a Sat/Sun trip and the schedule is expected to be packed. Plan is to start around 4 am from South Bangalore, and start return trip by 11 am next day .

Looking for suggestions on 1. Route (plan is to follow Google) 2. Options for food and other breaks 3. Trip itinerary while at JLR

Here is the update from my post in the Goa route thread. http://https://www.team-bhp.com/foru...ml#post4653936

The flow in Jog was great due to the release of water from the dam, which might not be the case now. So the picture would look different now!

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by luvurride

Here is the update from my post in the Goa route thread. http://https://www.team-bhp.com/foru...ml#post4653936

The flow in Jog was great due to the release of water from the dam, which might not be the case now. So the picture would look different now!

Thanks, looks like the link is broken, but I could find the overflowing Jog snap on Goa thread. I checked the water level in linganamakki dam today and it is almost full, and with rains back in action, hope the gates may open by the weekend.

[gadadhar]

Visited Jog Falls on 29th Sep weekend. We started from Bannerghatta road at 4 am and reached Sarawathi Adventure Camp (JLR) at 11.30 with 1 hour break.

JLR property is excellent is situated on Sharavathi river basin and has got water sports like motor boat ride, kayaks, water scooter, pedal boats etc. They also have a guided trip in JLR vehicle to the falls. Cottages are situated in a hilly terrain and may feel demanding for some.

Water levels was low and the flow was thin at the falls. We saw a fresh roadkill (blood was still flowing), a porcupine ran over by some vehicle while we were going to Jog early morning in the JLR vehicle around 7.30 am.

We returned on Sunday 11 am, had lunch break at Shimoga and reached home at 7.30 pm.

[pariwar]

What is the best route to reach Jog Falls in the current situation. Traveling on the forthcoming Sunday - 6th October - early morning hours.

If we leave from Kengeri at 5.00 a.m. what are the better breakfast options at around 7.00 - 7.30 - 8.00 a.m. enroute?

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by pariwar

What is the best route to reach Jog Falls in the current situation. Traveling on the forthcoming Sunday - 6th October - early morning hours.

If we leave from Kengeri at 5.00 a.m. what are the better breakfast options at around 7.00 - 7.30 - 8.00 a.m. enroute?

You can take NICE road, use the Tumkur exit, and take the Tumkur, Sira route till Hiriyur. At Hiriyur, take the left exit towards Tarikere, Shivamoga, Sagar route to Jog.

There is a Kamat near Sira, you should be reaching there in around 2 hours and the place might be open. You may have to use google maps to locate the place since it is on the right hand side and you have to exit on the service road and cross the 6 lane highway using underpass to reach the place (it is not as complex as it sounds doesn't take much time). There are options at Tarikere that has ok food and washrooms, and we had breakfast there, but I'm unable to recollect the name.

There are some rough patches on the Hiriyur Tarikere stretch, but nothing that a car can't handle

[procrj]

Originally Posted by pariwar

If we leave from Kengeri at 5.00 a.m. what are the better breakfast options at around 7.00 - 7.30 - 8.00 a.m. enroute?

My 2 cents, dont waste the early hours on breakfast. Would suggest you leave slightly earlier and get to Shivamogga for breakfast. Meenakshi bhavan masala dose is very very good

[pariwar]

Completed a Jog Falls & Return on Sunday & Monday.


Onward Journey: Start at 6.30 p.m., Reached Hotel Souparnika, Sagar at 2.30 p.m. Route Taken - Bengaluru - Tumkur - Sira - Hiriyur (turn left) - Tarikere (turn right) - Bhadravathi - Shimoga - Sagar
Stops En Route: Breakfast - Pavitra Idli Hotel (Tumkur) & Lunch - Meenakshi Bhavan (Shimoga)


As expected lots of traffic getting out from Bengaluru and continued to be dense till Nelamangala where many vehicles turned left, easing the road congestion for me further up. Good roads upto Hiriyur and then subsequently some small bad stretches en-route to Tarikere. Shimoga Sagar is an excellent stretch.


Return Journey: Start at 1.30 p.m., Reached Home (Kengeri) at 9.30 p.m. Route Taken - Sagar - Shimoga - Bhadravathi - Tarikere (turn right) - Kadur - Arsikere - Channarayapatana (turn left) - Kunigal - Nelamangala - NICE Road - Kengeri
Stops En Route: Lunch - The Rice Bowl, part of Hotel Clarks Inn, Shimoga had a wonderful Lunch Buffet at approx. ₹250 odd, worth every paise.

Tarikere-Kadur-Arsikere can do with some road re-works. Intermittent and small stretches where potholes are developing and a few more showers will deteriorate the road further. Arsikere to Channrayapatana (called the Arsikere - Mysore Road) was a beautiful pothole free minimum traffic stretch and was a breeze to drive on. Channarayapatana to Nelamangala was once again a beautiful stretch to drive on.

[vinu_h]

Was of the assumption that people will stay put at home celebrating Ganesh chaturthi and I'll have the resort to myself, I was so wrong. All 18 rooms at Sharavathi JLR were booked. Fortunately I had booked 15 days in advance.

Route: Took the one via Hiriyur, tolled roads and the highlighted one on the way back. This is the one with no tolls and I loved the country side. Turned out be a very good decision. For about 50 kms from Yadiyur, I caught the traffic coming from Sakleshpur and that was the worst part of the drive. Imagine a ship stacked with containers, that's how this was; until that happened the roads were mine. About 70 kms have a few pot holes and diversions.



Few migratory birds


View from the rooms


The life guards in particular deserve a special mention. Our safety matters to them and they really show it

[mayukh42]

Any COCO/ trusted bunks around Shimoga or Sagar (or along the route), when taking the Chitradurga-Shimoga-Sagar route?

I found the below 2 bunks in Shimoga, which seem to have decent rating:

• Bhargavi Motor Fuels IOCL https://goo.gl/maps/eUkuFFWh1tYX45218
• HPCL https://goo.gl/maps/SjKPRiDfJYyUmSSRA

The latter would need a little detour though.

I also saw reference to one opposite Hotel Ashoka Grand in this thread, but could not find it on map.

Would like to refuel somewhere in Shimoga or Sagar instead of Sira BP COCO, which is too early in the trip.

[mayukh42]

Updates on latest road conditions between Bengaluru and Jog Falls (Sep 2021)

Onward route:
BLR - Chitradurga - Channagiri - Shivamogga - Jog Falls

• Chitradurga Bypass is now open, a world class highway, and one won't regret the extra few kms to enter NH369 from the other side. Couple of Highway Patrols with speed guns were feeling left out, with a 100 kmph sign post just near them
  
• Chitradurga - Channagiri - Holehonnur: Excellent 2-lane marked highway (NH369). Few kms around Chitradurga are average.
  
• Holehonnur - Shivamogga: Pathetic. Once a road surface deteriorates and there are no alternatives for buses and trucks, one can imagine what happens, and that is exactly the condition of that road. But it is doable in any vehicle.
  
• Shivamogga - Sagar - Jog Falls: Excellent forest road, and it might be one of the most scenic roads to drive in KA.

Return Route:
Jog Falls - Ayanur - Honnali - Harihar - BLR

Decided to explore a new route that deviates from Ayanur, 17 kms before Shivamogga from Jog. It is just 75 kms to Harihar (AH47) through some scenic plantations and a short Ghat stretch.

• Ayanur - Honnali: Good roads with occasional broken/ patched surface until the first town or so. After that, there is fresh asphalt laid till Honnali.
  
• Honnali - Malebennur: Excellent roads, including the ghat section.
  
• Malebennur - AH47 exit (Harihar): Narrow 1.5 lane road with average surface (one lane of the road is better).

Pitstops:
Not much options after leaving AH47 except in Shivamogga (Royal Orchid Central, Ashoka Grand, etc.). We stopped at the former. On the return we stopped at Davanagere CCD within 10 mins of joining the highway, though Mysore Cafe near Chitradurga can also be an option.

Fuel bunks:
(Replying to my own question above )

• Bhargavi Fuels, Shivamogga
• Nisarga Fuels (Reliance Nayara), Talaguppa

  This is a new bunk right in the middle of paddy fields, with excellent view around.

Overall, return was 20 kms longer, but since highway stretch is more, the total time from Jog to BLR was much less, and not to mention, one can avoid Shivamogga town traffic and that dreaded stretch near it, and have a much relaxed drive.

[SumanDas7235]

Thanks Mayukh42! We came back from a trip to Goa-Jog Falls last weekend. We took the Ayanur-Malebennur-Harihar route while coming from Jog Falls. Road was mostly motorable, though I couldnt generally go beyond 80 kmph as it was either narrow/ congested (mostly cows or other vehicles)/ broken in parts! I assume it was still better than the straight route through Shimoga; I would like to hear from anybody else who might have tried that route.

[neerajku]

Originally Posted by mayukh42

Updates on latest road conditions between Bengaluru and Jog Falls (Sep 2021)

Onward route:
BLR - Chitradurga - Channagiri - Shivamogga - Jog Falls

• Chitradurga Bypass is now open, a world class highway, and one won't regret the extra few kms to enter NH369 from the other side. Couple of Highway Patrols with speed guns were feeling left out, with a 100 kmph sign post just near them
  
• Chitradurga - Channagiri - Holehonnur: Excellent 2-lane marked highway (NH369). Few kms around Chitradurga are average.
  
• Holehonnur - Shivamogga: Pathetic. Once a road surface deteriorates and there are no alternatives for buses and trucks, one can imagine what happens, and that is exactly the condition of that road. But it is doable in any vehicle.
  
• Shivamogga - Sagar - Jog Falls: Excellent forest road, and it might be one of the most scenic roads to drive in KA.

Return Route:
Jog Falls - Ayanur - Honnali - Harihar - BLR

Decided to explore a new route that deviates from Ayanur, 17 kms before Shivamogga from Jog. It is just 75 kms to Harihar (AH47) through some scenic plantations and a short Ghat stretch.

• Ayanur - Honnali: Good roads with occasional broken/ patched surface until the first town or so. After that, there is fresh asphalt laid till Honnali.
  
• Honnali - Malebennur: Excellent roads, including the ghat section.
  
• Malebennur - AH47 exit (Harihar): Narrow 1.5 lane road with average surface (one lane of the road is better).

Pitstops:
Not much options after leaving AH47 except in Shivamogga (Royal Orchid Central, Ashoka Grand, etc.). We stopped at the former. On the return we stopped at Davanagere CCD within 10 mins of joining the highway, though Mysore Cafe near Chitradurga can also be an option.

Fuel bunks:
(Replying to my own question above )

• Bhargavi Fuels, Shivamogga
• Nisarga Fuels (Reliance Nayara), Talaguppa

  This is a new bunk right in the middle of paddy fields, with excellent view around.

Overall, return was 20 kms longer, but since highway stretch is more, the total time from Jog to BLR was much less, and not to mention, one can avoid Shivamogga town traffic and that dreaded stretch near it, and have a much relaxed drive.

Hi
Thanks for the route. Few additions. If you take the BLR - Chitradurga - Channagiri - Shivamogga - Jog Falls route, you get 220 odd Km on NH/AH another 100 km of really mixed bag. last 100 km after sagar to Jog falls is two lane but pretty good.
If you take the Jog Falls - Ayanur - Honnali - Harihar - BLR route the first 80-90 km till Sagar is again fine, Sagar to AH is another 100 km, pretty average with last 40 km awful. But post that you get 240 odd km of good AH. so roughly you get 40-50 odd KM as an addition on the highway. While returning there is no good place to eat. Upadhyay and one more were there. Pretty crowded. Upadhyay was really awful though. Good part is one of the over passes after Davanagere we saw work onstream. Hope others have also picked up pace, wrk would have been stranded for ages as many had bushes, roots growing onto them. May be end of next year Bangalore to Goa etc will be a very fine route , beyond Davanagere also. Thanks once again.

[satran]

Is it worth to visit Jog falls now.