[raghunandanj]

After reading the travelogue by addyhemmige, I was interested to celebrate the designation of the Western Ghats as a UNESCO World Heritage by a visit to Malhalli Falls, a beautiful waterfall tucked deep inside Coorg, a land blessed by nature. I did it in a day, leaving Bangalore at 4 AM and returning by 8 PM, courtesy the good quality of roads all the way. So it was 550 km of drive with an additional 6 km of hike, a great combination indeed for a day
The drive


The route between Kushalnagar and Somvarpet highlighted below is one of the most scenic ones I have ever witnesses in Coorg. To put it in a nutshell, the road is 21 km of sheer bliss, with very low trafffic and resplendent views of Coorg countryside on either sides. A real pleasure to drive on it, especially given that the road quality is excellent as well ! Coorg is a small district, but there is no dearth for quiet bylanes that offer more than just solitude and a great drive, and this is truly one among them. There are more open vistas than shady drives through coffee estates on this stretch, and one particular spot close to Somvarpet was nothing short of the rolling hills of the English countryside
Here it is.


　

The road from Somvarpet to the falls is another dream to drive on, though not essentially in good condition. Some potholes may be painful to low-clearance sedans, but it is indeed a great drive. Too many "Y" junctions compel you to consult a local, but nevertheless, the Coorgis are a great lot and they offer assistance very proactively.




The falls viewpoint lies at the end of a 3 km long jeep track, easily passable by sedans for the first half, and 4X4s for the second half. There is a short 70 m stretch with heavy gully erosion and high degree of inclination that may be a bit challenging when wet, but it poses no challenge for seasoned 4X4s. Beyond the viewpoint, it is an easy descent to the proximity of the falls.




The falls are on the Kumaradhara river, the same one that bends out the Pushpagiri mountains to join the Nethravathi and open out to the sea in Mangalore. The vicinity is within the precincts of the Pushpagiri santucary, and forms the leeward side of the Kumaraparvata sub-range. There are two cascades, the first one being the higher one ( approximately 60 ft I guess ) and the second relatively lesser, at about 25 feet. A sight to behold indeed.



However, it was indeed disturbing to note that the place has been littered quite a lot by the indifferent and callous city folk, who were not even thinking twice while throwing empty plastic bottles and uprooting many beautiful plants to take home ! What's more surprising is that a local homestay offers a "picnic service" to the viewpoint, and needless to say, there is a huge pile of paper plates to greet you there.I really wonder how the forest department allows all this. The paradox is that the same place where entry tickets are issued also sells chocolates, biscuits and all the stuff that can litter the place so much. It was nothing short of appalling to see educated city folk abuse the place, proving that we have a long way to go to achieve sustained eco-friendly toursim practices. To top it all, we are opposing the designation of the Western Ghats as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[PGNarain]

Lovely photos and crisply written travelogue Raghu. Do post more pics.

It has long been my wish to visit Coorg, thanks to the many travelogues much like yours which I have read on T-BHP.

[sumannandy]

Excellent pictures and a great travelogue. How are the hotels and stay options there?

[Dushie]

Excellent photos, i was myself in Coorg last weekend and had a great time. Covered 700kms in 2 days trip. Had an exciting journey from Bangalore, did not see much rainfall there, but got stuck in abad shower post Mysore on my way back home on Sunday night.

[Fauji]

Thanks Raghu for posting on Mallali falls. I had read about it in the post by Addy and in fact spoke to him and took directions. In fact when we went to Kadamane, we wanted to go there. But trekking of few KMs was an issue as my wife had sprained her ankle. we only hope that it will remain as pristine as it is today and does not get commercial.

BTW, the road from Sakleshpur to Madikeri via Shanivara Santhe and Somvarpet in Coorg is one of the most picturesque at this time of the year with miles and miles of lush meadows. We did that last year which is captured in this thread

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...akleshpur.html

[TaureanBull]

Very picturesque place and lovely pics. Pics of the Safari are also very nice. I am sure the trip must have been very rejuvenating.


Where did you stay? any inputs?

[raghunandanj]

Originally Posted by sumannandy

Excellent pictures and a great travelogue. How are the hotels and stay options there?

Thanks ! Well, not too many good hotels in Somvarpet ( 17 km before the falls ), though you will find some lodges in the town centre that are just about basic. However, there is a homestay by name "Kannika Homestay", right at the place where the hike of 3 km begins, and they have pretty decent rooms. They have a website as well, and it would be a good idea to call them before planning. They also offer jeep tours to the falls view point for aged people.

Originally Posted by Fauji

Thanks Raghu for posting on Mallali falls. I had read about it in the post by Addy and in fact spoke to him and took directions. In fact when we went to Kadamane, we wanted to go there. But trekking of few KMs was an issue as my wife had sprained her ankle. we only hope that it will remain as pristine as it is today and does not get commercial.

BTW, the road from Sakleshpur to Madikeri via Shanivara Santhe and Somvarpet in Coorg is one of the most picturesque at this time of the year with miles and miles of lush meadows. We did that last year which is captured in this thread

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...akleshpur.html

Hi Fauji, actually, the falls is quite accessible when compared to the rest, and the homestay located close by can arrange for jeep tours. I saw a few aged ladies come all the way to the viewpoint and behold the views ! Rush there over the next few weeks if you can....

Thanks for the details on the Shanivarasanthe route..will try taking my beast there this weekend if possible !

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

Very picturesque place and lovely pics. Pics of the Safari are also very nice. I am sure the trip must have been very rejuvenating.

Where did you stay? any inputs?

Thanks. Not too many good hotels in Somvarpet ( 17 km before the falls ), though you will find some lodges in the town centre that are just about basic. However, there is a homestay by name "Kannika Homestay", right at the place where the hike of 3 km begins, and they have pretty decent rooms.

[kARTIK IYER]

Raghu,

Very nice pics and very well written travelougues..

Regards

Kartik Iyer

[addyhemmige]

Nice pictures Raghu. The falls do seem to have a good amount of water. How was the rain situation over there? Good to hear that the Kushalnagara-Somwarpet road is good. The last time I went in that road it was pretty rough with potholes.