[Lukeskywalker]

The tagline above was seen by us on a few jeeps and also on our host's jeep. Well, it certainly needs to be answered in the affirmative once the drive is done, and what a drive it is.

Black Storm just completed 3 years of ownership and the odo read just over 65k kilometres, we had expected it to be in the range of the 80s but the trips and drives reduced drastically over the past year due to the new addition in our family.

That was one of the reason we could not plan a longer drive even though the month of August held a lot of promise with lovely "Let's go for a drive" weather and a lot of official holidays in between working days. Our daughter who is just over 15 months old seems to have had enough of her parents just taking off on long drives without her prior approval, so she protests and starts voicing her opinion rather strongly when we embark on a long drive.
Now, we needed to find a destination which was within 250 kms and a place where we had not been to yet. Wayanad was discussed and dropped as we had been there, Nilgiris too met the same fate, it was then that I remembered our friend and fellow tbhpian Chandan had a place in Sakleshpur, we had been meaning to go there ever since it was opened and our last minute planning always meant a disappointing "sorry Hari, it's booked already" .

This time when we messaged Chandan half heartedly, asking for availibility, he responded with "yes" it is available, but the catch was it was available for only one of the two days we wanted, so a quick resceduling and we preponed our drive by a day, so instead of the crowded weekend we choose a Thursday and Friday. Deepak (Bombatt on Tbhp) also was to accompany us with Priya his wife, we decided to take just one car as there were only four of us.

Thursday and Friday it was Mugilu (Mugilu - Sakleshpur homestay | Sakleshpur resort | The ideal holiday getaway from Bangalore), but then we still had Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Eid) to spare, so since we had not seen Mullayanagiri in Chikmagalur we decided to chance our luck once again for accomodation near Chikmagalur, phone calls to friends and Addyhemmige came to our rescue, he suggested a place run by a distant relative, it was called Athithi Homestay (ATHITHI :: Home stay at Chikmagalur ), so we booked for a night's stay there and we were told it was located very close to Mullayanagiri. Thus the destination and accomodation were taken care of.

Next was the route, Sakleshpur was simple Bangalore-Kunigal-Channarayapatna-Hassan-Sakleshpur, about 260 kms from home.

August 16th - Day One

Deepak and Priya came home at 7.30 am and we had a quick breakfast and left at about 8.30 am. The Safari was loaded with everyone's bags and we were on our way. We were out on the Tumkur highway after Peenya by 9 am, once on the left turn at Nelamangala, the road was 4 laned and we made good time till we stopped for a second round of breakfast at Kamat Upachar a little after Channarayapatna, the close to half hour break was welcome and by 11.30 we were again on the road, we had a small detour into Hassan where we had to drop off our daughter's nanny who also got a couple of days off, so we dropped her at the Hassan railway station and turned back to go on the bye pass.

Hassan to Sakleshpur has always been scenic and this time it was no different.



We reached Sakleshpur by 12.40 and a phone call to Chandan and we were given directions to his place, an interesting scenic road till Mugilu and we were there.
Chandan and his wife Sapna were there to greet us and after a few minutes of chit chat we were shown to our cottages.

Mugilu has three Cottages which resemble tree houses as they are built on inclines, so one enters from a path at ground level, but the balcony faces a lovely valley view with a steep drop down.



The first Cottage (Green)


The second Cottage (Orange)


The third Cottage (Blue)


We all freshened up and went for a sumptuous lunch served in the quaint dining hall located among coffee plants, even the tables and chairs are made from coffee wood and look cool. During lunch our daughter was entertained by Shunti, Shervo and Keechu, the adorable dogs of Mugilu.



We caught up on old times with Chandan over lunch and made rough plans for outings from Mugilu for the following day. Post lunch we relaxed in our cottages till tea time where tea and snacks were served at the cottage. we spent the evening chatting in the balcony listening to the millions of insects and birds which are the only noises one hears at Mugilu.

It was quite cold by dinner time and it had rained a bit too, so the dinner, again served at the dining hall was wolfed down and we retired for the night.

....Contd.

[Lukeskywalker]

August 17 - Day Two

We slept well past 7 am and could figure out it had rained the previous night, we could hear the water droplets falling off the trees, Mahantesh and Govind the dual team of caretakers were busy tending to the wood burning boilers for heating water, promptly they got us steaming hot coffee to our cottage and by the Deepak and Priya came back after a long walk outside Mugilu, they were like excited children describing the awesome scenery around, we decided that the next day we will get up earlier.

After some time we all got ready to face the day and trooped out for breakfast

Govind and Mahantesh serving breakfast


Over breakfast Chandan gave us options for things to do during the day, we decided to go for a drive around Mugilu and take a look at the backwaters of the Hemavathy river.

So post breakfast, we set off, Deepak accompanied Chandan in his jeep and we followed in the Safari.
First we went to an ancient Brahma temple, it was closed and Chandan told us that once a week it is opened and a puja performed, the place was really tranquil.

The Brahma Temple


Our Steeds at the Temple


Then it was time for some fun, it had been a long time since I had actually used the 4x4 switch in Black Storm and Chandan promised me that we would do some easy trails where I could use the 4x4 without too much of a trouble.

Some rough paths


There are no pics of the trail we took as I was driving and everybody were too engrossed in absorbing the scenery and the mini off road trail.
Finally, we reached the Hemavathy river backwaters and parked our cars



It looked like the end of the trail as the water seemed too deep to drive across, Chandan said he'd take a chance and drive through in his jeep as it was fitted with a snorkel.
We got the tow rope ready and he fitted the D-Shackle just in case and off he went







The jeep went across quite easily, but on reaching the opposite shore the engine switched off, we could see Chandan and Deepak trying to crank it and the Chandan opening the hood, after sometime he yelled across to get him a toolkit, so I removed my shoes and wallet and started wading across

Look at my Snorkel


I had walked 3/4ths of the way across when the Jeep started on it's own, so I trudged back completely soaked waist down.

....Contd.

[Lukeskywalker]

So I had to come back and wait for them to return, Chandan decided to go ahead and check out what other part of the trail was submerged, so I decided to click a few snaps and hope to dry a bit

Black Storm striking a pose


Bridge across the River Hemavathy


Then we heard the jeep coming back, so once again I prepared myself to wade in case it stopped midway

The Return of the Mugilu Swimmer












This time around Chandan ensured that the jeep remained on and there was quite a lot of water inside which was pouring out when the jeep was parked on an incline, the amount of water and Chandan's sensible advise made me change my mind about attempting the crossing in the Safari. But, I just drove it a bit into the water for a photo op.







Yours truly, Deepak (Bombatt) and Chandan


By then the dark clouds were beginning to splatter us with big huge drops of rain, so we quickly got into the cars and decided to head back, moreover we were all hungry.

...Contd.

[Lukeskywalker]

We drove in heavy rain and suddenly Chandan takes a u-turn and drives across to an abandoned bridge, I remembered the bridge from an early T-Bhp jeep meet, I handed over my camera to Deepak by wrapping it in a cloth and he ran back to the jeep and they took off, they went across to the road which ran parallel to the old abandoned road we were on and this picture was the result


I reciprocated the gesture with a phone camera shot of Chandan's jeep on the road


Black Storm Driving through the rain


We returned to Mugilu for steaming hot soup followed by lunch, post lunch we all retired for a siesta.

In the evening, another round of chai and pakodas and we were again raring to go, we decided against driving out as it was quite gloomy and cold and Chandan too had gone off to get supplies, so we decided to explore the neighborhood instead.

This is the scenery that greets you as you step out of Mugilu's gates


We walked into paradise just a stone's throw away from Mugilu


My family


Bringing home the herd


it was getting dark and windy, so we decided to return to the warmth of our rooms, so, another evening in the balcony reliving the events of the day and then we went for dinner where an unusual visitor awaited us.







I was busy clicking pics, Chandan got a handbook on snakes to try and identify the reptile, the others just had dinner with one eye on the unidentified guest.

A nice eventful day ended and we once again retired for the night.

...Contd.

[Lukeskywalker]

August 18 - Day Three

This day I woke up early to join Deepak and Priya for the morning walk and a final photo shoot.

Coffee beans at Mugilu


The path to the cottages


The men and their dogs



The rolling hills and meadows


Green paddy fields


Quaint bridge across a stream


Moss on the bridge posts


The stream


Shunti - our guide and host


We were high on crisp and clear mountain air by the time we returned for another hearty breakfast, quickly repacked and it was time to bid goodbye to this lovely place run by an awesome couple.

Our next destination was Chikmagalur, Chandan told me the easier way to reach Chikmagalur without actually driving back to Hassan and we took that route.

...Contd.

[Lukeskywalker]

We turned right just outside Sakleshpur and this road goes all the way to Belur



this road is quite narrow with ruts on both sides, a sedan or hatch will have problems when they have to get off the road which is quite often when heavier vehicles come in the opposite direction.

We reached Belur and took the road to Chikmagalur, enroute chikmagalur we came across some breathtaking fields painted orange

Marigold field with Yagachi reservoir in the background


Flower family standing out


Black Storm in a sea of orange






We left this beautiful sight and entered Chikmagalur town by 12.30, we called the owner of the homestay and we were asked to join another couple who were also enroute the same place with a guide, so we followed the i20 from Chikmagalur bus stand all the way to Athithi Homestay, it started pouring and the route took us through a muddy pathway in a coffee estate, we were almost sure that the i20 could not make it, but then it did with a little bit of wagging it's cute behind a bit.

Athithi Homestay is situated in a 150 acre coffee estate and consists of a plantation bungalow converted to a homestay, the place has about 6 rooms and it was full.

The Homestay


Lunch was in the common dining room and the food was just out of the world, Krishna, the lone caretaker is without doubt one of the best cooks we've come across and his spread was splendid.

But since it was raining non stop and we also heard from other guests about how disappointing Mullayanagiri was due to cloud cover and rain, we decided to just chill out and skip going anywhere.

Evening saw us emerge from our rooms for tea and as we stood in the portico watching the rain, I noticed the front right tyre of the Safari almost flat. The portable compressor I had came in handy and we reinflated the tyre when a driver of an Innova who had brought guests asked if we had a puncture kit, we did have one, so he offered to help in repairing the puncture instead of just inflating the tyre, so the best part of the evening was spent in using the tool kit including a trolley jack I had carried for such an eventuality and we repaired the puncture and reinflated the tyre, so we did not even unmount the spare, lesson : Good taxi driver's offers to help should not be turned down . The man did not even accept some tip for the help provided.

Another vast dinner and we all went to sleep on the last night of our short holiday.

This time I woke up early and since there only was a drizzle, took my camera and went around clicking snaps of the garden at Athithi











After breakfast of some of the best idlys we've had it was time to head back home. We drove back on the winding estate roads



and reached Hirekolale lake at the bottom of the road, this lake apparently used to supply water to entire Chikmagalur

Black Storm at Hirekolale Lake


We took the Chikmagalur- Kadur- Arsikere route back as we had to again pick the nanny from her village near Arsikere, the roads were very good all the way back and we got back home by around 5.30 pm.

Credits:
Thanks to Chandan, Sapna and the staff at Mugilu, you are wonderful
Special thanks to Addyhemmige for his inputs and route suggestions
Deepak and Priya, you guys are wonderful companions on a trip.

Trip Stats:
Bangalore - Sakleshpur = 260 kms (Yelahanka to Mugilu)
Sakleshpur - Chikmagalur = 75 kms
Chikmagalur - Bangalore (Via kadur) = 250 kms (to Yelahanka)

Accomodation:
At Sakleshpur = Mugilu ( Mugilu - Sakleshpur homestay | Sakleshpur resort | The ideal holiday getaway from Bangalore)
At Chikmagalur = Athithi Homestay (ATHITHI :: Home stay at Chikmagalur)

Road conditions
Blr-sakleshpur = excellent 4 lane till bellur cross, decent double carriage thereafter

Sakleshpur - Chikmagalur = Good/decent road but narrow till Belur, good road till chikmagalur therafter.

Chikmagalur -Kadur-Arsikere-Tiptur-Tumkur-Bangalore = excellent roads throughout, 4 lane roads from Tumkur till Bangalore.

Thank you all for reading through.
Regards,
Hari.

[benbsb29]

Thread moved to the Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing, Hari!

[joshuakeys]

LukeSky thanks for sharing Lovely pictures.

The first picture was mind blowing.

Black Storm Looks stunning.

Cheers

Josh

[laluks]

Amazing pictures Lukey.
Your daughter with Shunti made me very nostalgic, took me down a few years in the memory lane when we had our pet lab Dashy and my younger one petting her.

[mjothi]

Hari, beautiful trip. Makes me feel, I did miss a lot. I always loved the trips to such places in groups, like the one we did to Thirthahalli. We should make it some day soon.

Need to catch up with you and others. Deepak too is very silent now I guess. Busy with the Markets?

I have stayed in Chandans cottage, yes its right in the middle of the green. And in rain, its a heaven.

[KarthikK]

Thanks for the amazing travelogue LukeSkywalker . These pictures took me down memory lane to the time when I went to Mugilu with my parents and our pet pet Golden retriever last year. My golden's name is Ginger, and her best friend there was Shunti (the kannada translation of Ginger *lol*). Really glad to see Shunti has grown so big now; she was still an adolescent last year but was brilliant in guiding us through the estate trails and hikes. Any pictures of the rottweiler Keechu?

It is a truly heavenly place to be in, especially at this time of the year when monsoon is in full bloom. I still remember the shock I had when I followed Sapna and Chandan's directions to reach the homestay, to find Chandan's Jeep in front of the house with 'Got BHP?' stickers . Boy, was I mighty pleased to know both of them are BHPians, you bet!

They both were wonderful hosts, keeping us great company throughout our stay there, and the dogs are equally welcoming as well. I hope to go there again some time this monsoon, thanks to your brilliant travelogue and pictures.

P.S - wonderful photographs, especially of the Safari amidst the greens, and the macros at the end. Simply wonderful!

[rjstyles69]

Fantastic pictures Hari. Made for a nice read and yes I thought you were heading to Wayanad when you messaged me one of those days and only when I saw the pictures on FB did I realize that you had changed plans.

How is this place for a 2 day getaway,only Sakleshpur I meant.

[Samurai]

Wonderful Photography Hari, you have captured the monsoon mood very well. I too was in Sakleshpur this weekend, for the MGE and it was sunny most of the day. Did run into Chandan and Sapna during breakfast.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

How is this place for a 2 day getaway,only Sakleshpur I meant.

It is fabulous even for a 2 day getaway. One-way journey is just around 240km, which takes around 5 hours from Bangalore at the most. Even a Saturday-Sunday weekend trip will not be too tiring, since this town is just a little further from Hassan.

[addyhemmige]

Lovely pictures Hari!!! It was great to hear that you had a very good trip. Sakleshpur, as a tourist destination has always been understated. Yes, it lacks tourism infrastructure, but it is slowly catching up with plenty of homestays opening up in and around. The title is apt in the current scenario. I always say that monsoon is the best time to visit these places.