[arun_josie]

Planning Phase:

The plan was for a family trip with close friends and we wanted it to be a relaxed trip rather than one with a jam-packed schedule.

As usual deciding on the location was the toughest part as multiple options were thrown in. Few contenders were Coorg, Ooty, Valparai and Wayanad. After multiple discussions, we decided on Chikmagalur.

After deciding on Chikmagalur, I checked with paragsachania if he is aware of any home stay options in Chikmagalur, he immediately came back with couple of them and we blocked Beanstalk without any second thoughts, http://beanstalkbagmane.com/.

Picture courtesy : Rethin John, Vivek Venugopalan

Day1:

Plan was to start early by 5:30-5:45 so that we can try to avoid the long weekend traffic to a certain extent.

• But with 5 families( 10 adults and 7 kiddos) , it’s tough to keep timeliness.
• We could only start by 6:30 AM.
• Filled up the tank at Shell, Bannerghatta Road.
• Took the NICE road.
  
  Traffic on the NICE road
  
  
  
  
  
• Then a quick stop at the Tumkur Road exit on the NICE road.
  
  
  
• Since we started late, got stuck on the Tumkur road toll(Neelamangala) and then some traffic till the Mangalore road exit.
  
• Then some traffic in the tolls on the Mangalore road.
  
  
  
  Some open roads,
  
  
  
  
  
• Breakfast stop was at Swati Delicacy. (around 90Kms from the start point).
  
  This is an older pic,
  
  
  
  
• There was a huge rush, so we ordered and had the food at the car parking space itself. It was fun.
  

After a nice breakfast, we continued towards Hassan and then Belur. Some nice winding roads on the way to Belur and after.

A quick visit to the Belur temple:



















Some winding roads after Belur,







Then we proceeded towards the home stay as the plan was to reach there for lunch. This home stay is located in Bagmane which is around 20 Kms from
Chickmagalur.

[arun_josie]

Home Stay - Beanstalk Bagmane

The last two Kms to reach this place is very narrow and rough, in fact, at some places there is no road at all. I was on the first gear throughout this 2Kms. It was little challenging as well as some part of this stretch was uneven and we had to negotiate carefully to avoid scraping the bottom. I loved driving this stretch.

• It’s in an awesome location, located on top of a hillock, surrounded by coffee plantations.
• We had booked all 3 rooms in this bungalow. So, no other families other than the owners during our stay.
• Very spacious rooms.
• Huge open space for all of us to play.
• Very well-fenced campus. So, no need to worry about kids when they are playing.
• Very well-maintained campus and bungalow.
• Food was above average. But, we weren’t bothered as the rest of the logistics were impeccable.
  

Here are few pics,

• We reached on time for lunch.
• After lunch we decided to relax and do nothing.
• Kids were playing around.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The adults played cricket, frisbee and kho-kho. Men vs Women.. The cricket game sprouted crazy rules. Kho-kho was hilarious. It was FUN. All caps!!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• They arranged for camp fire and music system. It was fun session of dance moves all around.
  
  
  
• Then, dinner and bedtime for kids.

[arun_josie]

Day 2 – Drive to Mullayanagiri:

Initial plan was to drive down to few scenic locations, but later we decided against it and planned for Mullayanagiri only. Also, it was a state-wide bandh day. So, no restaurants were open for lunch. Our only lunch option was the homestay.

• We got up around 7:00 AM
• All of us went for a quick morning walk around the coffee plantation to pick coffee berries and peppercorns.
  
  
  
• Then breakfast.
• Started to Mullayanagiri around 11:00 AM.
• We lost the way from Chikmagalur which required a few up and down drive inside the Chikmagalur town to take the correct route.

Mullayanagiri:

The challenging part of drive was driving to the peak of Mullayanagiri. It was because of the traffic, very bad roads and steep inclines.

There was this “Harpin Bend” which many struggled to take and parked the car on the sides which caused a huge traffic jam. This harpin bend has some sharp stones, dry and loose sand, and very uneven surface with very less grip.

Some traffic due to idiotic parking,

• I asked everyone to get off the car to take this harpin bend.
• I experienced the clutch burning smell for the first time.
• After around a Km from this place , again there was a very steep incline with less grip.
• This last 2Km was really a nice experience.

Here are few video clipping, the dash camera angle was slightly focused upwards by mistake. So, the videos doesn't show the real incline,

Uphill on Mullayanagiri peak_last 2Kms_September 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1070uNhRng

Downhill on Mullayanagiri peak_September 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JNJKd6qf-o

The menfolk,


After Mullayanagiri, we returned back to the home stay. By then, it was close to 3:00 PM.

• After lunch, another round of games... cricket, Frisbee and badminton.
• Then an exciting game of Dumb Charades till dinner time.
• Dinner and bed time for the kids.

[arun_josie]

Day 3 – Drive back to Bangalore:

• Plan was to start by 10:00 AM
• We had a good breakfast.
• Kids were playing for some time.
• Then some photo session.
• And started back.
  

The machines on the mission,





Stop at Chikmagalur town for Shopping:

Ladies being themselves, a 15 mins stop () for apparel shopping ended after 1 hours and 30 minutes. This delayed our lunch plan at Swati Delicacy.

• After shopping we started around 12:30 PM.
• Some crazy rains on the way.
  
  
  
• Refilled fuel to be on the safer side. Initially, I thought of stretching till Bangalore.
• And reached Swati Delicacy by 2:45 PM.
• And after food, some sinful Ice Cream at Polar Bear to end the vacation on a high note.

Now it was time to resume the return journey and to beat the toll traffic, we did some spirited driving and reached home by 6:00 PM.

Overall, it was a fun-filled trip with a group of like-minded folks who enjoy being on the road. The location was perfect for us. The kids had some uninterrupted fun. The adults got a much-needed break from the routine. We wish to go on many more trips like this in the future.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing!

[paragsachania]

Arun, Crisp and Nice photologue!

Made sense for you all to settle at the homesstay than check-in into a Hotel inside the town as it would not have made any sense at all. A homestay in Chikmagalur is half itinerary covered just by staying there - Local Food, Coffee Plantation, Terrain, Scenery and above all, the experience of staying in a proper home like environment.

Rains have been battering this part of the state, incessantly over the last few weeks that I too faced it on a Monday evening when I was driving back to Belur and back on the same day.

One thing I love about very heavy downpour is that all the drivers will stick to the left on a 4 lane highway due to water logging near the medians and that helps when it comes to easy overtaking. Of course, not to forget that Hazard lights still play an important role that distinctively helps one identify local vs Bangalore drivers

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Arun, Crisp and Nice photologue!

Thanks parag!

Made sense for you all to settle at the homesstay than check-in into a Hotel inside the town as it would not have made any sense at all. A homestay in Chikmagalur is half itinerary covered just by staying there - Local Food, Coffee Plantation, Terrain, Scenery and above all, the experience of staying in a proper home like environment.

Exactly! In fact, this home stay was super enough to relax and do nothing. Its at least 3 Kms away from the civilization. Double thumbs-up for your suggestion.

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

The challenging part of drive was driving to the peak of Mullayanagiri. It was because of the traffic, very bad roads and steep inclines.
There was this “Harpin Bend” which many struggled to take and parked the car on the sides which caused a huge traffic jam. This harpin bend has some sharp stones, dry and loose sand, and very uneven surface with very less grip.

Arun, I did the route to Mullayanagiri last weekend (Sunday, 26th of June) and I can relate to what you have mentioned here. The roads were all the more adventurous as it was raining. It was slippery and lot of people had parked their car at various places on the way. I locked the AWD just before the hairpin and the XUV climbed on without any drama. But after a few more meters, a Santro and a Honda City were parked, covering most of the road. I had to park my vehicle because there was not enough space to take it further. The authorities need to seriously do something about the vehicle movement on this road, at least during monsoon. People literally leave their vehicles wherever they feel like parking
A lot of vehicles capable of climbing the whole distance had to turn back because of haphazard parking.
I also learned that you should never visit this place during a weekend.

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

A lot of vehicles capable of climbing the whole distance had to turn back because of haphazard parking.
I also learned that you should never visit this place during a weekend.

Nice! It would have been fun to drive on slippery conditions.

Yes, the authorities should do something about this traffic. I think most of the drivers are not sure on what to expect and hence when they find driving condition difficult, they just park the car where ever they feel. Also there is no option for "U" turn. But its really pathetic when people park like that.

Yes, a weekday is better for such places.

[sanjaykk]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

....we blocked Beanstalk without any second thoughts, http://beanstalkbagmane.com/.

The home stay looks amazing. I am trying to book there. But no one is picking up the phone and there is no response to email.

Can you share how you made the booking?

-Sanjay

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Nice! It would have been fun to drive on slippery conditions.

Sure it is. After the Seethalayanagiri temple, it was practically muddy all the way up to the place where they have laid the interlocking tiles. Like you said, the hairpin bend looks very deceiving in the video. Many cars were struggling there itself. Around 100 meters after the hairpin, there is a place where some space is available. There was lot of drama going on there. A new Renault Kwid was parked there and while we were returning, the driver was trying to get it out. The car was sliding all over the place due to the slush and people had to literally push it out of the mud. There was no traction at all.

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Yes, the authorities should do something about this traffic. I think most of the drivers are not sure on what to expect and hence when they find driving condition difficult, they just park the car where ever they feel. Also there is no option for "U" turn.

For people visiting this place, I would advice to do the trip on a weekday and that too in the morning when traffic is less. That way, you will only get uphill traffic when you are returning. And, it is a bit tricky drive, so think before you attempt it, especially during the monsoon. If you are late, you can see TT's and cars parked on the way which makes it difficult to climb up, as the road is very narrow.

[gadadhar]

Is that a Barking Deer in front of the XUV in one of the homestay snaps? Does it come from the nearby wild areas?

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

Is that a Barking Deer in front of the XUV in one of the homestay snaps? Does it come from the nearby wild areas?

I am not sure on what kind the deer was, but kids were playing with her. Also, she was not afraid of human contact. Home stay people used to feed her.

[gkveda]

Hi Parag and other experts
My trip to munnar on 20th October got cancelled but we immediately chalked out quick and dirty plan to chikmagaluru and mullaianagiri tomorrow till Saturday

Could manage to get some hotel rooms as well.

Have few questions.

Is the road doable in fortuner without scratches on body by touching other cars? Asking this because if roads are narrow and two way vehicles passing is tough without scraping, then I want to avoid and rent some jeep

Secondly how far (roughly in kms and hours taken)we need to walk during trekking after car parking? Can ladies and children do this trekking?

Please clarify.

[graaja]

Nice travelogue and awesome pictures Arun!

From the pictures, it looks like the Mullayangiri peak is quite crowdy! When I (and a friend) drove to the peak a couple of months back, it was late in the evening and we reached the peak at around 6:00PM. We encountered lot of oncoming vehicles while going up. But when we returned back from the temple, only our car was left. We made the drive downhill with zero traffic in the dark with and that was a fantastic experience.

Originally Posted by gkveda

Is the road doable in fortuner without scratches on body by touching other cars? Asking this because if roads are narrow and two way vehicles passing is tough without scraping, then I want to avoid and rent some jeep

Secondly how far (roughly in kms and hours taken)we need to walk during trekking after car parking? Can ladies and children do this trekking?

I did this Mullayangiri drive a couple of months back in my BMW 330i GT, and did not have any scraping issues at all. With a Fortuner, it should be totally doable.

The trek from the car parking to the temple, is not very far, but is a little steep. A fit person could do this distance in 20 minutes. Ladies and children can also do this with a few rests. You should consider 45 minutes to an hour for the uphill. Downhill should be 15 to 20 minutes.