[dinesh6481]

Interesting narration. Part poetic Part Spiritual. The Karnataka in Monsoon looks a totally different place. I was there for two years and spent almost two months on road as part of car rally In a sponsored Maruti Zen during Monsoon. How safe is it to go close to reservoirs during monsoon? I would also like to ask if the local rivers are prone to flash floods during monsoons like Himachal Pradesh.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by dinesh6481

Interesting narration. Part poetic Part Spiritual. The Karnataka in Monsoon looks a totally different place.

Thanks dinesh

I was there for two years and spent almost two months on road as part of car rally In a sponsored Maruti Zen during Monsoon.

That must have been interesting. How long back was this and what places did you explore in 2 months?

How safe is it to go close to reservoirs during monsoon? I would also like to ask if the local rivers are prone to flash floods during monsoons like Himachal Pradesh.

I haven't heard of any instances of flash floods in KA. This reservoir is fed by hemavathy & yagachi rivers, which are not very large rivers but I get the point you are making about how safe it is to drive down to the banks. Did not really consider the safety aspect before driving down there but we did park some distance from the water and only drove close to the edge for taking a few pics.

[sswaroop]

Lovely photos RJ! Good to meet you and @MPKSuhas on the drive!

[denver85]

Great clicks and narration

Originally Posted by procrj

Gmaps shows this route from Fresh bean cafe to Devaramane top but I am not sure if this is the route we took. Use caution and common sense if you plan to ride. I remember you posting about biking it to such places and I would suggest that you bike along with someone as a flat tire and heavy downpour could leave you stranded. Not a lot of tarmac around here and zero traffic

This is almost the same route we took after Devarmane to reach Banakal. But in the last 3 kms we took a different route which is not marked in Gamps.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by denver85

Great clicks and narration

This is almost the same route we took after Devarmane to reach Banakal. But in the last 3 kms we took a different route which is not marked in Gamps.

Thanks deepak. You should post your mega malenadu drive update on a thread here for the benefit of all those parched souls who might want to drive around in the monsoon

[ssateesh]

Hi, First of all wonderful travelogue and loved reading it.

Originally Posted by procrj

rough estimation of route we took & its based on the names of places that we crossed and probably not the exact route we took. The last part of the drive from Hanbal to Devaramane is a maze which I just cannot remember.

I was part of convoy #2 and couldn't meet you. Attached is a .kml file of the exact route we took in the MD.

You can use the following tutorial to view it in a desktop
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-impor...to-Google-Maps

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by procrj

rough estimation of route we took & its based on the names of places that we crossed and probably not the exact route we took.

What I learnt about the routes you took is: Bangalore - Hassan - Shettihalli - Hetthur - Donigal - Anemahal - Hanbal - Mudigere - Deverabetta - Banakal - Mudigere - Belur - Hassan - Bangalore.

Saw a tons of pictures so far on FB, here and WhatsApp forwards. Change of date did not work out for me but otherwise this was one great trip I must NOT have missed.

But you covered for most of the parts too well and thanks for the virtual tour of Malenadu MD

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by abirnale

Bangalore - Hassan - Shettihalli - Hetthur - Donigal - Anemahal - Hanbal - Mudigere - Deverabetta - Banakal - Mudigere - Belur - Hassan - Bangalore.

Bangalore - Hassan - Byrapura Check Post on BM Road - Shettihalli Backwaters - Magge - Yesaloor - Kudurasthe - Hetthur - Donigal - Anemahal - Hanbal - Deverunda - Deveramane - Banakal - Belur - Hassan - Bangalore

So the only change here was the not so usual route to the backwaters and the not so straightforward route to Deveramane that one can still take by doing Hanbal - Mudigere Hand Post - Gutthi - Deveramane which has an easy road to reach the summit.

So in reality, its the journey that mattered here than the destination. By pics, it just gives a false feeling of Shettihalli and Deveramane alone :-).

3 of us including FusionBang and AddyHemmige didn't even prefer the usual Mudigere - Jannapura - Cheeknahalli route back to Belur and instead took the Makonahalli - Gendehalli route to reach Belur that evening.

RJ - Hope you won't mind few clicks from my side to upload here?

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

So in reality, its the journey that mattered here than the destination. By pics, it just gives a false feeling of Shettihalli and Deveramane alone :-)

Exactly Anna. The green in entire western ghats has hundreds of shades. The green you see right from up north in Konkan towards south in Kerala is all mesmerising. A small gap between two downpours and mist that covers on the road, you wish for clock to stand still. Its actually maddening green you don't want to leave behind. The seasonal waterfalls formed by water gushing down from the hills on almost all of these hilly roads have always amazed me. If there is a heaven somewhere, its got to be here!

By the way, how about tracing the route together again on some weekend soon

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by abirnale

The green you see right from up north in Konkan towards south in Kerala is all mesmerising.

I love that shade of Green on Konkan so much that I don't miss any drive that side at least once a year. A travelogue on that shade of green will come soon .

The seasonal waterfalls formed by water gushing down from the hills on almost all of these hilly roads have always amazed me. If there is a heaven somewhere, its got to be here!

Tell me about it. Amboli and Amba had so many such waterfalls that after a few kilometers, waterfalls was like signage to us and felt too normal.

By the way, how about tracing the route together again on some weekend soon

I did 3 trips in 3 weeks. Recce, Konkan and this drive. Now, I need to plan carefully a trip with family to compensate . So I hope we do this soon. I am just a call away.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by abirnale

The green you see right from up north in Konkan towards south in Kerala is all mesmerising.

amen to that!

By the way, how about tracing the route together again on some weekend soon

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Amboli and Amba had so many such waterfalls that after a few kilometers, waterfalls was like signage to us and felt too normal.

I missed the MH drive. Will plan next year for this section.

So I hope we do this soon. I am just a call away.

let me know when you plan to retrace this route. Will join if possible.

[addyhemmige]

Superb pictures and writing RJ. I am commenting in TBHP after a very long time and your travelogue has made me do it. It was a superb drive all round and I'm sure we all enjoyed it. Driving on interior roads with very little or no traffic and the green surrounding us is absolutely mesmerizing. Thank you for sharing those beautiful pictures

[procrj]

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

Superb pictures and writing RJ. I am commenting in TBHP after a very long time and your travelogue has made me do it. It was a superb drive all round and I'm sure we all enjoyed it. Driving on interior roads with very little or no traffic and the green surrounding us is absolutely mesmerizing. Thank you for sharing those beautiful pictures

Thanks Aditya. Your sedate driving ensured that I got 15+ kmpl during the trip jokes apart, thanks a lot for putting this together. Need to pick you brains on places I can visit as I will be in kadamane the week after next . Will pm.

[gypsyFreak]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Bangalore - Hassan - Byrapura Check Post on BM Road - Shettihalli Backwaters - Magge - Yesaloor - Kudurasthe - Hetthur - Donigal - Anemahal - Hanbal - Deverunda - Deveramane - Banakal - Belur - Hassan - Bangalore

Where exactly is that place with Green meadows?
Is it near Hanbal? Should we take any deviation from Hanbal?

That looks like a nice space for a outing.
Planning to drive to Shettihalli church and this place..

Thanks in advance...

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by procrj

Note: Red XUV is our own wanderlust traveller mpksuhas

Thanks for the pics, it was nice to meet you and put a face behind TBHP handle.
Here is a pic from my camera of Red Dwarf from my camera