[Paradiddle]

Every working professional craves the long weekend. I'm no different! It had been a long month or two and it was getting to me. This impromptu trip was just what I needed.

Saturday 30th September 2017 00:30 - I was going through the forum when I suddenly felt the urge for a long drive. I immediately switched to the travelogues section and started searching for places which would be a decent 200-300km drive from Bangalore. That is when I came across the travelogue by @ImranShahnawaz and I almost instantly knew that this was it.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...g-kutta-2.html

It was time for a solo trip. Solo human, I mean My only travel companion was going to be my ever ready furry friend, Mac, a 2.5-year-old Labrador/Great-Dane mix.

I was up at 04:30. He was up all night, pacing across the passageway waiting for me to get up. He knew we were heading out. He knew it the second I packed his food and bowl and he was as excited as a piglet in a muddy pit.

At 05:00, we hit the tarmac.

I decided to skip Nice road because I did not anticipate a lot of traffic on the Mysore road at 05:00. To my dismay, Mysore road was absolutely chaotic not because of the traffic but because of the Metro work. Roads are in a pathetic condition. I was glad that I was in my Xylo, the soft suspension pretty much soaks up every bump. The road condition ranged from bad to 'why do I even bother with Mysore road' till Mandya. All the rain has only worsened the condition of the road.

At 07:00 I was at Kamat Upachar and I called Vimala Estate and spoke to Mr Narendra Pattu, he told me that he just had a cancellation and I was delighted to know that he had a room available to accommodate me.

2 hours and several kilometers later I was at the entrance of the national park. At the entrance, there is security post where I was asked to enter my name, vehicle number and miscellaneous details. All good so far but just as I was about to enter the national park, the guard noticed Mac in the middle row. He asked me to halt and pulled me over to the side and started making a fuss that dogs are not allowed, etc. I wasn't ready to turn and head back home. I convinced him that the dog will not be let outside of the car within the national park(I had no intention either). I handed him 100₹ and he let me go my way but asked me to try and hide the dog at the exit

The Tusker on the way to the estate -


The 30-35km drive to the estate from the entrance of the national park took me 1.5 hours. It is a single lane isolated road. I spotted 50-60 deer on this road, witnessed two of the deer fight, a troop of black face langur, and a bison. The road is enveloped by lush green trees on both sides. Beautiful drive if you ask me. I maintained a speed of 20-30kmph in this patch.

The national park has a lot of deer which roam near the road -


Mac enjoying the flora and fauna -


Captured these two deer fight on video on my phone. But the video quality doesn't do it justice. The sound of their antlers against each other really caught Mac's attention -


* Something to be aware of - oncoming safari bus drivers are reckless. They will happily push you off the road. Stop and wait for them to pass.

I reached the estate at 10:30 which is about 2 km from the national park exit. The homestay is beautiful and Mr Narendra is an excellent host. Since I was staying solo, he asked me to join his family for lunch. We then had a 2-hour long chat on various topics and his experiences as a host while Mac enjoyed the various smells, the flora of the estate and the company of two country puppies in the estate. I had planned to visit Iruppu falls in the evening after a small nap but decided against it because of the constant drizzle. I instead decided to spend some time playing with Mac in the estate, a Hyderabad based couple who had travelled in their Ecosport joined me and we had a good time. The hostess surprised us with hot onion pakoras and coffee which were an absolute delight in the rain. I had dinner with a bunch of Bangalore based techies who had travelled in their Verna fluidic. A few progressive rock albums and good chat later it was time for bed.

The entry gate to the estate can be missed if you are speeding past it. But google maps location is pretty accurate.


The entrance is very welcoming -


The main bungalow, amidst all the greenery, is beautiful -


The room I stayed at, a small single room perfect for a solo traveller with a porch perfect for Mac -


Mac enjoying the estate, the open space, playing and teaching the puppies some manners -







Mac's makeshift bedding for the night -


Sunday 1st October 2017 - I had breakfast with the Pattu's, thanked them for their hospitality and the simple yet tasty food, cleared the bill, dumped all luggage into the car, bid everyone farewell, and hit the road.

Drove back to Bangalore on an alternate route suggested by Mr Narendra. Slightly longer but quicker because of better roads with just one stop at KFC, Mudagere for burger and fries.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and relaxing trip for both Mac and me. I could have clubbed it with few other places nearby but I decided that I wanted to relax and enjoy the homestay.

Homestay Details -
Homestay Name: Vimala Estate
Owner and host: Mr Narendra Pattu
Charges(Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner included): 1300 per person per night
Contact: +91 9945286608
Reference if required: Prashant aka the guy with the dog.
https://goo.gl/maps/DFvqdx88hT42
Non-vegetarian food is not prepared at the homestay but Mr Pattu does arrange it if required.

Trip details -
Fuel used - Shell V Power
Fuel Economy measured full tank to full tank method - 14.85kmpl
Total distance - 500.2kms
Very impressed with Shell V power. Well, that is for a different thread.

[GTO]

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

[Tygerman]

Beautiful Travelogue. I do that stretch a lot. Your pictures have done the job of enticing me and to spend rest of my month till the D-Day in anticipation Mac is adorable