[shyamg28]

Fantastic log! Enjoyed your writing as well as the photos. Provided a much needed virtual getaway.

Safe travels

[RGK]

Originally Posted by saleem_k

3. It's difficult to ride for 8 hours in hilly terrain. It's not equal to riding 8 hours from Hyderabad to Bangalore. So my advice is, if you are traveling between multiple destinations in your trip and if the route is expected to be ghat sections or other hilly terrains, keep it to 5 hours max. Again, car and the age of the driver, driving experience, etc. would be variables determining this but I would still suggest limiting it to 5 hours.

4. Since this is a car forum I would be seriously remiss if I didn't mention about the performance of the car. If I could just use on word, it would be 'flawless'.

Wonderful Travelogue Saleem with crystal clear photos.

Your point is valid. In the month of Oct 2019, I did a long ride from my native near Tirupur, to Udupi via Sathyamangalam - Thimbam - Nanjangodu - Mysuru - Madikere - Sulya - Mangalore in a single day covering 575 km. It was a marathon drive but was quite interesting. Afterwards, I realized that I missed many scenic shots as I need to reach Udupi on the same night.

I covered Jog falls, Mudeshwar, Aqumbe, Sringeri, Chikmagalur, Belur, Halebedu and reached Chennai via Hassan and BLR on the 5th day covering 2400kms. It was quite hectic as most of the roads are ghat sections. My Ecosport performed absolutely well and the mileage was 19.5km/l. Since the acceleration is around 2000 rpm with appropriate gearing in the hills, the ES gives a stunning mileage. I sent this feedback to Ford India as well..

Photo taken between Madikeri and Sulya.

[batladanny]

Amazing photos! Absolutely breathtaking. Definitely making a visit to Bandipur once I return to Bangalore post-covid.

[poised2drive]

Thank you for an extensively detailed travelogue !

A drive through 4 states during the pandemic , especially via Karnataka & Kerala, is a courageous one and no doubt, you were suitable rewarded.

Witnessing one Tiger can be considered lucky and you got to see multiple Tigers and a Black Panther. I must say your luck was dancing in its glory .

Boating in Crocodile infested water, watching a dead-playing pachyderm coming alive ... I must say those are some action filled moments.

The pictures are amazing and weave a spectacular story.

Ecosport looks beautiful in its orange shade and steals the show.

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by saleem_k

One of the star attractions of Kabini is the Black Panther fondly known by many names such as Blackie, Saaya, Ghost of Kabini and what not.

contd...

Fantastic travelog Saleem.
It was an absolute visual treat,you were extremely lucky to spot so many beauties in one trip
The black panther is an extremely rare siting

[Liverpool]

Great photos of the wildlife buddy. Awesome travelogue. The second woodpecker is a heart spotted woodpecker. Mostly confined to southern India and parts of Odisha. The stork with expressive eyes is a woolly necked stork. It is endangered due to habitat loss. The orange one is a orange minivet. And the grey one is a Nilgiri flower pecker. Resident of south. The eagle perched at eye level is a crested serpent eagle. And the one who catched the fish is a grey headed fish eagle. Really great shots.
The tiger sightings and pictures are simply marvellous.

[saleem_k]

Thank you all for your encouraging comments. I 'm glad you all enjoyed the log.

Originally Posted by Liverpool

Great photos of the wildlife buddy. Awesome travelogue. The second woodpecker is a heart spotted woodpecker. Mostly confined to southern India and parts of Odisha. The stork with expressive eyes is a woolly necked stork. It is endangered due to habitat loss. The orange one is a orange minivet. And the grey one is a Nilgiri flower pecker. Resident of south. The eagle perched at eye level is a crested serpent eagle. And the one who catched the fish is a grey headed fish eagle. Really great shots.
The tiger sightings and pictures are simply marvellous.

Thank you so much Liverpool with the names, really helpful!

[Sabrish]

Absolute peach of a travelogue!! Loved reading all of it and articulated well with great pictures. Trust me such threads are what makes us who cannot travel feel light hearted!

Glad you remained safe and be able to get a sighting of all the wildlife that many don't get. City managed the roads there? that's nice to hear for us Sedan owners

Lets hope the world gets back to normalcy soon and all can start travelling. Again loved reading the post and enjoyed every bit Saleem, Thanks for sharing!

[ARAY]

Brilliant writeup with outstanding pictures.
A drive from Hyderabad via that route is always a fun, with a vehicle like EcoSports that gets multiplied many folds.
This will go in my bookmarks tab, hope to do this route sometime after the present situation ends.
Keep travelling and sharing your experiences.

[Torque123]

Fantastic travelogue with superb sightings and images. I understand the time it takes to document such a long trip. You have penned it really well. 👍. Enjoyed reading it.