[jkrishnakj]

Wow. The pictures are beautiful.

River Tern continues to be my favourite and I never get tired of being there. Love the place and the JLR standard fare hospitality.

A very similar one is their Shravathi property.

Beautiful travelogue. Loved the narration and the pictures.

Ps: The Dosa with the chutney varieties and sambar does look salivating. Didn’t appear to be from a Karnataka hotel.

[oilgascng]

Great photos!

Bhadra is simply beautiful, and never crowded.
We visited a couple of years ago and got incredibly lucky with sightings, a tiger during the river safari and 2 leopards in the forest.

[PrideRed]

We were there a week before and monsoon has transformed the place and how. While during summer you spot more wild creatures monsoon has a different charm. Lovely pictures of cars and wildlife.

BTW Sharavathi offers similar view minus the safari but during Monsoon you get to see beautiful Jog.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by megazoid

Nice captures as always. A good break I guess between lockdowns. Wish the cars could have seen more roads but then Bhadra is a destination in itself.

Originally Posted by silverstreakcbe

Excellent Write-ups (by all), Colorful & Mouthwatering dishes , natural photos, cars, cars and cars. Thanks for taking us the ride. Kudos to the team

Originally Posted by kiran_aithal

Wow! ... thanks Graaja, Robimahanta and Dr. AD for the wonderful travelogue and beautiful pictures...

Originally Posted by vinu_h

Beautiful photos...

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Wow. The pictures are beautiful.

Originally Posted by oilgascng

Great photos!

Originally Posted by PrideRed

Lovely pictures of cars and wildlife...

Thank you all for the kind words!

Originally Posted by vinu_h

The rooms built at launch - 10-15 yrs ago(might be off by a bit), have a large glass pane in place of the wall that's right in front of the bed. Hats off to the interior designer. Would have been a shame to block the view, it's stunning.

The glass panel is there in the bathroom as well. We were joking, it was "a loo with a view"

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Ps: The Dosa with the chutney varieties and sambar does look salivating. Didn’t appear to be from a Karnataka hotel.

Nice catch. The poori and dosa picture are from A2B before Salem.

[RSUDARSANAN]

Originally Posted by graaja

Thank you all for the kind words!

The glass panel is there in the bathroom as well. We were joking, it was "a loo with a view"




From the Team-BHP meet at Bhadra 09-10 Nov 2013 report .

Cheers

[ampere]

Great log and also nice to see the Canon siblings in action. I have been following up on R5 and R6 and been hearing about an R7 (A La 7D mirrorless line) in the works.

Dont need an R5 for sure. But was thinking on the lines of an R6. And it definitely looks great! Great shots Graja and Robi! (and of course AD).
All I can do is this (And some birds once a while.. )




River Tern is an awesome place. Like some one else also mentioned, even if one does not want to go for a wild life safari, its an great place just to relax; watching the calming waters of the reservoir.







Also with the Krishna basin filling up, I was hoping the dam would have been open. I was hoping to see snaps of water gushing downstream. No?





PS: These snaps were taken 11 years ago with a 70-200 F4 IS

[graaja]

Originally Posted by ampere

Dont need an R5 for sure. But was thinking on the lines of an R6. And it definitely looks great! Great shots Graja and Robi! (and of course AD).
All I can do is this (And some birds once a while.. )

Thank you for the kind words!

Those are very good pictures of the landscapes - the view of the reservoir and the bridge.

I actually started my shopping list with the RP, then looked at R and then got the R6. Must thank Robi for showing the direction.

In all the reviews I checked out, the only negative point people mentioned was the 20.1MP sensor against the 30MP sensor in the R. However everyone also mentioned that because of the bigger pixel size, the low light performance was very good and if one is not going to do extreme crop or do big print outs, the 20.1MP is not a disadvantage. Other than this R6 has almost 80% of all the features that the R5 has. As I am upgrading after almost 12 years from a humble EOS450D, it feels like upgrading from a Hyundai Getz (my first car) to a BMW.

Now I am hooked to this hobby again and need the 14-35 and the 100-500 to complete the range

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by megazoid

I feel that a stay without any safari will also do justice to this location as one can simply sit with a book and watch the waters sipping coffee.

Very true. The place is very beautiful in its own right, with or without the safari. In fact, sometimes I feel the safari does injustice to this place since most of the visitors spend all the time in the safaris. My next plan is exactly as you said. I will go there and just sit at some location with great views of the reservoir and the jungle, and spend a day there reading a book or just getting lost in my own thoughts. Of course, the safaris are great too and there is no doubt they are the highlights of the JLR experience. But this place is lot more than that.

Originally Posted by vinu_h

Truly appreciate the forward thinking by JLR on a few aspects.

Good points. Also, to add to those, every single room here has a view! They have built the rooms by staggering them up and down, and all on the outer side of the hills so that every room has a view and also a unique view. It is a really well planned property.

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

River Tern continues to be my favourite and I never get tired of being there. Love the place and the JLR standard fare hospitality.

Agree. In my couple of trips to this particular JLR, I felt this was even better than most other JLRs for food. Usually the JLR food is good anyways, but this place has something different that makes their food stand out a bit more than food at other JLRs. Not sure if my experiences were just coincidences or if others also experienced the same.

Originally Posted by ampere

River Tern is an awesome place. Like some one else also mentioned, even if one does not want to go for a wild life safari, its an great place just to relax; watching the calming waters of the reservoir.

Totally agree. It is a great place just to go there and relax, and watch the landscapes. I am certainly planning one more trip without the safari :-)

Also with the Krishna basin filling up, I was hoping the dam would have been open. I was hoping to see snaps of water gushing downstream. No?

Surprisingly, that was not the case. Given the rains we were having, even I was expecting the gates of the dam to be open, and the reservoir at his max level. However, that was not the case. In fact, the reservoir level was lower than what I saw the last time.

Last time I visited this place was in October 2019. That time, the water level below the bridge connecting the main area to the cottages was lot higher than what we saw this time. That time, there was so much water under the bridge that during the boat ride, they actually took the boat from under that bridge. This time, most of the portions under that bridge were exposed lands and the water level was quite low. Maybe it takes a couple of months of monsoon to fill up the reservoir, and if one goes in September-October, they would see the reservoir at its max level.

These snaps were taken 11 years ago with a 70-200 F4 IS

Wow! Beautiful shots. Your landscape photos always add a different perspective than the usual photos (for example, in some other thread, how you shot the Narihalla Reservoir is very nice and unique!). I really like seeing how you shoot the places. They look beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[KarthikK]

Great pictures by everyone who has written the travelogue and posted their quota of pictures and experiences. Thank you! I am quite late to this thread, but wanted to chip in with my contributions as well. My better half and I were already planning a routine monsoon drive on this particular set of dates and when I heard the gang was planning a drive to Bhadra, we decided to join the group, albeit differently. Instead of cancelling our original drive plan through the rain-infested regions of interior Malnad, we preponed those dates, completed our original plan and instead of doing a 2-night trip by ourselves, we shortened that and booked the second night's stay at River tern lodge, Bhadra. The good part - we were able to tick all boxes. The sad part - we weren't able to drive together with the group both ways .


Our weapon of choice for this drive - wife's rickety old Thar CRDe 4x4. What a load of fun it is to drive in regions such as these!



On Friday, one day prior to this travelogue's itinerary, we headed to Kudremukh region via many detours through the interior B and C roads around Mudigere, with no other intention than to feel the monsoon rains in all their glory.

We had an early departure by around 3am, to utilize the minimal traffic at unearthly hours, and to maximize the exploration en route.

Typical Malnad monsoon sights greeted us as we exited Hassan and made our way beyond Belur



The breakfast stop was scheduled for a quaint little cafe called Ibbani Cafe, just beyond Mudigere.



Piping hot Akki rottis and Neer Dosas with filter coffee for breakfast, with a view of the greens





Paddy fields with a storm brewing above



Treading through corn (maize) fields at another stop



The Thar doing what it does best



Classic Malnad monsoon sights en route




We wanted to reach our homestay by 1 or 2 pm, and still had 3-4 hours to kill, so we did some more detours. For the most part I was at the wheel, while my navigator was constantly checking google maps for possible road blocks and detours to places we had in mind to visit (some regions were flooded and/or had landslides due to excess rains)




Sights at another clearing while we stopped for a short mid-day picnic of packed sandwiches





More sights and sounds of the lush green and the threatening dark grey clouds in these regions










A swollen stream in monochrome. The sun was playing hide and seek for a short while until it disappeared for that whole day



Zero visibility conditions between Mudigere and Kelagur



Somewhere near Kelagur tea estate when the rains gave a short break



This was not a stream. This was the road which led to the village beyond which our homestay was located



Our trusted steed posing for a quick picture in the unique muddy trail road



We reached our B&B place around 1pm, in time for lunch. By now the rains had got incessant and heavier. The property is called Thangaali homestay, and is located on top of a mountain



Panoramic view of the property and its location



We got this lovely little cottage on the hilltop, with a breathtaking view of the valley





Despite mid-day, it was quite dark outside due to the treacherous clouds looming above



The front porch overlooking the valley below



Initially we were supposed to go on a 4x4 trail drive with a couple of estate folks and their 4x4 group post-lunch. Unfortunately due to some landslides and very harsh weather we couldn't do that 4x4 trail that was meant to be done. We applied some anti-leech protection and spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening hiking around the property to savour the rainy weather. Despite that we still did some blood donation, lol!



Views from the homestay entrance



We retired early that night, since we were supposed to head to Bhadra the next day.

[KarthikK]

The following morning we departed from Kudremukh region, and took a longer route to enjoy some more of the monsoon rains to reach River tern lodge (Jungle lodges Bhadra) by noon to meet the other BHPian friends and their families.

As fate would have it, Neer dosas for breakfast yet again. Both of us love it anyway, so we weren't complaining.



Stopping at a waterfall en route to Balehonnur





It had stopped raining for a while but the clouds threatened and reminded us of their presence



Taking a path off the road to enjoy views from a nearby hillock



Approaching Shimoga through the rain-drenched roads



Brief bursts of sunlight en route





We reached Jungle lodges by around 12.30 and met the others. Check-in was a time consuming affair for a large group



Making our way through these pathways to an island on the other side where our cottages were located



Cable bridge connecting the islands, in perspective vision



Pathways leading to our cottages on the island



The cottages are lovely and look out to the reservoir water body from the balcony and a large set of French windows



Balcony with a view



Trees photobombing what could have otherwise been a clear view



As the others have mentioned, a few of us went for a boat safari in the evening. I am not into wildlife photography, I just had my rusty old wide-angle lens with me on a boat safari!

Posting a few pictures taken from the boat safari









The sky cleared up halfway through the safari, but we didn't have any luck spotting anything other than a few deer and peacocks. I ain't no bird expert, but looks like Peacocks love rain a lot. They were out even in moderately heavy downpours, lol! We completed the boat safari and returned to the cafeteria to grab some delicious evening snacks.



Our cottages could be spotted from the boat



The following morning we embarked on a Jeep safari as part of JLR's standard itinerary. As usual, due to monsoon rains, there were no significant spottings of anything other than deer and peacocks.



A lake in a forest clearing, in monochrome filter



After a sumptuous breakfast, we bid goodbye to the rest of the BHPians and set out on our return journey homewards, while they stayed an extra night and returned the day after us. All in all, a great weekend with a mix of our routine travel plans, and a group trip after a long time. Thanks to everyone who made the trip happen. Looking forward to the next drive

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

I am quite late to this thread, but wanted to chip in with my contributions as well

What an amazing report with great photos! Thank you for sharing this. Your Kudremukh plan on Day 1 seems to have worked out to perfection - you got great drives, tons of rains, lovely views, a quaint homestay and good food. What more does one want in a drive?

Great photography too! The photos give us a virtual tour of the landscapes and the weather you were in.

Our weapon of choice for this drive - wife's rickety old Thar CRDe 4x4. What a load of fun it is to drive in regions such as these!

Kudos to you guys for making such good use of this Thar. It is lovely to see this red Thar conquering this kind of terrain and the rains. Thar is really a perfect vehicle for such drives and so nice to see you guys doing justice to that.

And by the way, some of the Thar photos are wallpaper material. Fantastic stuff!

[tilt]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

*SNIP*


Our weapon of choice for this drive - wife's rickety old Thar CRDe 4x4. What a load of fun it is to drive in regions such as these!
Attachment 2191578


*SNIP*

Rickety? Rickety? R i c k e t y??????? Well, there you go, now you've made me sad.

It was disappointing that we could not drive back together; but it was great that you could spend at least that one night and day with us.

Here's hoping that I get to see more of your "rickety" ride on future drives.

Cheers

[Aniket Verma]

JLR - River Tern,

This place brings so much memories for us as it was our most visited JLR property in Karnataka.

The scenery was always mesmerizing, food was most rustic & delicious and staff was always humble.

Originally Posted by megazoid

Bhadra is an incredible place to visit. Always beautiful but the monsoon brings the best out of this little heaven. I feel that a stay without any safari will also do justice to this location as one can simply sit with a book and watch the waters sipping coffee.

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

Very true. The place is very beautiful in its own right, with or without the safari. In fact, sometimes I feel the safari does injustice to this place since most of the visitors spend all the time in the safaris.

Completely agree, Bhadra is a place to relax & rejuvenate and Safari is just a distraction. In fact, in our later visits we had stopped going to Jungle Safari & preferer the Boat Safari. The latter is much more convenient and mesmerizing.

For stay, I found Log Huts to be more comfortable & and with better views. Specially Log Huts no. 4 & 5. Also, relative proximity to Gol Ghar was an added advantage.

From Bhadra, one can also visit Ganjur Dam, Sakrebyle Elephant Camp & Amrutesvara Temple.

P.S.: During next visits, please ask for their in-house (Off menu) "Chilli Chicken".

River Tern Lodge, with Loghuts on Right Hill & Cottages on Left Hill



Mullayangiri in Backgroud, Highest Peak of Karnataka





Bhadra is also about Birds, starting with River Tern, which lends it name to the JLR property







Amrutesvara Temple

[mpksuhas]

Bhadra is an underrated JLR property I have felt.

Few years back when I visited, I have felt that was one of the better maintained and also the most scenic property of JLR.

I suppose its since comparatively your chances of having big cat encounters are less.

Bhadra after rains does look beautiful also, good to find few of the old faces in the pics.

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Our weapon of choice for this drive - wife's rickety old Thar CRDe 4x4. What a load of fun it is to drive in regions such as these!

Classic Thar in red hue = automatic up vote from me. However, red Thar not withstanding thanks for the 'logue. I wasn't aware of the location. Super photos. Now I want to go there... in my red Thar!