Galibore - Jungle loadges

Cavery basin is full of beautiful and adventures destinations. Galibore is one such spot. It is about 110km from Bangalore city on Kanakapura road. It's an wonderful destination, good for a day trip, overnight stay or for longer duration.

Reaching Galibore

It's about 110 Km from Bangalore, if you start early, say about 7:00 AM then it would take less than 150 mins to reach Galibore. Hit Kanakpura road and then keep going till Kanakpura town and then ask for directions at regular interval / junctions. Sign boards are rare to find and attimes just ask for Bhemeshwari. Once you enter the Forest department checkpoint, ask for Galibore which is about 1o km of mud road from checkpoint. The journey is scenic, ok roads with hardly any freshup joints on the way.

Plan your trip (day trip)

You can do advance booking of your trip at Jungle lodges office on MG road, Banglaore. For a day trip, they charge Rs 1000/ per head which includes, breakfast, Coracle ride, trekking, lunch, access to jungle lodge property at Galibore and refreshments in the evening (tea & biscuits). For overnight stay, they have variety of rooms & tents which you can choose from.

You can also enjoy, fishing & white water rafting but they come at extra cost. Please confirm with Jugle lodges office as these sports dependent on weather & water level conditions.

Pan to reach by 9:00 - 9:30 AM, have breakfast, and enjoy the facility and start for trekking. Plan to finish trek by 12:30 PM, come back to facility, have lunch and then you can plan for white water rafting or Coracle ride. You may also chose to just spend rest of the day on the river banks watching birds.

Other locations close by

Few very good locations, Bhemeshwari, Sangam etc. If you really love nature than plan for atleast 3 days and then cover these locations. Though the trek experience is quite simlar but you really get to see some amazing views from these treks which are unique to each one of them.

Funtertainment

1. White water rafting


2. Trek

Avoid
Avoid visiting Galibore during rains and summer.

Budget
Jugle lodges charges are Rs. 1000/ head, Rs 600/ head for rafting (optional). Travel as you plan. This is for a day.

Overall rating for day trip 5 on 5

Innovative Film City, Bangalore

Innovative Film City (IFC) is a fanstasgtic place for people of all age group. It's an amazing experience to see fun, excitement, innovation, learning and fear, all in one campus. IFC is located at about 25 kms south of Bangalore on Bangalore Mysore highway in bidadi industrial area.



The Experience
I loved the place. Though it's little heavy on the pocket, but is worth spending the money for the kind of time you spend there. It's not large area but you get tired for the reason that most of the funpoints has decent walk within. Unlike wonderla where you spent most of time in or on rides which are close to each other, here you walk within various zoos, museum etc. However, Innovative film city is opened till 9 pm and have few real good restaurents to dine and relax.

Funtertainment
Lots n lots of places. It's fun being in there......anywhere


What's in??

• Mirror Maze
  
• Dino park
• Aqua world
• Gokart zone / Velocity
• Cartoon city
• Ripley's believe it or not
• Haunted house
• Fossile Mesume/ Hunt
• Miniature city etc etc

and much much more to occupy you and your family / friends for an action pack 8 full hours.

Reaching IFC
It's easy. Roads are good till the last mile. Reaching early by 10am should be the plan. Spend full day and start only by 8 pm to avoid heavy traffic on entry to Bangalore.

Budget
Tough one. Anything betwee 500 to 2,000 per head.

Overall rating based on my experience 5 out of 5

Hoggenikal Falls

Hoggenikaal is in Tamil Nadau, a southern state of India. About 3 to 4 hours from Bangalore, it's located on state border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Hoggenikal is not just another water falls on the Kaveri river, it's set of about 9 bursts of water that falls from as much as 20m ht at some places. The staring Gorge of Hoggenikals attracts the most of attention, and a unique experience in itself. Roads are motorable and good.

Funtertainment
Coracles!! boating in narrow gorge close to waterfalls where water almost splashes in the boat.

The experience
Be preapred for number of entry fees charged as you enter the jungle. Forest, gram panchayat and what not, everyone out there have some fee to charge. Overcharging is by law, charging more than what is prescribed is common. Entry fee, fresh room usage (don’t use, avoid if you can), boating etc.. it's truly a jungle raaj.

To reach so called "Niagara of India" use must boat in Coracles. You can go as close as about 20mts from the falls. The place is worst kept tourist spots I have ever been to. It stings, is dirty with zero hygen factor. Food is not something to talk about, carry your Tiffin or parcel.


Plan your day
Try n reach as early as possible. Carry your water and food from home. Be prepared with good sum of change (in 10s & 20s). As soon as you reach, hire a boot / coracle, usually they will overcharge by about 30 to 50 %. Prefer a longer version of ride that takes in deep in close to falls. Plan a stay of not more than 3 to 4 hours.

Closing thought
I would suggest that one should plan a 3 day trip to Yerkaud and drop for few hours (while going or coming back) at Hoggenikal.

Budget
If you take a homemade meal as I suggest than for a family of 2 + 2, this will cost less than 1,000 INR. Travel excluding.

Overall rating based on my experience: 2.5 out of 5

Yercaud

Yercaud is located in eastern ghats, about 30 kms from salem, Tamil Nadu, a southen state of India. This place less to know most and few call it poor-man's ooty. Whatever, thanks to all, this not so famous destination gave me my best holiday in Bangalore. Last week of Nov 2008, we packed our bags and drove down towards ester ghats, what followed was simply amazing experience.


Route taken - Bangalore (Hosur road), Hosur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Yercaud
You get really good breakfast at BP outlet, about 20 mins from Hosur (it's part of Ghar Ka Dhaba, they own all across key highways)





Reaching Yercaud was easier than reaching Bangalore International Airport, trust me, drive is good all the way till 'Lake Forest' resort a indieco hotel ventures. Large section of roads were still underconstruction, roads were good but one most keep his eyes open all the time for vehicals coming in wrong side of the road, tracktors, buses, cycles and what not....roads in ghats are worth appreciating.


Before we could reach Salem, actaully an hour before salem, we could see hills covered with clouds, we were sure of having great time and a rare experience on relatively not so popular hill station.




Yercaud has quite a few good places to see;

1. Lake
2. Orchards
3. Rose garden (Botanical garden)
4. Site seeing points (Gents seat, Ladies seat)
5. Castle Cave
6. Annamali temple.
7. Water falls

On a whole it was rich experience and loads of fun.

Overall rating - 5 out of 5