Rafting in Karnataka

This indoor snow theme park garners plenty of visitors who aim to escape in the scorching heat by entering a snow house that spans an area of 12,500 sq. feet. The unparalleled experience of playing, sliding and throwing snow at each other can be achieved in the middle of a tropical town and you do not have to travel to the mighty Himalayas, neither have to wait for the winters. The freezing hall offers a number of crazy slides and rides with skiing and rock climbing activities. Snow city is the first indoor theme park in the city which is open 365 days maintaining a temperature of minus 5 degree Celsius. The crazy snow box, various virtual snow animals, snow parties and snow slides are some of the features which lure visitors into trying this freezing hangout location.

Location: Jayamahal, Fun World Complex, Opposite TV Tower, J C Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560006

Best Time to Visit: Summer season.

Price: INR 600 per head.

Timings: 10 AM to 8:30 PM on all days of the week.

Average time required to visit the place: one-time entry is for 45 minutes.

Distance from Kempe Gowda Bus stand: Around 30 KM.

If you remember the classic Sholay scenes then you will be amazed to see the rocky mountains of this town that is situated around 50 KM from Bengaluru city and Sholay was originally shot here. 

From Silk farming to Mysore-Pak, from leading into the huge Hanuman statue entrance to the Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary; Ramanagara is one of the places to visit in Bangalore to enjoy heaps of activities like camping and trekking, and also an abundance of sightseeing option. 

The iconic rock elevations where the dacoit Gabbar was filmed in the cult classic Sholay can be visited during the day where you walk and climb some steep elevations of approximately 400 staircases to reach the top where you will find a temple as well. 

These rock elevations are of Ramadevara Betta Hill which is a part of Ramadevara betta Vulture Sanctuary.

Location: Mysore Road, Ramanagara, India

Best Time to Visit: Winter season (November to March)

Price: Ramadevara Betta hill can be visited by paying an entry charge of INR 25 with a separate parking charge.

Timings: The gates of the sanctuary open around 9 AM and closes by 4:30 to 5 PM.

Distance from Kempe Gowda Bus stand: Around 55 KM

This is the highest peak in Kadakke and this moderate trekking route can be taken by even amateur hikers as the path is a decent climb except after Rock Point, from where the trail becomes a little narrower. 

The view from the top can take your breath away, incredibly surreal especially if you encounter clouds, see them engulfing the apex portion of the hills. 

This small square like design built of mortar and bricks where The king used to come with her queen to sit and enjoy the sunsets and sunrises in the distant horizon of high and low-rise mountains engulfed by white creamy mist. 

Tadiandamol Peak counts as one of isolated places to visit in Coorg which is a pretty getaway in the lap of mountains and greenery.

Height: 1748 m

Location: Tadiandamol, Yevakapadi, Karnataka, 571212, India

Best Time to visit: December to May

Entry fee: No entry fee.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM on all seven days of the week.

Average time required to visit the place: The trek takes around 5 to 6 hours.

Distance from Madikeri Bus Stand: Approximately 37 KM

Bheemeshwari is a short distance hideaway in the Mandya district of Karnataka and is situated around a hundred KM from the city on the banks of river Cauvery.  This picturesque is visited mostly for fishing and angling as it is an ideal destination to indulge in such activities. 

It is home to Mahseer, the tropical game  fish along with schools of other fishes and that is why it is called “the angler’s paradise.” Wedged amid the Shivanasamudra falls and the Mekedatu falls, Bheemeshwari lures travelers with its mesmerizing natural beauty. 

Sangam in Bheemeshwari is the confluence point of river Cauvery and river Akravati which enables many water activities such as boating, rafting, coracle rides etc. Kokrebellur Pelicanry is another attraction is Bheemeshwari which one of the five most famous pelican breeding habitats in the world. It is one of the famous sightseeing places in Bangalore that is a ‘must-visit’ location.

Location: 100 KM on the Kanakapura road from Bangalore.

Best Time to Visit: Monsoon season or post-monsoon, winter season.

Average time required to visit the place: one or two days.

Distance from Kempe Gowda Bus stand: Approximately 100 KM.

During the monsoon, pools of clouds hover over the hill of Kumara Parvatha, during winter, the entire hill takes the shades of orange and summers are hot.  There are two trekking routes to reach the camping ground of Kumara Parvatha Hill- one being Somwarpet and other Kukke Subramanya. 

Both the routes have plenty of waterfalls and abundance of greenery. Watching sunrise from atop has been the favourite activity among people who hike up the hill. Camping is not allowed at the peak so while you visit the forest department to pay and enter the trek route, you have to leave your gears behind. 

You can camp near  or next to the forest department or at Mantape. The hiking trail on the Somwarpet route goes around a 6 to 7 KM (one side) deep forest patch with multiple waterfalls. The 16 KM trail from Subramanya to Kumara Parvatha peak is filled with meadows and views of the western ghats making the long route exceptionally beautiful.

Height: 1712 Mts

Location: Pushpagiri, Kumaralli, Karnataka 571236

Best Time to visit: October to February.

Entry fee: INR 75 is paid at the forest office as a trekking fee and another 100 for Camera.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM

Average time required to visit the place: It takes 8 to 10 Hours to trek the hill.

Distance from Madikeri Bus Stand: Approximately 63 to 64 KM.

One needs to register their names at the check point before starting the trek, however, there is no entry fee, it is highly suggested to hire a guide at Bidahalli or Heggadamane villages for a smooth trekking experience. 

Pushpagiri is the second highest Peak in Coorg, first in the Pushpagiri wildlife sanctuary and sixth in the entire Karnataka state. It is one of the best Coorg tourist places to wander around. 

The trekking route gradually changes into difficult from moderate as you near the peak, the 7 KM route from the check post is usually covered in 3 to 4 hours one way.

Height: 5626 feet

Location: Pushpagiri, Kumaralli, Karnataka 571236

Best Time to visit: November to March.

Entry fee: No entry fee.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM

Distance from Madikeri Bus Stand: Approximately 70 KM.

This river camp have trained Elephants and their mahout who bathe them and feed them. The Dubare Elephant Camp is a project which is run together by the forest department and Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd. 

There are naturalists who elucidate the biology, ecology and the history of Elephants to the visitors and you can not only see them but even participate in the river bath, and feeding. There are about 150 Elephants in every such camp of the Karnataka Forest Department and is a great way of promoting eco-tourism in the state. 

The project mainly started for the cause of conserving and understanding Elephants in India which is now becoming one of the major attractions in Coorg. 

One can hear the gurgling sound of the river Cauvery as it is situated on the banks of the river and also indulge in various activities which enable a close encounter with these beautiful mammals. 

Dubare Elephant camp is one of the amazing places to visit in Coorg for a wild adventure.

Location: Dubare Reserve Forest, India

Best Time to visit: Take an evening jeep safari along with a trained naturalist.

Entry fee: If you want to feed the Elephants, the kit will cost INR 20, if you want to bathe the Elephants then the fee is INR 100 per head.

Timings: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM on all days of the week.

Average time required to visit the place: More than 3 Hours.

Distance from Madikeri Bus Stand: approximately 30 KM

Kote Better Hill is one of the sightseeing places in Coorg which is also the third highest peak in Coorg. It is definitely a place for the sore eyes, a slice of heaven and a maze of greenery. 

Take a bumpy jeep ride crossing the twisty and muddy narrow lanes until you reach the foothills of Kote Betta. Start you climb to reach the peak, you will find temples and lakes such as Ardhanarishwara temple and a couple of lakes nearby the temple en route. 

Once reached the top you will find an extraordinary view of the valley that falls beneath, a distant view of the Harangi dam and the silhouettes in the sky followed by a beautiful sunset. A day at Kota Betta hill is always a day well spent.

Height: 1748 Metres

Location: Somvarpet, Coorg, Madikeri, India

Best Time to visit: November to February.

Entry fee: No entry fee

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM on all days of the week.

Average time required to visit the place: A day.

Distance from Madikeri Bus Stand: Approximately 30 KM

When you explore the lesser known destination, it fills you with euphoria and Nishani Motte peak is one of those places to visit in Coorg. It is a trek of 15 kilometers that brings the uber joy of departing into an unknown land. 

The trail goes through forest research, long paddy stretches, aromatic coffee states and small rivulets and streams. The unadulterated sight of river Cauvery or Kaveri is so soul-altering that you can sit by the bank of the river and spend some lone time.

Height: 4167 ft.

Location: Nishanimotte, Bhagamandala Village, Karnataka

Best Time to visit: Winter and Autumn

Entry fee: No entry fee

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM.

Average time required to visit the place: 2 days (trek)

Distance from Madikeri Bus Stand: Around 12 to 15 KM

The sprawling branches of a Banyan tree has captured a land of over 3 acres in Kethohalli village, making it one of the unique sightseeing places in Bangalore. This 400-year-old Banyan tree is stated to be the second largest tree in the country and the first largest in Karnataka. 

A thousand aerial roots hanging out from this tree covers a circumference of over 250 meters. Dodda Alada Mara is a well-maintained and well-kept secret of Karnataka which is properly fenced and protected with cemented seats placed beside it for the visitors to enjoy the magic of nature. 

The interesting fact about Dodda Alada Mara is that it stands erect on the thousand aerial root without having the main root as it died out of some natural diseases in the past.

Location: Tavarekere Hobli, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Best Time to Visit: Evenings are ideal to spend at Dodda Alada Mara to enjoy cool breezes and a blazing sunset.

Price:

Timings: 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM on all days of the week.

Distance from Kempe Gowda Bus stand: Around 26 KM.

Mallali falls take abode at the base of the Pushpagiri hills at a distance of 26 KM from Somvarpet village. Originating from River Kumaradhara, the falls takes a dive from more than 1000 meters and gradually drains in Arabian Sea. 

It is always better to visit this waterfall during rainy season as it is a seasonal waterfall and is boasted along the Abbey falls.  

After a 10 KM drive from Somwarpet to Kalahali Road, the trekking routes for Mallali falls starts which is around 2 to 3 KM and there are wide steps for visitors to climb up to the falls. 

The best way to enjoy the drizzle and cool breeze at the fall is to trek through the gorgeous trails of the western ghats.

Height: 200 ft.

Location: Somvarpet 573123, India

Best Time to visit: October to February.

Entry fee: Entry is free.

Timings: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on all the days of the week.

Average time required to visit the place: 3 to 4 hours.

Distance from Madikeri Bus Stand: Around 57 to 58 KM.