We are long motorbike riders for a couple of years now. Would like to share my experience of the best bluetooth earphones under 2000 rupees which we have been using for quite some time now.
Why I love this “The Best Bluetooth Earphone” boAt Rockerz 255
Since then this earphones has become part of our travel and life. 6 hrs of battery usage and excellent functionality making it as the best purchase.
Here is why I like this Bluetooth earphones under 2000 rupees for a long motorbike travel.
Cancel out noise – the most important feature for Travel
The one and only reason I have used earphones in all my life is to cancel out noise from the environment. I am extremely sensitive to external noises while I’m trying to focus on my studies or writing assignments and during sleep. I would not have survived 10 years of my hostel life without a pair of headphones.
I would for sure need earphones even when I am leisurely travelling and reading. So this earphone does the job perfectly cancelling out all the noises when we are riding a bike in highways. Not just cancelling out noise, listening to songs gives us the extra kick to ride bike non-stop to our destinations.
Long Battery Life – Listen to our favorite songs non-stop while on the go
We don’t hit the road without checking for the Bluetooth earphones in our travel accessories kit. There is no fun riding bike in the long boring highways without music blaring in our ears.
We do have a collection of songs in our gaana app especially for our road trips. Put on Boat earphone, connect to phone via Bluetooth, wear a helmet, wear driving gloves – we are all set to go mate!
Attend calls while driving
This is for my hubby who gets office calls on Saturdays. This is the best Bluetooth earphone during travel, to listen to music and also to attend calls. We can listen to songs non-stop for up to 6 hrs. For us it usually lasted the whole weekend trip. If we run out of battery, we charge it for 10 mins whenever we stop for a pit stop.
Hassle free Easy Handling and comfortable fit
Unlike the long cord earphones which often gets tangled and messy, this Boat earphone is super comfortable with short cord. It fits comfortably on ears underneath the rider helmet. And it is perfect enough length to reach out to adjust the volume and attend calls.
Best Investment on Bluetooth Earphones Under 2000 rupees
This was one of the best investments we made for our bike trips after the purchase of Bike saddle bag and a tank bag. Never regretting it till date. We spend more time researching and reading the reviews carefully before buying any product.
Also we wait patiently for the best discount on super value days from Amazon. And this product was one of the best buys we made.
Disclaimer : price may vary if you are not buying on super value days or seasonal /festival sale days).
Not only for travelling or relaxing, I carry them to my office and gym. The product name itself says “boAt Rockerz 255 Sports Bluetooth Wireless Earphone with Immersive Stereo Sound”. Hence its a best buy to cancel out noise in the gym or travel or sometimes to office.
Sweat Resistant Certified best for gym
You know, it always gets sweaty underneath the helmet when riding bike for a long time. This sweat proof earphone is non-greasy from sweat, super comfortable for repeated long use. And easy to wipe and sanitize.
Not just for travel, I use the same Boat earphone for the office and gym. I listen to my own tracks in gym. Needless to say it is super comfortable for gym purpose plus it is sweat resistant for long durability.
And, I always make sure to wipe my earphones clean with the hand sanitizer and you should too. Thats the reason, I always keep hand sanitizer and face wipes handy during travel in my sling bag.
Our MotorRide with Tank bag and Saddle bags – Tank bag to keep all the travel accessories for hassle free bike ride
So far this is the best bluetooth earphones under 2000 I have expereinced.
About Tirukoilur Temple – Tirukoilur is famous for 2 Hindu Temples. They are Lord Vishnu temple named Ulagalantha Perumal and Lord Shiva Temple named Veeratteswarar.
Tirukoilur is very small town with good road and bus facilities for travel with decent restaurant options. Bangalore to Tirukoilur distance is 237 Kms (Tiruvannamalai to Tirukoilur is 37 Kms), whereas Chennai to Tirukoilur distance is 205 kms.
From our frequent trip to Tirukoilur temple from the year 2015, we have enough information to share to the readers.
Hope this guide is useful to the the readers looking for Tirukoilur temple darshan timings, entry ticket, specialty about the temple, best place to eat etc.,
Tirukoilur Temple: Specialty and Darshan Timing
The famous Lord Vishnu Tirukoilur temple is called Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, also called as Thiruvikrama Perumal Temple.
The Specialty of Ulagalantha Perumal Temple Tirukoyilur
One of the 108 Divya Desams
Thiruvikrama Perumal Holds Chakkaram in the right hand instead of the usual left and conch (sangu) in the left hand instead of the usual right hand.
This is temple is one of the “Pancha Krishna Kshetram”. You could see Lord Krishna shrine on your right as soon as you enter the temple. It is also said that we pray to Lord Krishna first before we enter the main sanctum.
The extreme divine beauty of Lord Vishnu with one his left leg on the ground and right leg on the sky. Inside the sanctum you could see Ambal kneeled at his feet on his right side. There is another Ulagalantha Perumal Temple in Kancheepuram, but this idol’sbeauty is beyond comparison.
Facts You Need to Know about Ulagalantha Perumal Temple Timings, Ticket fare and Darshan
After so many times of visiting Perumal temple, we know clearly what time we needed to be there for immediate Darshan.
Be wise to visit the temple only at the “Darshan timings”: The temple name board says temple opening timing is from 6.30 am to 12 noon and 4.00 pm to 8.30pm. Notice that it is the temple open time not the darshan timing.
We have not been to this temple as early as 6.30 am. But usually we enter temple by 11.45am, so we are first to darshan Lord Perumal soon after “uchi kala pooja” at 12 noon. Soon after this darshan, the temple closes.
And in the evening, if you reach the temple by 4.30, you are allowed to enter the temple but not the point beyond Kodi Kambam. There will be some guy sitting at this point restricting the entry of devotees until the evening pooja is complete.
Then devotees are allowed for evening darshan around 6.30 pm. So if you are early then you will be waiting until the pooja is complete.
Since this is a famous temple and Just an hr away from Aathi Annamalaiyar Temple – it is always crowded on all auspicious days. It is best to take 10 rupees special darshan ticket (more on auspicious days) when crowded.
You need to allocate 1 hr to 2 hrs for visiting this temple on crowded auspicious days. Otherwise 30 min sufficient on normal days like Sundays.
There is a point where the general que and the ticket que meets just before the main sanctum. This is where you can find “urchavar” idol on the right hand side – where you can do “archanai” (pooja ). Check in ticket counter for archanai tickets beforehand.
From this point devotees are allowed in batch of 10 -15 people inside main sanctum for Ulagalantha Perumal darisanam. You then exit the temple and head to Ambal Sanniti. Some people first pray to Ambal before visiting the main idol (not sure of the actual procedure). There are no special tickets to Ambal sanniti, you will be waiting in the general que however crowded it is.
Other deities in this temple are always remain locked (but sure can see them) except during brief pooja timings. Like Sri Lakshmi Varagan, Sri Lakshmi Narasiman, Sri Lakshmi Narayan, Sri Ramar sannithi etc.,
Lord Hanuman shrine is open on most of the peak timings.
You can make a donation or contribution to the temple welfare at the counter near the entrance.
There is good parking facility for 2-wheeler near both the gopurams of the Tirukoilur temple. But since there are lots of small shops, flower market and bus stand in the vicinity it is quite difficult for the 4 wheeler parking.
Other Tourist Places to Visit in and Around Tirukoilur Temples
Aadi Thiruvarangam Temple – located 10 kms away from Tirukoilur on the way towards Tiruvannamalai town.
Villupuram
Pondicherry
Chennai
Above are the list of tourist spot near Tirukoilur, both short and long distances. Feel free to use google maps as a guide.
How We Reach Tirukoilur From Bangalore
Tirukoilur temples are well connected by roads from Bangalore, Chennai, Pondicherry, Krishnagiri etc.,
We take Krishnagiri – Chengam route to reach Tiruvannamalai from Bangalore.
Road trip:Bangalore To Tiruvannamalai
We start our bike trip from Bangalore on any Saturday morning around 7 to 8am. Stop to eat breakfast in Shoolagiri Krishna Inn right next to McDonald’s, the best restaurant in Bangalore -Salem highways.
We always stop at the same restaurant in all our bike trips, because we love the quality of food here. Also there is a McDonald’s and CCD for good morning coffee and neat toilet facilities.
Then we ride bike leisurely to Tiruvannamalai, reach around late noon after having lunch at Apoorva’s 50kms before Tiruvannamalai town.
Check in at the hotel, freshen up, ride to Annamalaiyar temple around 5pm for Darshan, then return back room around 8pm. Sometimes if we were not too tired we would stay back for the “Thiru oonjal sevai” darshan, just before the temple closes.
Road Trip: Tiruvannamalai to Tirukoilur
Following day, after long good night’s sleep we head to Tirukoilur temple, taking Tiruvannamalai to Pondicherry road.
We love to see the blossoms in the agri field and riding bike among the countryside is our all time favorite.
If we are on a time constraint, we skip visiting Adi thiruvarangam and Veeratteswarar temples. We head straight to noon darshan in Tirukoilur Perumal temple, followed by eating good quality South Indian meals at Hotel Aarya’s for just 60 rupees (located just opposite to the bus stand where all the buses exit).
You can also find some NV eateries – we never stepped there, our all time favourite is Veg restaurant Aarya’s. Must try “chukku kaapi” here. All kinds of South Indian breakfast items, lunch meals, chapati and parotta and in the evening chinese foods available here. So no worries fellas.
Next to Hotel Arya’s you can find medical shop and ATMs – just in case.
We love so much coming to Tirukoilur for Perumal temple, so we never missed coming here even on our 11-days long bike trip in the year 2017 and 2018.
This Is Where We StayUsually
We usually stay in Sparsa Resort or Hotel Himalaya or Shree Sai residency in Tiruvannamalai. Eventhough little expensive on special days, I would rate Sparsa 5/5 for the room, food and ambiance. Shree sai is worth for the price with the inhouse Veg restaurant. Food and service is good here. We prefer Hotel Himalaya only when we run out of options.
There used to be a french style bakery in Tiruvannamalai for good quality baked goods and for coffee.
Our bad that they are closed since 2019. 🙁
We came to know about this bakery when we stayed once (just once, we will never ever go back here) in Bose compound. Since then we were frequent visitors to this bakery in all our Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai bike trips.
Also there is little shopping area near and around Tiruvannamalai temple for clothes, jewels etc., And plenty of restaurants for veg, nonveg food and snacks choices.
Here sharing some pics from our trip Bangalore – Tiruvannamalai – Tirukoilur trip.
Tirukoilur Perumal TempleTirukoilur Perumal Temple Darshan TimingTiruvannamalai Temple DarshanBike trip from Bangalore to Pondycherry road, TirukoilurBike trip from Bangalore to Puducherry road, TirukoilurFrench Bakery In Tiruvannamalai – Our Bike From Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai PhotographyBakers Street French Bakery In Tiruvannamalai – Our Bike From Bangalore to TiruvannamalaiOur Favourite Shop for Coffee – Cappacino, Espresso and Croissant in French Bakery Tiruvannamalai
Note
Just in case if you are wondering how we travel in bike such far distance with the luggages, here is the pic. This is how we pack our stuffs in the saddlebags to ride carefree. We also have a fuel tank bag for keeping mobile phone chargers, power banks, hand sanitizer, coolers, DSLR and scarfs to protect from pollution and dust.
Travel Duo Bike with Saddle bags and Tank Bag
We love visiting to Ulagalantha Perumal Temple whenever we go on road trip to Tiruvannamalai. Feel free to comment your experience in the comment box below.
If you are planning to come from Chennai to Tirukoilur, you can either travel by road or bus or train. There are frequent buses from Chennai, Katpadi, Vilupuram and Puducherry. If you are taking train train from Chennai, then take any train from Chennai to Katpadi, then take Puducherry express (train No. 11005, leaves at 2.50 noon), reach Tirukoilur by 5pm. Take a local bus or auto to Ulagalantha Perumal Temple or to Veeratteawarar temple to attend evening pooja at either of the temples.
Bus station is located very close to Ulagalantha Perumal temple, where as Veeratteswarar Sivan Temple is located on Theni Pennai river shore. It is about 5 min ride from Perumal temple by bike.
How to reach Tirukoilur From Bangalore
Whenever we plan 2-day trip from Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai, we always plan such a way to visit Tirukoilur temples.
We start on Saturday morning from Bangalore to reach Tiruvannamali in the evening and visit Tirukoilur temples the next day before returning back to Bangalore.
Again there are plenty of bus facilities from Bangalore central bus station and any major bus stops in the Bangalore city and also from Hosur to reach Tirukoilur via Tiruvannamalai. If you are taking any private volvo bus or KSRTC or TNSTC, board buses to Pondicherry, so you can get down at Tirukoilur.
Most of us know Kumbakonam is famous for Hindu temples (mostly Navagraha temples trips). I did too. Until we went to Kumbakonam for Mahamaham festival, fell in love with this temple town immediately. So we came back the same year, not for just 1 or 2 days, we spent more than a week here in our 11-days long bike trip from Bangalore.
We rode bike everyday among agri lands, watched villager fishing for crabs in the rice fields, mesmerized at the beauty of the lilly ponds all over the town, watched sunset from the Mahamaham tank after a cup of ginger tea from a famous tea shop.
Everyone knows Kumbakonam is famous for degree coffee.
Related
Kumbakonam Famous Food Items
Also did you know Kumbakonam is also famous for “power looms” making coir mat and silk sarees?.
List of things Kumbakonam Is Famous for
#1. Kumbakonam is Famous for Degree Coffee
The temple town is also famous for its aromatic coffee, served usually in Bronze cups or a silver ones like this. Me and my hubby used to travel 10kms from centre town to “Only coffee” restaurant, where we liked to have our first cup coffee and breakfast. Although, their other branch is in main town Kumbakonam, we love to go quite far enjoying the scenery along the way.
Kumbakonam Famous Degree Coffee
#2. Kumbakonam Is Famous For Restaurants too, Not just coffee
Almost everyday we used to go “Only coffee” near Thirupuvanam for coffee and meals. We have fallen in love with the ambience, cleanliness and the friendly staffs. You will get all kinds of vegetarian breakfast food items with any sweet of the day. And for lunch, complete meals thali served in banana leaves. Awesome the experience was. If I am to go back to Kumbakonam, the best place I would choose to eat and hangout would be “only Coffee”.
Kumbakonam Famous Restaurants – Only Coffee restaurant
Hotel Pandian is Non-Vegetarians’ delight. It is my favourite eat out place for non-veg and I felt totally home. I prefer eating dinner all day here, try out all their non-veg specialties.
#3. Kumbakonam is Known for its festive mood all year around
Since its a temple town, all the significant events of each and every months are celebrated like festival here.
It is not a common sight to see all the houses in a town adorned with rangolis like this.
If you are a early riser like me, I am sure you would love morning sunrise in this calm colourful town. I don’t know what time the house ladies had to wake up to draw such beautiful art rangolis in front of their houses. Ah, What a sight. Even though I grew up in small town, I never had seen entire town bathed in colours. Definitely I am coming back for Ms/Mrs. Rangoli.
Colourful street in Kumbakonam
4. Kumbakonam is Famous for Green Skirts all over the town
I am a Nature lover, I have experienced vast lands, landscapes, wide scenery parks in my travel around India, outskirts of london, Scotland etc., But, Kumbakonam stole my heart with the endless rich agri land and lush green skirts as far as my eyes could see.
Kumbakonam scenic view – feast for the eyes, green fields all over the town
5. Kumbakonam town decorated with Lily Ponds and Rivers – Connecting People and culture
You may have seen many lakes and ponds where you live and travel. I am living in one such city, Bangalore, a city full of thousands of lakes. But, in Kumbakonam you could see thousands of lily ponds in and around the town. Beauty Untouched.
Kumbakonam lily PondsKumbakonam River
6. Not Just MahaMaham Festival but Kumbakonam is also Famous for DivyaDesams, Padal Petra Stalams and Navagraha Temples
We have been to Mahamaham festival in Kumbakonam in the year 2017, in the month of March. It is famous festival celebrated every year, we were blessed to visit MahaKumbeswar temple at that time. Little did we know at that time that Kumbakonam is also a house for some 108 Divya Desam temples and Padal petra Sivan temples.
In our following 11 -day road trip to Kumbakonam, we made note of all the above mentioned temples including Navagraha temples – we visited all the temples in and around the town. No Kidding.
As much as I love nature, I am fond of temple architecture. That’s one of the reason we chose our long vacation in Kumbakonam, because its called “Temple Town”. In our 2 yrs of travel together, we have been to many famous temples, UNESCO Heritage Sites, Hoysala Architecture etc.,
Kumbakonam temples are breathtakingly beautiful.
GangaiKondaCholapuram, UNESCO Heritage site
Of all the temples I have visited, of all the temples I have marvelled in and around Kumbakonam, one temple holds very special place in my memory ie. Tirubuvanam. I am definitely re-visiting this place not only for this marvellous temple, but also to explore the famous handloom silk sarees.
Kampahareswarar Temple, Tirubuvanam
7. Kumbakonam is Famous for Cheap Stay and Good transport to other cities
Hotel rates are very moderate even during peak season time, from my two time year end road trip (11 days long ) experience in the years 2017 and 2018. Also in the month of March 2017, during Mahamaham Festival, we stayed in Poppys SET Residency, which was by far the best compare to our December stay in various hotels. Well, you might find the bookings are full during the season time but the rates remain moderate.
Kumbakonam is the best choice for anyone planning for long vacation without hurting the pocket and take tour of other nearby cities. Rooms in cities like Trichy, Tanjore, Chidambaram are costlier with limited choices so it is best to travel from Kumbakonam.
Also, you have one of the best NH roads connecting from kumbakonam and there are plenty of state and private buses connecting places in and far around the center town Kumbakonam.
Anytime I am planning for a trip to any of these cities, I am coming back to stay only in Kumbakonam.
The Cute Temple Elephant – Mannargudi Temple
I suggest you to visit Kumbakonam by own vehicle instead of public transport, so you could see what I have fallen love with. Kumbakonam is the perfect getaway place for family vacation and holy trip. It is one of our all time favorite places, with many hangout places like UNESCO heritage sites, theaters, water dams, riverside lush green picnic spots, eat-outs and restaurants.
This is our story of travel disappointment in Dubare Elephant camp Coorg, 4 days of bike trip planned by my husband Rajesh to impress his Elephant loving wifey.
Have you ever traveled to a destination planned wholly based on the information mentioned in one of the travel websites, later realize that the information was not precise only after reaching that destination? Not only your travel plan is screwed, but the effort you need to put to cover the disappointment because your entire trip was weaved around that destination.
Well, read further to know how you can avoid the same mistake as we did. Also, find at the bottom of the article for other sightseeing places around Dubare.
Dubare Elephant bathing and feeding (Credit – travel blog)
About Dubare Elephant Camp Coorg
For those who do not know anything about Dubare Elephant Camp Coorg, it is explained as follows.
It is a nature camp situated by Kaveri river bed about 100kms from Mysuru, run by Karnataka Forest department with the aim of providing tourists/visitors memorable wildlife experience. As Dubare forest is home to many wildlife animals and birds, you would not only connect with nature, but also a thrilling adventure to feed, touch, play and bath the elephants.
Cool isn’t it?
Elephants are the main attraction here, as they are trained under naturalists (some are trained for Mysore Dussehra festival, now retired and used for the elephant safari in this camp), Jungle Lodges and Resorts have various activities involving elephants.
Basically, Dubare Elephant camp is for Elephant safari, Elepaht bathing and feeding, and Bird watching.
You could stay in the resorts in the dubare elephant camp or you could stay in Kushal Nagar or Madikeri or Coorg whichever suits your travel plan, budget and comfort.
Bike Ride to Dubare Elephant Camp
Since it was a 4 days trip, we chose to stay in Madikeri, so before reaching we decided to spend half daytime in Dubare, experience the unimaginable wildlife experience with the elephants.
I cannot even explain the happiness and expectation I had for this bike trip.
I, animal lover, Love watching Animal Planet and Sony BBC Earth over any other TV channels, especially watch Elephants at any given time. So, my beloved hubby planned 4 days bike trip from Bangalore to Coorg. On the way he had planned to take me to Elephant safari and Elephant bathing in Dubare Elephant camp. Because he knew I would travel any extent to at least touch the Elephants.
Here we are, around noon, started from Mysore, explored Nisargadhama temple before we reached the Dubare camp.
There were only very few vehicles in the parking area and to our happiness, we saw the passenger boat returning from the other side. Also we saw few adults and kids playing in the Kaveri river.
All signs are positive. So far.
We wondered where we would safe keep our bike saddle bags and a tank bag which has Laptop, SLR camera and other important stuffs. Looking around, saw a few commercial shops but doesn’t seem to be a safe place to keep our valuables. Clearly, we had not thought in advance about securing our baggage.
Meanwhile, leaving me with my thoughts about safekeeping the luggage, my hubby went to inquire the boat ride timings and fee to the Dubare Elephant camp situated across the river.
Here Comes The Unexpected Disappointment
Rajesh was told that the ride to the camp is closed at 11 am itself, and we were asked to come by 4.30pm.
Waiting till 4.30pm was not a good idea as we knew from our past experience (to Yercaud) that it gets dark soon in the hill stations. Hiding the disappointment I hoped on the pillion to ride to Coorg. It took me some time to get back travel mood forgetting the dreams I developed from the minute I heard about my hubby’s plans.
Had we checked and cross-checked in multiple websites and confirmed the entry timings to Dubare Elephant camp, we would have avoided the disappointment.
Well, some other time. We are bike riders, we could always plan next time.
Bye Bye Dubare Elephant camp.
We then had lunch, headed straight to Madikeri.
Apart from our disappointment, we absolutely enjoyed our smooth ride among the forests and hills. Thanks to google maps, we reached safely to Hotel Coorg International around evening.
Suggestions: Read this before you plan your trip to Dubare Elephant Camp
Well, here are some suggestions to the readers from my failed travel experience to Dubare Elephant camp Madikeri.
#1. Bangalore to Mysuru Bike trip
Day 1 (Bangalore to Mysore)
If you are going to travel from Mysore, then skip this section. For those who plan to travel to Dubare from Bangalore, continue reading.
Bangalore to Dubare camp distance is approx 260 km. As a beginners in long bike trip, we decided to split the kms to give enough time to rest. So we have decided to spend the night in Mysore (day-1) so that the next day we could reach before noon to Dubare (day-2).
And Remember, this was all Rajesh’s planning. All I was told was that we would be going straight to Coorg on Day-2.
Also, there was no point reaching tired and exhausted to the elephant camp, So we spent night in Ginger hotel, had dinner and roamed around Mysore.
It was a clean city with regulated traffic, with so many places to see in Mysuru. We decided to visit them in near future.
Read – The Best cafe in Mysore – Malgudi Coffee House
#2. Dubare Elephant Camp Coorg timings
Day 2 (Mysuru to KaushalNagar )
Distance from Mysore to Dubare elephant camp Coorg is just 100kms, so on day-2, we first reached Namdroling Monastery at 10 am after having breakfast on the highway.
In Kaushalnagar where the temple is located, you could see the monks everywhere in red/maroon attire in the temple, in the local shops and some are even running the local businesses.
You also have good toilet facilities in the temple parking area.
Namdroling Monastery Images – TravelDuo Pics
Day 2 (KaushalNagar to Dubare Elephant Camp Coorg)
Kushalnagar to Dubare elephant camp Coorg distance is the just 15kms ride. Once you reach the entrance to Kaveri River, find a place to park vehicles and cross the river by boat.
As per other travelers reviews, it is not advised to walk across the river as the rocks are very slippery, so we planned to cross the river by boat.
We reached Dubare around noon, to our disappointment the boat ride was closed by 11 am itself, so we just stood there in disbelief.
We then decided to come back the next day from Madikeri to dubare elephant camp with the distance of 36kms via kedakal.
Dubare Elephant Bath Timings
Dubare elephant camp Coorg timings are 9 to 11 in the morning and 4.30 to 6 pm in the evening. Even though camp is open for visitors from 4.30 pm to 6.30pm, elephant bathing is available only in the morning timings.
If you are travelling with a partner or with family, especially on weekends, plan such as way so you could reach Dubare before 9 am, so you can effortlessly secure a place for parking and less queue for a boat ride to the elephant camp and elephant bathing as well.
Although Dubare elephant camp day visit timing is 9 to 11 am, you can spend extra time with family or have lunch in the restaurants.
According to dubare elephant camp reviews, food is available for visitors inside jungle lodges restaurant.
#3. Dubare Elephant Camp Entry Fee
Once you reach the entrance, park your vehicle at Kaveri river bed, cross the river by shared boat taxi or walk across to reach the camp (caution: water level and slippery rocks).
For the family of 4, with 2 adults and 2 kids, you will be charged 300/- INR for boat ride alone. Once after you reach the camp, you will be allowed to feed the elephants (10/- INR per food bag) and bath the elephants (100/- INR per person) and ride the elephant safari (100/- INR per person).
It is to be noted that during weekends, there is always a long queue for elephant feeding and bathing.
Below is the Dubare elephant camp timing and entry fee for both locals and foreigners- but it contradicts the information I mentioned above.
We collected the information straight from the parking ticket collector – believing that to be true – it is safe to reach the spot by 8 am itself.
If you are bored waiting for boat, you could play in the kaveri river – it is open for visitors all the times.
Dubare elephant entrance timing and fee
#4. Dubare Elephant Camp Jungle Lodges (where to stay and eat)
Dubare Elephant Camp is The Property of Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd, Govt. of Karnataka.
You could check their website here for more information on 2 days jungle resort stay and elephant fun activities.
As per online reviews, there is no more Jeep Jungle safari which you can confirm contacting them directly.
Otherwise, if you choose to stay outside of Dubare, you have plenty of options in Kushal Nagar and Coorg.
We chose to stay in Madikeri, in Hotel Coorg International, where we spent day-3 and had good time sightseeing Madikeri especially Raja’s seat and trek to Abbey falls.
If we had to travel from Madikeri, and Coorg to dubare elephant camp distance is 37 km. But we made our mind to explore Coorg to make the 2nd half of journey worthful.
When in Kushalnagar, we had lunch in Fish curry rice restaurant, which I recommend to non-vegetarians.
Overall, 4 days bike ride was a memorable experience.
As soon as I visit Dubare Elephant camp again, I will come back and share the experience here again with pics.
And don’t forget to leave a comment about your experience in Dubare Elephant camp.
Sightseeing in Coorg – List of Places
To Know how we spent our rest of the 4 days sightseeing in Coorg, Read here.
Other Places to see In and Around Dubare elephant Camp
Nisargadama Golden Temple (Namdroling Monastery) -Kaushal Nagar
Mysore – Famous Tourist destination – Mysore Zoo, Palace, Sri Chamundeswari hills, Brindavan garden, Tippu Sultan Fort etc.,
Visit Nagarhole National Park – Wildlife safari at 6am to 8am, so you need to be there earliest by 5.45 am for safari resgistration.
Srirangapatna – Sri ranganathar Temple.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Talakadu – Origin of Talakaveri, Play in the river, Visit famous ancient temples being buried under sand
Somanathapura – Chennakesave temple – Ancient Hoysala Architecture under Archaeology department
Sum Up
If you are staying in Dubare Forest resort or Planing for one day trip to Dubare Elephant Camp – You need to make sure to be there before 8.30 am. Park Your vehicle, collect parking ticket (10/ – rupees for 2-wheelers), head to Kaveri river.
Pay 300/ -(For a family of 4) for Boat ride to cross the river, to reach the camp.
Once after you reach the camp, you will be allowed to feed the elephants (10/- INR per food bag) and bath the elephants (100/- INR per person) and ride the elephant safari (100/- INR per person).
Little extra money for the foreign individuals.
Note:
During Weekends it is best advised to be there at the entrance by 8.00am itself as there will be long queue for boat ride. Also you are not allowed to swim across the river, only bathing is allowed at this point.
Dubare Elephant Camp Timing
9am to 11 am – For Elephant safari, elephant bathing, elephant feeding and wildlife photography
4.30 pm to 6.30 pm – Only Elephant safari, wildlife photography
Please note all the details about Dubare elephant camp Coorg -entry fee, entry timing and activities, so you could plan your trip to Dubare accordingly.
We went on 2 days bike trip from Bangalore to this beautiful hillstation – Yercaud at the end of year 2017. Here is 5 best places to visit in Yercaud in our 2 days road trip expereince.
This was our first adventurous 2 days bike trip from Bangalore.
5 Best Places to Visit in Yercaud for 2 days
We went on 2 days bike trip to Yercaud from Bangalore, a distance of 230kms in one way. This was our first adventurous bike trip to the hill station by bike.
Here are the places to visit in yercaud for 2 days. All the places mentioned below are the sightseeing places near Yercaud lake, so you could finish sightseeing in just 1 day.
1. Anna park – The best place to visit n Yercaud with family
Yercaud Best Place for Fitness Lovers
One of the most visited places in Yercaud is Anna park, also a central destination for tourist buses.
You could plan fun activities in Anna park with kids located in center Yercaud. Even though your kids make you run behind them the whole day, it is for sure fun playing here. Take advantage of that pure oxygen-rich air in entire Yercaud situated a few thousand feet above the ground.
Note – You would also enjoy flower show in Yercaud Botanical garden and Rose garden in summer. Also, Deer Park is another tourist destination for fun activities with kids and for nature photography.
2. Go Boating in Emerald Lake
Emerald lake or Yercaud lake is the major tourist attraction in this mountain clad vacation spot. Boating in Yercaud lake is not only refreshing and also great way to have fun with your loved ones. You will enjoy the picturesque water body surrounded by gardens and teak woods.
Emerald Lake is one of the top places to visit at yercaud, infact many people visit Yercaud just for boating in the lake and playing in the Kiliyur falls.
Boating in Yercaud Lake for Fitness
3. Go trekking to lady’s seat, Servarayan Hills, and many other choices
Yercaud has developed recently as one of the major trekking destinations. Yercaud lake is surrounded by mountains with dense woods.
Tourists are spoilt with choices for sightseeing and trekking in the mountains. Tourists can choose any of these mountain viewpoints to go trekking.
Or could register with Yercaud trekking club for your safety. You would absolutely love the view from lady’s seat, and also try out the telescope mounted on watchtower to enjoy the serene view of the plains.
If you on a long vacation, on alternate days you could try other trekking destinations like Shevaroy Hills (Highest hill with a breathtaking view and a Hindu temple), Bear Cave, Karadiyur viewpoint, Arthur’s seat, Manjakuttai viewpoint and Pagoda point.
Note: Visit Silk farm located nearby lady’s seat to get a tour of silkworm farming and cultivation of mulberries in Yercaud.
Trekking in mountains in Yercaud
4. Go Cycling in “loop road” in Yercaud
Fitness in yercaud
It is definitely crazy and super fun activity to go cycling in 32 km loop road in Yercaud. It would be absolute fun for both nature lovers and fitness lovers. Enjoy the nature’s beauty, Yercaud versatile plantation, take a pit stop to eat organic and homegrown fruits sold by local kids.
5. Go Walk through twisted steep foothills to reach Kiliyur falls
Kiliyur Falls is situated 3km from the Yercaud lake, once you reach the parking area, you need to walk through the twisted steep foothills to reach the Kiliyur falls. This was our absolute favourite fitness activity and needless to say the view was worth the pain. We played in the falls for sometime, clicked pics, retured as it was getting dark. Kiliyur falls is yet another top places to visit at Yercaud, it is must see sightseeing too. Am sure you will love it.
Our Travel Story – Bike ride From Bangalore to Yercaud
We Travel Duo, Myself Renuga and My Hubby Rajesh – rode the bike from Bangalore to reach Yercaud hill on a weekend.
This is how we travel by bike
We chose the adventurous wildlife forest road on the way to Yercaud while coming back we chose 20 hairpin road connecting to the main Salem city.
We stayed in TGI resorts, absolutely enjoyed the food, weather and mountain view from this hotel.
For 2 days we explored almost all tourists destinations, some by bike and some by walk.
It was one of the best and memorable weekend trip we ever had.
How We Planned Our Trip To Yercaud
As usual, we have done research on places to visit at Yercaud, just like how we do for other bike trips.
Distance from Bangalore to Yercaud is 230Kms, i.e. almost the same distance as Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai, which we have covered by bike plenty of times. But travelling to Hill Station by bike is new, so we added an additional 1 hr to plan our travel time.
More Read
You can read our other hillstation travel experiences to Talakona Forest and Coorg.
So, if you are planning to visit Yercaud from Chennai or Bangalore or Coimbatore or even the nearest Salem calculate extra time for riding up the hill.
It is always essential to consider the time required to ride up the hill station higher than the time taken to ride in plains.
How We Packed For Our 2 days Bike Trip
We started in Bangalore on an early morning at the weekend, with our saddlebags packed just one day before our travel. We filled our water bottles and packed some healthy snacks. Once again checked for mobile phone chargers, power banks, hand sanitizer, coolers, scarfs to protect from pollution and dust are kept in our fuel tank bag for easy access.
Why Yercaud is Best Place For Fitness Travellers
Sitting whole day and riding the bike usually leaves us with numbness in fingers, muscle stiffness, shoulder pain and back pain. Thankfully Yercaud gave us many choices to stretch our legs, forget the pain and enjoy the nature.
Yercaud is one of the best places for fitness travelers, with plenty of options for trekking, mountain climbing, kayaking, biking, jogging and walking.
Travel alone or with family, finding time for fitness is one of the hardest things to do on vacation. Especially when your body begs you to stay in a hotel bed after that long journey, or rejuvenate in an exfoliating spa, or relax in a lounge chair under the warm sun, or enjoy a cocktail looking at the sunset far from the cottage – we always end our day guilty of not being active.
Not to mention the unlimited buffet breakfast awaiting you to wake up the next morning. Another way to enjoy the vacation is to put on the shoes and grab a waterbottle – go for bike riding or hiking in the mountains. So, whichever you aim is, here is the list of places for sightseeing in Yercaud.
FAQs About Travelling To Yercaud
How to reach Yercaud from Chennai?
Yercaud to Chennai distance is 380 Kms, the best route is via Krishnagiri for both bike and car riders. You have many options to come to Yercaud by bus from Chennai or by train from Chennai.
What is Yercaud distance from Bangalore?
Compared to Chennai, travelling from Bangalore is 100kms less the distance and the time. Onward journey we took short route near thoppur, which was fun and adventurous riding amongst forest and unexpected hairpins (see pic above). While coming back we took the route via Salem, with proper roads and it was another way of fun when we saw many riders like us. Overall it is safe to journey both the routes. Salem route is better for restaurant and washroom options.
How to travel from Coimbatore to Yercaud?
From Coimbatore, it is 195 km distance, much lesser distance than from Chennai and Bangalore. Also, you have plenty of options for food and restrooms.
How to travel from Trichy to Yercaud?
Trichy to Yercaud distance is less than 200 Km, via Tiruchengode. You don’t have train options from Trichy, but you can travel by road or by bus.
Where is Yercaud fall located?
Kiliyur Falls also called as Yercaud falls, situated 2.5kms across Yercaud lake. Its just 10min walk from the boating place, also good hiking spot for fitness travellers.
Yercaud weather, stay and restaurants review?
Weather is too good even in summer, the best time to visit is from April to June. But if you like to enjoy hill station winter, travel after June with an overcoat or jumper or sweater.
About restaurants, I don’t recommend eating anywhere outside the resort you stay. Around Anna park and Yercaud lake we did not see any decent eateries, it is ok to have a snack and tea there.
We enjoyed eating hot hot mirchi bajji and tea for yercaud awesome weather, just across Yercaud lake. You should try too.
For stay, we have not tried any homestay, anyways homestays and resorts are equally priced, so we chose resort to stay.
What to wear and what to pack for Bike ride to Hill station?
Roaming in the Yercaud hill station demands good physical energy and I suggest you wear comfortable loose clothes because you would be sweating a lot from hiking and climbing activities. Also, it is essential to carry a hiking backpack which is not as big as your regular travel bag, but small enough to wear it for a long time, also a good size to fit in your water bottles and snacks.
We always make sure to wear comfortable clothes (also good looking for taking pics) for long hour bike ride – he wears sweat pants , I wear very comfortable jeggings almost on all rides.
This Fratini Jeggings– Color Black is super comfortable to climb on the bike and to ride the bike. This is what I have worn most for more than 2 yrs bike travel, it still stays brand new. It is always on demand in Amazon, you could buy directly from the store or any other shopping websites.
Since it doesn’t have pocket, I always carry this sling bag -good size to keep mobile phones (very essential for google maps), coolers (need them for sunny ride), and Money (you know its very essential).
Next time make sure to visit all the places in Yercaud, a beautiful hill station to cherish.
The Talakona waterfalls, which is the highest forest waterfalls in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is one of the main tourist attractions and trekking spot in AP tourism.
The water falls from a height of 280 feet from the top of the mountain, thus making it the highest waterfalls in Andhra state.
I and my hubby Rajesh travelled to Talakona waterfalls on 4th March 2018 by bike, reached the forest before 9 am. We have spent about two and a half hrs including our trekking time and recreation.
Unexpectedly, there was good water flow from hilltop even at the beginning of summer. It is a beautiful location for trekking, in all seasons.
Here are the things to know before you plan a trip to Talakona
1.Entry fee and timing to Talakona forest waterfalls
We started from our hotel room in the morning after breakfast to Talakona forest. We enjoyed our motorbike ride watching mango farm and flowers plantations in the village.
Once we entered the forest area (from here distance to Talakona waterfalls is 8.5 kms), we were asked to enter the name, vehicle name details in the check-post.
The entry fee for two-wheeler is 15/- INR, four-wheeler is 100/- INR. Also, we noticed that the security guard was screening vehicles for alcohols as it was strictly not allowed. If you are carrying any camera then 100/- INR to be paid, otherwise no fee for carrying any mobile phones.
After 5 km drive, we reached Siddeshwara Swamy temple, a forest temple for Lord Shiva and also a guardian of Talakona.
At this point, you could find lots of local food stalls (very dirty) offering to prepare veg and non-veg food fresh for tourists. I would not suggest taking any kind of service from these locals.
It is better to carry own snacks and food as there are no decent eat-outs from our experience.
And be polite with these locals when you are rejecting their service to make the whole experience pleasant.
(b) Checkpoint 2 – Sri Siddeshwara Swamy Temple (Pay Visitors entry fee to enter waterfalls)
Siddeshwara Swamy Temple, Forest Shiva temple in Talakona Forest
An ancient temple for Lord Shiva in the middle of the forest is one of the main reasons Talakona is crowded all the time.
Since it was the weekend, there was already a big group of people found to be actively preparing food to offer God. Soon they would take a dip in waterfalls before they start the rituals.
So it is better to avoid visiting Talakona on full moon day (pournami) and no moon day (amavasya), which are auspicious days for Lord Shiva.
Near to the temple, there is a dress change room facility available for the public. From this point, one can choose to go by walk or by own vehicle. There is no second entry fee for vehicles but for individual persons. They charge 10/- per head for adults and 5/- per head for kids.
We chose to go by bike and the road here to waterfalls parking was quite an adventurous one.
One can expect these roads to be very slippery and muddy in monsoon. So it is better to go by walk in the rainy season.
Entry for vehicles at this checkpoint opens only at 9.15 am and closes by 4 pm. In fact, whole forest entry closes by 4 pm.
(c) Parking area – near pond (Park vehicles here for trekking)
Talakona falls
After a rough ride for about 2 km among the gigantic trees and teasing monkeys, we halted at forest waterfalls parking area. There is a beautiful man-made pond at this point for those who are not able to trek to the mountains.
I and Rajesh clicked some pics before we set to go for a trek for about 2 km to reach the top of the mountain. Trekking is not new to us, we have done 2 hrs trekking to various mountain tops in south India.
Since we were early on Sunday, there were only a few people trekking along with us. We parked our bike here and headed towards the pond to climb the mountain.
2. Monkeys atrocities in the hilltop of Talakona waterfalls
Even Though there were monkeys all along the trekking path, they seem to be minding their businesses.
Except for a group of rowdies near the hilltop, taking advantage of the visitors to waterfalls and their luggage bags.
We were attacked too.
We didn’t have any pole or stick in hand, we used our water bottle to shush them away but in vain.
On the way back from waterfalls, we brought wooden sticks for our safety. So keep your backpacks tightly closed and hold it close to your body.
And for safety, at least one member in your team should be carrying a stick to keep them at bay.
On the way back from the hilltop, same monkey rowdies attacked a female, sat on the top of the backpack and started pulling out some items.
There was a lot of screaming before we rushed to help them with the stick. Until we reached the parking area, we kept warning the visitors to be careful of these monkeys. Ah, what a trip!!
3. Slippery rocks on the highest point of the waterfalls
Talakona photos :Talakona waterfalls in summer season
Except for the monkeys’ atrocities, it was a very pleasant trek in the forest to the mountain top.
As you climb up, the view gets much better with a fresh breeze. We stopped now and then to click some pics. Unlike other mountain waterfalls, here you have proper trails to support. But, in some places trails were broken and fallen off, could be due to rain and wind.
Everyone should experience this forest trekking to take the cold shower of untouched pure water with medicinal properties.
Yes, we did climb up to the mountain top.
Waterfalls with the enormous force and the rocks at this point are very slippery and dangerous.
The view is always better from the top.
4. Poor mobile network and worst food service in the Forest
There was no network available in the forest area and near the falls.
If you are planning to stay in the forest resort, it would not be a wise decision.
Also, we heard that there is also no electricity in the guesthouses.
Though we didn’t stay in the resort, we met a fellow companion staying in the guest house. He complained about the poor guest house service, no electricity, no power back up and no food service also.
There is just one maintenance person who brings food from the local stalls near the temple.
And looking at the stalls, definitely, it is not a good idea to order food from them. So it is better to plan as a short one day trip either from Tirupati or Chennai or Madanapalle.
Moreover, there is nothing much to see around here except for the temple and dense forest waterfalls. Until we reached the checkpoint 1, we had trouble with the poor network connectivity.
Note: If you are planning to stay in the Talakona forest resort, it is best to carry this small water kettle to make tea, coffee and even cook noodles. This kettle comes handy when you have kids in the trip, and when you don’t have access to nearby local stalls. From what I have heard, it is not advisable to eat in the local stalls.
5. Trek to Talakona is suitable for older adults (but not in monsoon)
Talakona photos: Steps to Talakona waterfall
Since it was summer, we had no issue climbing up the unpaved stone stairs. But in monsoon, it would get slippery and hard to climb with the poor rails for support.
In some places, the rails were broken and fallen off from the track. Otherwise, it is safe to climb the man-made stairs with the rails support.
Talakona is the perfect romantic and adventurous getaway for youngsters. And the best place to hang out with family.
Talakona is a must visit tourist place if you are planning a trip to Tirupati.
To my fellow travellers:
Be early, enjoy the beauty of forest waterfalls in silence. And cherish the moment.
Be brave, take a cold shower in the hilltop, and be proud because not everyone can make to the top.
Be sensitive, don’t pollute the forest and the environment.
Trekking essentials – Things necessary for Talakona Trekking
#1. Small Backpack – To fit in all the travel essentials.
Size – Sufficient to fit 1 pair clothes, snacks, flip flops (chappals) and water bottle
Polythene bag /waterproof bag – to keep the wet clothes. Keep extra bag if needed to keep shoes or sandals water free just before you go to play in the falls
Soaps and hand sanitizer
Snacks
Extras – Walking stick (especially for elders and to ward away monkeys)
Where to buy the cheap and best backpack?
I bought this small backpack from Decathlon sports and fitness shop in Bangalore. You could buy the same in the store or on their website. It is very handy, comfortable and lightweight backpack which fits in all the above-said essentials. Best suited for a single person. If you are travelling with a partner or with kids, its best to buy each bag for individuals to avoid tired and pain.
Avoid carrying family size bags up the hills – makes it difficult to trek the hills.
#2. Water Bottle
Summer or winter, trekking uphill always make you go thirsty for water. It is one of the most essential things in any kind of travel and definitely, you cannot travel without them for trekking to Talakona. So grab a bottle or two, make sure you are well hydrated throughout the trip.
As I mentioned before, it is not safe to buy bottles in the forest area stalls – as you would have never heard of those aqua brands before – so pack your own bottle or buy good brands before you hit the talakona border. Buy these reusable water bottles of high quality to protect the nature from plastics dumping.
#3. Travel towel
Essential for trekking and most important when you have the plan to play in the waterfalls. No One can resist this Talakona waterfalls falling 280 feet from the top of the mountain, which is said to carry medicinal properties – so it is not a bad idea at all, is not? So travel towel is an essential item in your backpack along with your change clothes. (there are no change rooms immediately near the falls, so need to climb down near to the Shiva temple to access the change rooms)
#4. Camera Bag
Needless to say, you need to protect them from water as you cannot leave them in open while you are bathing.
#5. Snacks
Healthy and space-saving snacks like chocolate bars, peanuts burfi, mixed nuts etc., These snacks not only occupy less space, they keep you full for a longer time from going hungry.
#6. Flip Flops
To relax your feet after a long walk. I saw locals climbing the hill with just flipflops, you could try too if you think will be comfortable and to save some space in the bag. We usually prefer shoes, comfortable for the bike ride. So we carry a pair of slippers for relaxing wherever we travel.
#7. Multi-Purpose scarf
This is our mandatory gear for our bike ride, it will be useful for you too if you are riding anywhere long distance by bike. You can use it as a scarf on your head to wear the helmet or on your face to protect from the sun and pollution.
#8. Basic skin care essentials
Soap, hand sanitizer, moisturizer, pocket comb etc.,
We are regular bike riders, so we have an exclusive travel kit to keep all the skin care essentials and medicines. Since it is a one day trip, you can toss in those cosmetics inside the bag, instead of carrying a pouch.
FAQ about Talakona Forest Waterfalls:
1. Where is the Talakona waterfalls located?
The Talakona waterfall is the highest waterfall in the Andhra Pradesh state with a 270 feet (82 m)-fall. It is located in Nerabailu village of Chittoor district in Andhra. It is situated 250 km from Bangalore, 220 km from Chennai, 58 km from Tirupati, 105 km from Chittoor and 102 km from Madanapalle.
How to reach Talakona waterfalls?
After reaching the forest entry (from Forest check-post security gate) it is about approx. 5 km distance to reach Shiva temple and 7 km ride to reach the waterfalls parking area.
Public transport buses from Tirupati, Madanapalle, Chennai would stop at this check-post. Otherwise, all types of private vehicles are permitted up-to waterfalls parking area, which is the closest parking area to waterfalls.
But some would prefer to halt at Shiva temple, whichever is convenient for you. So, if you have taken public transport, it is exactly 8.5 km walk to the waterfalls.
Details about the nearest railway station, Bus station and cab facility to Talakona Forest and waterfalls?
There is no direct railway connectivity to Talakona falls, one has to stop and change buses from Chittoor or Tirupati railway station.
Bus facilities are available from both the bus stations but are very infrequent.
Early morning direct bus available from Tirupati, but it is quite a long journey. Also, local taxi services in Tirupati would cost 2500/ -INR to 4000/- INR, varies for the season. So it is better to arrange own transport.
Are there any options for Room bookings, Hotels and Resorts near Talakona Forest?
Like public transport, hotel room availability is also not very supportive for the tourists. From what I gathered, the forest guest house facility is very poor and maintenance is not up to the expectation.
Needless to say, the struggle for good food, as the area is dominated by local food stalls which are dirty and untidy.
So it is better to look for accommodation in Tirupati or Madanapalle.
Also keeping the unavailability of restaurants in mind, it is advised to pack food and snacks from home or the nearest city.
What are the Activities to do / things to do in and around Talakona waterfalls?
Usually, people visit Talakona after Temple darshan at Tirumala Tirupathi. Or like us, people would directly come to talakona for trekking. In our next visit to Madanapalle, we are planning to visit the Horsley Hills. So the activities you could do when you are in Talakona –
Visit Lord Siddeshwara temple and seek his blessings
Trekking to hilltop – wear comfortable clothes and shoes, keep your luggage zip locked, keep a stick to ward off monkeys
Cook food, recreation with family and friends (alcohol prohibited)
Connect to mother nature, experience the forest away from city life
Poor network connectivity, disconnect with social media, connect with family and friends
Play in the pond -There is a beautiful pond at the waterfalls parking area for those who are not able to trek to the hilltop
Locker room facilities, Dress change rooms and washroom facilities in Talakona Waterfalls?
There are no locker room facilities, it is better to pack very light luggage. And there are dress change and washroom available but not clean, as there is no maintenance person.
Entry Fee, Timing, alcohol consumption and Photography in Talakona falls?
As I mentioned above, there are two checkpoints for vehicles.
One is forest checkpost where they check vehicles, note down the registration number, entry time and the number of visitors. There they collect 15/- for two-wheelers, 100/- INR for four wheelers and 100/- for cameras. Here entry time is open from early morning, but it is not preferable to reach the forest before 8 am as there won’t be any visitors until 9 am.
In the second entry point, which is near Shiva temple, the entry fee to waterfalls is collected. Here they collect 10/- per person for adults, 5/- per person for kids. The gate opens only by 9.15 am, until then you can spend time around the temple.
When is the best season to visit Talakona falls?
Usually, the best time to visit Talakona forest is between November to January. As you see in pics, there was a good amount of water flow even in March. It is suggested to avoid trekking during rainy season as it gets more dangerous in slippery rocks.
No alcohols or any impolite behaviour are entertained in the forest and waterfalls area.
By 4 pm, forest entry closes for visitors.
How much time one can spend in Talakona Falls?
From 9.15 am to 4 pm, you could spend time at the mountain top, playing and bathing. You could spend little more extra time in the area near the Lord Shiva temple, where you could find local food stalls and tea shops (hardly 1 or 2 shops)
Hope you got all the information you are seeking. For more details, you could ask your questions in the comment box below.
If you are planning on One day trip from Bangaloreto Kolar – this is the comprehensive guide on travel, food and sightseeing places in Kolar.
(At the bottom is the FAQ section which answers all the your travel queries related to Kolar trip)
Here is the reason why Kolar travel is one of the best one day trip from Bangalore within 100 kms.
One Day trip From Bangalore to Kolar (Distance and Places to Visit)
Kolar (a state in Karnataka) is famous for its Gold Mines also called Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) and are also a perfect destination for one day temple trips and for an adventurous road trip.
Kolar is situated in Bangalore -Tirupati highways, a little before Mulbagal. The Bangalore to Kolardistance is just 85 km from my home (the distance may vary a little from your start location in Bangalore).
So, Kolar is always in our favorite list on weekend getaways from Bangalore.
Famous Places to Visit in Kolar
In our frequent travels from one day trip from Bangalore to Kolar, we have been to the list of famous places –
Kolaramma Temple,
Kotilingeshwara Temple(in detail below)
Someshwara Temple,
Chikka Tirupathi and
AntaraGange.
Myself and hubby experienced Kolar for the first time when we went on a temple trip by bike in the year 2016.
Later we have visited Kotilingeswara temple twice with our family in the next year. Since then we have been frequent travelers from Bangalore to Kolar by bike.
Any place less than 100 km (total 200kms both ways) we are good to go for one day trip by bike.
We have had so many adventures since 2016, which you can check under “categories” section.
All were pleasant experiences.
Kotilingeshwara Temple – Famous sightseeing in Kolar
Kotilingeshwara is more of a tourist destination than a spiritual place in Kolar. The name denotes – one crore Lord Shivalinga.
It is also the place for the world’s biggest Shivalinga statue standing 108 feet tall and 35 feet Nandhi idol. You can get more info on the history of the temple here.
We went twice to Kotilingeswara temple. Since it was a family trip, we hired private cab to Kolar, it cost us 3000/- for each round trip.
Did You Know?
Kotilingeshwara temple timings: Entry to the temple is limited to 9 am to 4 pm, exit is closed by 6pm.
You can find lots of shops selling clay lamps, agarbathis, kids toys etc.,
Kotilingeshwara Temple Guidance : Entry fee and Pooja Procedure
Park your vehicle, pay parking fee
Leave your shoes in the counter, collect a receipt
Buy flowers or lamps before entering the temple, as per your wish.
Pay entry fee 20/- INR per head, little less for children.
Enter the temple, explore the lakhs of lingas on your way to the biggest shiva linga, also you could find other hindu god and goddess idols.
Spend time taking pics – taking pics allowed here
You could also have lunch in a big hall inside the temple
Darshan other idols (Lord Vishnu is special here).
Exit the temple, collect your shoes with the token, come back to home
Highway Star – The Best place to eat in Kolar highways
In one of our recent one day trip from Bangalore to Kolar, we found “Highway Star” using google maps.
We were searching for food joints like McDonald’s or Domino’s in Kolar highways.
On that of travel we had late breakfast in Bangalore before we started to Kolar, so we were looking for some quick bite in the late afternoon.
It’s a rare combination that we get to relax in good ambiance when we are out to travel. I could write 100 articles on how many times we had pathetic food in our travel experiences.
Thankfully, we found the best place to eat in Kolar highways.
We have located Highway star in between Kolar and Mulbagal in the Tirupati Highways, situated in vast area with huge vehicle parking space.
We were happy because we found many restaurant choices in one place with a classy ambiance for recreation.
It has all the facilities that any travelers could ask for. It has restroom and shower facilities with wheelchair access, Car wash and repair, Kids play area with rabbits and love birds.
Highway Star is not only the perfect recreation center for travelers, but also for families and college kids to hangout in the weekend.
We enjoyed eating Veg Manchurian with fried rice and Malay veg noodles from a Chinese restaurant.
Also we had french fries and cola from McDonald’s.
The List of Restaurant names in Highway Star, Kolar
Fujian Express – For Chinese food
McDonald’s
Domino’s Pizza
Maaya’s Restaurant -pure veg
Nagas Restaurant -Andhra style veg and non-veg
Juice Junction – all kinds of juices and smoothies
Baskin Robbins -for ice creams
Other restaurants in Kolar Highways are (just opposite to this complex)
Vasudev Adigas veg restaurant – just opposite to Highway Star
Cafe coffee day – near to Vasudev adigas.
So next time when you are travelling to Kolar, you know where to stop for food and relaxation.
Activities You Can Do In Kolar
Of all the places we have been, Antaragange in Kolar was one of the most adventurous as we climbed 100+ steps to worship Lord Sivaon the hill. Climate in Kolar was not too hot even in the beginning of summer, February.
Because you can do all the following activities in Kolar in One Day:
Go long bike ride /car ride from Bangalore to Kolar gold fields
Visit the famous Kotilingeswara Temple, marvel at one of the world’s tallest SivaLinga Statue
Go Hiking in Antaragange Hills, take a dip in temple pond
Go to ancient temples – Kolaramma temple, Someshwara Temple and Chikka Tirupati
Eat Chinese food / Fast food in many food joints in Highway Star located in Bangalore – Tirupati highways
Spend time looking at the rabbits and love birds eating icecream near the kids play area in Kolar Highway Star.
High Way Star – Kids Play Area
As such you will love the experience of travel by car or by bike, with wide roads and occasional flower fields popping up on either sides.
You could also hire a cab, book a train or bus from Bangalore to Kolar, but we always love to go by road.
FAQs – One day Kolar Trip from Bangalore:
How to reach Kolar from Bangalore?
Bangalore to kolar distance varies based on which location you are planning to start the trip, for me the distance from my home is just 85kms. Until we crossed Whitefield we had to face the hectic traffic, then its stress free ride once you hit the Triupathi highway.
Trains from Bangalore to kolar?
There are train facilities from Bangalore city central , cantonment and Yeswanthpur junction at various timings. Search in google for Bangalore to kolar train timings, train name etc.,
Buses from Bangalore to kolar?
There are numerous buses from Bangalore to Kolar, KSRTC and private buses available at all major junctions. You could check online for the bus stops and timings. Recently when I checked, for bus from Bangalore to Kolar bus ticket fare 67/- per head from majestic, for KSRTC express bus service.
Bangalore to Kolar cabs / ola cabs availability?
You could reach Kolar by train or KSRTC bus or bike or car or private cab. Not sure of Ola cab service to Kolar, both the family trips we have hired private cabs, which had cost us 3k for each round trip.
Places to eat in Kolar?
As mentioned above Highway star is the by far best pit stop with best restaurant choices and washroom facilities with car parking. Opposite to Highway star you could find Vasudev Adigas veg restaurant. If you are not keen to eat in the Kolar highways, you anyways have plenty of restaurant choices once you hit Bangalore.
Places to see in Kolar?
Sightseeing in Kolar is very limited but good choice for one day trip with the famous Kotilingeswara temple, ancient Kolaramma temple, and for adventurous hiking and temple trip, you could go to Antaragange.
Kotilingeshwara temple timings?
Entry fee 20/ – per head to Kotilingeswara temple, entry is closed by 4pm but visitors can stay inside temple until 6 to 6.30 pm.
Hope you have got list of activities to do on one day trip from Bangalore to Kolar.
Are you a regulr bike rider just like us. Then here is the suggestion for you.
We are frequent bike travelers to – Talakad temples and Talakad beach (TalaKaveri River) in Karnataka. Here you will be presented 3 different routes to reach Talakad by road, with many options for sightseeing near Talakad.
On 4th November 2017, we went on a one day trip from Bangalore to Talakadu temples, one of the famous tourist destinations in Karnataka. We spent a day playing in TalaKaveri (Talakadu river / beach), later we spent time visiting all the temples situated near the river. We rode about 260 Kms in a day trip travelling up and down to Talakadu, Karnataka.
This is a travel guide for road trip looking to visit Talakadu temples from Bangalore or from Mysore.
Also, I have outlined the route map with different options for sightseeing places near Talakadu.
Talakad Temples – Location and List of Places for Sightseeing
Talakad (Talakadu), is a small town with a group of temples, a famous pilgrimage centre for Hindus, situated 43 kms from Mysore and 133 kms from Bangalore.
We travelled from our home in Bangalore. So it was total of 260 Km bike ride both ways.
We visited just Keerthi Narayana temple and pancha linga temples except mallikarjuna temple, because it is located quite far away.
After spending some time around Kaveri river came by walk to the parking location.
We then had lunch in one of the many Brahmin lunch houses before visiting all the temples detailed below.
Travel Tips:
You could skip going to Talakadu Kaveri river altogether, and go straight to darshan temples.
Or, you could go only Talakadu River, eat in the one of the stalls near beach or eat your home cooked meals, before you return home.
In the later section I have detailed on how to reach Talakadu temples and river you for your guidance.
Pancha Lingas Temple – Famous in Talakad
Today, most of the magnificent temples of this ancient town are submerged in sand. All the stone pillars (square at the base and fitted into a wheel below the abacus) lie scattered throughout the town.
Among the temples of Talakad, the Pathaleshwara, Maruleshwara, Arkeshwara, Vaidyanathee-shwara (vaidyeshwara) and Mallikarjuna temples form the pancha lingas. In honour of these five Shiva temples, a fair is held once in 12 years called Pancha Linga Darshana, on a new moon day. ( Source )
Vaidyeshwara temple in Talakad Vaidyeshwara temple snake ring in Talakad
Keerthi Narayana Temple – Lord Vishnu Temple
Besides the Pancha Lingas, another magnificent structure is the Keerthinarayana temple, which is the only temple in Talakad to have been constructed in the Hoysala style of architecture.
A greater part of this temple is buried in sand. Other than the sanctum sanctorum, there is a sukanasi and a navaranga in this temple.
Inside the sanctum sanctorum stands an eight-foot-tall statue of Keerthinarayana. Recent excavations in the temple complex have brought to light remains of earlier centuries. ( Source )
Keerthi Narayana Temple – Lord Vishnu Temple in Talakad
How to Reach Talakadu Temples From Bangalore – Our Trip Plan
Talakadu temples and Talakadu river are the two different picnic spots which attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists to this destination. River is located about 1km walkable distance from the temples. Many travel Talakadu just to spend time in the River, or to offer puja on the banks of the river, many visit temples after a dip in the Holy River Kaveri.
We, duo travellers, rode bike to Talakadu by taking the following route.
Start early from Bangalore, take NH and reach straight to the Srirangapatna Ranganathar temple.
After darshan around 11 to 11.30 am, travel to Somanathapura. A beautiful, one of a kind Hoysala architecture temple is open from 9 am to 5 pm.
You would need a minimum 1 to 2 hrs to spend at this beauty of the architecture, hire a guide if you must.
Then after lunch (preferably home packed as no eatery If you have missed NH near Srirangapatna), drive about 30 mins to reach Talakadu.
Here you will have some Brahmin lunch houses for home cooked vegetarian food if you would like.
Otherwise there are some options available for non veg lovers near Talakadu river. If you had any time, you could stop at T. Narasipura Narasimha temple on the Banks of Kaveri River before reaching Talakadu.
Now, in Talakadu, take a dip in the Kaveri river, spend some time, change clothes if you would like before you head to Talakadu temples.
Ride to Talakadu temples
Note Talakadu temple timings: All temples of Talakadu are closed after noon pooja and are only open after 4 pm. You would want to darshan the temples before 12 noon or after 4pm, according you could plan visiting other temples mentioned in the above route.
Trip Plan -3 with Kollegal and Shivanasamudra
Okay, the above route will not interest you if you have fun travel planned, and if you are not much fond of just temple visits.
I would prefer the 2nd route if you like riding in the road among lush green fields. You are in for a treat by the time you reach Shivanasamudra. The entire ride to the falls, the trip to Kollegal and Talakadu river would be so mesmerizing (not much in summer though).
Starting from Bangalore, ride to Shivanasamudra after taking a diversion from Malavalli on Mysore NH road. Play in the Shivanasamudra falls to your heart’s content, place a visit to the very famous Lord Vishnu temple (Ranganathar temple popular next to Srirangapatna) for the interested.
Next ride to Kollegal, about 20 kms en route from Shivanasamudra, the most beautiful ride you will ever have among the paddy fields and sugarcane farms. Spend some time in Gaganachukki waterfalls – one of the biggest and Barachukki waterfalls. Compared to Shivanasamudra, you would love it more in Kollegal..
Next stop would be Talakadu temples – darshan the temples or head straight to the River. Enjoy the sunset view, spend some time before you return home.
For returning back to Bangalore, take the Mysuru NH road via Somanathapura, that would be safest and fastest for the evening drive.
(Read our one day Bike trip from Bangalore to Shivanasamudra falls and MadyaRang temple).
Other Sightseeing Places Near Talakadu
These are the following sightseeing places you could pay a visit along the way to Talakadu temples. Feel free to use google maps to calculate the time and distances, so you will have a fun filled, peaceful travel.
Shivanasamudra (Ranganathaswamy temple)
Kollegal
Nanjangud
Somanathapura temple
Mandya
Mysore
Bike ride to Talakad temples was one of a memorable, 12th one day Bike trip from Bangalore.
We traveled back to Bangalore by late evening from Talakadu temples on the same day. For sure we loved every bit of the trip, clicked many pics. Looking forward to visit this place again.
I am sure less introduction needed for the Hoysala Architecture Hindu temples in Karnataka.
These are unique architecture temples found only in Karnataka, majorly in Hassan district. All of them built by the Hoysala Empire, ruled between 10th and 14th centuries.
This is our story of “Hoysala Trip“, how we have visited 4 of such famous temples just in one day.
We went to this trip on 2nd October 2016 by train.
Hoysala Architecture – Overview and My Personal Observation
The “Hoysalas” who ruled between 11th and 14th centuries have built this unique – never can be seen anywhere in the world kind of architecture only in Karnataka.
They have built small to large temples in Karnataka, dedicating to either Lord Vishnu or Lord Shiva.
The Hoysala architecture style is described as Karnata Dravida which is distinguished from the traditional Dravida, and is considered an independent architectural tradition with many unique features (Source Wikipedia).
Hoysala architecture is popular for its attention to detail in their craftsmanship. Unlike the other Hindu temples, the outer walls surrounding the main sanctum are beautifully carved with the gods and goddess statues (called reliefs).
They also depict the life and culture of people who lived in the 12th century, and also tell stories about Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata purana.
The other unique feature of these temples are the zig zag patterns (star shaped look) of the entire complex. Including the platform on which the temple is built with 4 to 7 layers of star pattern, leading up the same zig – zag pattern until vimana (roof) of the temple.
While the temple is star shaped, the pillars supporting the temple are all disc shaped.
Sometimes, the combination of star and disc shaped are observed.
Depending on the size of the temple, the pillars (and the disc) sizes vary. For example, the disc in the Somanathapura, Belur and Halebid are larger than the other Hoysala temples in Arasikere, Javagal and Nuggehalli.
Personal observation
Although the Itagi Mahadeshwara temple is not under the category of Hoysala architecture in Karnataka, we have observed the touch of their art in their disc pillars. You can see pics here- link article.
Once what would have been a place for daily prayers and religious celebrations, is now standing still with the notable damages. All the Hoysala temples stand proud amidst all the damages on the statues and vimana; and also being enormously patient to the callous nature of the daily visiting tourists.
The List of Hoysala temples we have visited in One day
On 2nd October 2016, we started our one day trip from Bangalore to Belur.
Now, to visit 4 different Hoysala architecture temples, we started boarding the train from Bangalore central railway station to Arasikere.
First, get down at Arsikere Junction to Visit Ishwara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Second, after about 50 mins of bus journey to the Javagal LordLakshmi Narasimha temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
These two are less popular temples among the Hoysala Architecture (link) situated close to the very popular UNESCO archaeological site of Halebidu and Belur.
Third, boarded the bus from Javagal to Halebidu, and finally, from Halebidu to Belur.
We returned home from Belur to Bangalore on the same day by train around midnight.
Here is the name of the temples we have visited
Arasikere – Beautiful Hoysala Architecture For Lord Shiva
Javagal – Beautiful Hoysala Architecture For Lord Vishnu
Halebidu – Hoysaleswara temple (UNESCO site) For Lord Shiva
Belur – ChennaKesava temple (UNESCO site) For Lord Vishnu
Arasikere temple inside viewJavagal Lord Vishnu temple entranceHalebidu templeBelur temple
How We Planned this Hoysala Trip
This trip was well planned by me – the travel planner, about a week before we started the journey.
Even though we were just “new-bees” just started testing the waters of travelling to the new places, I can proudly say that I did good job.
(Except for this one trip where we miscalculated the timing when we went on a one day bike trip to Hassan from Bangalore. We ended up riding motorbike in the dark night, read here to know more about our first ever adventurous night trip).
My hubby, Rajesh – the best companion, the best bike rider, sensible and sweetest person to travel with.
Mostly he never said no to any trips planned by me – and that is how we ended up making a long bike trip of 11 days in South India consecutively for two years in 2017 and 2018.
Like in other trips to TamilNadu temples, this time we didn’t have to consider the temple open and closing timings before we laid out an itinerary. Since all of these are tourist places, they are open from 9 am to 6pm (depends on the popularity of the temple).
Halebidu and Belur temples are under UNESCO, open even during afternoon timings until 5 pm everyday for tourists.
So, we first decided to visit the less famous, small Hoysala architecture in Arasikere and Javagal in the mornings, and the two UNESCO temples later in the noon.
I considered several factors for planning this trip
I used google maps to calculate the distances between each stop,
the time needed to travel by public transport,
the minimum time needed to spend in each stop and
the time needed for relaxation.
We just carried one backpack with water bottles, snacks, and toiletries enough for one day trip from Bangalore.
Though we didn’t plan this trip exclusively for the “Hoysala architecture” but it turned out to be one exclusive trip.
Conclusion
Hoysala Architecture, which was built by the Hoysala empire, is found only in the state Karnataka, India. When it comes to visiting famous tourist destinations, many people prefer going to Halebidu, Belur.
Mostly they are popular among tourists for its marvellous architecture, and they are closely located, so both the temples are easily covered in one trip. Next to these two temples, many prefer going to Hampi – yet another cultural Heritage of Karnataka.
For those who don’t know, there are plenty of tourist places in Karnataka which are not made popular among tourists.
My personal request to the audience is to see all the other Hoysala temples in Karnataka, they too, are no less in Architecture and Beauty.
Personal observation
I was surprised to see the resemblance of Hoysala architecture when we visited Trimbakeshwar temple in Mumbai. Major resemblance was the star shaped platform on which the temple is built and similar statue carvings on the outer wall – a wall with a zigzag pattern – everything resembling the Hoysala architecture. Click here to see pics.
Shivanasamudra falls from Bangalore – This was one of a memorable One day Bike trip from Bangalore in the Year 2016.
This is a travel guide to famous Shivanasamudra falls nearby places by road.
Shivanasamudra Falls: Location and Distance From Bangalore
Bangalore to Shivanasamudra falls distance is 126 kms. There will be short variation in the distances from your starting point location.
You could take Mysore highways, take a diversion from Malavalli to reach Shivanasamudra falls. Or take Kanakapura – Malavalli road to reach the destination.
Since we were riding bike in the open sun, we preferred going by Kanakapura – Malavalli road to ride under tree shades.
If you are travelling from Mysore, Shivanasamudra to Mysore distance is 75kms, the best shortest route being via Somanathapura.
Clarity on Two Falls and its Location
The Kaveri river falls into twin waterfalls in a small town called Shivanasamudra in Karnataka, near Mandya district, hence the name Shivanasamudra waterfalls or falls.
The actual name of this waterfall in Gaganachukki waterfalls. The common misconception of this twin falls is that the left one is Ganagachukki falls and the right one is Barachukki falls.
The fact is, Barachukki falls, which has been naturally split a few kilometers south- west of the Barachukki falls.
So now that it is clear that the name of Shivanasamudra waterfalls is Gananachukki waterfalls, lets see how to reach by road.
Travel Guide to Reach Gaganachukki Waterfalls by Road
We started on 24th December 2016 morning to Shivanasamudra falls on our motorbike, taking the Kanakapura Malavalli road.
Alert to the fellow travelers – there were no good restaurants in the Kanakapura road until Shivanasamudra falls.
Now that the Kanakapura route is gaining popularity, you could see few restaurants here and there. Feel free to check for their restaurant ratings before you decide to dine-in.
But in the year 2016, not that long ago, we could not find a single eatery except for a small shop selling poori sabji, near Mandya. Definitely I would not suggest, so not giving google map link fellas :).
It was definitely not a good start for a beautiful morning ride, yet without any complaints we had that breakfast. Soon we headed towards the destination.
By the time we reached the Shivanasamudram, it was almost noon, and we did not want to play in the falls as we had plans to darshan Ranganathaswamy temple before it closes.
We spent 5 mins excursions on the river view, eating home bought snacks and hurriedly clicked some pics before we left for the temple.
Sri RanganathaSwamy temple – On the River bank
It is one of the popular Lord Vishnu temples, known as Madya ranga or Mohana ranga, associated with Ranganathar in Srirangapatna and Trichy.
This bike trip was an attempt to visit these 3 Ranga temples in the three consecutive Ekadasi days.
That was the reason we hurried from the Shivanasamudra falls to darshan Lord Ranganathar.
The temple was moderately crowded and we were able to have a peaceful darshan and spend some time before we left to Bangalore.
There is also another ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, called Someswara temple. We decided to visit this temple on our next visit to Sivanasamudram.
Madhya Ranga In Shivanasamudra. Credit Wikipedia.
Shivanasamudra Nearby Places – Where to Go from Here
Apart from the couple of temples and this twin river, there is nothing much to spend time near Shivanasamudram.
If you want to extend your trip, I have a few suggestions for you to explore Shivanasamudra falls nearby places.
Talakadu – famous for Kaveri river (beach) and sand soaked 5 temples
Hogenakkal Waterfalls
Somanathapura – For Hoysala architecture
Melkote – Cave temple on the hill
Mysore – For Palace, Museum, Zoo, Botanical garden.
While coming back from Shivanasamudra falls, we took Mysore highways Via Malavalli, to find a good restaurant as we were starving from Morning.
Now there are good choices in Malavalli – Kanakapura road, no need to worry about anything.
You could absolutely enjoy your trip to Shivanasamudra falls from Bangalore, via both Kanakapura and Mysore Highways.
