I would rate this trip of mine as one of the best trips of 2009. Nothing like it was a difficult or challenging trip, but I would rate this trip high just because of the shear surprise it had in it. Again i was pretty much unaware of the finer details of whats this trip all about, but then it was Gilli who had organized the entire trip right from bus tickets to all the other bookings. We started on thursday night at 7pm from KSTRC bus stand on a direct bus to Yellapur. 
We reached Yellapur bus stand at around 7am. We called up Nagendra Bhat and he was ready to pick us for a 2 day trip in his Maruthi Omni. After a quick breakfast at hotel Sambram we started heading towards our first destination Sathodi Falls.
We had to pass through the back waters of Kali river along the path. Since we had reached very early of the day probably we had avoided the usual crowd. Every time i reach such a place what i miss the most is swimming in such place, i plan to carry a life jacket from next time. Sripad was the only person who swam a bit there. It was pretty peacfull but i could see some plastics and beer bottles. All of us tried to carry back a bit of the garbage, on our way back we could see a huge crowd moving towards the falls. I could only wish that they wouldn't spoil the beauty of the place just to be seen on an other day.
From here we went back to yellapur and had our lunch at Geetha Bhavan, simple homely food for cheap rate i just love such eateries rather than the existing hotels which have a standard taste across the entire state. From here we started heading along the Yellapur Karwar highway for around 15kms and then take a left to head towards our 2nd falls Shirley falls.
This is more of a private falls behind a house. Its not big falls and its very easy to go down to the falls for a bath. It might be very good during rainy season. From here continue back on the Karwar highway for another 15kms and then take a right towards Magod Falls. This is a huge falls, but i couldn't find a way how to get down the falls. Hopefully there should be some rough way to go down will find it out next time. Very close to Magod Falls we have Jenakallu Gudda for sunset view. From here we can look at the beautiful valley while the sun goes down.
Nagendra Bhat dropped us at Nisarga Mane near yellapura for the night. It was not at all worth, even though we had to shell out a lot of money here it was a horrible place to stay and not worth the money at all. In our team we never mind sleeping down a tree under an open sky rather than a hotel which is not worth the money. Any way we got up very early in the morning and went for bird watching. This is the latest hobby my self and sripad have picked up identifying birds, i enjoy taking photos of these aswell.
Bhat picked us up took us to his house for breakfast. Here we had a feast enjoying the lovely country side food. I always wonder how the food served in a village is so tasty? Bhat's house is in the middle of the forest a few meters from the highway. Hopefully one can stay at Bhat's house if they permit rather than the hotel we stayed.
From here we headed towards the best part of this trip Shivgange falls. I am sorry i really couldn't make out much of the road but one thing i can say is we need to head towards Nellali Matta and Soragina Mane. From top we could only see a huge falls, but then we decided to go down and checkout. This was the best thing we did. One the way down we also found a "Asian Paradise Fly Catcher" (Complete White body and black head), even though it was a small 30min trek it was very steep and pretty difficult, but the view from the bottom is something i just cann't explain in simple words spectacular, pretty much untouched. We wanted to go towards the bottom of the falls but it looked more of impossible to go till the end of the falls. Climbing back to the top was very hard.
From here we went to Sirsi and had home food at a restaurant which didn't have a name though but unbelivable food for 22Rs. After lunch we had to drive around 35kms from Sirsi towards Unchalli Falls. This was the last falls of our trip. This was a beautifull falls but we missed the oppurtunity to go down and hence forth i would say its more of half explored. Best part of the trip was i never expected there were so many huge and wonderful falls in karnataka. Many have only known of jog falls and shivanasamudra falls. Its good that these falls are not much written off so its safe from human destruction.
Its not that i don't encourage people enjoying the beauty of these places, but i am against people not realizing the beauty of these places and spoiling it. Finally we didn't have time to head back to Yellapur and hence we had to call KSRTC in Yellapur and told them we would be catching the bus from Sirsi. Finally end of a fantastic trip, never knew there were so many wonderful falls in my own state. Best part is, there are 5 more falls in the same district plan to go again some time soon.
Team : Gilli, Sripad, Harsha and Poorna
Route : Bangalore - Shimoga - Sirsi - Yellapura
We reached Yellapur bus stand at around 7am. We called up Nagendra Bhat and he was ready to pick us for a 2 day trip in his Maruthi Omni. After a quick breakfast at hotel Sambram we started heading towards our first destination Sathodi Falls.
We had to pass through the back waters of Kali river along the path. Since we had reached very early of the day probably we had avoided the usual crowd. Every time i reach such a place what i miss the most is swimming in such place, i plan to carry a life jacket from next time. Sripad was the only person who swam a bit there. It was pretty peacfull but i could see some plastics and beer bottles. All of us tried to carry back a bit of the garbage, on our way back we could see a huge crowd moving towards the falls. I could only wish that they wouldn't spoil the beauty of the place just to be seen on an other day.
From here we went back to yellapur and had our lunch at Geetha Bhavan, simple homely food for cheap rate i just love such eateries rather than the existing hotels which have a standard taste across the entire state. From here we started heading along the Yellapur Karwar highway for around 15kms and then take a left to head towards our 2nd falls Shirley falls.
This is more of a private falls behind a house. Its not big falls and its very easy to go down to the falls for a bath. It might be very good during rainy season. From here continue back on the Karwar highway for another 15kms and then take a right towards Magod Falls. This is a huge falls, but i couldn't find a way how to get down the falls. Hopefully there should be some rough way to go down will find it out next time. Very close to Magod Falls we have Jenakallu Gudda for sunset view. From here we can look at the beautiful valley while the sun goes down.
Nagendra Bhat dropped us at Nisarga Mane near yellapura for the night. It was not at all worth, even though we had to shell out a lot of money here it was a horrible place to stay and not worth the money at all. In our team we never mind sleeping down a tree under an open sky rather than a hotel which is not worth the money. Any way we got up very early in the morning and went for bird watching. This is the latest hobby my self and sripad have picked up identifying birds, i enjoy taking photos of these aswell.
Bhat picked us up took us to his house for breakfast. Here we had a feast enjoying the lovely country side food. I always wonder how the food served in a village is so tasty? Bhat's house is in the middle of the forest a few meters from the highway. Hopefully one can stay at Bhat's house if they permit rather than the hotel we stayed.
From here we headed towards the best part of this trip Shivgange falls. I am sorry i really couldn't make out much of the road but one thing i can say is we need to head towards Nellali Matta and Soragina Mane. From top we could only see a huge falls, but then we decided to go down and checkout. This was the best thing we did. One the way down we also found a "Asian Paradise Fly Catcher" (Complete White body and black head), even though it was a small 30min trek it was very steep and pretty difficult, but the view from the bottom is something i just cann't explain in simple words spectacular, pretty much untouched. We wanted to go towards the bottom of the falls but it looked more of impossible to go till the end of the falls. Climbing back to the top was very hard.
From here we went to Sirsi and had home food at a restaurant which didn't have a name though but unbelivable food for 22Rs. After lunch we had to drive around 35kms from Sirsi towards Unchalli Falls. This was the last falls of our trip. This was a beautifull falls but we missed the oppurtunity to go down and hence forth i would say its more of half explored. Best part of the trip was i never expected there were so many huge and wonderful falls in karnataka. Many have only known of jog falls and shivanasamudra falls. Its good that these falls are not much written off so its safe from human destruction.
Its not that i don't encourage people enjoying the beauty of these places, but i am against people not realizing the beauty of these places and spoiling it. Finally we didn't have time to head back to Yellapur and hence we had to call KSRTC in Yellapur and told them we would be catching the bus from Sirsi. Finally end of a fantastic trip, never knew there were so many wonderful falls in my own state. Best part is, there are 5 more falls in the same district plan to go again some time soon.
Team : Gilli, Sripad, Harsha and Poorna
Route : Bangalore - Shimoga - Sirsi - Yellapura
Falls Covered : Sathodi Falls, Shirley Falls, Maagod Falls, Shivgange Falls,Unchalli Falls and Jenakallu Gudda
Contact Person - Nagendra Bhat (Ph: 91-9980427640) - He will drive you around for 2 days showing all these places.
Contact Person - Nagendra Bhat (Ph: 91-9980427640) - He will drive you around for 2 days showing all these places.
6 comments:
very well written. Great pics
hi, new to the site, thanks.
Good reading.. should explore few of these places
thanks srinidhi
thanks srinidhi
Yellapur is a town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It is located in the Western Ghats and famous for Satoddi Falls and Magod Falls. Visitors can check out many places to visit in yellapur.
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