[500ContyCruiser]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

This road seems perfect for my SX4 :-) I will surely take my SX4 and go there soon.

Thought you let go off your SX4. The moment I saw SX4 in initial photos, your car came to my mind.

Have bad habit of associating (rather mapping?) people with their cars.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by 500ContyCruiser

Thought you let go off your SX4. The moment I saw SX4 in initial photos, your car came to my mind.

I still have that car. It is a perfect beater car and occasionally I take it out on highways too and still enjoy it. It is slow, but still fun in a different way.

In fact, I completed 10 years with that car last year, and wrote a 10 year summary thread: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...i-sx4-zxi.html

Have bad habit of associating (rather mapping?) people with their cars.

I do the same. I still remember people by the cars they had when I first met them, even though they changed their cars many times after that.

[chinmaypillay]

Beautiful pictures and location, a refreshing change to see some nature during these WFH times! Chikmagalur is one of the places I am dying to visit, hopefully the place/resort can be reached by bikes too A long bike ride is due for a long time.

[FlashMustang]

Great write-up and a wonderful travelogue!
Have started falling in love with the western ghats, thanks to our recent trip to Ooty and then a trip to Goa where we again passed through the ghats.

Thank you for sharing!
Rated the thread 5 stars!

[TusharK]

Awesome pictures and a brilliant write up.

The resort has such serene vistas around it - a perfect place to unwind on a weekend.

I have never been to the ghats of Karnataka. I have had to cancel trips to Karwar, Gokarna a couple of times in the recent past. Hoping that I can make it after the Covid situation improves.

[yd_gli]

Awesome! One more place for me to visit.

I have traveled to quite a few mountain ranges in the world. But the mystique and aura of the KA/KL Western Ghats is something else. I live in Pune but, I have spend more time traveling in the southern western ghats than anywhere else over the last decade. It's just magic.

I usually stop at Kadur for thatte idly and dosa, next time I'll try and make it to Kunigal! If it wasn't for freaking Covid, I'd be off this weekend.

[vinu_h]

Very tempting. Makes you want to go there right away. What's the name of the resort ?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

This is really great for us, the readers and fellow members here. You travel so much and you have such immense knowledge of places and roads. We often depend on your posts to discover new places, find out new options for food/stay and find out road conditions. It would be amazing if you could capture all that knowledge through travelogues like these. Looking forward to more such travelogues from you.

Thank you Doc. As long as I can contribute, I would love it and continue to do just that .

This road seems perfect for my SX4 :-) I will surely take my SX4 and go there soon.

Indeed. The other choice we had was to take Mighty_Lothar's BMW 330i but glad we didn't. The approach road isn't that bad but at few sections, uneven surface and stones may rub the underbody on low GC cars.

In fact, this travel happened during the second weekend of March. I could only complete the write-up this week and publish it. Back then when I started, I had plans to include videos from the dashcam of the last 4 km stretch to the resort but then this part was overwritten as I delayed copying these files to my PC!

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

My pick from your travelogue, seems like a perfect place to 'indulge in zen'.

You bet. What would have still made this travelogue complete was a photoshoot from the awesome valleys around Khytanamakki. How I wish we had another day.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Southern states are blessed with nature and the coffee plantations are something to cherish. I just remembered my stay at Amanvana Kushalnagar which is also surrounded by lush greens and Kaveri rivulet flowing beside it. These are the kind of properties that one can enjoy in full solitude.

Absolutely true ABHI and this is true especially for the districts of Coorg, Hassan Chikmagalur and Shivamogga in Karnataka. Settled in western ghats, lush green vegetation and then mushrooming properties off late in ever corner.

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

The resort looks very attractive and exquisite. The stream that flows through the property alone had be sold for its worth

Absolutely Dhanush. The river/stream is not even far. Its right there. You can take a dip anytime you want as long as water levels and current permits. The better part - The resort has a barbeque right on the banks. Imagine that!!

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Settling for the Thatte Idly for the Neer Dosa must have been a big decision.

Thank you Krishna. Actually, I would put them both at the same level. Both have their own individual tastes. Somehow, I still would put the ildies on top though .

Originally Posted by chinmaypillay

hopefully the place/resort can be reached by bikes too A long bike ride is due for a long time.

The staff reach the resort on regular 100cc bikes. Apart from that, the road leading to the resort also leads to few coffee estates and you will regularly see 2 wheelers (especially commuter bikes) on this stretch.

Originally Posted by FlashMustang

Great write-up and a wonderful travelogue!
Have started falling in love with the western ghats, thanks to our recent trip to Ooty and then a trip to Goa where we again passed through the ghats.

Driving in ghats is an awesome feeling always. In our case, we hardly did that since our destination was halfway through the ghats. Only recently I drove from Bangalore to Bangalore via Charmadi Ghat and returned via Kalhatgi (Arebail Ghat) along with the coastal route from Mangalore to Ankola. This was perhaps the best to do over a single day and cover a variety of terrains, vegetation and altitudes too.

Originally Posted by TusharK

I have never been to the ghats of Karnataka. I have had to cancel trips to Karwar, Gokarna a couple of times in the recent past. Hoping that I can make it after the Covid situation improves.

In fact, for us folks here, we look forward to drive to the Ghats of Maharashtra every year because of the obvious reason that the Sahyadris around the Konkan coast have a different charm. Secondly, our each time we plan a drive during the monsoon, we make it a point to take a different ghat that we have not driven before and let me tell you that the number of options connecting the west coast via Sahyadris in Maharashtra are way too many when you compare that to Karnataka.

Originally Posted by yd_gli

I live in Pune but, I have spend more time traveling in the southern western ghats than anywhere else over the last decade. It's just magic.

The best part of ghats in Southern states is that the vegetation and surroundings remain same throughout the year unlike Maharashtra where they go dry and dull post Oct-Nov till the next monsoon.

I usually stop at Kadur for thatte idly and dosa, next time I'll try and make it to Kunigal!

Oh you must soon. And then share with us how you liked them too.

Originally Posted by vinu_h

Very tempting. Makes you want to go there right away. What's the name of the resort ?

Have mentioned this in my log. You may have missed it but quoting the relevant section again:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The destination:

Place of stay:

We decided to stay at the RIVERMIST RESORTS, off Sunkasale before Kalasa. This is on the Kottigehara-Balur-Kalasa route, and about an hour from Kottigehara, right in a valley inside a coffee plantation surrounded by hills and hills on all the sides.

[yd_gli]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

The best part of ghats in Southern states is that the vegetation and surroundings remain same throughout the year unlike Maharashtra where they go dry and dull post Oct-Nov till the next monsoon.
Oh you must soon. And then share with us how you liked them too.

Yes, the MH ghats tend to get extremely hot and dry a couple of months after the monsoons and summers are just miserable. Even Mahabaleshwar tends to get crazy hot and unbearable during the day time in summer.

Kunigal has been added to the to-do list. I plan on going there this summer.

[surajspai]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

After spending some time at Kodige falls, it was time to head to Ranijari view point. The road conditions remain same, with many cars parked at the base of the view point and walking towards the edge of this viewpoint.

It is at this location where you realise how you are in the middle of 2 of the most spectacular western ghat ranges – Kuduremukha range on one side and Charmadi range on the other. This was one place where we spent maximum time.

I didnt know it was called Rani jhari.I know its other name-Ballalarayana doorga.

Last time I went there(the only time), I had good fun getting a duster up the approach to the place. . Gave up after raising a lot of dust and walked up the trail.

Ive taken a few risky pics at the spot where you did so seated yourself(seated at the very edge with someone holding onto my trouser belt).
Perhaps it will be the most foolish thing I've ever done in my life, though it made for great Instagram pictures.

[thiagar]

Absolutely superb pics. The resort looks so traditional, yet classy and cozy. Thank you so much for putting this together