[vandemanw]

Prologue
Me and the missus have always been avid travelers. So it was not a surprise that 7 month old Baby V finds the outdoors more interesting than the drab interiors of our Central Bengaluru apartment. Baby V has already completed multiple road trips since birth (3 round trips Bengaluru-Kerala, twice by bus and once by car, 1 trip to Ooty and Kotagiri with the maternal grandparents by car). Therefore, as parents we knew what to expect. This thread https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...-infant-3.html (Travelling with an Infant) came in very handy too during these trips.

Car: 2014 Honda City VX CVT
Baby Specific things we carried for this road trip were:

Infant ready to reconstitute powdered grain mix
Infant Car seat
Potty- Our infant is potty trained at 7 months age
Entertainment (Toys, picture books, and playlist of baby lullabies and songs)
Grandparents, to allow me and the missus some alone time

Gear used: iPhone 13, iPhone 11, Fujifilm XT-100 DSLR

[vandemanw]

The plan was to do a kodagu trip during the monsoon (against popular sentiment), in our. The intention was to do a relaxed outing in the midst of nature, rather than go around visiting all the touristy places. We chose to stay at the Serene Woods Resort, at Ibnivalvadi Village near Madikeri. Started off from home at 7 AM on Friday and hit Tumkur Road in no time. As google maps indicated took the route via Nelamangala toll-Hassan Highway till CR Patna-Arkalagud-Kushalnagar. Road conditions were quite bad after Holenarsipura with lots of potholes and bumps. The 4-5 kms around Ramnathapura were quite bad as well with no tarmac in certain sections, but do-able with our Sedan. However, the views on approach to Kushalnagar and the persistent light rain, more than made up for the bad roads. Took frequent breaks, for breakfast, and also because Baby N was getting a little restless in the car seat, while not asleep.

Nisargadhama
Our first stop was at Nisargadhama after a 4h 15 min drive (excluding breaks). Boating was stopped likely due to the high water level. The aviary is a must visit with the bird feeding and the South American Macaque(made popular by the animated film ‘Rio’). Baby N had a gala time with the birds! Apart from that, even the deer seemed uninterested in any human interaction and stayed away from the fence. The quality of the food at the canteen on the island was equally bad. After a quick wrap-up with lunch, we headed to our homestay.

[vandemanw]

Homestay
The homestay is situated around 4 kms from Madikeri town, and requires a detour from the chettali main road. The approach to the homestay was cobblestone paved, bumpy, had multiple gradients and required full attention in the low GC sedan. However, the view from the rooms were worth it!

After resting for a bit, we set out on a tour of the property. This property is situated bordering reserve forests and has its own waterfall. Had amazing views of the valley below and surrounding hills, with greenery more than you could take in. Manager and support staff provided excellent service. Will let the pictures do the talking.
The next day after a long nature walk and photography session we headed to Dubare Elephant camp for the evening outing.


Food: 9/10
Cleanliness: 7/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Location: 10/10


Since sight-seeing was the prime motivation, we took the less travelled Chetalli route towards Dubare Elephant camp, even though it took longer as compared to the no nonsense Kushalnagar NH. Road conditions weren’t great, but we were rewarded with superb panoramic views of the valley below, thick jungle, and multiple waterfalls-both small and large. Got some superb photographs with the Honda City here. Dubare Elephant Camp was a pleasant experience inspite of persistent rain throughout. The kaveri was in spite and added to the experience. Baby V had absolutely no fear towards the elephants and photo session with her holding the elephant tusk and admiring from close went on without a hitch. We decided to relax by the river bank for sometime before getting onto the boat. All the elephants came in for their evening drink prior to being released into the forest. Got to experience their presence from up close! This place is a must visit for everyone heading to Kodagu.

[vandemanw]

The next morning, after a lazy morning nature walk, the plan was to head towards somwarpet and visit the Mallalli falls. But, family was decidedly against any more hiking/climbing, so we decided to visit Raja Seat and then head back to Bangalore. Baby V was asleep within minutes of getting into the car seat, so she stayed back in the car with grandparents. Raja Seat is a poorly maintained garden, but has an excellent view of the entire Kodagu district. Perfect place for panoramic views of the valley. It was past 12:30 pm by now, and we decided to head back home. The petrol-head in me decided to take the more twisty route via somwarpet-shanivarasanthe and join the usual route at Arkalagud. Even though a major part of the roads were just OK, with some parts having a lot of pot holes, the views more than made up for it. More photos of the car were taken here. The rain now became incessant, and we could not stop anymore. Lunch happened at an ‘ootamanne’ near shanivarsanthe around 2:30 pm. The superb views continue till Arkalagud, with additional bonus being the very sparse traffic. By the time we reached CR Patna by 4:15 pm, Baby V had become quite cranky, hence frequency breaks and time out of the car seat became a regular feature till we hit Nelamangala toll 2.5 hours later. Traffic was pretty thick from belur cross onwards, likely due to the Mysore expressway flooding. Lots of bumper to bumper traffic from Peenya onwards resulted us in reaching home at 7:30 PM only.

Awaiting the next roadtrip with my little one
Thanks for reading!

[vandemanw]

More pictures to conclude the post!

[rd18]

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing. Only a few threads exist here on travelling with infant/kid.

Finding and choosing a relaxed stay(homestay/resort) is key for a good trip.

What you followed for potty training?

[PhoenixInRising]

Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing and providing a detailed feedback about the home stay.

This reminds me of the first trip to Kodogu which we made during a full monsoon season. That was more than a decade and half back. We had a nice time with friends since it was less crowded.

You have listed out the items needed for the youngest member. A comprehensive list of emergency medicines might also help.
As pointed out by rd18 this list will come in handy for many.

Originally Posted by rd18

Only a few threads exist here on travelling with infant/kid.

Although we have crossed that phase but still we pack all the needed medicines when we venture out.

[vandemanw]

Originally Posted by rd18

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing. Only a few threads exist here on travelling with infant/kid.

Finding and choosing a relaxed stay(homestay/resort) is key for a good trip.

What you followed for potty training?

Originally Posted by PhoenixInRising

Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing and providing a detailed feedback about the home stay.

You have listed out the items needed for the youngest member. A comprehensive list of emergency medicines might also help.
As pointed out by rd18 this list will come in handy for many.

Glad you enjoyed going through the thread.

Potty Training
This might be OT, due to this being a travelogue thread. Ever since the baby hit 6 months, we researched for ways to potty train. Used resources on YT, relatives, and paediatrician friends. Whenever she gets up from a nap irrespective of night and day, we get her to sit in the potty for sometime. When awake every 2 hours as well, this is done. We have figured out when she needs to go for stools (based on certain faces and sounds she makes/breaking wind). Out of sheer habit now, she doesn't pass stools in diaper now. But for urine, obviously we continue to use diapers, although the number of diapers we use daily has been cut by more than half now. The potty we use is comfortable, at good height, with a good backrest also. In fact on the trip, we stopped at a petrol bunk near Yadiyur for her to relieve herself. Once a habit, you're set

Emergency Medicines
We always carry Paracetamol syrup, normal saline nasal drops, antihistamine syrup. We don't use things like gripe water/barley water etc. Not really worried about medical emergencies too much, since, I am a doctor myself, and have a handful of paediatrician friends who will pick up the phone anytime.

Other Infant related Amenities
For outdoor trips, a portable stroller is a must (any of the well known brands- Luvlap, Baby Hug, Chicco)
A kangaroo bag is also very useful, especially while hiking (we use an imported one, since the ones from indian brands were always uncomfortable for us as well as the baby)
Diaper bags are super useful (can't hike with these though)

For older children, the above list might work. Can include a first aid kit(part of the glove box), analgesic spray/gel, cough syrup, antibacterial ointment(Neosporin/,mupicrocin/betadine). Hope this is useful.

Other observations when travelling with an infant:


1. Allow at least 1.5 times the amount of time usually required for the trip by others/google maps. Long breaks are perfectly fine. Stressing the infant when she doesn't want to sit in the car seat is of no use.

2. Make sure the mother is as comfortable as possible. My wife loves to drive as well, so I get to the backseat when she wants to take the wheel for sometime.

3. Use petrol pumps and highway restaurants for breast feeding and diaper changing sessions. Stopping on the roadside anywhere not advisable. The route/travel queries thread on this forum is invaluable when planning this!

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by vandemanw

Homestay
The homestay is situated around 4 kms from Madikeri town, and requires a detour from the chettali main road. The approach to the homestay was cobblestone paved, bumpy, had multiple gradients and required full attention in the low GC sedan. However, the view from the rooms were worth it!

Can you share some details about the homestay either though a DM or here. Am planning to visit Coorg at the next available opportunity, hence asking.

[natpv]

Originally Posted by vandemanw

. By the time we reached CR Patna by 4:15 pm, Baby V had become quite cranky, hence frequency breaks and time out of the car seat became a regular feature till we hit Nelamangala toll 2.5 hours later. Traffic was pretty thick from belur cross onwards, likely due to the Mysore expressway flooding. Lots of bumper to bumper traffic from Peenya onwards resulted us in reaching home at 7:30 PM only.

Awaiting the next roadtrip with my little one
Thanks for reading!

Thanks for your post, I was actually planning to take my 7 month old boy for a small weekend trip. Only few threads are there about roadtrip with infants.