[Artyom]

This was one of the most impromptu trips we have done so far and we thoroughly enjoyed it .
It started with a call in May this year from my Brother- In Law who was casually inquiring about how to plan a south trip.
I shared my views and a few places to visit and the discussion ended on the note “ Chalo Dekhte hain” (Ok Lets see).
We had these discussions in the past and they never materialized due to some or the other reason so I was expecting the same this time.

A week passed and one fine day I get a Whats app message with the flight booking for the whole family.
They were arriving in Bangalore next week.
I seriously thought he was kidding but a quick call confirmed “It is happening” along with a request to plan a week long trip covering a hill station and beaches.
I was happy to meet the kids and the family and a little nervous about how to plan everything in such a short time.

First things first leaves were applied and were approved. Then came the tricky part of creating an Itinerary to cover all these places. After some brainstorming we finalized the following :-

Bangalore->Mysore->Madikeri(1 Night)->Mangalore(1 Night)->Goa(2 Nights)->Shimoga(2 Nights)->Bangalore.

I was able to book the accommodation as it was kinda off season without much hassle.
Now came the mode of transport and as luck would have it we were able to book a Tata Hexa from one of the fellow residents in our apartment who gives his vehicle for rent.
The charges were less than what Zoomcar charges so it was a win win.

Mysore
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We left Bangalore around 6 Am and wanted to reach Mysore as early as possible.
Weather was good and in no time we hit the Expressway.As we gradually increased the speed we realized the alignment of the vehicle was a little off and it was wobbling.
We informed the owner and he accepted it and quoted some technical fault which could be causing it.
He assured us that it wouldn't cause any issues on the trip but we were a little worried so we drove it below 100.
Kids were eager to visit the Mysore Zoo and the Mysore Palace so first we headed for the zoo.
It was a Sunday morning and we were expecting a decent crowd.
Little did we know that it would be so crowded that reaching the ticket counter would seem to be a challenge on its own.
That clubbed with sweltering heat made us drop the plan .
We assured the kids a visit to Bannerghatta zoo which we did later on.
Little disappointed, we headed towards the Mysore palace parking lot.
After waiting for 15 minutes in the queue we realized the queue was almost 1 kilometer long.
This clubbed with people breaking the queue and entering made us lose interest and we decided to just click a couple of pictures in front of the palace and then head straight to Madikere.

Madikere->Chilipili Estate Stay
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As we approached Madikere it started drizzling which made our day.
The home stay is deep inside the forest and is a good 30-40 minutes drive from the main road and worth every mile.
We were suggested a home stay which is amidst the coffee plantation and was very scenic.
The owner was a fine lady who was a professional photographer, avid solo traveler (Read Leh, Ladakh circuits) and owned the coffee plantation.
She was really an inspiration to us all considering how humble yet how determined she was.
Our room had a few paintings outside one of which was for a black Leopard.
Those who dont know it's one of those animals which is spotted once in ages.
It's rare to spot one of them.
We thought it was one of those photos you buy from the market and frame it.
On closer inspection we realized it was clicked by the host herself.
Upon asking she told she had to wait for 4 years before spotting that beast and clicking before it disappeared.
The rooms were clean and hygienic with good Wifi connectivity.
We reached there by 4 Pm and were offered filter coffee which made us lose all the fatigue.
Now how could we miss Pandi Curry and Pork Fry while in Coorg.
The taste was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed both the dishes with some Old Monk.
The dinner spread although an Ala-carte had so many dishes that we had to ask the cook to stop sending more.
With tummies full we called it a day and had a very peaceful night among the sweet sound of rain.
The next day we had plans to visit the Elephant caves as it was nothing we have experienced before.
We had plans to visit the Dubare Elephant caves but due to some misguidance we ended up at the “Harangi Tree Park and Elephant Camp”.
It was less crowded and we spent good time appreciating the gentle giants.
This was the first time I was seeing elephants with their tuskers intact and boy they were splendid.
After spending close to an hour and enjoying the cool shade of a tree house we decided to move back and leave for Mangalore.

Mangalore->Ginger Hotels
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On the way to Mangalore we passed the main town of Madikere and purchased some coffee.
The way to Mangalore is splendid with the ghat section welcoming us first and gradually the scene changes and we are greeted with the famous coastline along which the highway runs.
We reached Mangalore by evening and after freshening up hogged upon the famous seafood at “Machli” followed by some yummy ice cream at “Pabas”.

South Goa->Sarover Portico
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As soon as we left Mangalore the Goa vibes were on.
We were eagerly waiting for the serene beaches to welcome us and not to mention some good Beer.
The more sweltering it became outside the more we could imagine ourselves enjoying the beer on the shacks.
The journey from Mangalore to Goa was an end to end highway drive which was completed in no time.
We reached the hotel by noon and relaxed for a while.
The property is a 5 minute drive from the Palolem beach.
In the evening we went to Patnem Beach and enjoyed the sunset followed by some good seafood on the shacks.
The next day we visited Agonda beach in the evening and after all the shenanigans we had dinner at the hotel and called it a day.
On the day of checkout early in the morning we visited the Palolem beach to enjoy the sunrise followed by a few pictures at the shark point.
Since Palolem beach was the closest we enjoyed the sunset and sunrise during our stay.
The whole idea of visiting South Goa and specifically these beaches was to enjoy the peace.
Sit and relax watching the waves and forgetting the day to day hassles for a while.
All these 3 beaches were less crowded and relatively clean so we enjoyed it thoroughly.
Food at the hotel was Just OK with the service being the low point.
The parking was also a challenge although luckily we managed to find a slot.
Overall we achieved the purpose of relaxing and unwinding ourselves so no qualms at last.

Jog Falls
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While we were heading to our next stop we realized that Jog Falls is on the way.
We were warned that it would be relatively dry as the monsoon has not arrived.
We still took the chance and visited it.
It was least crowded which was good and we enjoyed a good half hour clicking pictures and enjoying the scenery.

Shimoga->Shimoga Country Club
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Our next stop was Shimoga and you might find it an out of the way stoppage but we had a very good reason to visit.
My Brother In Law had a dear friend from school days and he insisted us to visit .
Settled in Shimoga and a historian by profession a thorough gentleman with abundance of knowledge being a historian.
We were witness to his rare collection of antique items which included weapons and other antiques.
After talking to him I realized there is so much history that we are not aware of.
Had a lot of interesting discussions with him with respect to Indian history etc.
We visited a famous temple which is known for its brilliant architecture.
“Amrutheshwara Temple” as it is known is a masterpiece of architecture from the Hoysala empire with the story of Ramayana carved out on the stones just to name a few.
The inner sanctum was another masterpiece with the pillars round and smooth as silk and the ceilings which are bell shaped all of different designs.
Each and every inch of this temple was carved in stone with such precision.
Just adjacent to the temple is a stone tablet almost 6 feet tall which has the whole history carved on it.
It was an out of world experience I must stay.
We also witnessed stone tablets which were actually marking stones for the warriors when they fought and died were erected at that place.
The marking stone depicts the story of a warrior fighting and then getting martyred and ascending to heaven.
Overall it was a surreal experience, especially visiting it with someone who can explain things in-depth.

Finally after we reached Bangalore after a fun filled ,partially tiring and good family time of 6 days.
Total Distance Traveled ->1700 Km in 6 days.


Additional Observations:-
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->Driving the Hexa after driving my Creta was like driving a Truck.Thankfully it was an Automatic.
->Since the alignment was off we could not drive it beyond 100 for long.
->Tata Hexa was comfortable without a doubt and drove like a tank on rough roads.
->Diesel is more expensive in Goa than Bangalore .
->The restaurants in Mangalore specializing in seafood especially the old ones close by 3 or 4 pm so plan accordingly. I can't recall the name but we reached one of them to find it was closed.
->You will be stopped for checking while exiting Goa for Liquor but usually if you are with family they will let you go after asking a few questions.

[Artyom]

Adding a few More from Shimoga





























The stone depicts a fight in which the warrior lays down his life and then ascends to heavens.


The stone depicts a fight in which the warrior lays down his life and then ascends to heavens.

[chandrda]

Mysore Zoo and Palace is best avoided during summer holidays, long weekends and school holidays.

Both are very popular place for school trips not only in Karnataka, but also in the bordering districts. Best time to visit in during week days after school have reopened.

I have done Bangalore - Mysore - Madikeri - Mangalore - Gokarna/Karwar - Goa - Bangalore multiple times.

This route provides some of the best food Karnataka has to offer

Regards