[TurboTorque]

A story of a short trip my friends and I went on from October 18th to 20th to Yellapur, located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.

We were celebrating 15 years since completing our BE. During casual chatting in our WhatsApp group, a couple of friends suggested meeting for a weekend get-together in Bengaluru. Later, after more discussion, we decided to meet somewhere outside Bengaluru for a weekend trip.

One of my friends suggested going to the Yellapur forest as he had a friend in the forest department who could arrange accommodation for us at the forest IB next to Magod Falls. Eight of us including me, agreed to visit. We were already imagining staying a day right next to the falls in the middle of the forest and we were really excited.

Not all of us were from Bengaluru - four were from Bengaluru, two from Mysuru, one from Davangere, and one from Belagavi.

We had two options 1) Drive by car 3) Go by Train.

The Bengaluru to Yellapur was 430 kms and an 8 to 9 hours drive. We had to leave on Friday evening, 18th Oct, and return to Bengaluru by Sunday night or early Monday morning before work.

Initially, we planned to drive, but after considering that most of us were in different cities, didn't want to drive at night, and needed to be back by Monday morning, we decided to take a train to Hubballi and then hire a taxi for two days.

The plan was for all of us to reach Hubballi early morning on Sunday, 19th Oct, assembled at one place, have breakfast, hire a taxi, and drive to Yellapur. The Hubballi to Yellapur is around 70 kms and 1.5 to 2 hours to drive and reach Yellapur by 10 to 11 AM.

We were two groups and one person traveling separately to Hubballi by train: 1) a group from Bengaluru, 2) a group from Mysuru and Davangere, and 3) a friend from Belagavi.

I was part of the Bengaluru group of size 4 people. My three friends and I booked a train for both the onward and return journeys. Based on the train timings, we will reach Hubballi at 7:30 AM on October 19th and depart at 11:15 PM on October 20th. This gives us two full days.

Onward Journey:
KSR Bengaluru (SBC) to SSS Hubballi
Departure time: 18th Oct, 11:55 PM
Arrival time: 19th Oct, 7:30 AM
Ticket price (Third AC): 1074 Rs per person

Return Journey:
SSS Hubballi to YESVANTPUR JN
Departure time: 11:15 PM
Arrival time: 06:18 AM
Ticket price (Third AC): 1074 Rs per person

[TurboTorque]

Day0/1:

After office, I reached home by 5.30 PM and left home for KSR Railway station at 10 PM and reached there around 10.30 PM. Two of my friends were already there at the station and welcomed me. Our other friend joined us by 11:00 PM.



At that point, the platform number for the train had not yet been updated and was still pending. So, we were sitting at the regular platform and waiting. We started chit-chatting about some topics and forgot about the time. When we realised, it was already 11:50 PM, and the train's departure time was 11:55 PM. We had only 5 mins. We asked a nearby shop for the platform number and realised we had to go to the other side of the platform by taking the stairs. We started running, thinking we would definitely miss the train. When we reached the platform, we found out the train was delayed by an hour and would depart from Bengaluru around 12:55 AM. It was a big relief. This time, we liked the idea of the train being delayed

Finally, train left around 12:55 AM. We reached Hubballi at 8:30 AM. As usual, the train journey was decent and we had a good sleep.

Another group from Mysuru and Davangere reached Hubballi by 5:30 AM without any delays, and a friend from Belagavi had already reached Yellapur on Friday night. Since our train was delayed and we didn’t know when it would arrive, we told them to take a bus to Yellapur and meet my other friend who was already there. The original plan was to hire a taxi at Hubballi but it changed to hiring a taxi at Yellapur instead and travel to Yellapur by bus. They reached there by 8:30 AM.

We also reached Hubballi at 8:30 AM, had breakfast, and left for Yellapur by bus. It was a nice experience traveling by bus after a long time, discussing various topics and chit-chatting. We enjoyed the 2 hours journey to Yellapur. It was a single-lane road with beautiful greenery on both sides.



We reached Yellapur around 11:30 AM and all of us met at the Forest Department's IB which is within walkable distance from the bus stand.





Since we were going stay at Magod Falls, we had to buy groceries and other food items for lunch and dinner. After the shopping we left Yellapur to Magod Falls.

[TurboTorque]

Magod Falls:

Distance: 18kms (30 mins drive) from Yellapur.
Road condition: Decent road
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uxaWV6Qcdb1MX7Nn7

In general, we can take our vehicle all the way to Magod Falls. Unfortunately, due to a landslide a few days back, they stopped vehicles 2 km before the falls. After that, we either had to walk or take a bike taxi. Charge for bike taxi was 200 per person for one way.

All vehicles are stopped here except bikes due to a landslide just 200 to 300 meters from here.


Landslide spot.


One side of the small bridge has collapsed.


2kms walk to Magod Falls.








Magod Falls entrance.


Map of Bedthi conservation reserve.




Guest house.




Red-faced monkeys around the guest house and falls.


View from Guest house.


Guest house located right next to the falls.


Magod Falls:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MH1xMKKqt6E

[TurboTorque]

Day2:

We got up early in the morning and spent time walking around IB and watching the falls. After breakfast, we bid adieu to the falls with the photo below and started walking back to the parking lot, where our taxi was waiting for us.



The plan was to visit following places:

• Sri Gante Ganapathi Temple
• ⁠Sathoddi Falls
• ⁠Shivapura Hanging Bridge

Sri Gante Ganapathi Temple:
Distance: 5 kms from Magod Falls and 9kms from Yellapur.
Location: https://g.co/kgs/FyrTwRt

The road from Magod Falls to temple was good. We had a peaceful Darshana and spent some time there. It was a bit crowded and a good to visit. There is ample parking available.

The belief is that once the lord Ganapathi fulfilled the prayers, the devotee should offer a bell to the temple. Lot of people got rid of health problems, court cases and many other issues. The temple is surrounded by paddy fields, Areca nut and coconut plantations amidst of lush green jungle.

Google map view.


We could not take photos, downloaded the below photo from the internet for the reference.


Downloaded the below photo from the internet for the reference.


After this, we left for Sathoddi Falls.

[TurboTorque]

Day2 Continue..

Sathoddi Falls:
Distance: 40kms from Gante Ganapathi Temple and 26kms from Yellapur.
Location: https://g.co/kgs/jSnu88G
Road: It was good except for the 2 kms near the falls. The rest of the roads are paved with tarmac, but it’s a narrow, single-lane road. We should carefully pass if there is any opposite vehicle. The 2 kms were in very poor condition, with downhill and uphill sections, slippery roads, and loose small stones. Our Ertiga taxi couldn’t pull with seven people on board, so we ended up walking almost 2 kms on the way back."

There is ample parking available. After parking the car, we started walking towards the falls. A walk of around 1 km led us to the majestic falls, often referred to as 'The Niagara of Uttara Kannada.' It is about 15 meters (49.2 feet) tall. The stream then flows into the backwaters of the Kodasalli Dam and into the Kali River.

The walkway to the falls was a concrete path, well-constructed and maintained. It was beautiful walking through the forest.


Lush green view.


Beautiful Sathoddi Falls.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cqw46eZApUk

[TurboTorque]

Shivapura Hanging Bridge:

Distance: 5kms from Sathoddi Falls and 21kms from Yellapur.
Road: It was the same roadway back from Sathoddi Falls. After around 3kms from Sathoddi Falls, we will have to take left and drive for a 2kms in a very narrow road, paved with concert. After reaching the spot, there was a small parking lot and a tea shop.
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/eetoyERidCNXxNAi9

We were truly amazed by the beautiful nature. It wasn’t just the suspension bridge; it was also the surrounding water body, lush forests, and rich wildlife that made it an absolute delight to watch. We were lucky that when we arrived, there were no other tourists, and the bridge was quiet and empty. We spent an hour there, taking lots of photos. The 360-degree view was majestic.

Google map view.


Hanging Bridge.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=kXXN1vVQppk

[TurboTorque]

After this, we drove straight to Yellapur, had a late lunch, and then drove to Hubballi railway station around 9 PM. We reached Bengaluru the next morning at 6 AM.

World’s longest railway platform, Hubballi.


What we realised after the trip was that we should have taken a direct sleeper bus from Bengaluru to Yellapur and back, instead of the train. It would have saved time.

We had a wonderful time in the lush green forest, away from the concrete jungle, and it was a memorable experience to celebrate 15 years of our friendship. Thank you for reading this short travelogue.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[peddagunda]

Nice travelogue. Uttara Kannada is blessed with so many waterfalls and untouched nature. So many places there to explore.