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Tourist destinations around Bangalore

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BISLE GHAT

 Bible Ghat-The side view of Bisle(shot on iPhone)
Bible Ghat-The side view of Bisle(shot on iPhone)

What is so special about Bisle Ghat makes it my first post!Reasons why you must visit Bisle Ghat:

  1. Proximity to Bengaluru and Mysuru
  2. It takes 6 hours to reach two big cities in Karnataka. So you have a day say, a holiday or Saturday or Sunday. What are you waiting for? Head out in the early morning or a night before and reach back the same night to Bangalore/Mysore
  3. Trekking Proximity: Five peaks are waiting for you to trek over them. (description below)
  4. All-season destination—especially after monsoon months, feels romantic and nostalgic, too, with a pleasant climate.
  5. A forest trail -trust me, walking solo or alone is crazy here. No one is far and wide, but sunlight keeps peeping in, and a road leads to Kukke Subramanya Temple, so enjoy fun trails and views. Along with it!…

Location: Bisle Ghat comes on the way between Sakaleshpura and Kukke Subrahmanya. (30 km span)

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

The viewpoint-Bisle Ghat viewpoint lets you get a panorama of the five peaks amidst dense greenery, valley, and forests: Kumara Parvatha (1319 m), Pushpagiri(1712 m), and Dodda Betta (1119 m), Patta Betta (1112 m) and Enni Kallu (900 m) Giri River flows by and a waterfall are visible as well. The viewpoint is well distinguished as there are railings and a concrete shade, and concrete chairs facing the viewpoint.

   The side view of the viewpoint
The side view of the viewpoint

Distance Charts:

How to Reach Bisle Ghat:

Road Routes:

The possible routes are:

From Bangalore: Bangalore -Channarayanapatana – Hassan – Sakaleshpura – Sukravarasanthe – Hethur – Vanganoor Kudurasthe – Bisle-Bisle Ghat(2-3 KM from Bisle Bus stop)

Mangalore Side: via Adyar-Bantwal-Uppinangadi-kulkunda(close to kukke subrhamanya temple)-Bisle

Rainy days and mondays
Rainy days and mondays

RED ALERT/VERY IMPORTANT:

The road to the kukke Subhramanya does not have the viewpoint. For viewpoint, you need to take a deviation to the left of the Bus stop/nearby shop at Bisle Village. The Forest trail is the Bisle-Kukke Subramanya road, where you may encounter 1-2 waterfalls and greenery. Better ask the bus driver/shopkeeper if you are specific about the viewpoint. Otherwise, you’ll wonder like me in the jungle for the viewpoint that doesn’t exist! I later discovered the viewpoint by asking the passersby. The below images of waterfalls were from the jungle trek while searching for a non-existent viewpoint.

RAIL: You can reach Sakleshpur directly with limited connectivity from Bangalore. If you go to Hassan by train, you have more options, but after that, you must use bus services. From Sakaleshpuru only bus is public transport at 8 am and 2.30 pm to Bisle Ghat. You’ll get 3-4 trains from Mangalore as well to Sakleshpura. From Mysuru, it’s better to come to Hassan by train as it is more regular in terms of connectivity.

Below is the attached screenshot:

 Mangalore-Sakleshpur Train Timings(Towards Bangalore)
Bangalore-Sakleshpur Train Timings(Towards Bangalore)

AIR: Bangalore is the nearest airport, and you need to opt for a rail or road network.

ROAD: If you have your bike or car, 5-6 hrs is all you need.But what if you want to opt for public transport! In that case, go for KSRTC Bus Services.

You can reach Sakaleshpura, after which you’ll get two buses at 8 am and 2.30 pm. I suggest you leave from Bangalore at night, reach Sakaleshpura before 8 am, and catch the morning bus to Bisle Ghat. After that, catch the 2.30 pm bus from Bisle, which will be at around 4-4.30 pm, and you can hit Banglore by 11 pm. Reaching Mysuru or Mangalore is more accessible as the distance is less. This is the method I opted for, making Bangalore as a base.

Map:

Time to Visit:

Mid-Sept to Mid Feb(you’ll sweat less to negligible)

  VIEW 4 FROM BISLE VIEWPOINT
VIEW 3 FROM BISLE VIEWPOINT

Spend Time With:

Family, Friends, Solo, Couple

Food and Lodging:

Sakaleshpura is the nearest spot for good food and lodging facilities. There is a small shop near the Bisle Ghat bus stop. You can have refreshments like cold drinks, tea, and biscuits. The shopkeeper will guide you on the way to View Point.

Expense:

Bus both ways by KSRTC:{240(Bangalore to sakaleshpura)+60(to the bible)}X2=Rs. 600

Food: 200 approx(INR)

VIEW 4 FROM BISLE VIEWPOINT
VIEW 4 FROM BISLE VIEWPOINT

NOTE: Auto took 350 INR(one way) to take me to kukke Subramanya from Bisle Ghat(for 30 km)-I went to Kukke Subramanya for Darshan. I reached back to bisle ghat by hitchhiking!!!

Note 2:Ksrtc Karnataka Sarige charges INR 1 per km approx. So google the distance, and that’s the cost of travel.

Total: 1150 INR(includes Temple Visit).

Nearby Attractions:

Munnar Tourist Places 

The city of Munnar
The city of Munnar

South India and Munnar have a romantic connection. So why do people visiting South India miss out on Munnar?

Reasons why you must visit Munnar:

  • The tea plantation and Coffee plantation are so extensive. Any season you go, it’s green throughout the year. And Greenery is what is South India hill stations are famous for.
  • The panoramic view of the hills around is a delight to watch. It’s tough to keep a DSLR camera or GoPro inside your bag!
  • Anaimudi Peak!!! Oh yeah, the peak is nestled within Munnar, and you can view the rocky peak amid Greenery from various places in Munnar.      
  • All season destination-you’ll love this place any day around.
View Of Mattupetty Dam
View Of Mattupetty Dam
  • It’s a honeymooner’s paradise.
  • It’s a place which brings different flavours if you travel solo or in a group or family or as a couple!
  • Eravikulam National Park, which houses Anaimudi Peak, is one of the destinations worth going to to have a beautiful misty view of the hills around!
  • Last but not least, It’s a place which takes just a night journey from Chennai and Bangalore. From Cochin/Eranakulam, it hardly takes 3 hours or so.

Location: Munnar is somewhere located in the heart of Kerala. It is around 130 km from cochin and some 450 km from Bangalore. Theni is also an option to enter from Madurai / Tamil Nadu Side.

View of Anaimudi Peak from the highway
View of Anaimudi Peak from the highway

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Tourist spots are plenty in Munnar, but anywhere you are in Munnar feels like a viewpoint.

Echo Point @ Munnar
Echo Point @ Munnar

Distance Charts:

Bangalore: 434 Km
Mysore: 145 Km
Coimbatore:156 km
Chennai: 111 Km
Madurai: 50 Km

Marayoor near Munnar
Marayoor near Munnar

How to Reach Munnar:

Road Routes:

The possible routes are:

From Bangalore: Banaglore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-salem-Namakkal-Dharapuram-Gundimangalm-Udumalpet-Marayoor-Munnar

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)Please avoid monsoon season as Kerala witnesses maximum rainfall and havoc during monsoons

2) Buses can cover most places cheaply, especially for solo travellers if you can manage time. For family, cars and autos are available but please take help from locals before taking a ride.

AIR: Cochin is the nearest airport, after which you need to opt for a rail or road network.

ROAD: If you have your bike or car, 9-10 hrs are needed for one day.But what if you want to opt for public transport! In that case, go for KSRTC Bus Services.   

You’ll get buses every 1-2 hours from Aluva/Ernakulam starting at 4 or 5 am. A bus even starts at 1 am from the Ernakulam Bus stand. Most of them are ordinary and unreserved. For reservation, you need to find Trivandrum-bound buses that may suffice.

Map:

Munnar Google map

Time to Visit:

Antime around the year except monsoons(June-Sept)

Nayamakad waterfall
Nayamakad waterfall

Spend Time With:

Family,Friends,Solo,Couple,Honeymoon lovers

Food and Lodging:

For hotels, you never need to worry. There’s plenty, but beware that the rates are at their peak from March to May. I usually do booking on the spot, whatever happens. Booking from apps like Goibibo.com,Yatra.com,Makemytrip.com might help in peak seasons; otherwise, go, bargain, and the book is my advice.

Even Private autos are available along with city buses. City buses tend to be far cheaper. Autos tend to loot you, so ask/verify locals or shopkeepers before enquiring about the auto wallas. Food is available aplenty. Street food is cheap, but restaurants tend to be a bit costly—lots of Tea stalls and chocolate shops. Don’t forget to buy plenty of chocolates from here. 🙂

Expense:

I made three trips to cover various places so I ll give a rough estimate about an expense in general

Food: INR 250/person/day(3 times a day)X2

Transport: INR 1500 for booking an auto for local sightseeing. You can get by bus everywhere. Even if you can, you should take one day extra or at least a few hours of 3rd day extra to cover all the places. Cochin To and fro: INR 300(approx). Bangalore -Cochin: INR 450×2(Two ways)

Pambar River
Pambar River

Lodging: INR 700/day(tends to be 1200INR in peak season)X2

Entry Fees include various places (varies): INR 250/head

Total: 4850 INR

Nearby Attractions:

Nilgiri
Nilgiri
View of Visakhapatnam City from Kailasagiri
View of Visakhapatnam City from Kailasagiri

5 Reasons why you must visit Visakhapatnam:

  1. Breathtaking sea views at R.K.
  2. A great place to be at dusk or dawn. Trust me, the views along the coastline are amazing in the evenings.
  3. Kailasagiri Hill gives a splendid view. I gazed at the view for about 15-20 mins continuously as the view was splendid.
  4. Kailasagiri Hill is a great picnic spot to be. Toy train-walking along tracks. It is a good place to hide and be romantic too.
  5. The zoo here –Indira Gandhi Zoo is one of the famous zoo in South India due to White tigers and exotic varieties of butterflies.
A Mesmerizing Sea View from One of the Corners of Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam
A Mesmerizing Sea View from One of the Corners of Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam

Location: Visakhapatnam comes between Bhubaneshwar on the Chennai railway corridor or Chennai-Kolkata National Highway.

Tourist Attractions in Visakhapatnam:

Some must-visit places in Vizag are Yarada Beach and Indira Gandhi Zoo. A day visit (from morning to evening) is enough to cover all the places.

Yarada Beach in Afternoon!
Yarada Beach in Afternoon!

Distance Chart:

Araku : 90 km
Chilika: 319 km 
Vijayawada: 350 km
Bhubaneshwar: 443 km
Puri: 447 km
Konark: 477 km
Hyderabad: 621 km 
Ranchi: 897 km 
Chennai: 802 km 
Kolkata: 883 km 
Bangalore: 1007 km

A romantic Cloudy View of a beach near Kailasagiri at 5 pm.
A romantic Cloudy View of a beach near Kailasagiri at 5 pm.

Road /Rail/Aerial Routes:

Since it is one of the major coastal towns in India. It is well-connected to major towns in India. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Amritsar. It has connectivity from all around India by rail.

Vizag has a significant airport connected to major cities in India.

MAP:

bengaluru visakhapatnam road rail
bengaluru visakhapatnam road rail

The Calcutta National Highway is a smooth road to reach Visakhapatnam from either side. APSRTC bus service provides ample buses to reach there from major cities of South India. KSRTC and TNSTC (Tamil Nadu Transport) also provide connectivity there. In addition, private buses are available whose bookings can be done majorly on red bus.

Time to Visit:

Mid-Oct to Mid-March

Entrance to Indira Gandhi Zoo
Entrance to Indira Gandhi Zoo

Spend Time With:

Since this place’s visit was a continuation of the Araku Valley trip, I just boarded a bus to Visakhapatnam from Araku. And then it was all about local buses. It made local sightseeing convenient for me there. I reached in the afternoon at Visakhapatnam and I covered what I could in the span of 6-7 day hours I had…

Visakhapatnam local bus charges: 50-60 INR

Kailasagiri Tourism: 5 INR

Toy Train Ride: 150 INR

Food: 200 INR

To Chennai: 600 INR (same day left, so no hotel charges)

TOTAL: 1075 INR.

Nearby Attractions in Visakhapatnam:

The Kerala State of India has much to offer regarding greenery, forests, hills and beaches. One of the top spots we all know is Alappuzha, specifically for boat rides in backwaters in the early morning or sunset or just making a boathouse stay for a day or two, perfect for a honeymoon in winters-point noted! Cochin offers a Goa vibe with Portuguese and Jewish influence, beautiful beaches, boat rides and plenty of history. Ponumdi-many might not know, and it’s good because it’s less visited compared to Munnar or Ooty, and that’s why it’s peaceful being here with stunning views, more so after monsoons. If I was a resident of Thiruvananthapuram, off to Ponmudi every month at least once-it’s a must-visit place-trust me!

15 reasons why you must visit Cochin, Alappuzha and Ponmudi:

  • Ponmudi is a must-visit hill station in south India owing to its natural beauty and cool temperature-one of the top 3 hill stations for me in South India. Some notable tourist attractions in Ponmudi are Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Echo Point, Golden Valley near Kallar River, deer park, Ponmudi Falls and Meenmutty Falls.
  • You can also try the Ponmudi trekking through the streams of Seethatheertham in Ponmudi.
The divine Ponmudi view
The divine Ponmudi view
  • The stunning Fort Kochi Beach allows you to peep through the cultures and traditions of Kerala. There are a plethora of Chinese Fishing Nets here that are used for fishing by the locals.
  • Walking from Fort Kochi to Jew Street in Mattancherry, you can buy antiques and souvenirs. Also, the vibe of travelling through this street is unique and different; yes, it’s worth a visit.
Fishing nets,Cochin
Fishing nets,Cochin
  • Alappuzha is a host to several lakes and lagoons, hence called the Venice of the East. Houseboats on Alleppey backwaters are the prime attraction which can be used for a stay like a hotel, for activities like Sunset viewing, stargazing, paddy fields and village watching.
  • Alleppey Beach is a great clean beach with amusement facilities at Vijaya Beach Park, especially in the early morning and late evening when the cool breeze plays its part.
  • Vembanad Bird Sanctuary at Kumarakom in the Kottayam region on the banks of the Vembanad Lake gives a view of birds who fly from abroad for a few months here with the help of houseboats.

Location: About 450-500 km south of Bangalore and Mangalore lies Cochin, from where Alappuzha, Trivandrum and Ponmudi are within 300 km.

Alleppy backwaters. Alappuzha
Alleppy backwaters. Alappuzha

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

Ponmudi hill station; Cherai Beach, Mattancherry palace, Vypin, Marine drive, FortKochi, Vasco Da Gama Square, Chinese fishing nets, Naval Museum, Alappuzha beach and backwaters-Marari beach.

Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:

You can visit Kanyakumari,Munnar,Thrissur,Kodaikanal,Silent Valley and Palghat.

Matanchhery Palace,cochin
Matanchhery Palace,cochin

Distance Charts:(Cochin | Ponmudi)

Jew Market,Cochin
Jew Market,Cochin

How to Reach :

Road Routes:

Mangalore-Kozhikode-Cochin-Alappuzha-Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi

A ferry ride to Cochin from Ernakulam
A ferry ride to Cochin from Ernakulam

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:

1)Except for Ponmudi, the other two places, Cochin and Alappuzha, are better visited between October and early February when it’s a bit less warm and much less humid. Carry an umbrella in any case because the afternoon will burn your head anyway!

2)Cochin has some historical places to see like Jew Market, the Portuguese establishment and some museums which you should give ample time to.A day will be more than sufficient. Don’t forget a ferry ride from Ernakulam to Kochi.

3)Ponmudi is the most lovely hill station in the south for me, and I recommend you as well -at least visit once. It is just 1.5 hours by bus from Thiruvananthapuram and is worth an all-day stay. Get on top of the water tank or the tower and see the magnificent view of the Western Ghats – it’s not to be missed! If it is drizzles-more lovely with the sun peeping through the clouds!

5)You can make a trip to Munnar if you wish to as it’s just 3 hours from Cochin by state bus. Also, Kanyakumari is pretty close to Thiruvananthapuram-that can be covered as well.

Submarine on way to Fort Kochi
Submarine on way to Fort Kochi

RAIL: Except for Ponmudi, for which Thiruvananthapuram is the nearest railway station, Cochin and Alappuzha have their own, with most trains making a halt.

AIR: Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram have big airports.

ROAD: The connectivity by road to these three places is well established. After reaching Thiruvananthapuram via Alappuzha from Cochin, you can get a bus to Ponmudi every hour. Kerela SRTC offers excellent bus services 24/7.

Map:-

Kochi-Alappuzha-Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi Map
Kochi-Alappuzha-Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi Map

Time to Visit:

October-March will be the least humid and best time to be here.
Ponmudi has to be your must-visit place

Ponmudi has to be on your must visit place
Ponmudi has to be on your must visit place

Spend Time With:

Family, Friends,Solo, Couple,Groups

Food and Lodging:

There are plenty of hotels in Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram, so there are no issues with that anytime. Ponmudi has a resort or two-but. It’s more of a picnic spot, and I am guessing you aren’t allowed at the top at nights-so. Thiruvananthapuram is your base. Alappuzha has many houseboats to stay in, so there are no issues. For food, Cochin-Trivandrum has options but be ready to get mostly local cuisines-you’ll get vegetarian food as well!

Expense:

A 3-day full-fledged tour will cost:

A view from house boat, Alappuzha
A view from house boat, Alappuzha


Food: INR 100/person/day(3 times a day)X3

Transport: At most times, say Cochin or Ponmudi, you’ll all be in buses-the max cost must be around INR 600-700, and a solo boat ride will cost around an INR 1000 for a 2-3 hours ride at Alappuzha. Lodging: INR 700/day X2 (1 night in Cochin and other night in Trivandrum)

Entry Fees include various places: INR 100 at most.

Road to heavens
Road to heavens

Total: 4100 INR(Boating is a must in Alappuzha -that’s why you are here!)

Nearby Attractions(Cochin | Ponmudi)

Paradesi Synagogue
Paradesi Synagogue
  • Munnar (120 | 310 km)
  • Cochin(0 | 230 km)
  • Mysuru(400 | 630 km)
  • Chennai(690 | 730 km)
  • Highways(230 |300 km)
  • Kodaikanal(300 | 335 km)
  • Thiruvananthapuram(200 | 50 km
The wow scenes of Ponmudi
The wow scenes of Ponmudi