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Borra Caves is known for its Stalactites and Stalagmites
In Tourist destinations around Bangalore

Araku: Unparalleled Beauty-Exotic Visit

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ARAKU VALLEY

Mesmerizing View of Araku
Mesmerizing View of Araku

Reasons why you must visit Araku Valley:

  1. An offbeat, serene, peaceful destination
  2. Away from the busy bustle of cities and a respite from sweat-prone Visakhapatnam
  3. A good picnic spot and a place that makes you nostalgic and romantic.
  4. The Green Valleys and pleasant weather add the cherry on top.
  5. Borra Caves: Yes, you heard it right. It’s right here and a must-visit. The natural stalactites, stalagmite formation, and artificial lighting are splendid to watch.
  6. Waterfalls, sightseeing, and tribal culture to study.

Location: Araku Valley is on the way to Koraput/Jagdalpur when you travel westwards from Visakhapatnam. Road and rail routes are available. But, the real fun is travelling by train, when you can see mesmerizing green valleys and misty clouds passing through several tunnels. Isn’t it worth it!

Tourist Attractions around Borra Caves/Araku Valley:

The places around Borra Caves are the Ananthagiri Coffee Plantation, Padmapuram Gardens, Katiki Falls, Tatipudi Reservoir, and Damuku View Point.

Borra Caves is known for its Stalactites and Stalagmites
Borra Caves is known for its Stalactites and Stalagmites

Distance Chart:

Vishakhapatnam : 90 km
Chilika:327 km
Vijayawada: 422 km
Bhubaneshwar:455 km
Puri:456 km
Konark:487 km
Hyderabad:693 km
Ranchi:861 km
Chennai:871 km
Kolkata:888 km
Bangalore:1069 km

How to Reach Araku Valley/Borra Caves:

Road Routes:

From Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam-Kothavalasa-Srungavarapu kota-Borra Guhalu-Araku Valley

Come from anywhere; Vizag/Visakhapatnam’s the key to Araku. Yes, you got it correct. So you must catch a train from Vizag and get down at either Borra Guhalu or Araku. Timings are listed here. If you are coming from the Rayagada side, then, in that case, you need to leave the train at Koraput and catch a train towards Vizag.

NOTE: For Borra Caves, leave the morning train at Borra Guhalu. Borra Caves is just minutes away from the railway station.

Train Timings from Vizag to Araku.Suggest you to take the first train!
Train Timings from Vizag to Araku.Suggest you to take the first train!

AIR: Visakhapatnam/Vizag is the nearest airport, after which you must opt for a rail or road network.

ROAD: If you have your bike or car, 1.5-2 hrs is all you need from Visakhapatnam. But in case you want to save some bucks and go for public transport, then go for APSRTC bus service or opt for the APTDC Package, which is worth every penny. Going by bus, the 5 am bus is apt in case you want to ditch the fantastic train ride. So I will strongly suggest you opt for rail-cum-road package by APTDC worth 1000 bucks. It’s not much considering what all is inclusive in the package!

Waterfall near Borra Caves
Waterfall near Borra Caves

Map:

Visakhapatnam -Araku-Lambasingi Map With Distance
Visakhapatnam -Araku-Lambasingi Map With Distance

Time to Visit:

Mid-Sept to Mid May(monsoon season to be avoided)

Tatipudi Reservoir
Tatipudi Reservoir

Spend Time With:

Family,Friends,Solo,Group Picnic.

Food and Lodging:

Apc approved lodging available. To save bucks, opt for Srungavarapu. Kota. Food is not a problem, but lodging needs to be decided based on your budget.

Expense:

Since I had booked a hotel online at Srungavarapu Kota, I took a bus, reached the hotel by evening(EX-Bangalore), rested, and headed to Araku the following day. I got a bus that left me at Borra Caves. A nominal fee for caves and after which, gave 1.5 hours to caves. After that hired an auto and went on to see Araku Valley, the Tribal Museum, and Katiki Falls. In the late afternoon, went by bus to Tatipudi reservoir from the hotel. The reservoir is worth giving a shot, folks!

Tatipudi reservoir is worth giving a shot
Tatipudi reservoir is worth giving a shot

Bangalore to Visakhapatnam Train:800 INR

Hotel:535 INR

Bus Misc:100 INR

Food:200 INR

Auto:600 INR

Entry ticket to Borra Caves:60 INR

Entry ticket to the tribal museum: 20 INR(Approx)

Return to hotel: 60 INR(Bus)

From Tatipudi Reservoir (need to walk around 1-1.5 km from Junction):30 X 2=60 INR

Return to Visakhapatnam:60 INR(Approx)

Total:  1695INR.

Nearby Attractions:

Lambasingi-92 km( hill station)
Visakhapatnam-115 km
Chilika Lake- 352 km
Konark Sun Temple-510 km
Jagdalpur(Chitrakoot Falls-Widest Falls in India)-185 km
Vijayawada-432 km



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Swami Vivekananda Memorial,Kanyakumari
In Tourist destinations around Bangalore

Rameswaram, Madurai & Kanyakumari-From temples to the divine meeting of the three seas!

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Ahh! All of you must be familiar with the names of these three stunning locations in India, like Rameswaram. Ram constructed Ram Setu so that Lord Rama could persuade King Ravana to restore his wife.
There are still visible remnants of the Dhanushkodi bridge that were carried away by a breeze. The large zMeenakshi Temple, the city of temples, is renowned for its beauty and ambiance and is a must-visit.

Reasons why you must visit

Rameshwaram Temple
Rameshwaram Temple
  • The last settlement on Panbam Island before Sri Lankan territory begins is Dhanushkodi.
  • Rameshwaram and the Indian mainland are connected by the Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge over the Palk Strait.
Pamban Bridge,Rameswaram
Pamban Bridge,Rameswaram
  • One of the most famous and stunning temples in South India is the Shiva-dedicated Shree Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai.
  • It is worthwhile to travel to Madurai just to see the Gandhi Museum, which displays Mahatma Gandhi’s life story and their long involvement in the freedom movement.
  • At Vivekananda Rock, you might witness stunning views of the sunrise, sunset, and moonrise.
  • The beaches in Kanyakumari have multicolored sand, namely yellow, black, and red sand, which makes the coastline look adorable.

Location : 450, 600, and 700 km south of Bengaluru, respectively.

Kanyakumari Beach
Kanyakumari Beach

Tourist Attraction on the spot:

  • Kanyakumari Beach

Tourist Attractions in the Vicinity:

You can visit Ponmudi, Ooty, Kochi, and Palghat when visiting places on this route,

Vivekananda Rock Memorial,Kanyakumari
Vivekananda Rock Memorial,Kanyakumari

Distance Charts:(Madurai | Kanyakumari)

Agni Theertham rameswaram
Agni Theertham rameswaram

How to Reach Kanyakumari via Madurai and Rameswaram:

Road Routes:

Bengaluru to Salem, then Karur to Madurai. Then, Manamadurai to Rameswaram to Kanyakumari

Sri koodal azhagar temple madurai tamil nadu
Sri koodal azhagar temple madurai tamil nadu

Important Note from My Experience:

  • You will experience heat all year long since all of these locations are in Tamil Nadu. So when visiting these locations, wear cotton clothing, bring an umbrella, and bring a liter of water to drink.
  • I always suggest early morning or late afternoon visits to avoid any rush in the evenings.
  • You need to stand in a queue for hours to get a boat ride. To be at the Memorial
Subramaniya Swamy Temple madurai
Subramaniya Swamy Temple madurai

RAIL: All the three places have their railway stations.

AIR: Chennai is the nearest airport.

If you start from Chennai, you can come in many ways to Madurai and thereafter head to Rameswaram. For public transport, TNSTC and KSRTC help.

Map:

Madurai-Rameswarm -Kanyakumari Route Map
Madurai-Rameswarm -Kanyakumari Route Map

Time to visit:

September to February is best time to be at these 3 places.

House of Kalam (APJ Abdul Kalam House ),rameswaram
House of Kalam (APJ Abdul Kalam House ),rameswaram

Spend Time With:

Family, friends, solo, couple, groups

Food and Lodging:

You’ll find hotels anytime in these places, Food of all kinds is available at these places.

Expense:

A 3-day trip will cost:

Vattakottai fort kanyakumari
Vattakottai fort kanyakumari


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

Transport: Railways shall be the primary mode of transport among these three cities or the state transport. The cost will be around INR 1200.

Lodging: INR 700/day X2

Total: 4400 INR

Padmanabhapuram Palace,Kanyakumari
Padmanabhapuram Palace,Kanyakumari

Nearby Attractions(Maduari | Kanyakumari)

Kanyakumari Sunrise View
Kanyakumari Sunrise View
Gandhi memorial museum madurai
Gandhi memorial museum madurai

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The side view of the viewpoint
In Tourist destinations around Bangalore

BISLE GHAT-AN OFFBEAT ANYTIME DESTINATION

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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:

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MUNNAR, KERALA: A must-visit hill station of Kerala

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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
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