Thanks to COVID, the year 2021 is the first year where we haven’t been able to enjoy and experience a long holiday. But we still managed to squeeze in 4 short trips and this one was the last of them for this year.
Chikmagalur has been on my ‘domestic travel Bucket List ‘ for a while. This winter we made plans to tick off this one from our list.
Popularly known as the Coffee Capital of India, it is believed that coffee beans were introduced here during the British Raj times from the Coffee Capital of the world – Vienna, Austria.
The route from Bangalore to Chikmagalur is beautiful and the highway through Hassan- Belur is simply fantastic and makes the road journey worth it. The highway has hotels on the way serving lip smacking dosas with ‘benne’ or white butter!
Our first pit stop was the splendid Hoysaleshwar temple at Halebidu. During the reign of the Hoysala Kings, the beautiful temples of Halebidu were repeatedly plundered by Alauddin Khilji and sadly what is left today are just well preserved ruins.
However, the architecture and the intricate scriptures on the walls are still evident and have withstood the test of changing weather.
At a distance of about 15 kms from Halebidu is the popular town Belur – home to the famous Channakeshava temple. The temple is remarkable for its architecture, sculptures, reliefs, friezes as well its iconography, inscriptions and history. The ceiling of the main shrine has detailed carvings of the 12 different ‘rashis’ or moon signs.
The pictures below do less justice to what one really sees through his or her eyes!
Soaked in history and architecture, we resumed our journey to Chikmagalur. We had booked ourselves in a Boutique resort – NEXSTAY COFFEE GROVE ESTATE , about 6 kms away from the center point of Chikmagalur town.
The first glimpse of this resort set so beautifully amidst acres of coffee plantations is breathtaking!
Each cottage is located facing the endless coffee plantations. The interiors are tastefully done and extremely comfortable!
Waking up to sun kissed mornings with wake up calls from furry friends is enough reason to be thankful for!
The following day after a sumptuous breakfast at the resort , we left for a mini trek to the Mullayanagiri Peak – the highest peak in Karnataka. A road has been laid for most of the trek and the last 40 – 50 feet is a steep uphill climb which can be completed only by foot. The view from there makes it worth.
However , the highlight of our trip at least for the littlest human was the visit to the ‘ Jhari ‘ waterfalls or ‘Buttermilk’ Waterfalls.
Located in the middle of the jungle, the falls can be reached through Jeeps only. A 3 km adventurous and bumpy ride through the forest takes you to the falls. Carry change of clothes because a dip in here is a must!
Post this we decided to stop at one of the most popular destinations for Filter coffee in Chikmagalur – the 60 year old Jayanthi Bakery , revamped and rechristened as WORLD OF COFFEE. The place was good but didn’t live up to the hype.
After an eventful day we were back at the resort and retired to bed early!
The next morning we woke up early and explored the numerous trails through the coffee plantations at the resort!
After a good getaway , we hit the highway again back to Bangalore, with the smell of fresh air lingering ….
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