Hello all, I need some suggestions/pointers from people who have made it to these places Chikmagalur, Belur, Halebid and Sravanabelagola I am not sure if I read it in IL forum or anywhere else, but I think Chikmaglur is a 5 hrs drive from Bangalore, right ? And I also read that Belur, Halebid and Sravanabelagola can be covered on the way to Chikmaglur. Now, I want information on what kind of attraction does Chikmaglur have, as well as Belur, Halebid and Sravanabelagola? I know lots of information is available on the internet, but reading too much ends me in confusion...and thats why i resorted to posting on this forum.Has anyone stayed at some resort there ? I read somewhere that Chikmaglur is more of a coffee estate. We are planning for a trip at the end of December - my family and my cousin's family (a total of 6 people including 2 kids of 5 years) So, I want to hear from people who have been to these places, and what can be covered there. And if any one has some info on resorts or good place to stay over for a night or so, it will be greatly appreciated! And, would it be a good place to visit end of December? Really really looking forward to responses!
And oh I forgot to add that we are planning for a 2 or 2.5 days to these places, so if anyone could tell me the places that are best & quick to be covered in the places i have listed, it will help me in planning & booking tickets...and being end of the year, tickets are already getting booked...and so i need all your help with some crisp info !
Hi OUtofthebox: Yes, Belur. Halebid and Sravanabelagola are enroute to Chikkamaglur. Chikkamaglur is on the foothills of Mullayanagiri hills. The chikkamaglur town as such does not have many known places of interest but a waterfall nearby is a surety and then the main local temple. The most popular places to visit here are Kudremukh and Kemmanagundi. There is also the Bhadra wildlife sanctuary. It is a few years since The serai resort has started operations here. Belur, Halebid and Sravanabelagola - Beautiful temples in Hoysala architecture at Halebidu and Belur and ofcourse the Gomateswara at S'gola. There is good resort /hotel in Halebid /belur - I forget the name. Will come back again once remember the name. For 2 - 2.5 days would suggest just the Belur -Halebid and Sravanabelagola circuit and Chikkamaglur town. With an extra day maybe you can cover either Kudremukh or Kemmangundi. If you get bookings, the Jungle Lodge resort at Bhadra wildlife sanctuary is worth a visit. Great for bird watching and even tiger if you are lucky. Sindhu
Hi Sindhu, thank you so much for your first response to my post....i kept checking this forum until yesterday, and thought I would not get any replies!! As per what i found in net, i thought a 1 day trip would suffice for Belur, Halebid and Sravanabelagola. we are planning only for 2.5 days in total. like we will leave on a night and try to reach Belur or Halebid or S'gola on Day 1 morning, whichever comes first. So, if there are any places where we can refresh, i think that would be better rather than a stay. So Day 1 entirely for this, and maybe the remaining Day 2 and half a day of Day 3 we can spend for Chikmaglur. so on the evening of Day 1 we may need to reach some resort in Chikmaglur. i will check out the Jungle Lodge resort and the places you have mentioned here for more details on the web. in the meantime if u remember the names of resorts/hotel, please do let me know! thanks !
Hi Outofthebox: I'm glad I could be of some help I probably was thinking of Orange county (my memory is hazy for some reason). However, I do know Orange county is pretty expensive. You might get some good recommendations on Tripadvisor about homestays / hotels for Chikkamaglur. Try that out. Also, there is a Inspector's bungalow on the top of the hill at Kemmanagundi. It has been ages since I visited - so there might be accomodations as well that have come in the last few years. This is what I got from the net - Welcome to Kemmanagundi About a place to freshen up after your day 1 drive - you could check out KSTDC hotels in any of those places. I have never stayed at any of the 3 places (Belur, ...) so cannot recommend Sindhu
Hi, I appreciate sindhu's tips to ur trip plans,I also stress to visit Kemmangundi. Its a beautiful hill station still untouched by many and pollution free. You can book your rooms in advance with the horticulture department from Lalbagh. You will have a thrilling experience of waterfalls to name a few would be shanthi falls, hebbe falls. Mullayangiri peak, Zpoint and few more places to unwind..only drawback is canteen which doesn't serve good food, so it is better to go for home stays or resorts, I had been 10 years back and still I cherish those moments spent close with nature. We are also planning for a holiday in Kemmangundi, hope everything goes well.
Thanks Chaitrachaitu. It is surprising to know you can book rooms at Kemmangundi at Lalbagh. That is a good piece of information. Thanks! Hope you did go to Kemmangundi again and had a good break. Sindhu
Outofthebox: Sorry I cannot seem to remember the name of the hotel. Looking forward to reading about your trip and see a few photographs from your trip. Sindhu
