Nandi Hills:
Hill Stations for Perfect Summer Retreat around Bengaluru
Tired of the Bengaluru’s traffic? Want to run away? How about getting away from the stress of traffic and the summer heat?
Mountain’s have always given an answer, when in mountains nature works mysteriously, can give you answers to everything and can take away all your stress.
This popular hill station is on the brink of Bangalore and has a lot to offer. The hill station is very popular and it carries the charm of Bangalore’s weather to this very day.
The hillock is also known as Nandi Betta. (Betta in Kannada means a hill). It is situated approximately 60 kms away from the city and just a few kms away from the Bengaluru’s International Airport near Devanahalli. It falls under Chikkaballapur district,there are various ways in which you can explore this venue and we’ve got it sorted out for a perfect short trip!
If you are a late nighter and love night outs, this is the perfect avenue. You can ride down on your bikes or drive down by a car. There are many small shops on the way, which serve you food and beverages all night. Other than that you have a couple of cafe’s on the way where you can chill for all the time you want, sip on coffees and munch on quick bites. If you are a smoker, you can enjoy the sheesha too! The cafe’s are usually bustling on weekends and are lively. You can spend quality time here as the gates to the hills open around 6 in the morning.
Avalabetta:-
This is another short getaway and also lies under the district of Chikballapur. It’s farther ahead and around 90 kms away from city of Bangalore. An offbeat place where you can find peace and solitude, located just a few hours away from the city. This is a hidden gem, with a little pond on the top of the hill and amazing views, you can catch some amazing sunrise here. Post which you can head over to the Gudibanda and explore the fort. The route (until the point where you would take left for Nandi hills) is same and hence all the hotels on the highway are accessible. If you have extra time to spare at night please head towards Nandi hills and spend your time and pack some food as well. The options post the Nandi hill’s turn are nonexistent.
Antara Gange:
If you like adventures and would want to explore caves then Antara Gange is the perfect spot around Bangalore. It’s about 70kms away from Bangalore. The name when translated from Kannada (Karnataka’s native language) literally means ‘Ganges of the deep’ and there is a huge formation of rocks around the area. The rock formations and the terrain of the area is known to be the pre historic volcanic path. This is Kashi of the South. One can opt to take the trek route through the boulders and the trek is around 7 kms! It is advisable to take a local guide through the boulders, the route gets tricky and caution has to be exercised. There are also wild animals prevailing in the surroundings and its best advised to take a local guide to show you around. Consider reaching Antara Gange early in the morning to start the hike, when the temperatures are relatively lower. Have a safe trek and make sure you pack food from Kolar town where you have tons of options.
Ooty:-
Udhagamandalam, also best known as Ooty, is capital of the Nilgiris district. This mountain range has got it’s name due to the morning blue (Blue – neel, Giri – mountains) haze and another wonder of nature the blue flower of Kurunji, which blooms once in 12 years. Ooty is also known as the queen of hill stations!
Ooty was home to many tribes, prominently to a tribe called Toda and they were mainly cultivating these lands for living. Later Tipu from south had captured this and eventually Tipu lost it to the Britishers.
Ooty just like most of the hill stations of India was the favourite summer place and capital to the Madras Presidency. This old charm of the town and British feel is carried over to this day and can be seen around the place.
Ooty is well connected by Road, the closest airport is Coimbatore, which is approximately 90 kilometers away and if you wish to choose the Rail, the closest Railway station is Mettupalayam. (40 kms away) One can take the UNESCO world heritage route from Mettupalayam to Ooty.
Toy train ride through the heart of Nilgiris is one of the best things to do in Ooty. You can use this toy train as a mode of commute to visit the tea plantations of Coonoor. This is a must do activity and you can either book your tickets on Indian Railway Online Booking well in advance or get a general ticket at the booking counter.
Overlooking the Sathyamangalam forests and the Nilgiri range there is a huge lake in the heart of Ooty.Where, you can spend hours.Take a pedal boat and go around the lake. You can binge on to some hot delicacies around the lake and also indulge in some fun activities. There are a huge number of stalls and a fair. You can also pickoff-road trails on Bicycles or take a horse ride around the lake.
Munnar:-
Munnar can also be called as the emerald of south India. It has not acres, but kilometers of Green carpets (Tea plantations) and amidst these tea gardens lies this town of Munnar!
It is an overnight journey from Bangalore (475 kms) and the closest Airport is Cochin (105 kms). The closest railway station is Udumalai. However the connectivity is better from the Ernakulam junction (140 kms away).
Munnar has budget accommodation right in the heart of town and has homestays to lavish star resorts in middle of the tea estates.
You can go on the trails of tea gardens for bird watching, visit the famous tea museum and understand the processing of tea from their plantations to your cuppa.
There are unique gardens and tons of forest where you can find peace. You can take some adventurous speed boat ride at Mettupatti dam and if lucky, you can spot wild elephants and boars around.
You can soak in nature’s beauty at Mettupatti dam. Then drive towards ‘Top Station’. On your way to Top Station do stop at the ‘echo point’ where you can hear your own voice echo. Top station offers a bird’s eye view of the valley, you will walk through the clouds at top station to reach the viewpoint.
You can take a dip at Lakkom falls or Attukad waterfalls!
If you like wildlife you can visit the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and also opt for a treehouse to stay in. On the way you will also witness huge gardens of sandalwood under the fenced area where once Veerappan used to prowl.