Skandagiri: Sunrise in your backyard

Being at Skandagiri

Bangalore never seems to be in a dearth of weekend travel destinations. After all when it takes approximately 1.5 hours to commute from anywhere to anywhere, it is no wonder than people leave for an excursion at the first chance they get. Skandagiri is one such destination which doesn't even need a full or an extended weekend, just a day's holiday is perfect. The uniqueness of this destination lies in the fact that it is a nighttime destination so here is how one can plan a perfect night out.

What to visit/do in Skandagiri

        

Trek. That's what you came here for after all and this is not going to be your run-of-the mill trek but something to be undertaken the shadow of the stars. Park your vehicle at the base of the hills, hire a local guide and run(RUN!!!) through the fields to reach your starting point. There are two ways to reach the summit, the hard one is one to be totally preferred over the 'oldie' trek as it offers spectacular views and you are always free to use the other route while descending.

Post climb, there is a discernible chill in the atmosphere, A jacket or two definitely helps and if you are planning to stay till sunrise, which by all means you definitely should, then it becomes a necessity. To help yourself there are also bonfires available on demand, but be aware the supplies are limited and the sellers frequently run out of them so make sure you capture your share early. The climb is at a time exhilarating and exhausting so a few hours of loitering around while waiting for the sunrise, seems the best thing to do.

The first reddish ray of sunlight seems to justify why the locals say that Skandagiri is the best place to witness it and they seem entirely justified. Stay still, look at the golden rays wash over you tenderly, feel their embrace and kickstart your descent, After all sleep is important too.

Where to eat

Once you are at the top, you are invariably hungry, so don't worry there is a small Maggi shop serving mouthwatering maggi and maggi soup. Oh wait, there might be times when the shop-owner runs out of supplies, so now you may panic.

So...

Ask any one, what is the nearest hill-station to Bangalore and you will receive Nandi Hills as the answer. Post that if you are the asker, you will start receiving the deer in the headlights look. Skandagiri is so easily missed while it is the answer to your queries such as "Kya kare yaar, bore ho raha hai?"

!Skandagiri Tip!

Try scheduling your trek doing the full-moon period as the nightly views are near perfect and you have abundant moonlight during your climb. The parking fee are a tad high but do not fret, it won't be worth mulling over

Reaching Skandagiri

Skandagiri is a measly 60 kms away from Bangalore, towards Nandi Hills easily reachable by road.The road is little tricky after it meanders from the main track so make sure you have Google Maps ready, Nokia maps are upto no good here. Thankfully there would be enough hustle-bustle on the road to ask  for directions. 

Shimoga: A little Karnataka within Karnataka

Being at Shimoga

If you are or were in Bangalore at some point of your professional career, you most definitely would’ve googled Shimoga at one-point. But was it for the attractions within the district or for the town? In all probability you just decided to skip over Shimoga (or Shivamogga) because it was a milestone and nothing else. Please, please don’t do this! It is grave injustice to this superfine town. Let’s delve deeper and find out why.

What to do/visit in Shimoga

Before you run-off to the greener pastures which this district presents with panache, take a while to explore this neat clean and well managed town. Granted, you would detest your hectic Tier-1 lifestyle for a while to come.

     Kayaking: So you thought kayaking only happens in grand rivers and estuarine basins. Well, shimoga provides an in-house seasonal kayaking which is super fun and super easy. Everyone in the family is welcome on-board. Be sure that you have reached Mattur Lake (Around 11 kms from the main-town on the Chikmaglur highway) before sundown. In case you are just there in the nick of time, a little amount of cajoling and pleading helps.

        Shivappa Nayaka Palace: This is a government run museum, hence might seem on the obvious tourist path. Here is something, visit the museum and skip the interiors rather spend some time in the immaculately maintained garden which also doubles up as an open air gallery of superbly carved black stone idols. It is truly a song written in stone

Where to eat?

A visit to the city is mightily incomplete if one hasn’t visited the Meenakshi Bhavan. This down-to-earth and Kannada-to-the-soul eating joint serves mouthwatering traditional Kannada fare. There is hardly anything written in English and only one or two of the waiting staff understands Hindi so in case you aren’t a fluent speaker of Kannada do what’s best in this situation. Let the staff take care of you and you will be forever indebted to them for your lack of decision making.  Google map in finding this restaurant is your best bet.


So....


A lot of us were brought in Tier II towns and we migrated and embraced a fast-paced lifestyle offered by our global cities. If you are among those who sometimes crave for the days of the yore Shimoga is your place to be.

!Shimoga Tip!

Shimoga offers some of the best boutique hotels in the southern Karnataka Tier II town belt. Make sure you choose one and do taste their breakfast which are cooked in traditional Karnataka style markedly different from the sweetish Mysore cuisine.

Reaching Shimoga

Shimoga is well connected by road to the towns of Bangalore and Mangalore. If one is travelling from Bangalore one should choose National Highway till Davangere and then can proceed onwards to Shimoga. The details regarding railways (less preferred) plying to the town of Shimoga can be found at Shimoga Railway Station Time Table.