Where to Go This Summer

The Summer months are upon us, with loads of leaves for kids and working adults wanting to take off to some place cool, as in really weatherwise cool.

This is January and better to plan in advance .

So here are a few places you can plan on heading out to, especially with kids, and the whole family.

If you live in Bangalore – There are many places to plan to, one is coorg, with its lush green coffee estates, cool temperatures and loads of places to visit it could make a perfect family vacation. There are plenty of home stays to chose from which makes it great for a family, as you get healthy home cooked food, some tips on what to do around the place and also a few hiking options along with white water river rafting, camping in the open and more.

Another place close to Bangalore that is an absolute must visit is Chickmagallur, with similar USP as Coorg, it also gives you the pleasure of viewing or even climbing a little bit of the Baba Budangiri and Mullayanagiri hills, there are water falls, winding roads and more for kids and family as a whole to enjoy. 

Sunset At Chikmagallur

Other places to visit close by would be Agumbe, Ooty, Munnar, Kodaikanal and such. Also a good thing to do to avoid loads of tourists is go to lesser known hill stations, especially in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra is barely explored and in many ways than one is good for anyone living in Southern India to go. Some of the places to check out are Anantagiri Hills and Araku valley.

If you would like to make a long trip or you live in the northern parts of India, then some of the best places to go during summer would be Mount abu, Manali, Nainital, Musoorie, Rishikesh/haridwar and Shimla.

Sikkim

These are the very well known places and you could see throngs of people heading there for the summers, if you want to avoid the crazy influx of people and try to relax in a cabin someplace quiet with your family nothing like Sikkim. Sikkim is safe, beautiful and awesome weather conditions , and loads of activities and places to go. There are loads of Festivals that happen between march and may in Sikkim which could prove to be an amazing experience, it is also a superb place for shopping artifacts, clothing, trinkets and other items. 

Another place that would be perfect is Bhutan, it doesn’t cost much to get there or stay there, easy permissions available , very safe for families and loads of places around to go to and also an amazing cultural experience for children.

Trashi Choe Dzong - Bhutan

                                                                                                                  Parinitha Konanur

Chikmagalur - Coffee estates, superb weather and awesome hills

Chikmagalur which literally means Younger Daughter’s town, is close to Bangalore and is on most people’s travel list as it provides a wide range of travel and trek possibilities. The place is known for its coffee estates, lush green hills of Baba Budan Giri, Mullayanagiri and the Kudhremukh National Park. It is also very close to the world heritage center “Belur and Halebid” that celebrate the intricate detailed sculpted work of the Hoysala Empire.

Chikmagalur makes for a great weekend or long weekend trip for people living in and around Bangalore or even visiting it. 

How to Reach:

By Road – You can drive down , it is about 240 kilometers from Bangalore and can be scaled in about 5 to 5 ½ hours, the roads are mostly good.

You can also take a bus to Chikmagalur from Bangalore or whichever place you want to start from.

By Train : The nearest Rail head is at Kadur

By Air: Nearest Airport is at Bangalore

Driving down is the best option as the journey to and also in and around the place is beautiful laden with green on all sides, if it’s a monsoon drive even the better.

Things to Do :

There are plenty of places to see and things to do in this region. If trekking is what you love then Baba Budangiri, Mullayangiri and Kudhremukh have many trails to scale. If a short climb and watch sunset on the ridge is your thing then just stop pick a hill and climb it, Mullayangiri is just spectacular and you don’t need to reach the very top to get a great view, where ever your legs start to ache stop there and take in the view, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Sunset at Mullayanagiri

You can visit the Kudhremukh national park and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, drive down to Hebbe Falls, Ayyanakere lake, and Kalahatti falls. Do not forget to visit Belur and Halebid Temples on your way back to Bangalore it is exquisite and an Indian Architecural/ artistic marvel. 

Beautiful Temple Architecture and Relief Sculptures at Belur

You can walk around in some coffee estates, the possibilities are limitless, all depends on what you love the most, in chikmagalur you can afford to pick and choose that.

Things to Remember :

1. If you are traveling during monsoon, the monsoon here is heavy rain with fog filled roads and valleys. So carry a poncho or an umbrella always. If you are driving down , fog lights may be a good idea, especially if you have plans of off roading.

2. If you plan to trek in any of the hills, carry water and wear floaters or good shoes as the terrain is full of grass growth and rubble.

3. The hill tops are always windy and a little chill so carry warm wear.

4. If you are an ardent photographer carry a telephoto lens, and keep your camera at the ready always, you could spot something while trekking, walking or even driving which you wouldn’t want to miss.

5. Book your accommodation in advance in one of the many home stays and resorts, weekends most of them get filled quite easily.

Parinitha Konanur

Best Places to Scuba Dive in the World:

Scuba diving is an experience by itself, it is entering into a completely different reality, where the blue never ends and you would realize the number of living organisms that live under those blue white ripples that you see from the beach. The first thing to do if you are into scuba diving is to be good and really good at swimming and practice holding your breath. There are many places to actually get certified in India now, where one can practice and learn and then be certified.

Once all this is done you can head out to all those glorious exotic locations full of promise and amazement.

1. First on the list – and no points for guessing is “The Great Barrier Reef”in Australia. This is the world’s largest Coral system, which can be seen even from outer space and happens to be a world heritage site. This is the scuba divers pilgrimage center and a must visit to anyone who loves life , oceans , adventure and travel.

2. “Barrier Reef Belize “ is the next spot – in Belize a country wedged right between Mexico and Guatemala it provides one of the most scenic locations in the world. It is only second to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in size and makes for a most amazing scuba diving experience.

3. “Grand Cayman Islands” This Caribbean delight is a quick way to the world of clear water, beautiful under water creatures and do not miss the “Stingray city”. 

4. “Straits of Gubal” in Egypt is where your pirate fantasy comes true, unlike the previous scuba diving picks this is not just a nature’s delight this is where you actually get to see sunken ships in close range.

5. “Malpelo Island Columbia”  Another World Heritage Site this is the Mount Everest for every Diver, the ultimate challenge , where sharks swim right beside you and you better have that heart of steel to see a hammerhead in close range.

Parinitha Konanur

Wayanad - The Trekkers Heaven …

Kerala is beautiful and versatile, it provides the wanderer with many opportunities to travel, trek, discover and stand in awe of all its beauty and nature. There are many places in Kerala that is worth more than one visit and Wayanad sure is one of the most sought after. For people living Bangalore this is easy to reach and the place is full of things to do and places to see and treks to climb. 

Wayanad can be called as a trekkers paradise, because there are so many different climbs one can do there. Some of the easy ones are Soochipara falls and a climb upto Edakkal caves. Eddakkal caves is a must for not only the avid traveler but a history enthusiast, the engravings in the caves are believed to date back to atleast 5000 BC. And the view from Edakkal caves is beautiful. Edakkal is approximately 25 Kilometers from Kalpetta in Wayanad District.

Engravings at Edakkal caves

The next place to visit is the Soochipara waterfalls also called as Sentinel Rock waterfalls. Soochi means needle and para means rock. It is located in Vellarimala very close to Kalpetta. The route to Soochipara is very scenic while crossing through some of the best tea estates in Wayanad. 

Meenmutty waterfalls is one more must visit to any trekker or nature lover. A few years back one could actually trek down the route of the waterfalls and see it from a very close range, doing a medium difficulty trek. But now that route is closed due to Govnt orders as it is known to be tricky and risky. So one can do the trek to the view point from where it can be seen in all its glory and also a brilliant view of the valley is in front of you. It is better to take a guide along as it is easy to get lost , as there many trails one can take and the one to the awesome view point is not obvious. 

Meenmutty Waterfalls

The next and the most important trek in Wayanad is to Chembra peak. It is a green and treacherous climb up to the peak gives you an awesome experience with nature, while you traverse the route you come across a heart shaped lake, one can stop there for the view and also to catch a breath and proceed on to the peak. It is advisable to carry some snacks and loads of water. Permission from the Forest Office in Meppady is required to climb Chembra.

It is better to plan a trip to Wayanad on a long weekend so the first two days are spent doing all these climbs, and the third day can be devoted to lounging and shopping for spices. While heading back one can go to Banasura dam, which is beautiful, and makes for a lovely walk. 

Things to Keep in mind :

1. Choose two climbs to do on one day, one difficult and one easy , like you can pair Eddakal with Meenmutty.

2. When doing the tough climbs wear proper clothing and footwear, as it is slippery ground and the earth is moist in almost all weather conditions.

3. When Permission from forest officials is required make sure you take it, and give valid and proper details at the office.

Best Time To Go : 

Though one can go there in all seasons, it is in its splendor during the monsoon, and as monsoon treks can be more treacherous than when dry, you can opt to go post monsoons, when its lush green and is without too much of a downpour.

How to Reach :

You can take a bus upto Wayanad and arrange for transportation to the various locations, or better to book a vehicle from Bangalore and head out, as most of the trekking spots do not have local transportation.

Parinitha Konanur