Rupin Pass Trek - Part 3

Trek Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

We reached our next camping ground called Dhanderas Thatch half past noon. By now almost everything in our view was white. We were told to refresh ourselves for lunch after which we will go for a small trek sideways and practise some snow gliding which was a needed skill to navigate the other side of summit.

View on the way to Upper Waterfall, our campsite is visible

Gangtok

Gangtok - Tsomgo - Namchi - Darjeeling

• Book an early flight to Bagdogra and take a cab from there for Gangtok. Else you will reach late and tired and the day will be lost. Cover Banjhakri Waterfalls on first evening. Its refreshing.

• Cover the three viewpoints and MG Road on second day. You may want to cover one of the monasteries (Rumtek, Ranka) the same day.

• Sikkim Rum is a local brand which has become quite famous. Numerous shops sell it on MG Road. Try it with pastries from Baker's Cafe.

As we settled on our table in the restaurant located on the top floor of a hotel, hunger became secondary. Across the window the clouds were playing with mountains and our entire span of view was filled with this landscape. It was our introduction with Gangtok and I immediately fell to it.

View of Gangtok from Ganesh Tok

Raneh Falls

Trip: Delhi > Gwalior > Khajuraho > Raneh Falls > Delhi

We reached Khajuraho by overnight train and booked a comfortable room in Ramada Hotel. The day had begun well but temperature was soaring. We were told about a majestic waterfall and we quickly went for it. Although the choice was simple, the route was deserted. We were in MP for the first time and it did scare us. The last part of road is dark into a jungle.

Raneh Waterfall near Khajuraho

Khajuraho

Trip: Delhi - Khajuraho - Gwalior - Delhi

• Khajuraho can be planned as a weekend getaway from Delhi. Overnight trains at convenient time run but travel need to be planned at least a month given limited seats.
• Temples should be visited early morning or in evening. Noon is hot unless its winter. Be ready for couple of miles walk around the complex.
• Raneh Waterfalls and Pandav Cave are nearby attractions that one may cover. Hotels are aplenty and affordable. There is an airport also under construction.

Khajuraho happened to us so quickly that we were neither ready with appropriate duration nor with a camera fitting for the occasion. One fine morning we were just there. We reached this legendary temple city by train one morning. Hotels are in abundance near main temple complex. We settled in Ramada Khajuraho and freshened up quickly. Plan was to have a brunch near main temple and then start off.

Poses, Khajuraho

Chikmagalur

Shravanbelgola - Chikmagalur - Belur - Halebidu

This time we were more planned than last time. An advance booking at hotel and a bottle of scotch in the car was there before we started. It was a short and eventless ride that we took to the western Karnataka.

View from edge of Yagachi Dam@Chikmagalur

Jog Falls

Jog Falls - Gokarna - Murudeshwara

• Best time to visit Jog Falls is during monsoon but on a weekday. Weekends are generally crowded and security around the fall is enhanced.
• There are very few options of accommodation around. Best way is to cover Jog Falls during a circuit of Gokarna and make a day trip to this place, Shimoga is nearest city with few hotels.
• Visiting the Jog Falls from other direction is unofficially possible, We didn't explore it. Going down the fall is strictly prohibited.

We started our trip to Jog Falls without much planning.  It was a mistake. Although we had a blast in the eventful way this trip turned up, not to forget the super lush greenery of Konkan region, we did  learn few hard lessons on the way. To begin with the only good stopover on way is a CCD some hundred miles from Bangalore.

Behind a veil of clouds@Jog Falls

Hebbe Falls

• Visit after the rains. The gushing waterfall at its full flow is an amazing view to behold. Take a bath. The sprinkles gives you goosebumps. 
• Take Maxx from Chikmagalur city. Regular vehicles can't reach this place with the mountain terrain and bad  roads. They charged us 500 bucks and it was worth the experience.
• You have to trek the last mile up to the waterfall. The last turn when the waterfall opens up to full view is magical or at least I thought so.

The first time I visited Chikmagalur, the four of us - Vivek, Sumeet, Ashutosh and myself started from Bangalore for Kemmengundi. It is a newly popular hill station near Chikmagalur  It was our plan to stay here for the night and visit nearby waterfalls among other things.

Windmills@Chikmagalur

Alappuzha

Trip: Kodaikanal > Munnar > Periyar > Alappuzha > Kovalam

We reached Alappuzha by afternoon through a road which flaunted large green fields on both sides. Alappuzha or Alleppey is famous for backwaters. As a city that runs on tourism, Alappuzha is a decent place to stay for a couple of days. We stayed in. The evening was dedicated to a boat-ride to the lovely backwaters. The boat spends some 2-3 hours completing a round. The houseboats were extremely costly, priced at close to 10k per night, as December was the peak tourist season.

Backwaters Ride, Alleppey

Munnar

Trip: Kodaikanal > Munnar > Periyar > Alappuzha > Kovalam

We moved to Munnar after a day stay in Kodaikanal. To reach Munnar in itself is an unforgettable experience. Atleast 20 Km before the place, large estates of tea, coffee and cardamom are visible and as the road meanders through these lush gardens, one has a feeling of sailing in an endless green sea. We stayed in Munnar for three days.

Tea Estates @ Munnar

Bangalore

How to explore a city that boasts of being listed in the English Dictionary. Being 'bangalored' means getting outsourced literally now. The consequence is an amalgamation of traditional Kannadigas with tech savvy crop of new IT professionals.

Water Tank, IIM Bangalore