I‘m writing this post after about 3 months after I went on a treknic in the mystic woods of Dandeli. Blame my busy schedule at work or my new found hobby in photography, I couldn’t make time to document my experience any earlier. This was not my first visit to Dandeli- I had been there twice earlier. However, I wouldn’t mind visiting it a couple of more times for all the breathtaking experiences and the amazing vistas it has to offer. I cherish all my visits to Dandeli as each one of them has been extraordinary and different from the other.
The evergreen forest of Anshi
My first visit was about 6 years ago when I visited Dandeli with my colleagues. It was more an adventure trip as we did Rappelling, jungle trek and river rafting then. That was my first ever experience of rafting and it was the best part of my first trip.
The white water rafting is a must try activity for any adventure lover
The natural Jacuzzi sure to impress anyone
The second visit was about a year back with my family and 3 year old son. We visited Gokarna and Devbagh along with Dandeli. While my first visit was completely adventurous, the second visit was more a relaxation trip. We stayed in a farmhouse, did a bit of morning walk in the jungles, witnessed the beauty of sunset at the Sykes point, spent some time near the Ganeshgudi bridge which offers a spectacular view of the river Kali as it ran amidst the thick evergreen vegetation and got pampered in the natural Jacuzzi of the roaring Kali. Though we wanted to try rafting, it was not possible because the powerhouse in the dam was taken for maintenance and hence the gates of the dam were closed rendering very little water in the river. Though there was enough water for boating and Jacuzzi, it was not sufficient to create rapids for rafting.
taking an early morning walk in the woods along the stream is an experience in itself
kayaking the the serpent like Kali river meandering through evergreen forests is a visual treat for nature lovers
The view of the Nagjhari valley and the magnificent sunset from the Sykes point. PC: holidayIQ
The latest of my encounter with Dandeli has been completely different form my previous two. This time, we were 7 people who went on a treknic arranged by Travelmyroutes. Four of us Had very little experience in trekking for such long distance but the other three were regular trekkers. For them, this was a very easy trek with no challenge as the trail passed through thick jungles which were mostly flat with little ups and downs and hence they called it a treknic. The trekking trail on the first day went through the thick deciduous forests of the Kulgi nature camp. We had to trek along a stream in the forest to reach the Sathkanda falls. It was a cascade of innumerable small falls. We had to climb along the boulders which caused the falls to finish the trek. Though we thoroughly enjoyed the boulder hopping, it scared us when we reached the top and looked down to see the steep rocks we climbed. The day ended with a halt at the picturesque nature camp of Kulgi.
Sathkanda falls located in the Kulgi nature camp is a must visit place for any trekker
The trekking trail goes along the gorgeous stream from Satkhanda falls in the Kulgi forest reserve
Kulgi nature camp is located amidst the Kulgi forest reserve famous for wildlife sighting
The next day’s trek was in the thick evergreen forest of Anshi tiger reserve. We had to report early at the Anshi nature camp from where we had to drive for about 4 kms to reach the trekking trail. The trail passed through a safari track in the forest to reach the kadra view point which offered a beautiful view of the dam backwaters. The forests and vegetation in the Anshi forest was quite different from that in the Kulgi forests. Anshi has tall evergreen trees while the trees in Kulgi were short, random and most of them had lost their leaves to the fall. The trip culminated with a visit to the famous Syntheri rocks.
The kadra viewpoint offers a panoramic view of the Kadra backwaters
A stream on the way to Kadra viewpoint is a good point to take a break during hte trek
Dandeli and its surroundings has so much to offer that it will be difficult to cover all the places in a single visit. Here are top 10 things you should not miss while you are in Dandeli.
Reaching Dandeli: Dandeli is well connected both by road and trains. It is just a one night journey from Bengaluru. If you wish to drive, it is around 450 Kms- a little detour from NH4.
We made a fleeting visit to Dandeli couple of years ago, didn’t get a chance to enjoy any of these. Lovely write up and pictures are beautiful, loved how you captured the sunset over the valley. Absolutely stunning!!
Heyy.. Thankyou for your encouragement. Though I had visited the Sykes point to witness the sunset, I couldnt capture a picture of it as my camera battery was draining. Since I didnot want to miss having a pic of the valley on my blog, I borrowed it from Holidayiq 🙂
It looks like awesome trekking opportunity. Your pictures add more of this feel. Natural Jacuzzi looks tempting. Thanks for sharing!
The jacuzzi in river Kali is our favorite too 🙂
wow it looks so adventurous. I love your pictures and your posts as always!! Great job Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Ira. Thanks you 🙂
Wow what visually stunning photographs. This sounds like a great place to relax and destress, love the nature aspect. To be perfectly honest, had not heard about Dandeli before but its definitely on my radar now.
hi there.. Thank you for dropping by. This place is definitely a stress buster. Sad that not many tourists know of this. Do visit the southern part of India to uncover many such destinations.
I did not hear of it before but the pictures look nice. Great you have made so many different experiences there.
Hi Arzo. This place is for sure a photographers muse.
I had to look up Dandeli on Google maps as was not sure where it was. I have yet to visit India. Great post with beautiful photographs – looks like a beautiful place to visit!
Thank you Tracy. True that Dandeli is a place not very well known in the regular tourist circuit. But most of the adventure lovers in India know very well of this destination.
This sounds like the most incredible experience! And you photos are beautfil. Lovely post 🙂
Thank You Chiera 🙂
Your post reminded me of the best moments spent in Dandeli. Hope to visit this place soon.
One can never get bored of Dandeli Amit. We too get nostalgic every time we see the picture of Dandeli. We wish you get a chance to visit Dandeli real soon 🙂
Awesome!!!Very interesting post… Beautiful pictures…
Thankyou Banudurga