The relentless hustle and bustle of Bangalore and its never-ending traffic, pushed me to whisk my girl gang away to the breezy little town snoozing away in the lap of the Western Ghats. A good four-hour drive from the heart of Bangalore, Sakleshpur welcomed us with what was probably the season’s best rain. As our Vento zipped through the hairpin bends, to a cabin at a coffee estate, the evening’s sky was set out against us. I slipped into a dreamless mini coma for sleep that night, at a Sakleshpur homestay, comfy enough to forget all the chaos of the city. I woke up to a misty dawn. After downing a hot cuppa of aromatic coffee, we drove near to the famous Jenkal Gudda, 5 km from our homestay.

1. The Breathtaking Jenkal Gudda
Jenkal Betta is at an altitude of 1,500 metres and is the second highest peak in Karnataka. After about a half hour hike up, amid thrilling views, we reached the foothills of the hill. We were right in time to watch the clouds steadily from the mountains. Our visions were blurred by the early morning fog.

2. Harmony Amid the Hills: Pandavar Gudda
A 2 km drive from Mekanagadde took us to the Bettada Byraweshwaya Temple. This mysterious little place is held high religious regard to local community and is surrounded by green hills and magnificent trees. Along the way we spotted magnificent Jenkal Gudda and other beautiful landscapes.

3. The Tranquil Waterfalls: Magajahalli Falls
After a lunch at the homestay, the afternoon sun was rising upon us, but the weather remained cool and pleasant. We made our way further to the falls. The gush resonating from this was the kind of break one truly needs. Overlooking vast trees and foregrounding the Western Ghats, the waterfall was every bit of a picturesque beauty. The Magajahalli is 18 km away from Sakleshpur.

After a few good hours of pure oxygen therapy and a hauntingly beautiful drive and back to our coffee estate homestay in Sakleshpur.

4. The Best of Malnad’s Kitchen
We were treated to the delicacies straight from the Malnad Kitchen – the Shavige, with its rich coconut milk, the benne kadubu and (a type of dumpling made with rice flour and butter) the Koli Saaru (Malnad style Chicken Curry) are dishes my heart still craves. As the star-studded sky brought with it the chilliest of winds, we lit a bonfire and had some of the oldest, finest homemade wines of flavours – Pomegranate, Betel, Ginger, etc to keep us warm and intoxicated.

5. How to Get to Sakleshpur?
Sakleshpur is 230 km from Bangalore. It is well-connected to the major cities in Karnataka by buses and trains. The nearest airport to Sakleshpur is the Mangalore Airport, 137 km away from the city but Bangalore airport is recommended. A weekend getaway to Sakleshpur is a must if you are a frustrated urbanite. So why don’t you book your stays in Sakleshpur today?

– A blog by our guest.