Shivanasamudram

Karnataka
Visited in - Dec 2007

Distance from Bangalore : 120 Km (South of Bangalore via Kanakapura)

Good place to stay at : Georgia Sunshine Village

Best way to reach there : By Car

Activities to do : Visit to the twin falls - Barachukki and Gaganchuki

Rooms : Cottages, each having two rooms individually rented out

Meals : All meals are cooked under the supervision of host couple

Cauvery splitting into two streams at Gaganchukki and Barachukki is a beautiful sight. It was a short drive from the Georgia Sunshine Village to the falls. You can actually go down to the base of the waterfalls and do some boating in the river there. It was a steep walk down and very refreshing in the river.

Besides these falls there is not much to do. Within the resort, you can go for fun fishing activity. We did manage to catch a very small fish after having patiently waited for almost an hour and then released it back in the water. Early in the morning, you can go for a nature walk, which was through the small trails in the wilderness. Since we had two little children with us, we did an hour long trek only. But guided trips for longer duration are available too depending on the capacity of the guests.

The host couple was very cordial and warm. The rooms were comfortable and the food was delicious but there was not much variety in the food. In the evening there was just light tea/coffee with a packet of Marie biscuits. Dinner was served very late so there was a long gap between the lunch and dinner with almost nothing in between. We were starving by the time the dinner was served. Also, did not see the bonfire part happening in the resort which was mentioned.

But, overall a decent break if you are looking for a one 2-days 1-night trip to some place close by.

Important tips :

1. The last stretch of road is dirt road and will take more time to cover than you would expect.

2. Reaching the resort was also a little tricky business, its not on the main road and actually you can easily miss this place. We kept calling the hosts over the phone for the directions once we were off the main road.

3. While going to the falls, the markings were not very clear, be extremely careful for all kinds of boards and markings on the road so that you don't miss the directions as we did.

4. There are some cottages with open to sky bathrooms so just check if you are not comfortable with that kind of setting.

5. We made the booking through their Bangalore contact, somewhere in Ulsoor.

6. Better to carry light jackets as it got a little colder at night in the resort.