Daaku and Chhavi Agarwal (Mrs Daaku) our intrepid travel bloggers have been to a lot of romantic getaways in the recent past (you would have read about them in previous issues of your Karnataka Today), including Karwar and Murudeshwar, but have not gone an adventurous getaway for quite a while. Daaku insisted they (he and) drive down to Dandeli for the weekend and experience the river in its raw form as they rafted along… Here they narrate their wonderful experience for you to replicate….
Frankly, I had reservations about this plan. I had never heard of someone wanting to go river rafting in Karnataka. It was always Rishikesh or Manali that was famous for this!
But, who doesn’t need a holiday? We certainly did. It was way too early for me as I dumped my reservations in the nearest way side bin and jumped into the car for the driveup toDandeli. Start early! If you don’t want to drive through the jungles at night.
Bangalore to Dandeli is approx. 500 kms and it took us around 8 hours to reach. The roads are good and there are no hairpin turns. We did stop a lot in between to soak in the nature’s beauty and eat (you have numerous options to eat; if you are a fan of Dosas, stop at Davangere and try out the bennedosa). I must admit the beauty of the wilderness throughout the drive enchanted me.
Indeed I was sorry that the drive was over, and I would have to be ready for the river drench. At Dandeli we stayed at the Jungle Resortand booked our rafting trip for the next morning at the resort itself. The prices for rafting start from INR 1200 onwards.
We roamed around in the time we had left in the day. I must admit that Dandeli is a photographer’s paradise and an adventurer’s abode. If you are a nature photographer, this is the place to be.
Next morning, we were geared up to reach the rafting spot. My advice in hindsight: do wear comfortable clothing and footwear for rafting.
Dandeli provides you with the most genuine river rafting experience in south India. The rafting happens in the River Kali which is bumpy with harmless rocks and gushing waters.
It is a 9 km stretch with 6 rapids. 2 of those rapids are freaking awesome and will give your personalized rush. The instructors were really good andpersonable. As we boarded the raft and began floating on the calm river, we got tons of instructions about paddling. These are the usual instructions but then, we were asked to jump into the water “in case the raft overturns”. I was scared at first, but then followed the rest into the river just for the heck of it. It was fun getting drenched.
And nature lovers, this ride is for you: You can easily spot Hornbills, Eagles, Cormorants, Egrets along the way – so it is very enjoyable.
A note of caution though: There are nochanging rooms. They asked us to jump into the river which means we were going to be dripping wet, but we had to wait till we got back to our hotel to clean up. This took us almost half an hour.
So there was no camera and the amazing pics of the wild water rapids and the flora and wildlife that greeted us along the way were not ours to take.
A suggestion: If you are planning to visit Dandeli for rafting, go there when the climate is warm. This way even if you are drenched you can enjoy it. In colder climate, it could be a problem.
While rafting was the only activity we could undertake in the short time we were there, there is a long list of activities like the jungle safari, kayaking, water sports, canoeing and birdwatching that you can enjoy. Only we didn’t, for a lack of time.
Overall, I loved the experience. With its dense forest, calm but rapid river, fascinating resorts, thrilling adventure sports and the magnificent wildlife, Dandeli is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway.
So, when are you planning to visit Dandeli?
All about Dandeli and how to get there:
Dandeli is a small town in the western ghats of North-West Karnataka, India. Dandeli is known as a wildlife sanctuary and is proud of being one of the tiger projects. Dandeli is also known for its adventure activities on the River Kali.
Located close to the Supa Dam on Kali, Dandeli offers options for white water rafting and canoeing. The rapids are class 3 and there is one recirculating rapid in the circuit.
How can you get there?
By Air : There is no Airport in Dandeli. The nearest Airport is in Hubli, which is 80km from Dandeli and does not have too many flight services. So its best to get there by train.
By train : Dandeli is 78 km from Hubli and 32 km from Alnavar. The nearest railway stations are Londa, Alnavar, Dharwar and Hubli.
From Bangalore, one could take the train (to Alnavar or Hubli) or Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus (to Hubli or Dharwad) and take the local bus to reach Dandeli.there are direct buses to Dandeli from all the major destinations.
Karwar town which is the district headquarters of Uttara Kannada district where Dandeli lies is connected by Konkan railway route. Karwar is at a distance of 110 kilometres from Dandeli.
By Bus : Alternatively, KSRTC runs a Rajahamsa Executive bus service (Non A/C, Push back seats, Air suspension) from Dandeli to Bangalore. The bus departs from Dandeli at 17:30. It takes around 12 hours to reach Bangaluru. From Hyderabad, one can take a train to Londa and take a taxi or bus to Dandeli.
How can you get around in the town?
There are many buses plied by state government-owned North West Karnataka Road Corporation (NWKRTC) to nearby villages and towns. There are Bike &Scooty are available for rent, autorickshaws (three wheelers) and car taxis are available at Dandeli town.
What’s there to see?
Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary: The Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is very calm and peaceful place. This sanctuary is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka state. This sanctuary nestles and nurtures some very rare birds and animals.
Kavala Caves: The ancient Kavala caves are a perfect destination for tourists to visit while their trip to Dandeli. This place is located around at a distance of 25 km from the Dandeli. Tourists will have to trek thousands of steps through a dense forest to reach the Kavala caves. These caves are revered as the abode of Lord Shiva
Kulgi Nature Camp: The Kulgi Nature Camp is located at a distance of around 14 km from the Dandeli National Park. This camp has a small museum and a nature interpretation centre. It is located on the Ambika Nagar-Yellapur Road. The main highlight of this museum is the stuffed remains of a 13-ft King Cobra which was caught a few years back in this area.
Syntheri Rocks: Syntheiri Rocks are located at around 25 km from Dandeli on the road to Gund village where the Kaneri River rushes through a canyon of huge granite formation. There is a 300 feet tall monolithic granite wall on one side. This location is a favorite picnic spot.
Ulvi Temple: Ulvi Shri Channabasaveshara temple is located deep inside the Dandeli wildlife sanctuary. This is one of the most famous pilgrimage locations in the northern part of Karnataka.
Anshi National Park: Anshi National Park or Anshi Tiger Reserve is few miles away from Dandeli. There are many resorts and homestays around Dandeli which arrange trips to the tiger reserve.
Supa Dam: The Supa Dam near Ganesh Gudi is built across Kali river to generate electricity.
Sykes Point: Sykes Point is a hilltop viewpoint in Ambikanagar. It’s a restricted area. You will need to take permission to visit this spot.
What to do while in Dandeli?
Dandeli Wild Life Sanctuary and Anshi National Park are dominated by the river Kali, be it from its banks or from atop a mountain. The activities at this national park include: Coracle Rides (in water, would be able to spot crocodiles, hornbills and other birds), Rock Climbing (small), Mountain Biking, Rafting/Kayaking/Canoeing, Camping, Jeep Safari ride, Trekking in the forest, bird watching. Other nearby places to visit include: Kavala Caves, Syntheri Rocks, Sykes point, Siroli peak.
Rafting: Dandeli is located to near to River Kali. It is great for rafting. There is a route of around 9-14 km for rafting. This is a class III rafting route i and continues for around 2 to 3 hours or even more.
What to eat?
Kachori and Samosa are very famous in Dandeli.
What to drink?
Garcinia indica or kokum sherbet.
Masala Soda – famous in this entire region.
Where can you stay?
There are KSTDC (Karnataka Tourism Development Corporation) guest houses available which provide packages to the tourists which include accommodation, food, safari, coracle ride and rafting. These guest houses are well maintained and good food is available.
The Kali Adventure Camp (Jungle Lodges & Resorts) (Somu), Raichur (About 2 kms from Dandeli Bus Stand).
Dandeli Chalet, Bamanagi Village (9 km from Dandeli Town on the Joida road Dandeli Chalet is a homestay, which is centrally located for all major tourist activities in and around Dandeli.
Magenta Resort. Magenta Resort is the best resort in Dandeli and just 3 km from Dandeli.
A traveller at heart, Chhavi (or @Mrs_Daaku) along with Amit Khare (or @daaku) loves to travel across India and document their experiences on Mrs. Daaku Studio (mrsdaakustudio.com). Apart from this, she is a freelance tech and marketing writer/blogger and co-founder at Content Writer Guru. You can reach out to her at remotecopywriter@gmail.com
(Inputs from https://wikitravel.org/en/Dandeli)
