'Dandeli'-oned...!! :)

'Awesome'...'Awwesomee'...'Awwweesommeee' :)...datz all I can muster up to describe one of my most memorable trips last weekend to the picturesque 'Dandeli' located in mesmerizing surroundings in North Karnataka bordering the states of Maharashtra and Goa.

Itz a visual treat to the eyes located along the banks of River Kali with the Western Ghats as itz backdrop and lush greenary and thick forest cover all around.

Statutory Warning - Loooooooooooonnnnng Post Ahead...LOL !!!!

- Legend has it that the town 'Dandeli' is named after Dandelappa, a loyal servant of the Mirashi landlords who lost his life because of his loyalty. Even today, he is worshipped in a temple built for him.

History apart 'Dandeli' is more known for 'White Water Rafting' on River Kali and the Wildlife Sanctuary which houses more than 300 species of Birds and is also home to the rare 'Black Panther'.

Late planning never helps and as our fate would have it we had to book whatever was available as the best Resorts were full by the time we enquired. We were targeting Tree house stay in Hornbill Resort but could get only a 2 nights 3 day package Room stay at Jungle Camp Resort, Pradhani...:(

Left for 'Dandeli' from Bangalore on Wednesday nite (KSRTC Rajahamsa) and the fresh morning breeze woke us all up to a sleepy little town. Our pick up for the Resort was waiting at the Bus Stand and surprise surprise it was the Manager of the Resort 'Dharmesh' himself :)...A great guy I must say and his humbleness and resourcefulness made sure that we had a pleasant stay all along. The early morning drive to the Resort was a fair indication of what was to follow...We couldnt help ourselves but click a few initial shots...And more so as I had bought a brand new 'Sony DSCH10' days before the trip but then again it always was a yard short infront of DSCH9s and SLRs on display all through the trip.

Again needless to say whenever you plan a trip to 'Dandeli' carry a gud camera with high optical zoom and ability to take multiple shots at a time (SLRs are the best)... :) You will need such a camera if you are a bird enthusiast and an aspiring wildlife photographer (like me)...LOL !!

Reached our Jungle Resort (10 kms from 'Dandeli' town) and inside thick forest area. My eyes went straight to the Tree house and I asked 'Dharmesh' whether I can make a short visit. He oblidged and believe me the experience of staying up there and the view from there is breathtaking...:)

Time to freshen up and gear up for the only activity of the day ...'White Water Rafting' :) All adventure activities around the sanctuary and the Kali river in Dandeli is managed by the 'Kali-O2' group, an affiliate of Jungle Lodges. Rafting being the most popular of them and a welcome option even for non-swimmers. Other activities include canoeing, coracling, kayaking, rappelling, bicycle rides in the jungles and trekking.

'GaneshGudi', 20 km from Dandeli is the starting point for the River Rafting rendezvous. After a bumpy ride to the place we were made to wear the Life Jackets and Helmets. Wear clothes which you are comfortable getting fully drenched in (shorts are preferable) and slippers are the prefered footwear. We were introduced to our guide 'Dev' from Nepal and he mentioned there was nothing to fear as Kali only has 'Class 2/3' rapids.

The rapids are categorized in 6 classes. 'Class 6' is the most dangerous and the one where you could die. Even most experts wouldn't dare to go into a 'Class 6' rapid!! And there are only 6-7 rivers in the world which offer 'Class 5/6' rapids. Ganges in India offers 'Class 4' rapids.

With all our gear on and a few shots clicked we jumped on the Raft..:) Cameras are not allowed on the Raft so you wont be able to record your treasured experience...:(...datz the sad part but itz justified too as safety of valuables on the Raft cant be guaranteed by the management. On the raft, for first 20-30 minutes, 'Dev' gave us basic training of commands and actions, modus operandi, safety precautions and what to do if you fall in the rapids.

Two gloden rules, as per him, of white-water rafting:
- Stay Calm.
- Be with the boat.

There was something called as a throwbag to rescue a person fallen in the rapid. Itz a '15' meter rope contained in a small bag. That bag is thrown on the head/face of the person in the water so that it hits him/her as ppl kinda get paralyzed in water, esp. non-swimmers.

Once 'Dev' was satisfied with our paddling capabilties and ability to understand his commands he asked us all to jump into the water. At first we were taken aback but this he said is neccessary to remove any cobwebs from our mind and so one after other reluctantly we had to jump-in believing that we would not drown with the life jackets on...

Then started the adventure and soon we were onto the first rapid 'Adi's Beard'. A 'Class2/3' rapid depending on water level and the name comes from the shape of the rapid. We were quite violently shaken by the water and were ordered a get-down (inside raft) for non-swimmers by 'Dev' while in the rapid. Enough to get your adrenalin goin...!!

Just after the rapid, we paddled a bit upstream and crossed a violent stream just at the bottom of the rapid. And then it was time to celebrate...:) We put the blades of our paddles on top of each other's and then in a quick move lifted them above our heads and splashed into the water behind our back. Then everybody jumped into the water !!..Therz a swimming zone just after the first rapid where the water is relatively calm...You can get down and have a swim here !!

Then came the second rapid, 'The Stitch'. It derives its name from the fact that its a wide intermittent formation of rocks over which water flows across the width of the river. By now we were confident enough to splash water on other rafts when they came near us and 'Dev' had already initiated it !! :)

Then came other rapids like the 'Smugglers' Trove', the 'Stanley's Squeeze', etc. Each one had a peculiar feature of its own and hence giving a new experience all d time.... :)..It seemed that the whole rafting ride got over in a jiffy !! :(

White Water Rafting is pure fun and the adrenalin rush is palpable and datz what keeps you going n eggin for more... :) The best part of the whole rafting experience is the point of 'Full Body Servicing' as they call it :) and am sure you will remember it for your whole life :)....Itz when you row upstream against the river just before the endpoint. The splash of water and the spine chilling experience is something you would never forget..!! :)

The experts are very professional and they make you feel confident and itz the first time that you will have all d nerves. You would enjoy it more second time around !! :)
We were picked up by Jungle Lodges jeeps at the end point and reached our resort and relaxed for the later part of the evening as our hands had started paining by then (rowing takes a lot outta you and you actually realise it later)...The Campfire organised by the Resort was a soothing experience although it s required more during the chilling Winters...:)

Next day early morning was the Jungle safari in an open jeep. I would rate this as a dampner for the whole trip as we hardly spotted any mammals apart from a few birds. 'Dandeli' is home to the 'Giant Indian Hornbill' and you will atleast spot one of them but they are somehow pretty elusive to cameras as we hardly ever got a clear shot ...:( ..We also spotted a few 'Malabar Giant Squirrels'. The thick forests and undergrowth in 'Dandeli' make it difficult to sight mammals though they are in good numbers here. Again needless to say we never spotted a 'Panther'...:(
But our driver kept telling us that a 'Black Panther' and a 'Leopard' were sighted a month back by a couple of French tourists and dat it all depends on your luck !!

There is a one day bird trek for bird watchers especially and if you are interested then you need to book a guide early on and follow a different route through the jungle to get better sightings...I would suggest you go for that rather than the Jungle Safari...!!

We went for a 'Croc Trail' downstream (Kali) straight after the safari and spotted a few Crocs. Seemed like most of dem were very shy of humans..:( ...Transport on Kali is by means of 'Coracles' (A small boat made of bamboos and covered with thick buffalo hide)...would have probably sighted more Crocs had we taken the Coracle ride. Locals said there were some 200 Crocs in Kali.

After noon we decided to go to 'Synthery Rocks', a 300-metre tall monolithic granite rock formation on the bank of 'Kalindi', a small river that eventually merges into 'Kali'. Itz a beautiful place where you have a small waterfall that falls into a deep rocky ravine. The rocks are slippery and are a great place to die so be careful on the rocks. The place is dotted with pigeons and bee hives and you can get up close and personal with them if you have a high zoom camera.. :)

Next morning we went to 'Kavala Caves' and it is advised to take lotz of water and a torch with you when you visit this place. Itz a 6 km trek (up/down) and some 400 odd steps to the Caves inside the wildlife sanctuary and once inside the Caves you will have to crawl on all fours to explore dem...:) ..Moreover the cave-surface is filled with bat droppings and it stinks !!
A naturally formed 'shiv-ling' awaits you inside and you will have to leave your footwear outside.

Time to leave and bid farewell to a breathtaking place (although a bit hot in summer)...The best time to visit 'Dandeli' is during Winter. I personally want to make a second trip during winter and this time around I would book the Tree house well in advance !! :)

All in all 'Dandeli/Ganeshgudi' is a thousand times better than Coorg, Ooty ...and at the same time thousand times painful/dangerous if you are not careful. Leeches and insects will bite you, so learn to live with these parasites. You will have a few scratches and you mite as well slip and fall. Carry adequate first aid wid you and mosquito repellants. They will come in handy !! :)

To reach Dandeli from Bangalore, you can take direct KSRTC buses, but book in advance. To reach Dandeli, you can also drive to Dharwad (via Tumkur) and then take a diversion to Dandeli. You can also choose an alternate route that goes via Shimoga, it is longer but is more pleasant and scenic. You can deviate a bit on this route and visit Jog falls on the way if you take this road. Jog falls is a short deviation between Sagar and Siddapur. Expect bad roads in the later part of this journey, but it takes you through forests and great landscapes unlike the Dharwad road.

Things we missed ...

- 'Sykes Point' : Named after the person who discovered this place. This is a vista point where river Kali flows throws a narrow valley. The vista point suddenly drops into the river, and hence offers amazing view of the river for a long distance.This is the best view of the river and being here at the time of sunset is a premium.

- 'Shiroli Peak' : This is the highest point in Uttara Kannada, the district where Dandeli is. Offers great vista of the peaks of the 'Sahyadri' ranges and is not to be missed. This is inside Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and you may need permissions from the forest department. Check once you reach 'Dandeli'.

Meanwhile anyone in for a 'Goa-N Monsoon' ??...Lemme know ...we mite have something cooking during the Independence day long weekend !!!...Ciao !! :)

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