Karnataka & Kerala
1st March 2018
I am often asked where I would go or where do I go on holiday with my family in India.
Most of my travels in India have been in the company of a laptop, camera and a few travel guides.
However, I have often wondered what my ideal tour of India would be; a trek through the Himalayas, visiting Ladakh in the summertime, taking the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway to stay on my favourite tea estate, traversing the southern tip of India from Pondicherry to Cochin or to visit the majestic forts and palaces of Rajasthan?
Just when I think I have made up my mind, I find myself dreaming of Goa’s golden beaches or riding through the jungles of Madhya Pradesh on the back of an elephant. Which reminds me just how vast India really is.
One journey through India I love is a tour through the picturesque countryside of the less visited state of Karnataka, over the Western Ghats and down to the coastal plains of northern Kerala, from Bangalore to Neelishwar, a journey I had the rare pleasure of making with my family.
Karnataka & Kerala Journey
We arrived in Bangalore, but didn't linger and before long we were being driven through dusty countryside framed by jagged, rocky outcrops and farmland.
By the time we crossed the Cauvery River, we were passing through a lush green landscape where the earth was a rich red.
Mysore with its tree-lined avenues and crumbling colonial buildings came almost as a surprise. We were staying at the Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel.
The hotel is an old colonial building originally built as a guesthouse for guests of the royal family and converted into a Heritage Hotel.
We had timed our journey to coincide with the weekly illumination of the Indo-Saracenic style Mysore Palace and after spending the afternoon exploring the cities silk and sandalwood markets.
On Sunday evenings and on special occasions, the palace is lit up by over 5000 light bulbs and people from all over descend on the grounds to witness the spectacle.
The atmosphere is carnivalesque with families picnicking and street vendors selling all imaginable street foods.
We were possibly the only foreign visitors and the attention our children received from other visitors was quite incredible.
Whilst the crowds were at times unnerving, they were always good natured and the whole experience was enchanting.
The following morning was an early start as we were heading to see the Gometswara Statue at Shravanabelagola, some two hours away by car.
One of my favourite monument in India, the statue is one of the world’s great monoliths, carved from a single piece of granite weighing over 500 tonnes.
The statue depicts a meditative Bahubali, seeking enlightenment. Being a Jain temple, shoes are forbidden and as there are some 760 steps to the top, it is best to arrive early in the morning as the stone gets particularly hot underfoot.
From there we continued westward into the Karnatakan countryside.
From brightly coloured houses to ingenious ways of storing food for their animals, from odd looking machinery to beautiful rural scenes, the journey to the remote Nagarhole National Park kept us all enthralled.
We arrived at our resort, the Evolve Back Kabini, shortly before lunch.
This is the by far the best of Nagarhole’s lodges and has won awards for Responsible Tourism. The accommodation is genuinely luxurious and the sense of being in the wild is palpable.
From here we sent the driver on ahead and took a scenic short-cut across the Kabini River, saving a 2 hour car journey.
From here the road to Kerala passes through Nagarhole and a further opportunity to see the abundant wildlife before making the steady climb into the Western Ghats.
The scenery changes from thick jungle to rural farmlands and, as you get higher and the roads start to twist and turn, tea plantations along with coffee and cardamom.
Our next destination was on a coffee and cardamom estate nestled in the lush forests of Wyanad called Tranquil. This is a place I have loved coming to over the years.
The air is fresh, the scenery breathtaking and the hospitality as congenial as being welcomed by long lost friends. Hosted by the ebullient Victor Dey and his extended family, this is an opportunity to talk to local people as much as it is to relax and unwind.
We walked some of the twelve well marked trails around the estate, visited Eddikal Caves with their Neolithic rock paintings, as well as Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary and Pookote Lake.
For me, the beauty of this place lies in the relaxed atmosphere, the informal friendliness of the people and the remote nature of the location making it Tranquil by name and tranquil by nature.
Dropping down the other side of the mountain range to the coastal plains of Kerala is one of the most scenic journeys through India I have done.
The transition from the cool, breezy mountains to the sultry coast passes through Kerala’s most spectacular mountain road.
Five hours brought us to the thunderous sound of the Arabian Sea and the golden sands of Neelishwar in northern Kerala.
Northern Kerala has largely remained off the mainstream tourist trail but this is changing.
We stayed at Neelishwar Hermitage, where 18 beautiful cottages are spread over extensive grounds.
Neelishwar Hermitage rooms combine classic design - teak flooring, high ceilings, antique and modern objects d’art; and cutting edge technology.
A large infinity pool overlooks the beach and there are two restaurants to choose from, both with changing menus and one with views of the rolling ocean.
We enjoyed an overnight cuise on the luxurious Lotus, a beautifully restored Keralan rice barge which felt like exploring this little-known part of the Keralan Backwaters almost exclusively.
Traditionally, houseboats have been concentrated around the Alleppey, Kumarakom and Lake Vembanad areas further south, so cruising the Backwaters of Kerala here felt very special.
With the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon and a cold Kingfisher at hand, we toasted all the beautiful things we had seen and the wonderful people we had met along the way.
From the heights of the Gometswara Statue to the valleys of the Western Ghats, the elephants of Nagarhole to the monkeys of Wyanad, the aroma of fresh coffee roasting and the salty ocean spray, the food we had tasted and the warm welcomes we had received it had been a spectacular trip. We had chosen the road less travelled, and that made all the difference.
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