The mess that Whitefield has become can play a true spoiler for those of us who desire to avoid shopping malls and instead prefer undertaking outdoor activities with our kids. All the planning and the enthusiasm vanishes as soon as we become a part of the ever-growing traffic snarls while just trying to get out of Whitefield.
However, to those who care to read this article further, let me assure you that there is still some hope. Below, I share some information about planning a trip to some of the places; I have myself visited with my kids and friends.
1. Revanasiddeshwara Betta ( SRS Hills ), Ramnagara, Karnataka
Ramanagara, a beautiful location on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway consists of 7 hills named Yatirajagiri, Shivaramagiri, Revannasiddeshwara Betta, Somagiri, Krishnagiri, Sidilakallu Betta, and Jalasiddeshawara Betta. This is the same place where the iconic movie-Sholay was shot and even today it feels like someone from the ‘Gabbar’ gang lurks around these mighty rocks. As a preparation, carry a water bottle and a pack of light snacks for this outdoor activity. It is advisable to start early by 4 am from Whitefield, and reach this place by 6:30 am via the NICE road and start to ascend by 7 am. Regarding the climb, except for a few steep steps, the rest of the path, which takes about 40-50 minutes to reach the top, is easy. Once at the top of this hillock, visit the local temple and spend time appreciating the mighty rocks and the surrounding views, have your snack and start your descent. On the way back to Whitefield, take a pit stop to try out the local delicacies: Moode Idli and Maddur vada.
Total activity time: 10 hrs
Cost: 800-1500 rupees, per person depending on the food that you buy and transport that you take, shared cabs and tempo options are much economical if you have 5- 10 people. People on a more athletic side can aim to climb this multiple times for adequate training.
On this same trip, you can explore museum Janapada Loka or “Folk world” or “Folk-culture World” is a local museum that has an interesting display of the village folk arts of Karnataka.
2. Nandi hill trail and Wine tasting, Chikkaballapur, Kannakata
Nandi Hills is one of the most-visited tourist spots near Bangalore where you can drive till the top of these hills without breaking a sweat. However, for fitness freaks, the most memorable way of enjoying Nandi Hills is to start walking from the base of these hills till the top along a road that is mostly covered by shade-giving trees. To walk along this route, all you need is a bottle of water, 2 nutrition bars, and a comfortable walking gear. Usually, Nandi hills get over-crowded on weekday mornings and you can see a lot of selfie-clicking young people all over. However, these guys disperse by around 10 am before the family time begins. Large families with or without kids arrive here and spend time visiting the temple, the gardens, and the valley viewpoint.
To reach Nandi hills from Whitefield, the best time is to start by 5 am, reach the base by 6:30 am and then walk to the top by 8:30 am. Once at the top, there are plenty of options for carrying out the ‘pet-pooja’. There is considerable monkey menace at this place; however, most of it is due to the food being thrown at them by the visitors. So for god’s sake, do not feed anything to these monkeys. During the descent, it is very enjoyable to walk down the same route and in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, you can easily reach the base of the hill. The region around Nandi hills was found to be suitable for the cultivation of grapes and therefore in the last decade, several wine farms have come up in this area. On your way back, you may visit one of the wine farms and take the wine tasting tour and understand the science of winemaking.
Total time: 7-10 hours
Cost: 2500 rupees per adult including wine tasting
3. Madhugiri Betta, Karnataka
I highly recommend this trek for fitness enthusiasts and children as it involves climbing some exciting rocky patches. Though one has to be careful while climbing these rocks, with proper precautions and knowledge of the area, the risks are not many. Madhugiri is Asia’s second-largest Monolithic rock and that itself makes it a good reason to visit this magnificent place. The Monolithic rock is ensconced within a fortress built by King Raja Hire Gowda in the 17th century. Apparently, the Name Madhugiri is derived from the several honeybee colonies that may have existed here. To reach this place, start from Whitefield at about 5 am and via the Hoskote / Dodaballapura reach Madhugiri Betta by 7:30-8 am. The ascend till the top may take about 3 + hours and in case needed, a local guide from the village at the base may accompany you. Usually, these guys charge heavily and you will have to bargain with them before finalizing.
In summers, it is essential to keep in mind that as the sun rises, the rocks start heating up and then it may become difficult for the climber without a cap or a water bottle. There are three temples – that of Sri Venkat Ramana Swamy, Sri Malleshwara Swamy, and Dandini Maramma at the top and the surrounding rocky structures definitely demand your closer inspection. The descent from the top takes about 2-2:15 hour and as an extension of the trip, one can visit several silk cocoon cultivation centers in the adjoining villages.
Total Time: 10 hours
Cost: 1700 rupees per person
4. Big Banyan tree and Manchanbele Dam Cycling, Off Bangalore-Mysore road, Karnataka
Dodda Aalada Mara or the Big banyan tree (approx. age 400 years) is located at a distance of around 60 km from Whitefield near a village called Kethohalli. It is said that this mighty old tree is spread over an area of about 3 acres and is a natural habitat for monkeys. However, there is a park surrounding this tree with basic facilities for a car-parking area, restrooms, and some benches. In case you have your bicycle with you, I would strongly recommend bicycling an additional 10 km from this location towards Manchabele Dam and back.
Total time: 8 hours
Cost: 800 rupees per person if you are using own cycles
5. Chintamani Road Cycling, Chintamani, Karnataka
Riding on the road to Chintamani is a favorite activity of people who are into cycling. Hoskote is where you must reach to take a left turn to Chintamani. However, before starting the actual ride, it is recommended to get refreshed at Nandi Grand Hotel, where after a light snack and a cuppa coffee you can start riding towards Chintamani. The road is quite a rolling terrain with a lot of headwinds (and crosswinds on return). Choose your onward distance by keeping in mind that you will have to cycle back the same distance and enjoy the ride. This ride offers you unique farming scenes and relatively traffic-free roads if you further take inside roads at Sulibele.
Time: 6 hours for 50 km ride with breaks.
Cost: 600 rupees if you are using own cycle, the cost can go up to 1000 rupees if you are using support vehicle and rental cycles.
