It was 3:30a.m a cold winter morning when the alarm rang , difficult to open the eyes and bring ourselves out of the cozy bed !!!
Should we go today ?? Shall we go some other time ?? were the two things in our mind but yeah we did not want this day to be the same as any other, so forced ourselves out of the bed. We didn't regret one moment with that decision !!!
The Drive
We were ready by 4 and started our drive to Nandi Hills.Soon to our surprice we were accompanied by many bikers probably most of them driving to the Nandi Hills !!
Of course this is one of the favorite getaway for the Bangaloreans...
As we reached the Airport road the cold weather seemed to get harsh , but luckily we were prepared with jackets and gloves to keep us warm.
Except for the bikers and cabs to the Airport , the road was pretty much empty.
At Devanahalli you will find a diversion of roads one goes to the Airport and the other to Nandi hills , so be cautious about this junction.
The Tea Stall on the Highways
Before entering the Nandi hills road , we stopped for a warm cup of tea at a small road side tea stall on the highway.The weather is so cold, no wonder pretty much all the bikers seemed to stop here for a cup of tea , looked more like a tradition before heading to Nandi hills :)
The Fog Covered Hills and the bicyclists
After the short break we continued our drive , as we turned into the nandi hills road , covered with trees on both sides it got colder !!! It was dark except for the light from the bike. In a short while we reached the start of the hill , slowly it started getting little bright. Bright enough for us to see the fog covered hill.
It was a beautiful sight , the fog covered mountain peek and what an experience to drive past the roads lined with eucalyptus trees.
The uphill drive was not much difficult on bike though it did have curves and bends like any other hill. As we drove up the hill we could see many bicyclists all racing up the hill. One can opt for a car drive or bike ride unless you are very athletic and want to cycle up the hill. The reason we prefer to go on bike is ample parking space for bikes is available unlike for the cars , and also we can experience the cold weather and enjoy the scenic view as we drive up the hill. This is one drive which is doable on the motorcycle and gives an experience which we would usually miss if we take a car.
The ticket counter and the Sun Rise
On reaching the top of the hill , what earlier looked like a quite secluded place turned out into a crowded place with a huge line in front of the ticket counter. This is the one part I don't like here , a huge line for the ticket , but once you enter the hill you dont feel much crowded.
On getting our tickets we did not pause anywhere and rushed straight to the view point beside the temple for the sun rise. Right in time 6 A.M for the beautiful sunrise , it felt like we were on top of the clouds and the sun was slowly peeping out of the clouds.
The view is breathtaking, most of them describe Nandi Hills as an Ocean of Clouds totally agree to it . Though you can visit this place at any time of the day its best to be here for the sun rise. It feels like you are almost standing on the clouds , like what we see when flying in an airplane during sun rise !!!
Its best to visit during the winter , the weather is a bit harsh but the view on top is totally worth it.
After enjoying the Sun rise we went to the Shiva temple , Tipu's summer palace , Amrita Sarovar a small artificial lake and continued strolling around the hill with no plan in mind , chit chatting and munching on our chips , yeah we carried water bottles and some snacks to munch on. It was a panaromic view on one side and beautiful flora and fauna on the other as we strolled. We walked past the dravidian style Nandi of the Nandi hills in our trial.
A Secret Cave
Each time we visit this place we find something we haven't seen earlier and this time we found a small cave like opening in the fort built around the hill which on the other side led to a cliff big enough to sit and watch the valley below !!
It was quiet and only things we could hear was the wind gushing by and birds chirping , It was a bit intimidating yet calming to sit at the cliff and look down at the valley below.
We did not speak much , we were just sitting , our minds filled with serenity and magic
of the nature. We are always running behind something be it the bills , deliverables , daily chores but these are the moments of peace when we sit there quiet , unwind ourselves ,
take a deep breath and feel alive once again. No wonder there was a lady who had brought her Yoga mat and was sitting there meditating.
The Breakfast and the Monkeys
We continued on our stroll across the scenic trials until stomach started grumbling. We stopped by at Hotel Mayura for a quick Karnataka style breakfast.
It was around 10a.m, we were done with our exploring and breakfast. Just sat for a couple of minutes in the park , watching the monkeys play around with a group of friends picnicking. One of the guys was mocking the monkey and the monkey started chasing him around... lol !!! Though not very notorious beware there are a lot of monkeys here.
The Vineyards
We headed back home on our motorcycle , our fun did not end yet. On the way back we passed through the road with vineyards on both sides , we stopped by to click some nice pictures and buy sweet grapes from the locals on the road side.
Just in time for lunch we reached Bangalore !!! Had our lunch wondering where shall we go next weekend !!!
Comments