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Immerse in nature and history at these picturesque weekend getaways near Mysuru.
I lived in Mysuru with my cousin last year. I must say Mysuru is the cultural capital of Karnataka. The city's magnificent heritage buildings, handicrafts, and delicious Mysuru pak make it a popular tourist destination.
During weekdays, we worked from home but come weekends, we were out exploring every nook and corner of Mysuru. But as my list dwindled, I wanted to see destinations in the vicinity of Mysuru.
Fortunately, the city's location makes it easy for travellers to head out on weekend trips and be back before Monday. So every weekend, we packed our bags and set out to explore these neighbouring towns.
I've put together this list of my eight favourite weekend getaways for you to explore.
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Bandipur National Park, situated around 70 km from Mysore, was once a royal hunting ground. Today, it provides visitors with an extraordinary nature experience. We had a choice of taking a bus or jeep safari, but we decided to book the elephant safari for an adventurous experience! Sitting on the back of the elephant was scary, especially as it walked through the forest paths. But the thrill was unmatched!
With each step of the elephant, the forest grew denser. The forest sounds, along with the soft thumps of the elephant's steps, created an atmosphere of adventure and mystique. Soon, we spotted some animals, including Asiatic elephants, four-horned antelopes, and even a jackal. But the highlight of our trip was sighting a majestic tiger! The park is also home to hundreds of species of birds.
Our first stop was the quaint hill station of Coorg, which is situated 117 km away from Mysore. Known as the 'Scotland of India', Coorg is the ideal destination for both adventure enthusiasts and solace seekers.
Upon arrival, Coorg welcomed us with sprawling coffee plantations, cascading waterfalls, lush greenery, and misty landscapes. It took us forever to reach our resort because we made frequent steps along the way to splash in the waterfalls or stand in the mist.
Our first activity was river rafting in the Barapole river, which had my heart racing as the raft leapt over the gushing waters and rapids, threatening to throw us overboard. My cousin wanted to go trekking, but I was tired. We ended the day with delicious curries and the traditional kuleputtu.
Nestled amid the magnificent Nilgiri Hills, Ooty is surrounded by tea plantations. We stopped by next to one of the plantations to take several photos. Later, my cousin and I took a long walk through the tea plantation, chatting and enjoying the view. The plantation had a small shop that offered a variety of teas: black, green, white, and even flavoured!
Our first day ended with a scrumptious dinner at our resort. We happily gorged on the traditional neer dosa, avial, and chicken Chettinad!
The next morning, we woke up to a blanket of mist all around us. We spent the whole morning drinking tea on the resort's lawn while enjoying the beauty of the misty surroundings.
Later, we visited some of the tea gardens and waterfalls. I especially enjoyed our visit to the Tea Factory and Museum where we learnt about the process of tea-making.
My inner history buff was excited at the thought of exploring Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is popularly known as the 'City of Ruins'. We had booked a guided walking tour as I wanted to learn the intricate history of the city. The tourist spots were divided into two groups around 2 km apart: the Hampi Bazaar area and the Royal Centre.
As we explored the complexes, the marvellous monuments transported us back in time to when Hampi was the last capital of the mighty Vijayanagara Empire. Every ruin and temple recounted the story of the empire's splendour. My favourite was the Virupaksha Temple, which stood out due to its awe-inspiring architecture and design. The ideal time to visit Hampi is from October to March.
Located just 170 km from Mysore, Chikmagalur is one of the largest coffee producers in the country. Nestled in the foothills of Mullayangiri Range, Chikmagalur makes for a serene escape from the city.
We had booked a homestay located amid a lush coffee plantation. As we stepped out of the car, the silence and peace seemed to engulf us. After a tour of the plantation, we spent the rest of the day just lounging and drinking coffee.
The next day, we visited some beautiful temples and travelled to one of Chikmagalur's many waterfalls. We picked Jhari Waterfalls. To reach this waterfall, we booked a local jeep. Although the road was bumpy and the price was steep, the view was worth it!
We met a backpacker who told us about the incredible trekking trails nearby, but, sadly, we didn't have enough time to explore them on this trip.
The green paradise of Wayanad, in Kerala, lies just 130 km from Mysore. And it is heaven for adventure junkies like me. So we decided to go adventure camping in Wayanad!
Our adrenaline was pumping non-stop with all the activities here. We went on treks, stayed in tents on the forest floor, went ziplining, bounced on a trampoline, and danced under waterfalls!
To cap off, we went bird-watching and saw several species of plants and animals, including elephants!
The next day, we explored the gorgeous town of Wayanad. We savoured all the tasty food, including moru kootton, poricha koottu, avial, and thoran.
Unfortunately, we had to leave some tourist spots, such as the Edakkal Cave and Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, for a future trip.Srirangapatnam, an island town situated on the Cauvery river, is just 18 km from Mysore. Our first stop was Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, an ancient shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Afterwards, we hired a guide to learn about the various historical monuments, many of which have been nominated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The guide explained that this was the location of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War that consolidated the position of the British in India. It also led to the martyrdom of Tipu Sultan. Our trip concluded with a visit to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary where we saw beautiful and colourful birds, such as black-headed ibis.
Sharavanabelagola, a small town in Karnataka, is an important Jain pilgrimage centre just 80 km from Mysore. What attracted me the most was the 58-ft-tall statue of Gommetshwara Bahubali perched atop Indragiri Hills! Photos don't do justice to this free-standing figure, which is the world's largest monolithic statue. Despite its size, the statue has such grace and poise along with peaceful features. Next, we visited Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri Hills, the ancient meditation places of Acharaya Bhadrabhau, who was the spiritual teacher of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya. We also spotted many caves, inscriptions, and basadis (Jain shrines) here.
The city of Mysore is not just a tourist destination in itself, but also offers easy access to many weekend destinations. Almost all these destinations have good connectivity, so you can easily reach these places by train or go on a road trip – just as I did. Just pack your bags and start exploring!
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