Road trip – Agumbe

Mar 30, 2014

This place surprisingly never entered my list but I remember having read about it during school days. This place claims to receive highest rainfall in the whole of Karnataka, I can still recollect my social teacher Ms Suma, teaching this. And I would, even then, dream of going to see this place. As a child, I had imagined watching the sunset standing on a bridge. I reached there to see the place to be more stunning than what I had imagined it to be.

We reached Agumbe around 9:30am. Having least idea what to do, we came across a sign board to Barkana and Jogi gundi falls. We had all time to explore them. The car entered the dark green forest on a narrow road. To our surprise the roads were good enough inside the forest too. It is very easy to miss the deviations to these falls, but with few locals helping us we first drove towards Barkana falls. As we went deeper into the forest the roads got narrower and there were several deviations. We stopped for some help near the first one, no human seem to come that way, so we blindly followed our instinct and took a right. Followed by all right deviations further. Finally at one point the road sloped down and again the road split. I got down from the car to check if there seemed to be any road ahead, on the right a log had fallen and we had no option but to take left. I notice few plastic covers scattered around, so we assumed to be on the right path. With serious doubts on whether to continue on this adventure any longer, we kept recollecting the deviations we took so that we could at least return back without getting lost.. We had no clue if we were on the right way. At one point we thought to turn back but somehow refused to do so. We waited to see if the road ended somewhere and so at least we would realise we are on the wrong path. After some distance ahead, we saw a slight steep after a natural right and noticed the railing. There it was, the view point to Barkana falls.

The view of the valley from here is stupendous though the volume of the water in the waterfall is very disappointing. We enjoyed the cool breeze in this place. Tried counting the range of valleys as far as the eyes could perceive them. After clicking few shots here we got back to the car and drove towards Jogi Gundi falls. It's easier to find this place. A huge tree trunk fallen on the path forced us to get on the feet to reach the falls. Proper railing and stone steps are in place till almost the falls. The water gushes between the hallow rocks carved out due to the force of the water currents. And a small pool forms beside it with tiny fishes swimming around your legs. They send tickles while they feed on the dead skin on your feet. It was a refreshing dip for few here while I choose to sit on the rocks.

It was lunch time and we enquired for a hotel after reaching the main road. Hotel Kamat served hot meals. It was peak sun and we were sweating like pigs while we hog the food. We checked with a local for a stay and he suggested to go to Doddamane. Suppose to be the biggest house in the town, as the name suggests. It was here, the famous TV serial Malgudi days was shot. In fact while we were on our way to this hotel we noticed doddamane and were amazed by its authentic structure.

We decided to walk to Onakke Abbi falls before we look for our stay. A small garden entrance which enters the forests. We weren't expecting a long walk now but this turned out to be one. The path inside the forest is clear so we dint feel lost but since we weren't prepared for walking this long we were skeptical on reaching the falls. It was mostly a climb but almost at the end there are steps to get down. We walked for more than 45 minutes. For the second time on the same day we were having similar thoughts of having to continue or not. But most of the time we do not give up. After reaching the bottom of the steps and we heard the water gushing below but falls is not to be seen. Searching for the falls we bend down to see the beautiful sight of water falling right below for several hundred feet. The water falls in two stages each of it must be more than a hundred feet. And the air blew in the opposite direction carrying water droplets. We were fooled into thinking it as rain. The water was extremely cold and as it dropped from the height, the tiny drops resembled diamond gems as they glittered in the sunlight. Fresh air blew across you face as we stood with our arm stretched facing the valley deep below. Every single step to reach here was so much worth. It was one of most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

From here, we reached the sunset point, for which Agumbe is most famous. Clouds spoilt the fun and we couldn't enjoy the best view one gets to see during the sunset. But sun dint want to disappoint us completely so he made way between the clouds and wished us bye for the day. Back in our home stay Doddamane, an interesting episode :p