Road trips to explore monsoon? Yes, Monsoon in Western Ghats in India is mesmerising and if you love driving like we do and are a road tripper, then there is nothing more pleasurable than driving during Monsoon in Western ghats. The rains in the Western Ghats creates magic all around. It turns the hills green. Cascades tumble down beautifully from nowhere in the mountains. Streams hitherto dry get back their life. It is green and beautiful all around.
Here are few drives we have listed for experiencing the Monsoon in Western ghats at its best. We have done some and some have been suggested by our friends. We bet that these drives will bring smile to your faces.
All the drives are worked as a loop from a prominent destination. Click on the route link to take you to Google map link. Typically these drives need two days of travel with a night halt. Of course, there are opportunities to extend the trip and explore around the places. If you want to explore more, then you need to provide for additional days.
We have provided related links to posts in this blog in each section.
Go ahead and explore. Enjoy the drive this monsoon.
Thanks to H V Kumar - a legend among Indian road trippers - for his valuable help and guidance in helping me compile this list.
Thanks to H V Kumar - a legend among Indian road trippers - for his valuable help and guidance in helping me compile this list.
Monsoon Drive 1 - Malnad Magic
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| Nameless waterfall near Balehole |
Route - Hassan - Mudigere - Charmadi - Balehole - Sringeri - Agumbe - Tirthahalli - Chikmagalur - Hassan
Distance - 465 KMs
Road conditions - Excellent
Tips - This is a quintessential monsoon drive.
- You can savour charms of Charmadi ghat with its numerous waterfalls.
- Drive on winding mountain roads with water falls every few kilometres.
- Visit the famous Shankaracharya math and Sharada devi temple in Sringeri.
- Enjoy lovely valley views from sunset point in Agumbe.
- Get mesmerised with green landscape in the valley from Kundadri hill.
Check this post in this Blog - Monsoon drive in Malnad - Countless Waterfalls & Visual Bliss!
Monsoon Drive 2 - Malnad Heritage trail
Route - Hassan - Mudigere - Charmadi - Ujire - Moodabidri - Karkala - Sringeri - Chikmagalur - Hassan |
| Beautiful landscape in Kudremukh National park |
Distance - 400 KMs
Road conditions - Very Good
Travel Tips - Another lovely drive through Malnad region of Karnataka.
- Enjoy the experience of myriad waterfalls on Charmadi ghat.
- Visit the famous Manjunatha temple at Dharmasthala.
- Visit Jain shrines and 1000 pillared temple in Moodabidri.
- Check out 35 feet Bahubali statue in Karkala.
- Drive through pristine forests of Kudremukh.
- Visit Shankaracharya mutt and temple at Sringeri.
Check out this post on this blog - Driving Holidays from Bangalore - Karavali and Koffee combo
3. Monsoon Drive 3 - Malnad Coffee Trail
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| Rolling meadows of Sakleshpur |
Distance - 331 KMs
Road Conditions - Very Good with some broken patches.
Travel tips - Here is an opportunity to drive through the beautiful landscape of meadows and rolling hills.....
- Experience the rolling meadows of Sakleshpur.
- Visit Manjarabad fort built by Tipu Sultan
- Enjoy the glorious sight of Mallalli falls
- Drive amidst Rolling hills and cascades in Coorg,
- Visit the famous temple town of Subramanya.
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| Chinnakanal Waterfalls, Munnar |
Distance - 550 KMs
Road conditions - Very Good
Travel Tips - An experience to cherish for! Driving on a winding road amidst green cape entails you to
- Visit a paradise called Munnar
- Check out Mini Niagara at Athirapally falls,
- Drive on one of most beautiful hill roads in the country between Athirapally and Valparai,
- Experience the serenity of Valparai and its wildlife.
Recommended Night halt - Athirapally falls
Check out this post on this blog - Valparai - Unexplored wonder
Munnar in Monsoon - Going gaga over ghats!
Monsoon drive 5 - Enchanting Uttara Kannada
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| Beautiful temple at Banavasi built by Kadambas |
Distance - 427 KMs
Road condition - Very Good
Travel tips - Another great malnad and coastal drive. Unexplored region. Excellent roads and unspoilt forest roads make this drive memorable.
- Drive through pristine forests of Uttara Kannada and experience numerous cascades on the way.
- Explore numerous waterfalls around Sirsi and lovely temple at Banavasi.
- Visit one of the nine jyotirlingas and lovely beaches at Gokarna.
- Experience river rafting in Dandeli.
- Go for bird watching in Dandeli including Hornbills.
Recommended night Halt - Gokarna
Check out this post on this blog - Driving Holidays from Bangalore - Exploring Uttara Kannada
Check out this post on this blog - Driving Holidays from Bangalore - Exploring Uttara Kannada
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| Jog Falls |
Distance - 507 KMs
Road condition - Very good
Travel tips - This is again a lovely drive through pristine forests of Western ghats and along the coast.
- Visit Jog falls in its full glory.
- Drive through bio diversity hot spot of Sharavathi valley.
- Pay obeisance to the second tallest shiva statue in the world at Murudeshwar.
- Enjoy the vistas at Maravanthe.
- Pray at centuries old Krishna temple in Udupi.
- Experience gorgeous valley views at Agumbe and Kundadri.
- Watch birds at Mandagadde bird sanctuary.
Check out the following post on this blog - Monsoon in Western Ghats - An itinerary to experience it!
Monsoon drive 7 - Drive through Hill Country
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| Lovely landscape between Gudalur - Kalpetta |
Distance - 350 KMs
Road conditions - Very Good
Travel tips - We stumbled upon Gudalur - Meppadi road on one of our trips to Wayanad. It turned out to be a fabulous drive.
- Do a quick safari in Bandipur.
- Drive through forest of Mudumalai.
- Drive on winding roads through lovely tea gardens after Gudalur
- Enjoy boat ride in Pookot lake.
- Experience the beauty of meenmutty water falls.
- Visit centuries old Thirunelly temple in the middle of forest.
- Drive through Nagarahole national park.
Check out this post on this blog - Monsoon experience @ Mango range
Monsoon drive 8 - Drive through Unexplored Kerala
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| Valley view from Calvery Mount in Kattappana hills |
Distance - 287 KMs
Road conditions - Very good
Travel tips - An unexplored circuit. Driving through some of the best preserved forests in the country. If you want to visit the reservoirs, you may have permission.
- Go for a quick safari in Gavi forest.
- Enjoy the meadows of Vagamon.
- Enjoy the views from Calvery mount in Kattappana
- Get awestruck at the sight of Idukki dam.
Monsoon Drive 9 - Magic of myriad cascades!
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| Amboli ghat in Monsoon |
Distance - 230 KMs
Road conditions - Very Good.
Travel tips - What else can one expect expect to get amazed at nature beauty when you drive on this circuit? It is pristine and it is beautiful. You will also get a chance to eat Malvan cuisine in Sawantwadi.
Recommended night halt - Sawantwadi
Check out this post in this blog - Monsoon Drive in western ghats - Awestruck in Amboli!
Monsoon drive 10 - Konkan Odyssey
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| View from Ratnagiri Fort |
Distance - 517 KMs
Road Conditions - Very Good with some rough patches
Travel Tips - This is driving odyssey through green Konkan.
- Visit the mighty citadels on the Konkan sea coast at Ratnagiri.
- Enjoy the landscape of Konkan in monsoon.
- Explore the famous hill station of Mahabaleshwar.
Recommended night halt - Mahabaleshwar
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| On Tamhini ghats |
Distance - 260 KMs
Travel tips - This is a day trip. This is a sheer bliss of driving in monsoon. The landscape is awesome. Myriad waterfalls greet you on the way.
Monsoon drive 12 - Sahyadri Splendour
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| Malshej Ghat |
Distance - 410 KMs
Road Conditions - Very Good
Travel Tips - This is for pleasure of driving in Monsoon in Sahyadri. It is a bliss to drive amidst green forests with waterfalls all around - check the picture above.
Recommended night halt - Igatpuri
The monsoon is still on and it is raining in Western Ghats. Time to go out into the rain and experience the bliss of nature!
Have you drive in Monsoon in Western ghats? Please share your experience.
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