With the pandemic curtailing the travel boundaries right now, my friends and I decided to explore destinations closer to us. I live in Bangalore and the options for day trips are seriously limited. So, we planned a trip to Chunchi Falls which is about 80-90 km from Bangalore. Around 10 km from there is Sangama and Mekedatu which is quite popular for family picnics.
How to get to Chunchi Falls & Sangama
We booked an Ola outstation because we were not very comfortable travelling on bikes to the spot. It was a new destination and our decision proved really good [read the Experience at Chunchi section to know why]. So, we started at 7-7.30 AM and the journey took about two hours. You will have to go through Kanakapura road to make it to this destination, taking the NICE road will make it easier. Frankly, we slept through this because we woke up early in the morning, but couldn’t start early because a friend slept late. The Ola fare came to somewhere around 3.5k for the entire trip inclusive of the NICE road toll.
Chunchi Falls
This is the first destination you’ll come across when taking this route. You’ll have to take a left detour from the main road to enter the place. If you have your own transport, the people from the food stalls at the parking will ask you to pay a parking fee which is about Rs 20-40 depending on their mood. The food stalls usually have junk food, Maggi, boiled eggs etc., so you will not have to carry anything. But again, this is junk food we’re talking about, so you might want to pack something healthy for the journey.
Experience at Chunchi falls
We made it to Chunchi falls around 9.30 AM and made our way to the falls. Since we went in March, the water was considerably low and we were allowed to trek down a bit but stopped where the cops had put a red marker to avoid people going down further. But, that said, there were “guides” out there who promised to take us below where we could play in the water for a fee of Rs 250. Since we were just three girls travelling we declined. We were the first few travellers on the spot and didn’t feel entirely safe descending the rocks to an isolated place with the guides. We spent over 2 hours eating peanut butter sandwiches and having watermelon slices we got from home.
Here’s when things went wrong. We lost track of time and sat for over 2 hours in the blazing sun without realising it. And when more tourists started venturing we decided to hike it back to the parking. Then we noticed my friend had sunstroke and couldn’t manage the hike back. We had to ask the “guides” for help to take her up to a food stall. After copious amounts of liquid and sitting in the shaded area of the food stall we were able to resume our way back. We had some hot Maggi, buttermilk and lemonade just to ensure we were fit to make it to Sangam.
Sangam and Mekedatu
Sangama is about half an hour away from Chunchi falls and the parking lot opens to the river bed where you can have a picnic with your family. You will get a forest check post where you need to enter your details and a couple of blocks later pay Rs 30 for parking. There are two restaurants at this spot and small food stalls that sell fruits and snacks. Again, as we went there when the water levels were low we couldn’t take a coracle ride to Mekedatu. So, we missed it.
Experience at Sangam
We sat with our feet immersed in the water at Sangam for half an hour. With the fish nibbling at our feet, we let the calm serenity of the water and greenery surrounding the space relax us. Despite reaching the spot in the afternoon, the weather was pretty cool out here and we had some tender coconut to replenish ourselves. We avoided having lunch at the food places out here as the options were limited but snacked on food brought from home. So, that about sums up our experience on this trip.
What to carry for your trip to Chunchi falls and Sangam
- Water [there are water bottles available but avoid plastic please!]
- Snacks/Food
- Hat/umbrella and sunglass [the heat is really bad because of the rocks]
- Cash [although there are online payment options, the network isn’t that great here]
- Comfortable shoes and flip flops [Chunchi falls need good shoes to hike but slippers work well in Sangam]
- A change of clothes [if you’re planning on getting into the water, this is good. Sangam has changing rooms but not Chunchi falls]
- Energy drink/glucose [the sun sucks out your energy and having backup sugary supplement helps]
- Earphones [at least when you’re heading back, you might want to simply listen to music as you’ll be tired]
- Sunscreen/aloe gel [stock up on both as the sun’s rays are stronger given the lack of shade in Chunchi falls]
Best time to visit Chunchi falls and Sangam
September to January is a good time to visit Chunchi falls and Sangama as the water level is pretty good and the rain isn’t very heavy. Summers there is not much water and during the rainy season, the places have lots of restrictions for safety reason.
How far is Chunchi falls and Sangam from Bangalore?
Chunchi falls is around 89 km from Bangalore. Whereas Sangam is about 93 km from Bangalore. The distance between Chunchi falls and Sangam is about 10 km.
What is the best way to get to Chunchi falls and Sangam?
Although there are buses that go to Chunchi falls, I would recommend getting your own bike or car. Taking a bike is a bit risky. There are reports of local robberies and the chance of getting lost is high because the network isn’t strong near Chunchi falls. Plus, based on our experience where a friend got sunstroke, we were lucky that we didn’t have to ride back in such a situation.
I hope this article helped you guys plan your next weekend travel! If you have more questions feel free to share them on the comment box below and I’ll get back as soon as I can!