My last helmet was a half Venus by Glider. I used it for little less than 2 years. Around an years time the the cloth holding the sponge on the right side for cheek was torn and the sponge was out. Around 1 year 6 months time the right side cushion was torn as it was placed only with gum. Around 1 year 8 months the cushion for back of the head was getting loose and was finally torn. The helmet by then was loose and not safe enough. If I used to drive little faster then the helmet would move and try go towards backside. I am telling you this to show the difference between the old and the new helmet, its pros and cons.

The old Venus by Glider cost me Rs 600 in December 2009 and was purchased from Lal Bagh road (best place to buy a helmet in Bangalore). The half size helmet was quite comfortable and I enjoyed wearing it. I went many long distance rides wearing it. The outside shield seems to be made of some hard cardboard which bends if force is applied towards the end. Towards the cheek it was only a plastic fitting. However, overall this was quite good for city ride.

The new helmet is Vega Boolean. It is a full size helmet which can also me used as half size as we can bent over the mouth section. The helmet is completely made of fiber with exterior glossy finish and graphics. The view glass is unbreakable as claimed by the sales man. The two side cheek cushions are connected by two buttons so they are detachable and washable. There is also a colored visor if you would like save yourself from sun rays. To control the visor we will have to use a button on the left hand side. There are 3 ventilation pores in the helmet. 2 are on the top which can be slided to open or close and the other at the mouth area. Closing the mouth section is easy but bending it over is little difficult.

This helmet has a very gorgeous look and will be a superb accessory on long bike trips. In the beginning it was tight and took a few days to loosen up and I am comfortable with it. Looking forward to a trip with it. It cost me Rs 1800, wheres MRP was Rs 1970 (bought from Lal Bagh road, Bangalore). If you bargain better you might even get a better price.

Note: The best time to look for a new helmet is when you start to become uncomfortable with your old helmet.

If you are interested in bird watching/bird photography and also want some recognition in this regard then you can participate in bird watching competition with Indiabirdraces.com. This event is supported by HSBC.

Typically they require 4 members in the team. To be in the competition you will have to name all pictures of the birds which you have shot. So ideally you should have a experienced bird watcher or who has knowledge of bird. Also, try to include a member who is aware of the ecology and places where birds can be found more. Looks like the event takes place every year a few times. And there is no registration fees.

So go birding!

Website: http://www.indiabirdraces.com

Location: 13 km from Bangalore – Mysore highway after Chanapatna if you are traveling from Bangalore

Distance: Around 75 km from Bangalore

Route: Bangalore – Mysore road – Kengeri – Bidadi – Ramnagaram – Chanapatna – left turn at Kokkere Bellur board (13 km from this turn) – Kokkere Bellur

How to Reach there: The best is private vehicle as public transport is not that frequent. However, you can come upto Maddur by KSRTC bus and then from Maddur to Kokkere Bellur by other bus.

Where to eat: There is no restaurant to eat in Kokkere Bellur. However, you can eat at Coffee Day on Bangalore – Mysore highway near Chanapatna or at Kamat Upahar or at any dhabas.

What to see: Beautiful migratory birds

Kokkere Bellur is a nondescript village located in Mandya district of Karnataka. Here every year in the month of January migratory birds particularly painted stork and Pelicans arrive here in huge numbers. They typically nest on Tamarind trees. The bird Painted Stork is known as Kokkere in Kannada, the local language and this is how the village got its name. The forest department compensates every villager on whose trees the birds nest so that they do not harm those trees. Indeed a good concept.

About our trip:

To the see the birds you must be in Kokkere Bellur by 7 am. Even better if you can reach earlier. We started around 4.45 am in the morning from Marathahalli. We decided to take NICE road so drove all the way to Hosur road to get on NICE road. From there to Mysore road via NICE road cost Rs 30 per bike. Apart from that the route was also longer. So I suggest you unless you are staying in the vicinity of NICE road junction on Bannerghatta road or Hosur road do not take NICE road. Go for Mysore road as it will be traffic free during dawn and wont cost you anything. During our ride through NICE road in the dark it was chilling cold. We were looking for every cover to avoid the cold wind.

By the time we crossed Bidadi the sky started to clear up. Just after crossing Ramnagaram there is a lake on the left hand side besides the highway. It also has a beautiful garden lawn with sitting arrangement. There we saw a beautiful sunrise – one of the best I have ever soon. On the other side of the lake there is a mosque with trees in the background. The sun was rising from behind the trees with its first light falling on the lake making beautiful colour effect. After a bit of photography there we were on the road again. I suggest you look for a Kokkere Bellur board on the left hand side after you cross Chanapatna which will ask you to take a left turn. Take left turn there and ride of another 13 km to reach Kokkere Bellur. On the country road you will first find Tailur lake on the left hand side. If you would like you can have short break here for photography. Continue further and you will come to a circle, take left and within few meters look for an open gate on the right hand side. These open gates are typical in Karnataka villages. Go through the gate little further and look for birds on the trees. If you are confused ask the villagers for the actual spot of bird nesting.

That was one of the best bird sighting I had ever done. Beautiful painted stork and pelicans were all over the trees. Painted stork has large sharp beck and long thin limbs. They are no wonder called Painted stork as they look like someone has painted them very carefully. Pelicans on the other hand are huge birds with a huge beck. Also, they make lots of noise. I was told by one villager that most bird arrives after January 15. So plan your trip after Jan 15. I suggest you walk through the village settings however make sure not to harm any paddy field or surroundings.

Kokkere Bellur is amazing for bird photography. However, note that to shoot birds you would need an advanced point and shoot camera or an DSLR with telephoto lens. For high zoom point and shoot cameras I suggest Cannon SX130, SX 20 and SX30 and Nikkon L110 or P100.

Note: River Shimsha is nearby. You can also visit there.

To view more pictures visit, TravelingBeats Photo Gallery.

To discuss this post visit, Travelingbeats Forum.

If you are the adventurous type and you like camping then discovery Hospitality can provide camping facilities in various exotic locations in North India. You can have a camp at Sam Sand Dunes, Pushkar, Manali, Auli, Pong dam, parore and Ratnagarh.

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e-mail: mktg@discoveryhospitality.com, vinod@discoveryhospitality.com

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Location: Chamarajanagar district

District Headquarter: Chamarajanagar

Distance: 210 km from Bangalore, 90 km from Mysore

Journey time: Around 4 hrs from Bangalore

How to reach there: By KSRTC bus via Mysore or Kollegal to BR Hills, private vehicle or bikes. Please note no bus is available from BR hills to K.Gudi. So private vehicle is preferable.

Route: Bangalore – Mysore road – Maddur – Take left turn after Maddur – Malavalli – Kollegal – yellandur – BR Hills

Where to stay: Government Lodges or private facilities

Where to eat: Sai Darshini

Language spoken: Kannada, Hindi and English understood to an extent

What to See: Hills, lush green forest and wildlife

Biligiriranga Hills or BR Hills is a unique range of hills connecting the Eastern and Western ghat ranges. Thus it allows free movement of animals from Eastern and Western ghat ranges and it features flora and fauna found in both the ranges. The forest there is called Biligiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary or simply BRT Wildlife Sanctuary which protected under the the Wildlife Protection Act, 1973. The sanctuary covers around 539.52 square km and was created on 27/06/1974. The minimum temperature is around 10 – 15 degree and maximum temperature is around 20 – 32 degree. Among wildlife one can see Gaur, Sambar, Chital, spotted Dear, Leopard, Bison, Elephant, sloth bear etc

This area is inhabited by Soliga tribes which were nomadic earlier and supposed to be the original residents.

Out Story:

We rode past Mysore road around 9 pm. But we rode quite fast and reached BR Hills by 1.30 pm. On the way as usual indulged in lots of photography. On the ghat section there is an intersection, if you go straight you will reach K.Gudi and if you take right you will reach BR Hills. We decided to go to K.Gudi which is 20 km from BR Hills. This 20 km stretch within of heavily forested area is wonderful for ride. Roads are narrow but in good shape. However, be careful of the treacherous terrain and curve. On this way if you are lucky you will be able to spot Dears. At K. Gudi you will be greeted by the Jungle Lodge Resort maintained by the government of Karnataka. The cost per person/day at this lodge is Rs 2750 which includes stay, food and jungle safari. The cost was steep and no room available. The bookings has to be done at JLR office at MG road, Bangalore.

That afternoon we could avail the safari so we decided to go back to BR Hills after we found that private lodging facilities are available. At BR Hills we booked a 3 beded room for Rs 900 opposite a government guest house around 6 pm. We did not had lunch till then, so after the booking formalities done we went to have food at Sai Darshini little away from there. This is the only hotel in this area and offers only vegetarian food. Back in the room every body was quite tired so after getting little fresh, everyone went to sleep. Frank was the first to wake up in the middle of the night (around 2 AM) followed by Arvind and me. Then I woke up Deepak saying “shuva ho gayi mamu”. Time went awesome in the dark and tranquility of the hills and we enjoying lighter moments. Meanwhile Hemanth spotted a small scorpion in the room. It was brown in color. We did video of the scorpion until it went inside its burrough.

By morning 6 am we went to Sai Darshini to have coffee and then went to Biligiri Ranganaswamy temple at BR hills. During day time one has to pay a toll pass of Rs 10 to reach there. However, since we went early morning there was no one to collect toll. The temple is top of a hill, probably the highest point in the area. It was a awesome ride through the curvaceous road in the mist. Lord Vishnu is prayed here as Ranganaswamy. From the temple periphery one can get a awesome view of the surrounding forest. During our visit it was covered with cloud most of the time. At the stairs of the temple, we saw a big black Beetle. Frank was the first one to get cosy with it. Then we did a bit of photography with it. Back from the temple we had breakfast (set dosha and Idli) at Sai Darshini. Following this we packed our bags, vacated the room and left for K.Gudi.

I again stress that the 20 km stretch from BR Hills to K.Gudi is awesome for riding but take precaution while riding. Do not give inexperience people to ride here. We reached K.Gudi around 11.30 pm. We were told there by guards that the safari is scheduled at 3 pm. So we went to see the local Soliga tribe settlements. We saw two settlements nestled among the hills and nature. We had the previlage to talk to one elder Soliga man who told now a days they speak just kannada. They just receive government given pension or go to far away lands like Coorg or kerela to labor to earn money. We took pictures of the people in their native custom. But be careful they demand money if you ask them to be photographed. The settlements are located 4 km from K.Gudi on the way to BR Hills. You will have to take a right turn after the safari road.

Back at K.Gudi we waited for the safari. The 1 hour jungle safari cost Rs 130 per person. Meanwhile we sighted big elephants, wild boar and a friendly dear. The spotted dear was just too comfortable around. She played with us, let us touch her and had biscuits from us jumping like a dog. The safari jeep, a Mahindra 4 by 4 was ready by 3.30 pm. In the safari we saw a Leopard on the tree eating a dear, many spotted deers, stags, Gaur, jungle Owl etc. During the second part of the safari it was raining like cats and dogs. We were back at K.Gudi by 5 pm. It was still drizzling but we had no option but to leave for Bangalore. We had to hurry as the forest gate at the Chamarajnagar side would be closed after 6 pm. This stretch of 11 km from K.Gudi to the next forest gate is very scenic as you can see the plains from hills. We also spotted parrot, wild hen and mongoose.

After driving for sometime we took a turn for Yelandur. As Chamrajnagar would be longer as we will have to ride via Nanjangud, Mysore to Bangalore. So via Yelandur we reached Kollegal – Malavalli and given a brief stoppage at Maddur Cafe Coffee day. Reached Bangalore around 12 o’clock. Lastly went to have food at Empire, Shivajinagar. Reached home at around 1.30 am.

Location: Chamrajanagar district

District Headquarter: Chamrajanagar

Distance: 135 km from Bangalore

Journey time: Around 2.5 hrs

How to reach there: KSTDC tour package, break journey on KSRTC buses and Private vehicle. However, if you want to take bath in the falls and spend more time then you should hire a private vehicle.

Route: 1. Bangalore – Mysore road – Muddur – Malavalli – Shivanasamudra

2. Bangalore – kanakpura road – kanakpura – Malavalli – Shivanasamudra

Where to stay: No place to stay

Where to eat: Restaurant at Gaganachukki (food is decent)

Language spoken: Kannada, Hindi

Best time to visit: July to October

What to See:

Shivanasamudra falls is also known as bluff. Here, the first hydro electric power station of Asia was commissioned in 1902. Electricity from here was first supplied to Kolar Gold Field (KGF) making it the first town in Asia to use electricity. Shivanasamudra falls is formed by two branches of river cauvery. The eastern branch forms the Barachukki falls and the western ranch forms the Gaganachukki falls.

Team members: Deepak, Arvind, Avnesh, Srinivas, Dilip, Hemanth, Rajesh, Jeet

I always emphasis that for any trip, one should leave early. However, on many occasions we miss on that. This time we agreed to leave 6 am but by the time we left Bangalore it was almost 9 am. We lost precious 3 hours for which we could not explore anything apart from the falls. But no disappointemnt though as bath at Barachukki falls was an amazing experience.

We all met at Domlur layout and then went on to have break fast at Shanti Sagar there. As we passed Bidadi, it was time to zip. At Muddur took left for malavalli. I suggest you look for yellow boards which displays the distance of tourist destinations for direction. After riding through winding roads and photo shoots in between, we reached the front gate of Gaganachukki water falls where a hydro electric project is in place. I visited the hydro electric project in 2004 but these days people are not allowed inside. Once you pass the gate, you will have to ride for another 3 km to reach Gaganachukki water falls.

Gaganachukki has ample parking space for both two wheelers and 4 wheelers. Here you can see river Cauvery split into two streams and cascading over the rocks from a height of around 98 meters. As walk near to the falls, your ears will be buzzing with roaring sound of the gushing water and wind. For best view, decent through the steps to the watch tower. On the other side of the falls you can see the powerhouse in the gorge. There is a dargah called Darga Hazrath Mardane Gaib behind the Gaganachukki falls. This dargah can visited while visiting Barachukki falls which located around 10 km from Gaganachukki falls. One word of caution, do not try to climb down from this side towards the falls, it can be fatal. On the way one can see catchment areas of river cauvery.

At Barachukki one has to descend around 150 – 200 steps to reach the falls in the midst of woods. After reaching the base area, one has to be careful as our pre – historic friends will be waiting to pounce on your bag. I suggest you keep your bag on the stones near the falls shore and go for bath. However, be careful as the water bed is full of rocks, so do not try diving and swimming. This falls is more happening than Gaganachukki falls. After playing in the water for sometime, I told Deepak, may be we can explore the falls on the right side. Soon we went little upstream and crossed the stream to the reach the base of the amazing falls. Be careful while crossing stream as stones at places may be slippery. This place is just wonderful with the gushing water, rocks and woods. The water bed here too is rocky, but as you go towards the plunging water you can find some sandy area beneath your feet. Deepak took the lead in climbing the rock to taste the fast moving water. Soon I followed as it was too good to miss. On the cliff, as I sat the high speed gushing water bombarded my back. What a massage it was! Such a nice place, nobody was in a mood to leave. However, we decided to leave so that Hemanth and Dilip can come here and have sometime.

At the base camp, we decided to go for coracle ride. This guy charges Rs 100 for upto 4 people. He took us just besides the falls where we could literally feel the water of the falls. Amazing feelings and view when you could see the falls from right below.

We left Barachukki falls around 5 pm. The ride was little synchronized as night descended and further more my cell phone was out of charge. Riding through dark night and woods was a feeling in itself. Hemanth was switching off head light of the bike to check how dark it was – it was complete dark. At Muddur we took a break at Cafe Coffee Day. After a cup of Cuppachino, we were back on the roads. On the way we again met all the other partners. Reached bangalore by 10.30 pm and went straight to Green Onion at Residency Cross road to have food. Reached home by around midnight.

Pearl valley is the anglicized form of Kannada term Muthyala Maduvu. In Kannada muthu means pearl and maduvu means valley. It is so called as the water falls creates drops water resembling pearl. It is a popular picnic spot with lots of greenery around. The star attraction here is a small water falls. It is located at the periphery of Bannerghatta National park and one see the boundary of the Bannerghatta National park here.

Location: Anekal taluk

Distance: 40 km from Bangalore

Route:  1. Bangalore – Bannerghatta road – take right from Anekal circle – on the way to chandapur take right at the sighnboard “nature valley” or Muthyala Maduvu written in kannada.

2. Bangalore—>Hosur Road—>Chandapura—>Anekal—>Muthyala Maduvu

How to reach there: Private vehicles

Where to have food: KSTDC Mayura hotel

Where to stay: Not available

Best Time to visit: August to November

Team members: Jeet, Bhushan, Santosh and Hemanth

carrier: Yamaha FZ, Hero Honda Splendor and Honda Aviator

Our story:

For quite sometime I was contemplating a trip with office buddies and finally we took off on Thursday morning around 6.30 am. Met the other 3 people on the trip at IIM and we moved on. On the way we halted at a small time road side hotel and were treated with tasteless food. However, that did not lessen our enthusiasm for the journey ahead. Here starts the zip zapping with 3 bikes on the roll. Soon we past Bannerghatta national park. After little over an hours drive we reach Muthyala Maduvu or Pearl valley.

There is parking lot available just in front of the KSTDC hotel. You will have to shell out Rs 10 for entry fees. After parking our vehicles, we started descending into the gorge. As we reached near the water falls, I thought I was viewing the tiniest water falls in the world. The last time we visited in 2004 and 2005, the falls had more water then what we saw now. I assumption was that it was raining these days, so there should be more water. If you want to see the water falls basically then suggest you go there at the end of rainy season and particularly after it rains for few days.

However, the deficit of water in the water falls was made up by the adventurous trek we did in the wild there. In 2004 I remember with couple of friends climbed up the hill and had food and stuffs there. But this time we were little more adventurous and decided to explore uncharted territories. Bhushan used to tell me about his adventures in and around Belgaum. His manoeuvrings to find ways in the wild showed ample experience. We made our way through thorny bushes, sometimes loose and steep hill side to some beautiful places on the hill top. We descended back with Hemanth’s torn shirt.

Following this we went back to water falls area where a shooting was going on. A man was acting meditation. After they went, we went there and took pictures.
Sometime later, we went to the KSTDC hotel. Ordered for cold drinks and settled on the balcony overseeing hills and the gorge. After chilling out there for sometime, we left back for Bangalore. As we reached Bannerghatta, it started and it kept chasing us till I reached home.

If you are yearning for adventure and want to take that little more than a amateur way then following are the list of top class adventure and outdoor institutes in India which may help you:

1. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi
2. Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling
3. Atal Behari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali
4. Winter Sports Skiing Center, Kulu
5. National Outdoor Leadership School, Uttaranchal
6. Dive Goa, Goa
7. Temple Pilots Paragliding School, Kamshet
8. National Institute of Water Sports, Goa
9. Lacaddive Dive Centres, Bangaram and Kadmanth
10. Lakshadweep Dive Line Agatti, Agatti Island

If you are a cycling enthusiasts and looking forward for company to adventure cycling then your voice has been heard. I am going to show you where you can approach in this regard. Adventure cycling is not easy as it involves a lot of planning, logistics and contingency plans. So take your dream forward on off the beaten trails with Tandem Trails. Tandem Trails comprises of a bunch of cycling enthusiasts who have years of experience in cycling. They have covered various routes like:

Coorg – Nagarhole – Titimati

Mullaingiri & Mutthodi

Wayanad

Bheemeshwari

Kalasha

They have also charted out long tours (7 – 10 days) covereing 950 km through Karnataka, Kerela and Tamil Nadu. Spiti valley in Shimla and Manali to Leh route.

They also provide bike and accessories on rent.

Address:

TandemTrails
#159/31
14th ‘A’ Main Road
8th ‘B’ Cross
RPC Layout
Vijayanagar, Bangalore-560040
Phone: +91-9481603270
Website: Tandemtrails.co.in

If you are adventurous at heart and thrill seeker at heart. Then you are going love what I am going to share with you now. A list of Top 10 adventurous places in the world. It provides a list of 10 beautiful places from Mexico to New Zealand. Let me know, if you agree with this list or you have a different list.