5 Memorable Road Trips From Bangalore

Road trips are my favourite way to travel. And when it comes to family holidays, it gives us the chance to be more spontaneous and take responsibility for our own travel itinerary. In my opinion, there is perhaps a no better and more affordable way to see a place than to explore it by car. Road trips also provide an opportunity to cherish the journey more than the destination. If you are a person who prefers freedom, flexibility, comfort, and hygiene when it comes to travel, then road trips in your own car are the best bet for you. In this post, I will share our 5 memorable road trips from Bangalore that we enjoyed together as a family.

The best part about being in Bangalore is that not only the city is the IT hub of India, but it is also surrounded by many beautiful attractions and serene places. Which in turn, means that you can go to amazing places by just hitting the road. Here are, again, 5 places that you can visit by enjoying a memorable road trip with your family or friends:

Mekedatu

Located along the Cauvery river in Kanakapura district in Karnataka, Mekedatu is just 100 km from Bengaluru and is a great place for a one day trip. At this point, the river Cauvery flows through a deep and narrow gorge. Mekedatu means ‘goat’s leap’ in the Kannada language. It is believed that the name came from an incident a long time ago when herdsmen witnessed a goat being chased by a tiger. The goat made a desperate attempt to save its life by leaping from one side of the gorge and managed to cross over the raging river below.

Places to visit

• Shivanasamudra Falls

• Sangama

• Kallahalli Sri Srinivasa Temple

• Chunchi falls

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Chunchi Fall

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  The Sangama – Confluence of Arkavathi and Kaveri rivers

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  River Cauvery gushing through the deep and narrow gorge in Mekadatu, Karnataka.

If you are looking for a one day trip from Bangalore and want to spend some quality time with your family and friends, then Mekedatu is a great place to visit.

Coorg

Coorg – also known as Kodagu – is a tranquil rural district cradled in the Western Ghats in southern Karnataka. It is 264 km from Bangalore and also a perfect place for a pleasant road trip. Coorg experiences monsoons from June till September and often receives heavy showers, which increases the beauty of this place manifolds. It is also known as one of the best hill stations in southern India and is rather famous as “Scotland of India” because the climate and the landscapes are similar to Scotland.

Read here our road trip experience from Bangalore to Coorg

Places to visit

• Namdroling Monastery (Golden Temple)

• Cauvery Nisargadhama

• Abbey Falls

• Dubare Elephant Camp

• Raja’s Seat

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Golden temple

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Monks at their living quarters

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Nisargadhama

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Coorg Raja’s Seat view

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Abbey Falls

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Dubare elephant camp

Coorg offers a lot to its visitors. If you want to pick coffee berries on tour around a coffee plantation and want to witness lush greenery and spectacular landscapes, then Coorg is the right place to go.

Chikmagalur

Chikmagalur is one of the most serene and beautiful destinations in Karnataka. Located at a distance of 245 km from Bangalore, it is one of the most popular places to enjoy picturesque landscapes and soak in the natural beauty. It is also known for its sprawling coffee plantations. While in Chikmagalur, you can also visit numerous temples including the Sharadamba Temple, Vidyashankara Temple, Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple, and Amruteshwar Temple.

Places to visit

• Mullayanagiri

• Hirekolale Lake

• Hebbe Falls

• Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

• Baba Budangiri

• Coffee Museum

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Hirekolale Lake

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Mahatma Gandhi Park

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  Mullayanagiri

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Hebbe Falls

After visiting Chikmagalur, I can say that it is one of the best places in Karnataka for a tranquil retreat. This place has a lot to offer to its visitors - lush green mountains, picturesque trekking trails, cascading waterfalls, and mystical temples. If you are a real nature lover, then there is no better place than the verdant hills of Chikmagalur.

Wayanad

Are you looking for the best road trip experience while in Bangalore? And that too from one state to another which only takes five to six hours to reach? I would suggest you take a road trip from Bangalore to Wayanad, Kerala. One of the prominent reasons to choose Wayanad is that it shares its border with Karnataka. It is also easily accessible via National and State Highways.

Located at a distance of about 282 km from Bangalore, Wayanad is a hill station and one of Kerala’s least populous district. The name Wayanad has been derived from the expression vayal nadu – the village of paddy fields. Embellished with misty mountains, splendid forests, pristine rivers, and cascading waterfalls, Wayanad is also home to a few wildlife sanctuaries, tall hills, and tea estates.

Wayanad not only offers visual sights, but it also has some historical stories to tell. Pictorial carvings, on the walls of the Edakkal caves, are the archaeological evidence of its historical background since the Neolithic and Mesolithic age. Ancient temples enclosed with mountains and forests surely adds more charm to this region.

Read here our road trip experience from Bangalore to Wayanad

Places to visit

• Banasura Sagar Dam

• Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

• Thirunelli Temple

• Soochipara Waterfalls

• Edakkal Cave

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Banasura Sagar Dam

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Thirunelli Temple

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Carvings at Edakkal Cave

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Soochipara Falls

We enjoyed scenic beauty, visited an ancient temple, carvings and paintings in the caves. A safari through the deep green forest was a thrilling experience for us. On top of that, we had the best authentic Kerala food there. According to my experience, Wayanad is a perfect destination for nature lovers, photographers, adventures, trekkers, history lovers and family holidays.

Mysuru

Bangalore to Mysuru is one of the most popular road trips in India. At a distance of just 140 km from Bangalore, Mysore or Mysuru has always enchanted travellers with its magnificent palaces, beautiful gardens and rich cultural heritage. It’s a beautiful and clean city famous for its silk, the Dasara festival, and a thriving sandalwood and incense centre. Do not forget to try Mysore Masala Dosa and Mysore Pak during your visit.

Place to visit

• Mysore Palace

• Karanji Lake

• Memory world Max Museum

• St. Philomena church

• Chamundi Hills and Chamundeshwari Temple

• Brindavan Gardens

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Mysuru Palace

• Photo ©The Blissful Aura

  Mysuru Palace

What are your most memorable road trips? Share your wonderful experience in the comment section!

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Photo ©The Blissful Aura

Road Trips From Bangalore

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.