How do you plan your weekends? Do you google for travel ideas? Do me a favor, search for ‘weekend trips around Bangalore’. Open the first 4 links. I bet you wouldn’t be able to see Krishnagiri as a recommendation. That’s good because we don’t want an offbeat destination crowded by tourists, do we?
But a desire of not driving for 250 KM or more brought me to Krishnagiri. Just a 100 KM from Bangalore, Krishnagiri can be the best bet for you if you also don’t intend to drive a lot and still be one with nature. Here, I present my experience of visiting Krishnagiri and discovering a gem for a quick weekend getaway.
What’s so special about Krishnagiri that made me love it?
Krishnagiri doesn’t fall in in the list of famous weekend getaways. When everybody is going to Coorg, Ooty or Chikmagalur, I would recommend you to go to Krishnagiri. You can stay at Bamboo Rustles as the stay itself has a unique charm. They provide local food and is pet-friendly as well. But, what would you do after reaching at Bamboo Rustles in Krishnagiri? Continue reading to know about some of the most offbeat attractions I have come across after traveling for years!
1. Visit the hilltop and revel in an unperturbed landscape
The best part of Krishnagiri is this hilltop which offers you some amazingly untouched views. From the top, you will be able to see the three neighboring states; Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. However, no clear demarcation can be identified from the top. But, you will be able to see the road which cuts through the state borders. The serpentine road adds a lovely stroke of a silver paint in this beautiful canvas laid out by nature for you. There is a Shivaling at top of this hilltop which can be seen from a distance as well. The representation of Lord Shiva would be at least 10 feet tall and a dhoti clad Pandit will welcome you with happy eyes. Generally, temples and religious monuments are crowded in India. But, this Shivaling which adorned the lush green hilltop had no other devotees apart from us.
View from the top of Hilltop, Krishnagiri
The many shades of green kept us amazed while we tried to hold ourselves steady from the ferocious wind. Due to the flat landscape spread in front of us, the wind had gathered a lot of momentum and bounced off the hilltop with full force, leaving our hair in disarray. It’s a bit tricky to reach this Hilltop, due to lack of signboards and a popular name. But, the property manager at Bamboo Rustles will be kind enough to guide you. If required, he will also send someone along with you so that the hilltop can be admired by you as well.
2. Experience Kayaking and enjoy swimming at Krishnagiri Dam
Yet another attraction near Krishnagiri town offers a lovely experience. The water body is calm and a great spot to enjoy some water activities. Bamboo Rustles can arrange Kayaks and life jackets for you. The best time to enjoy Kayaking and taking a dip in water would be early morning or evening when the Sun is just about to set. Again, this activity is not done by locals. Hence, you can expect nobody other groups to give you company. For us, the time played a negative role and didn’t allow us to enjoy kayaking or swimming. The winds were also not favorable when we planned for it and eventually, we missed Kayaking here. But, that’s fine. There is always the next time.
Krishnagiri Dam
3. Hike to the top of Rayakottai Fort
Krishnagiri offers so many offbeat attractions that our trip became very memorable for me. Apart from the hilltop and the Dam, Rayakottai adds a great flavor to Krishnagiri. Located an hour’s drive away from Bamboo Rustles, Rayakottai Fort is plush with green flora, with a rocky road leading to the top of the fort. The fort belonged to Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali in the 18th century but, was later acquired by the British due to the Srirangapatna treaty which was signed after the third Anglo-Mysore war in 1791.
The Rayakottai fort might not be in its best condition now, but the ruins still paint a grand picture of past. The rocky road took us through dense flora and we also passed some caves. All the while, we were surrounded by hundreds of fluttering butterflies, clad in a bright yellow color. The welcome by these pretty butterflies was indeed a surprise. I didn’t cover Rayakottai and Krishnagiri in the same trip. I had already been to Rayakottai before visiting Krishnagiri. However, after spending the weekend at Krishnagiri did I realize how close Rayakottai was!
To read my detailed experience of exploring Rayakottai Fort, you can read my Rayakottai Blog post about the same.
Some snaps from my Rayakottai trip
If you plan to visit Krishnagiri, I recommend you to visit all these three attractions. When we visited these, we didn’t find anybody at any of these attractions. That definitely makes these attractions very offbeat, exactly how I like it.
Apart from the 3 attractions, the time spent at Bamboo Rustles was also lovely. I played with Chica and Coco, their dogs and savored some delectable local food. The staff was also very pleasant. You can read my Bamboo Rustles blog post for the detailed account.
There is a reason why I like offbeat destinations and attractions. You can spend as much time as you want with nature and friends. No vendors trying to sell you stuff, no groups who think it is a good idea to play loud music and most importantly, no traffic!
I hope you liked the recommendation. If I have been able to convince you to go to Krishnagiri, connect with me and I will get you a good deal for Bamboo Rustles. Have you already been to Krishnagiri? Did you visit all these attractions? Do share your experience with me in the comment section below.
Keep following me to know more about my travel articles. To read about my other offbeat travels, visit my Offbeat Travel blog section.