Kemmannagundi, a monarch retreat

For a weekend break from Bangalore, we found Kemmannagundi in Karnataka. It is a single secluded hill that’s been successfully posing as a hill station ever since King Krishna Rajinder made its summer haven here. It can be viewed in one day with its views, gardens and waterfalls. The 58 km ride from Chikmagalur to Kemmannagundi is like watching a nature program on TV. There were views of sprawling coffee estates shaded with silver oaks stream on our car window as we bounce along on potholes. The Horticulture department guest house is thick with flowers in the garden. Then there was the Rock garden within the guest house premises maintained by the Horticulture Department. The Kallahati falls also known as Kalahasti falls descend from a height of 122m and are quite pretty. It’s a lovely place for picnic lunch. Then we went to trekking Mohammed Aseem who works for LEAF, an environmental agency, is the activity coordinator for the Taj in Chikmagalur and also organizes treks, coffee plantation visits and other activities for tourists.

Find Travel Directions to Kemmannagundi here