Oct 26, 2015 02:58 PM
16494 Views
Nandi hills is the closest getaway from Bangalore - and probably the only one you can afford to visit, while keeping an evening free for other activities.
Located about 60kms from Bangalore, it's a quick two-hour drive away. If you are planning to take a bus, however, be ready for double the journey time. Roads are excellent till Chickballapur and the newly rebuily elevated expressway till Devanahalli has now helped in easing traffic and reducing journey time very significantly. You can maintain a steady 100-120 all the way till Chickballapur, though there are lot of speed-breakers to mar your driving pleasure. The road from Chickballapur onwards quite decent and has been recently retouched. There are quite a few resorts on the way and you'd be greeted with people selling grapes on either side of the road.
The highlight of the route, however, has to be the ghats leading uphill to the summit. If you are an enthusiastic biker or driver, you would fall in love with the roads. Steep, blind and sweeping U-turns would entice you endlessly. There are occasions where I have done multiple uphill-downhill rides just to enjoy the curvy roads. A word of caution - Beware of the locals on bikes - they will perform all sorts of stunts and evoke you to race them. Avoid them at all circumstances. If they race you, ease off and let them go forward. It's not worth a crash.
The hilltop is scenic, with a good cover of trees and a clean view for miles around. If you are interested in trekking around, there is quite a lot to walk inside. If you are not interested to trek, then unfortunately, you would still have to walk quite a lot inside. Funnily enough, cars are allowed inside but bikes are not allowed - just keep this in mind. There are some heritage sites inside as well. Once inside, there are plenty of spots to sit and relax, and you can choose anywhere from wooded canopies to viewpoints offering scenic vantage points. Amenities are basic. There are a couple of shops selling ice-creams and soft drinks, and a single canteen serving overpriced south indian snacks. There is a well-placed restaurant as well, though I haven't checked it out and won't be in a position to comment. A further trek would take you to the Nandi temple and a girded viewpoint.
The place does get very crowded on weekends with families and large groups taking up sites to camping, but if you seek a bit of solace and peace, there are still plenty of spaces around. Be cautious about the monkeys though - there's an army of them around and they do become a nuisance. Though it's good to visit any season, I have had the pleasure of visiting Nandi in the monsoons, which, I feel is the best time to experience the place - that's when clouds engulf you as they pass the hilltop, reducing visibility to near zero and chilling you to the bone. If you are visiting in the monsoons, be ready to be drenched - that's part of the experience! Overall, a very decent place within close quarters from the city.
