Sakleshpur, a hill station in the district of Hassan is known for its weekend getaways, a thrall of bio diversity, amazing treks to its green peaks and a peaceful place to unwind. This town nestling amidst the coffee, tea and spice plantations is in the Malnad region and also the origin place for two rivers. The place being a bio diversity hotspot will give you the best experience of the temperate climate and the Western Ghats. The town lies on the National Highway (NH 75) and connects both Mangalore and Bangalore which are only a couple hundred kilometers away making it the perfect weekend getaway spot.
Home stays, camping and cottages
If you are planning a vacation, why not do it the authentic way and experience the lie at a hill-station at its best. The town offers home stays which are perfect for a family or an outing with friends complete with hearty meals and an opportunity to stay amidst the bio diverse and lovely green foliage of the hills. There are options to even stay in rustic and quaint wooden cottages which are luxurious and give you the experience of the life there. Camping options are exciting with different views to choose from and vast meadows and lovely green hill sides to camp on which is complete with an evening bonfire and some mellow songs by the fire.
Food and Locale
‘Whenever in Rome, be a Roman’ goes the saying and it fits perfectly here. To experience the Ghats in the right way, you need to engage yourself in the local cuisine and the plantation lifestyle.
The local cuisine is diverse and is different at each time of year based on the seasonal produce. The locally sourced produce is beautiful, full with the earthy spices and curries that will warm your soul. The locals have a liking to a particular kind of fragrant rice ‘Sannakki’ and also the famous ‘Akki rotti’ with ‘Avarekalu Curry’ will leave you wanting more.
Experience the local lifestyle by strolling through the vast expanse of spice plantations of clove, cardamom, tea, coffee and areca. The greenery and the aroma throughout these plantations will having you falling in love with the Malnad region.
Adventure sports and Treks
Sakleshpur has two sides to it, one side is the peaceful and homely while the other is full of excitement and adventure. The town offer many adventure sports and great trails for treks amongst the foggy green peaks. Some adventure sports which might appeal to your crazy side are Zip lining, Sky cycling and more.
The trekking trails amidst the Bisle forest of which the town is a part of will leave you breathless and at a loss for words at the same time as you enjoy the views from the peaks. Sakleshpur complete with the trifecta of a hill station having green peaks, waterfalls and plantations has the most amazing treks suitable even for beginners. Some of the famous trekking trails are, Murkannu Gudda Trek, Hadlu waterfalls trek and the Bisle Ghat trek.
The highlights of the town
Some highlights and the landmarks of the town you can't miss out on include the Manjarabad fort, Hemavati Bridge and temple of the town deity, Sakleshwara Swamy temple. There are many beautiful waterfalls and hills which are a must-visit.
Manjarabad Fort
The Manjarabad fort located only 10kms away from Sakleshpur is known for its unique star shaped architecture envisions the history of the town. The fort which is now under the maintenance of the Department of Archeology was built by Tipu Sultan in 1792 when he took over the rule of Mysore dynasty. The fort is built in Islamic-style architecture and is in the form of a star when seen from the sky. This fort was the part of the highway route he wanted to establish between Coorg and Mangalore for expansion of his kingdom. The fort has a mural of the map of the whole fort at its entrance which has been well preserved.
Waterfalls
The town being the perfect hill station has ever-flowing waterfalls with their rushing white waters and misty views. The most famous ones are Mookamane waterfalls, Magajahalli waterfalls and the Hadlu waterfalls.
The Mookamane waterfalls is nestled in the thick green forests and breaks the green foliage with its serene falls. The falls is not a popular location making it a little hidden gem in the middle of the Ghats to just sit down and take a breath of fresh air.
The Magajahalli waterfall gushes out from amidst the thick green foliage about 20kms from Sakleshpur. The visitors can even take a refreshing swim in the falls and experience the crisp chill of freshwater in the middle of the forest.
The Hadlu falls is the most popular falls and even has a trekking trail to it. The trek to the falls itself takes us through the winding trails in the plantations and the forest to eventually end in the sight of the waterfall which itself is picture perfect. After the tiring trek to find these falls nestled there is almost serendipitous.
The best time to visit these waterfalls is in the monsoon when they are gushing with water and the landscape is at its best.
Hill tops and View points
The town is surrounded by many different hills and these hills give the best views of the Western Ghats in all its glory of velvety green blankets over endless hills. The Murkannu Gudda trek is one of the most famous and scenic treks around sakleshpur. The other hill top treks include Ombattu Gudda trek, Jenukal Gudda trek. The hill tops which give some of the best views complete with mist covered forests are Pandavar Gudda and Agni Gudda.