Get out: Weekend trips from Bengaluru
When you tire of the city, step outside and climb some rocks, catch some waves or just get a coffee
Deepti Unni
20-Apr-2017
The granite hills of Hampi that were hewn to create the temples of the Vijayanagara Empire also make for great rock climbing • Getty Images
Bengaluru is good for a lot of things - beer, for starters - but it's also pretty great to get out of. A not-so-long drive away you'll find palaces, tea estates, coffee plantations, picturesque ruins and more, everything you'll be hankering for after spending a few hours in the city's inescapable, relentless traffic. Here's our pick of weekend breaks from the Garden City.
Rock climbing
Though most people know Hampi, about 350kms from Bengaluru, for the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire and its rock cut temples, visitors have been making a different sort of pilgrimage over the last few years. The same granite that gave the temples and forts their form lies strewn about the landscape as giant boulders, perfect for a spot of climbing (or bouldering) and, for a while, this was Hampi's best-kept secret. It was filmmaker Josh Lowell who blew the secret wide open when he shot Pilgrimage (2003) , a climbing film featuring pro-climbers Chris Sharma, Katie Brown and Nate Gold pitting their wits against the rocks in the blazing sun. And the climbers began pouring in.
Though most people know Hampi, about 350kms from Bengaluru, for the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire and its rock cut temples, visitors have been making a different sort of pilgrimage over the last few years. The same granite that gave the temples and forts their form lies strewn about the landscape as giant boulders, perfect for a spot of climbing (or bouldering) and, for a while, this was Hampi's best-kept secret. It was filmmaker Josh Lowell who blew the secret wide open when he shot Pilgrimage (2003) , a climbing film featuring pro-climbers Chris Sharma, Katie Brown and Nate Gold pitting their wits against the rocks in the blazing sun. And the climbers began pouring in.
Today, Karnataka is unofficially the climbing capital of the country, fostered by a close-knit climbing community in Bengaluru. On any given day, you'll see free climbers swarming over the rocks early in the morning and later in the evening when the afternoon heat wanes. Over time, the action has also moved 140kms away to Badami, whose sandstone rocks are kinder on the fingers than Hampi's pitiless granite. It's here that championship Indian climbers like Praveen CM and Ajij Sheikh train both beginners and amateurs, from October to March, when South India's temperatures take a short dip. Multi-day climbing trips are offered by Equilibrium Climbing in Bengaluru and Badami local Ganesha offers day courses as well, where you'll be taught the basics and let loose on the rocks, with supervision, of course.
If you're not keen to venture far from Bengaluru, clubs also offer crash courses closer to the city, at Turahalli (21kms from Bengaluru), Savanadurga (60 kms from Bengaluru) or the granite outcrops of Ramanagara (56km from Bengaluru), which you may recognise as Ramgad from the famous dacoit movie Sholay. These trails are great for beginners and aren't anything that'll cost you your arms.
Surfing
Landlocked Bengaluru doesn't offer much by way of water activities but step outside the city and head towards the Mangalore coast for some sun and sand, and catch some surf while you're at it. Surfing as a sport in India is still nascent, which also means plenty of open stretches of water with nary another surfer in sight. While Kerala's Kovalam Beach and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu are the busier surfing spots, the gorgeous coastline of Mangalore is emerging as a laid-back surfing destination. The waves here are gentle, between two and five feet, perfect for beginners and pros alike.
Landlocked Bengaluru doesn't offer much by way of water activities but step outside the city and head towards the Mangalore coast for some sun and sand, and catch some surf while you're at it. Surfing as a sport in India is still nascent, which also means plenty of open stretches of water with nary another surfer in sight. While Kerala's Kovalam Beach and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu are the busier surfing spots, the gorgeous coastline of Mangalore is emerging as a laid-back surfing destination. The waves here are gentle, between two and five feet, perfect for beginners and pros alike.
One of India's oldest surfing schools, Mantra is here, in Mulki, set up by expats-gone-native Jack "Surfing Swami" Hebner and Rick Perry, who have been teaching the local kids to ride the waves since 2004. Learn to surf, bodyboard, stand-up paddle board or wakeboard, all while staying at the Ashram Surf Retreat. Oh you want references? Ask them about the time Jonty Rhodes - who is, incidentally, the ambassador of the Surfing Federation of India - stopped by to catch a few waves; they have the pictures to prove it.
About 50kms from Mulki, on the Udipi coast, Shaka Surf Club is home stretch for Ishita Malaviya, India's first female pro-surfer. Set up by Malaviya and partner Tushar Pathiyan, the club aims to form a local, sustainable community of surfers, so you'll be learning from ISA-certified pros from the region. Each surf session lasts about two hours and starts at Rs 1500 per session.
Coffee trails
If you are looking for less learning and more relaxing, Karnataka knows how to do that in spades as well. Chikmagalur, in the foothills of the Mullayanagari Range, uses its elevation to an advantage, growing some fantastic single-estate coffees - and where there are coffee estates, there's pleasant weather and great walks to be had. Halli Berri Cottages belong to the Kambihalli Estate - a fourth-generation operation run entirely by women. Here, they produce a single-estate, slightly acidic Arabica that makes the most spectacular filter coffee, which you can sample while you lounge about at their homestay. Rent a cottage located in the plantation itself, discover how the Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee is grown sustainably, and take long walks within the estate.
If you are looking for less learning and more relaxing, Karnataka knows how to do that in spades as well. Chikmagalur, in the foothills of the Mullayanagari Range, uses its elevation to an advantage, growing some fantastic single-estate coffees - and where there are coffee estates, there's pleasant weather and great walks to be had. Halli Berri Cottages belong to the Kambihalli Estate - a fourth-generation operation run entirely by women. Here, they produce a single-estate, slightly acidic Arabica that makes the most spectacular filter coffee, which you can sample while you lounge about at their homestay. Rent a cottage located in the plantation itself, discover how the Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee is grown sustainably, and take long walks within the estate.
Not too far away, in Mudigere, is Balur Estate, India's first coffee estate, functional since 1840. Linger at Balur is a sprawling 400 acre property, located at the point of origin of the Hemavathy River. While you could just enjoy the lush green environs with your feet up in a hammock and a hot coffee and a book in your hands, the estate also offers treks, village walks and birding for those who like their breaks more active. You'll need it too, after the spectacular home-cooked meals served here.
But to really get into the heartland of coffee, head to Coorg, whose rolling meadows and mist-shrouded hills have earned it the moniker of "Scotland in India". Tata Coffee has its plantations here and you can pick from between six different plantation bungalows to stay at. You can also take a tour of the plantation and factory, learn the difference between Robusta and Arabica beans, help with the picking and sorting of berries and carry a sack of beans or two. There's even the option of going birding, or playing golf in the greens around the estate.