Nov 2023
Karnataka & Kerala
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Route
Bangalore → Halebeedu → Belur → Chikmagalur → Mudigere → Charmady Ghat → Mangaluru → Bekal → Taliparamba → Iritty → Mananthavady → Wayanad → Sultan Bathery → Bandipur Tiger Reserve → Mysore → Bangalore Highlights The stunning Hoysalesvara Temple, 12th century, Halebidu. A world heritage site. The equally amazing Chennakeshava Temple, 12th century, Belur. A world heritage site. Riding through the coffee plantations and estates of Chikmagalur and Mudigere. Crossing the Western Ghats at Charmady Ghat. (Btw, Western Ghats are also a world heritage site.) Riding on beach side roads in Bekal. Riding across rivers and through hills, forests and tea plantations from Bekal to Wayanad. Riding through Bandipur forest at dawn. Morning safari in the Bandipur National Park. Food Along the Way Donne biryani and Town Canteen dosa in Chikmagalur. Prawns and fish at Giri Manja's in Mangaluru. Beef paratto, kadala kari puttu, al faham chicken and biryani in Kerala. Meals at RRR in Mysore. And all the coffee breaks along the highway before eventually bringing the bike home. Source Original thread on X, archived below. |
Notes from the Ride
Four days and 1100 km, on a loop that takes in two world heritage sites, a mountain range, a beach and a tiger reserve without ever getting much more than a day's ride from Bangalore.
It starts with the Hoysalas. Halebidu and Belur, both twelfth century, both carved end to end so densely that it takes a while to work out what you are looking at. Then coffee country through Chikmagalur and Mudigere, and the drop down Charmady Ghat to the coast — the Western Ghats are a world heritage site in their own right, and crossing them in an afternoon feels a little like cheating.
The coast gives you Mangaluru and then Bekal, where the road runs along beside the beach. Turning inland again, the third day climbs back up through rivers, forest and tea into Wayanad.
And then Bandipur on the last morning, riding through the reserve before it was properly light and going back in on a safari afterwards.
Underneath all of that is the real reason to do this ride, which is the eating. Donne biryani in Chikmagalur. Prawns at Giri Manja's in Mangaluru. Beef paratto and kadala kari puttu in Kerala. Meals at RRR in Mysore, and enough highway coffee to get home on.
Four days is not long. It was enough.
Tweets from the Road
Earlier this month, I spent a few days riding in Karnataka and Kerala. I started riding out of Bangalore and here are some of the highlights from the ride.
  The stunning Hoysalesvara Temple, 12th century, Halebidu. A world heritage site.
    The equally amazing Chennakeshava Temple, 12th century, Belur. A world heritage site.
    Riding through the coffee plantations and estates of Chikmagalur and Mudigere.
    Crossing the Western Ghats at Charmady Ghat. (Btw, Western Ghats are also a world heritage site.)
    Riding on beach side roads in Bekal.
    Riding across rivers and through hills, forests and tea plantations from Bekal to Wayanad.
    Riding through Bandipur forest at dawn.
    Morning safari in the Bandipur National Park.
    Some amazing meals along the road - Donne biryani and Town Canteen dosa in Chikmagalur.
  Prawns and fish at Giri Manja's in Mangaluru.
    Beef paratto, kadala kari puttu, al faham chicken and biryani in Kerala.
    Meals at RRR in Mysore.
   And all the coffee breaks along the highway before eventually bringing the bike home :-)
   And that's a wrap. Bangalore - Halebeedu - Belur - Chikmagalur - Mudigere - Charmady Ghat - Mangaluru - Bekal - Taliparamba - Iritty - Mananthavady - Wayanad - Sultan Bathery - Bandipur Tiger Reserve - Mysore - Bangalore. 1100 km. 4 days of riding solo. Joy.
And here's the route map of the ride.
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