Top 5 Weekend destinations from Bangalore for the driving enthusiast

Shrinidhi Hande, one of our members and a travel enthusiast, lists his top 5 driving destinations around Bangalore. Check out his blog at www.enidhi.net.

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This post suggests driving destinations from Bengaluru for those of us who enjoy driving. If you ever feel stressed, hop on to a Zoomcar and zoom away to one of these places to rejuvenate yourself! These places have been picked because of the following reasons- curvy roads & hairpin bends, brilliant scenery, and their ability to keep the driver and passengers excited about the journey more than the destination. I have skipped places that are meant for offroading only (like Sakaleshpura) and places that require extra permission or are closed for regular tourist vehicles (such as Doodhsagar, Kodachadri etc)

1. Mullayyanagiri, Chikmagalur

Mullayyanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka and reaching there means driving through a scenic path, the last few kms of which are pretty narrow. A couple of inches on the wrong side at some points can send your car down the steep cliffs. Whenever I am close to Chikmagalur, I drive up and down Mullayyanagiri just for the experience. Manikyadhara falls is also nearby.

2. Kundadri hills

Kundadri is located near Agumbe, Shivamogga district. This small hill is untouched by mainstream tourists and it is often a great experience to drive up and spend some time at the Jain temple on top. The drive up is riddled with steep inclines and sharp hairpin bends. It is a test of your driving skills. Reach there before sunrise to experience thick fogs. A drive down the Agumbe ghat can be added for extra pleasure.

3. Bandipur-Wayanad

Bandipur, particularly post monsoon, is very scenic place to drive. The serpentine roads are extremely picturesque. Yes, too many speed breakers spoil the fun to some extent, but they are there for a reason – to prevent harm to wildlife. Drive through Bandipur and enter Wayanad, where even more scenic mountains and tea gardens beckon.

4. Dandeli-Goa

If you’re in the mood for a really long drive, head to Dandeli. I recommend the Tumkur-Shivamogga-Siddapura-Sirsi road which is very scenic, not tolled instead of heavily tolled NH4 via Chitradurga.

Once in Dandeli, drive around, drive to Goa either via Karwar or directly via Castle rock. The Goan country side roads are a pure delight. If you drive around once, you will regret focusing your previous Goa trips purely on the capital region. Chorla ghat region is the best.

 5. Yercaud and Kolli hills near Salem

Down south in Tamil Nadu, these 2 hill stations are certainly worth a drive. Kolli hills has over 70 sharp hairpin bends. Keeping Salem as a base, you can explore these 2 places over a long weekend.

Have you got more places and ideas? Do share these in the comments!