6 places near Bangalore for a day ride
9:11 AM
Yet another reason for me to love Bangalore is its proximity to numerous riding places. In this blog I list my top places to ride any day. All these places are within 100km and can be covered within max 3 hours.
On the top there is an old Nandi Temple. You can see a beautiful sunrise from the top of the hill. There are many hotels for having breakfast.
Riding highlights:
Anthargange is about 80 Km from Bangalore off Old Madras road. You have to go inside Kolar town and from there the 2nd left takes you till the top of the hill. There is a village and a mosque on the top. There is another way to the top via a temple for which you have to park your vehicle down and trek about 3-4 Km. This route is not advised during night since parking at the base is not safe.
Riding highlights:
Muthathi (or Muttatti) is a settlement situated on the banks of the Kaveri river near Malavalli in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is surrounded by a dense forest which is the home of the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary. Muthathi is around 90kms away from Bangalore, off Kanakapura road.
Savandurga is one of Asia's largest monolith hills situated about 60kms from Bangalore towards Magadi. It is very popular among climbers.
Savandurga is formed by two hills known locally as Karigudda (black hill) and Biligudda (white hill). There is a Temple of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, where there is an Idol of Lord Narasimha has been worshipped.At the base you can park your vehicle, looks pretty safe for parking during day time. You have to walk/climb on the rocks to reach the top
At the base of the hill, there is Manchinbele reservoir. You can visit it on your way back home.
Nandi Hills
Nandi Hills is a hill fortress in Chikballapur Taluk near Bangalore. It is about 70kms from Bangalore city. You have to follow new Airport road beyond Devanhalli. You have to take left turn from the Ballary road and head towards the Nandi village. At the base of the hill, there is a check post where your bike documents especially insurance is checked. After this check point the road narrows down and you have to follow a snake alike curly road to get to the top which is about 7kms. There is a big parking lot for both cars and bikes. Entry ticket of 30Rs has to be collected before getting in.
Riding highlights:
- Distance from city- 70km
- 47 hair pin curves test your riding skills.
- Off summer season the road is usually covered in mist.
- You get to ride on the airport express-way.
To remember:
- The gates open at 6 a.m. So no point reaching their early in the morning.
- Avoid Nandi Hills during weekend or holidays. The place is crowded beyond capacity and you won't enjoy the ride
- Carry your bike documents as these are checked sometimes especially the insurance.
Directions:13.3829311,77.6515072
Best Season to visit - All seasons
AntharGange
Anthargange is about 80 Km from Bangalore off Old Madras road. You have to go inside Kolar town and from there the 2nd left takes you till the top of the hill. There is a village and a mosque on the top. There is another way to the top via a temple for which you have to park your vehicle down and trek about 3-4 Km. This route is not advised during night since parking at the base is not safe.
Riding highlights:
- Distance from city- 80km
- Ride in the deserted road till top during dawn in a winter
- The sunrise among the rocks is spectacular
- Explore the caves(just the gaps in the rocks, do not expect the Batman style caves)
To remember:
- The area is little notorious, avoid going alone.
- Carry your food/snacks
Directions- The road to the temple and the road to the top of hill are different. Follow the below gps coordinates if you want to ride. - 13.142383, 78.090693
Follow the below coordinates if you want to park your bike and trek 2 km uphill - 13.1408437,78.0963067
Best season to visit - Winter
Muthathi And Bheemshwari
Muthathi (or Muttatti) is a settlement situated on the banks of the Kaveri river near Malavalli in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is surrounded by a dense forest which is the home of the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary. Muthathi is around 90kms away from Bangalore, off Kanakapura road.
Riding highlights:
- Distance from city- 90km
- Once you are off Kanakapura, you ride along side Kaveri, which is unique in itself.
- Excellent place if your are into bird watching.
- Just chose a tree to have your food while watching Kaveri flowing flawlessly.
To remember:
- Carry your food/snacks
- Sometimes, your bike documents and Id are checked my local police as this is a protected area.
- Do not get into the water, water swirls are common here and responsible for many deaths.
Directions- 2.3186752,77.2984563
Best season to visit- Monsoon
Beelkal Rangaswamy Betta
Bilkal Rangaswamy Betta also known as Bilkal Ranganatha Swamy Betta is a small hill nearby Kanakapura town. The hillock is located around 75 Kms from south of Bangalore. On the summit lies a huge granite stone and a carved Ranganatha Swamy temple inside it. The summit is at 1180 m height (as shown by my Casio).
The summit can be accessed by two approaches, one via trekking through a shrub forest and the other is a 4 wheel drive.
Riding highlights:
- Distance from city- 100km
- Once you are off Kanakapura, you ride the country roads before you enter the BNP.
- Excellent place if your are into bird watching.
To remember:
- Carry your food/snacks
- Recently, the forest dept has put a gate and you can't ride till top of the hill. The gate opens only once a week so devotees can visit the temple at the top.
- The area comes under BNP(Bannerghatta National Park) and hence wild elephants prone.
Directions- 12.5536786,77.5101971
Best season to visit- Winter
SavanDurga and Manchinbele
Savandurga is formed by two hills known locally as Karigudda (black hill) and Biligudda (white hill). There is a Temple of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, where there is an Idol of Lord Narasimha has been worshipped.At the base you can park your vehicle, looks pretty safe for parking during day time. You have to walk/climb on the rocks to reach the top
At the base of the hill, there is Manchinbele reservoir. You can visit it on your way back home.
Riding highlights:
- Distance from city- 80km
- Country roads
- Relax at Manchinbele reservoir
To remember:
- Carry your food/snacks
- Swimming in Manchinbele reservoir is prohibited because of multiple deaths by drowning.
Directions- Savandurga - 12.899733,77.2656556
Manchinbele reservoir - 12.8998957,77.2656555
Best season to visit- Winter
Hesarghatta
Hesaraghatta Lake is a manmade reservoir located 18 km to the north-west of Bengaluru in Karnataka state, India. It is a fresh water lake created in the year 1894 across the Arkavathy River to meet the drinking water needs of the city. The lake is approachable by road from Bangalore at a distance of 26.5 km to the north-west of the City. However now only remains of the lake remain as the lake was last filled completely about 15 years back. This has caused a vast area of grassland which has attracted wide variety of birds. Over the weekends, these grasslands have become popular among bird watchers.
Riding highlights:
- Distance from city- 40km
- Country roads.
- Bird watching
To remember:
- Carry your food/snacks
- Don't harass the birds.
Directions- 13.1523217,77.4842021
Best season to visit - Winter
Safety First, Rest follows..
Most important part of any ride is safety. Remember always, there is someone waiting for you at home.
- Invest in a good helmet. Lord Ganesha could afford another head, you can't.
- Riding gear a must. Trust me when I say, a good investment in riding gear saves your money, time and pain from hospital visits.
- Don't ride with overused tyres. For better grip and control trust CEAT Tyres.
- On the highways, always follow 3-seconds rule. This will give you enough time to control your bike.
- Don't do stupid things in public roads just to show off.
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