Abbey Falls near Madikeri in Coorg

The Abbey (also known as Abbi and Abbe) falls is one great looking waterfall situated in the Western Ghats of Coorg. This 70 foot waterfall is situated about 7 kms from Madikeri town on the Galibeedu road. This is one waterfall that brings together large crowds all year around and especially in the monsoons when the waterfall is massive and envelops its surroundings in a misty cloud.

 
This waterfall carries water throughout the year, though the water content diminishes quite a bit during the rainy season. This waterfall, which is fed by numerous streams before cascading down joins the Cauvery river a little downstream. The Abbey Falls is located between private coffee plantations with stocky coffee bushes and spice estates with trees entwined with pepper vines.

 
The Abbey (kannada for waterfall) fall used to be be known as the Jessie waterfall during the British era in memory of Jessie, the daughter of Madikeri’s best captain. To reach this waterfall, one has to weave their way through coffee and cardamom plantations and steep turns. The short journey from the highway to the waterfall can be quite an adventure.

 
A hanging bridge constructed just opposite the waterfall is a great place for photographing this waterfall. This bridge also leads to a Kali Mata temple that is surrounded by coffee and pepper plantations. A board near the bridge mentions that nobody is allowed to get close to the waterfall as a lot of people have lost their lives here, but there are few people who throw caution to the wind and play the stupid daredevil act.



Everything about the place, including the waterfall is vintage nature, but I somehow don’t like the obscenely large crowds that turn up here. These large crowds coming with the intention of picnicking here destroy the serenity of this place and have no regard for cleanliness or for the environment. This can be a complete turn-off and that too especially in the weekends and/or on other national/state holidays. Personally, I would not visit this place again, but would not ask you to do so. You can definitely plan a short visit from June through December to see the Abbey Falls in full flow.

Continue Reading...

Upcoming Travel: Ride to the Mocha Mountains!!

Tomorrow morning, five of us start our weekend ride to the coffee hills of Coorg. It has been a while since I last went on a motorcycle ride. Its been so long that I don’t remember the last ride. Well, coming back to this upcoming trip…4 bullets and one pulsar plan to take the Bangalore –> Maddur –> Mandya –> Srirangapatna –> Hunsur –> Kushalnagara –> Madikeri route.

We hope to reach Madikeri for lunch. And then spend a relaxed afternoon. The plan is to see if we can visit Madikeri fort, Abbey Falls and the city centre. And may be other interesting places or spots that we may come across. For the night, we will check into some budget hotel.

The next day, we plan to take it easy and do sightseeing till early lunch. Post lunch, we plan to take the scenic Madikeri – Virajpet road that winds its way through coffee plantations, paddy fields, tropical forests and mountain streams. This route passes through Siddapur and Kakkabe and is one of Kodagu’s most beautiful spots. From Virajpet, we plan to take the Gonigoppal route to Hunsur and Srirangapatna and then back to Bangalore. We aim to be back in Bangalore latest by 8 pm.

More on this when I am back.

P.S. I know that my pictures from Sri Lanka and Tadoba Tiger Reserve are being waited for and I promise to roll them out in a week or two.

Continue Reading...