Yelagiri Hills

After postponing for two times, finally we made to Yelagiri hills. In simple words, Roads are fantastic, journey is great, Place is cool and hotel is poor.

Prasanna and family supposed to join us but they had to change the plan to Nagarhole because of unavoidable reasons. Phani and family joined with us. We started from Bangalore on Sunday morning (6th April, 2008) at around 8:00 am. Bangalore- Chennai highway is great road to drive (finally I stared enjoying driving!!) We stopped for breakfast at Hotel Renaissance Grand just after Hosur. It's Rs. 125 plus taxes per head for Buffet Breakfast (10:00 am). Idly, Dosa, Juice, Fruites, Ommlette, boiled eggs, Aloo Parota etc. are available. Food is good. I felt worth for money. Don't get stopped by this. Read more...there are better options.

Little stumbled to find the diversion road to Yelagiri at Vanyambadi. The right turn to Yelagiri comes just after toll gate at Vanyambadi (below the second bridge). After coming out of NH, still the road (SH) is good. Again we had problem in finding the left turn to Yelagiri on Jolarpet road. We had to take an U turn and travel back for 2 KMs.

Finally reached Yelagiri at around 12:30 pm. It's first time for me drive on Ghat road. And it is good learning experience. There are 14 HPB (Hair Pin Bends) and the road is maintained very well unlike Ooty Ghat road.

We stayed at Hotel Hills. Rs. 2000 per for a super deluxe room, sounded bit costly to me. In a similar place like Horsely Hills (AP Boarder) we can get good accommodation for just Rs. 1000. In fact compared to the service and facilities that the hotel offered 2000 is at very higher end. Probably ideal price could have been around Rs. 800 to 1,200. None of the hotel staff can understand English.

We went for lunch at around 2:00 pm. Service was very poor and it took close to 45 minutes to serve very cold food. At 3:30 we started our sight seeing. I could not recollect the place name but we drove through very narrow roads and villages and spent some time in a well maintained park (has a small lake). After this we went to a village called Mangalam which has National Silk research center. As it is Sunday, it is closed and we could not do much there. I think the star attraction of Yelagiri is lake. We enjoyed the boating and cup of tea after boating. Our kids enjoyed the the Park.

Reached back hotel around 7:30 pm. After dinner at 9:30, planned for what to do tomorrow morning, Next day being Ugadi (7th April), we planned to each back Bangalore before lunch. Early morning on 7th I woke up at 5:00 am and got ready by 5:30 am and went out alone with my camera. It is quite peaceful, calm. But could not capture any photo because it is still dark. I came back at 6:00 am and all of us vacated the hotel at 6:30 am. We started back at 6:45 am. It is pleasure to enjoy misty morning and a great view from the hill. Driving down on Ghat road is good experience. After that the drive is very smooth and we stopped for break fast at Ananda Bhavan. This before reaching Hosur and comes on the right hand side (need to take U turn while coming from Chennai to Bangalore). It is worth for money and food is great!!! Especially Ravva Kesari and Onion Dosa. Total bill for 4 of us is Rs. 250 compared Rs. 650 at Hotel Renaissance. We reached back Bangalore at around 11:00 am. This time at Attibere, we took right turn to Sarjapur and again the road is good.

Thanks to Phani for settling the accounts very quickly in the car it self.