Monday, January 6, 2014

Sakleshpur-A Journey into the arms of Nature


We'd been planning to go to Madurai for a long time, and with new year round the corner we suddenly decided to pack our bags. But then tickets weren't available and my husband quickly changed the plan to Karnataka. Since it was new year time it was very difficult to find a resort. So finally we booked this place called The Karle homestay for the Sakleshpur part of our trip. We'd had already had a very bad experience on day 1 of our very short trip and wasted one day. We didn't have high hopes and had less than aday to spend in Sakleshpur. So we begin our journey towards Sakleshpur at about 11, Reach Sakleshpur at 1 pm, visit the Manjarabad fort, which is  such a wonderful Historical Monument, all dilapidated and wiping itself away from the History books( Praise the Indian Govt.) and at 2 o' clock we start towards the resort which is 64 Km from the fort. We were hungry and drove very fast but only so fast we could go, coz the resort is located in a village about 7-10kms from sakleshpur and a real village it was. We traveled on dusty roadways through vast streches of agricultural fields to finally reach the place.


The moment we arrived, the staff quickly grabbed our luggage, helped us with welcome drinks and showed us our room. It was quite clean and spacious. As the lunch was being served , quickly grabbed a look around. It was a beautiful location and I said to my Husband " if not anything else, we can atleast get some great photos here".

Well, food was served, it was good and had a lot of variety, 2 kinds of rice, 2 veg curries, 2 non veg curries etc etc and the best part was an amazing "Karle Dessert", which is something made out of coconut, and I'm saying this even though  I hate coconut. So we had a lovely, filling lunch "By the river side". And so was the food story in every meal.

After this we were taken for some river activities. Amazing planning has gone into this. When we reached the river, our "Riverman", pulled a chair hanging on a rope across the river. I thought it was just a means to cross the river and took my seat, but to my surprise he let go of the rope and I went  crashing into the river. It was wonderful.We spent about 2 hours having a great time swinging on what I call "The Mowgli swing". crossing bridges, ropes and ladders.

In the night a Camp fire was arranged with music and snacks. We also played carroms( and yeah I won). This is such a great way to spend time together and a complete getaway. The next morning we went boating across the river. We didn't even realise how quickly that hour and a half drifted away. The view of the river was breathtaking....something you only watch on screen.

We really wish we had planned this trip. Atleast 3 days need to be taken out to spend time here. Really planning to go back sometime soon, coz there's so much more awaiting......It was a beautiful , beautiful, beautiful trip.

PS:Not advisable to go during the rainy season, coz the river swells....

5 comments:

  1. We had been to karlehomestay resort to unwind ourselves from the daily hectic routine life. We were not disappointed. The location is awesome. The rooms are well maintained and clean. Banks of river Hemavathi is definitely the highlight of the resort and my son did not want to come out of it! Food was very good and so was the general behavior of the staff. The only part that definitely needs improvement is the variety of recreational activities. It is very limited. Overall, a very enjoyable stay and worth the money's value!

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  2. “Karle homesaty is the Best Homestay in shakleshpur”. We had visited for the first time. We all enjoyed a lot there especially our children. Everything was properly managed.Pool was nice, the climate was very good. We took part in all activities which were there in resort. The homestay staffs guided us very well. We all want to visit again. Small children enjoyed a lot.You will really enjoy the swimming/floating on the river with the help of life jackets.The rooms are comfortable, clean and well maintained.Hot water and geyser were available..Veg and non-veg food was served at the hotel. Really Karle homestay is a awesome place.The best fun could be had if a large number of family members/friends got together at The Karle.

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  3. very nice location and well maintained . The caretaker is an all in one package he is very friendly with people and caters to all there needs very cheerfully. Food was awesome we stayed july 16th weekend and had a great time.
    the sign boards to the home stay is missing and very hard to find the route last mile
    great place

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  5. This place is located just 198 kms from Bangalore and a perfect place if you are a nature loving person, awesome place for taking a plunge into river Hemavathi {with all safety gears ;-)}, challenging rope activities if you are up for some adrenaline rush and of course late evening relaxation at a an inferno place along with chilled beer. I was little reluctant to select this place at first but ultimately did the right thing to have visited and definitely enjoyed my stay at KARLE.
    You can be assured to see at least 12-15 different species of birds without any effort.
    About the accommodation, food and services: Rooms are really well maintained and clean, nothing fancy yet gives you a cozy comfort to rest. If you are a south Indian you will enjoy the homely food otherwise the service manager "Thimmegowda" is pro-active enough to ask you about your preferences and strives for making your stay comfortable and a happy one.
    This place is apt for corporate team building activities and team outing as well.

    Very friendly and approachable service staffs, they do suggest and fix your itinerary real time based on your personal interest.
    As mentioned above by other bloggers Mr. Thimmegowda is all in one and very resourceful.
    Mr. Naveen & young Suraj is very helpful to show you around the 31 acres spread at Karle and also guide you with water related activities.
    ** A very special mention about 2 friendly dogs (Cruze & Ruby)who are indeed your guard dogs/ un official guide when you go trekking or busy amidst nature clicking photographs of different species of birds.

    Downside: You should plan your visit along with a gang of friends or a bigger group else the place is good enough for relaxing your mind.

    ** My visit to this lush green place was with family and we sure enjoyed our stay at Karle homestay and I definitely refer this place.

    PS: Preferences change from individual to individual, so my update is purely based on my personal experience comparing other resorts and homestays.

    Cheers..!!

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