Hallemane Homestay - Sakleshpur

Halemane…Guided and guarded by the ancients….

Halemane a Kannada word, translated into English means ‘OldHouse’. Halemane is the name of the homestay we travelled to on July 12^th 2014. There is a reason it is called Halemane…

We had seen a few photos in their website.......

But we did not know what to expect when we reached there. On a rainy 12^th of July morning, we crossed Donigal and took a left turn on to a side road, departing from the main Shiradi Ghat road. Almost for one hour we drove in our Tempo Traveller amidst lush green forests and plain fields. There was fog all around us. Some of us got awake and some of us were still sleeping.

On the way, our host Mr. Dev was waiting for us on the narrow muddy roads leading up to the homestay. All around was just amazing greenery. And the location is very remote.

It was drizzling lightly. Upon reaching the homestay, we were greeted by a black Labrador puppy named ‘Shadow’ who got very excited by the newly arrived guests and starting jumping around.

Once we got down from the vehicle and took our backpacks into our warm and comfortable rooms, we just went off to sleep for few hours. Upon getting up, we were welcomed to an amazing breakfast spread.

We met Mr. Dev’s wife, Sumi and also the caretaker, an elderly person Mr. Puttanna. All are very hospitable and warm people.

The amazing thing about this place during the monsoon months between June - September is that it keeps raining the whole day almost without stopping.

The entire home-stay verandah is decorated with Mr.Dev’s unique antique collection of clocks, fans, telephones, hunter equipment, etc, etc. There is a small collection of books too. There is a cupboard filled with items from another era.

There is an open roof center courtyard which has a small stream flowing in the side. All in all, the entire home-stay is spacious and nicely decorated. 

Coming to the animals, there are 2 Pit bull-Rottweiler cross breed dogs named “Ozzie” and “Misty”. And the before mentioned Labrador puppy “Shadow”. All these dogs are very friendly and will be around you most of the time looking forward to play! Especially we all liked the cute puppy “Shadow” with whom we spent most of the time. Then there are 2 white pigeons also in the central courtyard.

There is a small waterfall and stream nearby. But be warned, there would be leeches during the rainy season.

Cardamom and Rice are mainly grown in the areas around the home-stay. Best time would be to visit during November-December when it will not be raining, but very chilly weather.

Airtel and BSNL network are available. No other cellphone network will be available.

Activities To Enjoy:

Trekking around the property is the most pleasurable activity enjoyed by most holidaymakers. 

A gushing waterfall nearby is certainly the main attraction at Hale Mane and has been a popular location for filming movie scenes and songs. There is ample open space around the bungalow if guests wish to enjoy outdoor games of their choice.

Its Bikers Paradise. Getting to Halemane itself is adventurous and though being rough in terrain its also picturous.

An in-house telescope is ideal for catching a glimpse of the exotic bird life around the area. Bring along a pair of binoculars to discover the natural scenery around Hale Mane Homestay. Children are bound to be fascinated by the rare experience of viewing some domesticated animals and birds at close quarters in the house courtyard.

Places to visit in and around Hale mane are Trek to the Manzarabad Fort & Sunset Point, Athihole Falls, Bisle Ghat, Belur-Halebidu.

Positives:

1] Very nice remote location of the homestay.

2] Very tasty food with lots of varieties.

3] Big campfire place and a tree house.

4] Homestay décor is very beautiful with antiques. Rooms are also very big and can accommodate 8-10 people comfortably. There are extra beds available for extra people.

5] Economically priced.

6] Very friendly, warm and hospitable hosts.

Negatives:

None. Unless you did not like the positives at all..

We would recommend all to go visit “Halemane” atleast once. It will be an unforgettable experience!

Contact

Halemane Home Stay.

Halemane, Haragarahalli, Sakleshpur

Karnataka, India 

Contact Person:

Devraj  : 9482224201 /  9591174367

Sumi - 9980214200 

For More Info Visit: http://www.homestaysakleshpur-halemane.com

Ajjigadde: An unexpected journey...

The name ‘Ajjigadde’ is derived from Kannada language. In English language it means grandmother’s fields.  Nobody really knows how this name has been given to this region.

We visited the Rudragiri estate homestay during January 2014. It is situated in the picturesque region of Ajjigadde.  This region is located at the border of Kodagu and Sakleshpur. The Rudragiri estate is alternatively known as Ajjigadde estate.

Best time to visit Ajjigadde is between September and November. During this time it is very cold and fog covers the region. After January, the homestay remains closed for few months for coffee picking.

There are various routes to reach Ajjigadde:

Bangalore à Holenarsipura à Arkalgood >> 130 kms

Mysore à Sowmarpet à 160 kms

From Sakleshpur, the estate is around 35 kms.

The estate is spread across 110 acres of land. Primarily Coffee is grown, along with some pepper plantations. There are beautiful rivers flowing through the estate and some small waterfalls can also be found. There are quite a few friendly estate dogs. During the night campfire, they suddenly appeared out of nowhere and relaxed near the warmth of the fire.  The music that played out of the speakers made them excited and they started playing around.

Mr.T.N.Arun, the proprietor of this estate is a very friendly and helpful person. He ensures that all the requests of the guests are met without hesitation.

Facilities of homestay:

The homestay offers spacious rooms and a very huge empty ground in front of the house. There is a small open-air hut near the house, where people can relax in the shade.

There is ample space to put campfire during the chilly nights.

Parking is no problem, since there is large space inside the perimeter of the house. Vehicles could also be parked out on the road in front of the house. The road is very calm with hardly any vehicles moving around.

Places to visit:

There are a number of sigh-seeing attractions near to Ajjigadde.

Just behind the house is the Ajjigadde river. We relaxed near the river and time seems to slow down in this place. Even half hour seems like 2 hours!

Rudragiri hills are situated 6 kms from the estate and jeep could be arranged by homestay to go there. If trekking is preferred option, then the distance of 3kms can be covered in about 45 minutes. Muneshwara cave temple also is a beautiful place to visit.

Mookanamane falls is about 25 kms from Ajjigadde estate.

Mallalli falls is approximately 30 kms from Ajjigadde estate. Pushpagiri hills is situated 6kms from Mallalli falls.

The breathtaking Bisile ghat is about 18 kms away from Ajjigadde estate.

Nearest town to Ajjigadde is Shanivarasante which is about 18 kms away.

 

Pros:

1.       Beautiful and secluded place.

2.       A very good place to relax and just be at peace.

3.       Simple and tasty food. It is prepared by a small family of people who come exclusively during guest visits.

4.       Reasonably priced.

Cons (it is very subjective):

1.       Mobile network is very sparse. Only BSNL will be available.

2.       The lodging facilities in the homestay can accommodate a group of approximately 11-12 people. More than that could get a bit congested although it could be adjusted.

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