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 12th 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 12th 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
