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Ride d' Nilgiris

Day 1: Pune to Tumkur (December 16, 2020)

We began our ride from Pune at 5.15 am amidst a cool morning. Our first halt for a cuppa chai was just after Khambatki ghat and thereafter at Sai Inn just before Kolhapur.

We shortly hit the super wide, super smooth Karnataka highway and maintained a good triple digit cruising speed all the way till Hubli after which the road becomes two-way and slowed the going down. After crossing Dharwad, the numerous diversions begin and in some places the underpasses scraped the bottom of the bike. We stopped for some peth-puja at CCD a little before Devangere and tucked into some cold coffee and smoked chicken sandwiches.

After this fab tuck-in we rode on passing Chitradurga after which the diversions disappear and we entered Tumkur. These pictures are from some random stops along the way.



Our hotel Tricolor was finally located under a loong flyover which we reached by 5 pm. After checking-in and realizing that the two of us were the only inhabitants of the barely functional hotel, we accepted our fate and settled into our rooms.

One of the Plus-Points in favour of the hotel was the IOC pump just outside the gate and the ATM.

The lobby

Delicious Chicken Pepper Fry and naan for an early dinner.

Day 2: Tumkur to Kodaikanal

We once again began our ride early the next morning and stopped for a cup of tea at a roadside tea stall a little further on ion Tumkur. We had stopped here about a year ago and the lady vendor recognized us and with a smile served us piping hot tea from her spanking new cart.
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We pushed on and a little later began the NICE ring road which would circumvent Bangalore city and take us towards Hosur. The NICE ring road surface I have noticed is beginning to not be so nice in patches which are showing signs of wear and tear. I hope the authorities take note and fix the roads here.
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Our next stop for breakfast was at A2B Hosur. I look forward to the south-indian fare served at this restaurant, especially the dosa and medu vada which is accompanied by the three chutneys.


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It began raining as we were about to leave from A2B and so we donned our rain gear, gritted our teeth and went forth to fulfil our destinies. A few pictures from the ride along the way.

We reached Dindigul by lunch time, which in my books is 13.00H and off course our pit stop was Thalappakatti restaurant. This is a place for some serious eating and we indulged in some mutton kochu, tawa fish and mutton biryani.

After having over-eaten we had to step back in the rain and a few kilometers later we took a right turn to begin our climb into the Nilgiris. We had travelled 1300 km over the last couple of days for this moment. These pictures were taken at the checkpoint before the climb up to Kodaikanal.

Here are some pictures from the climb up to Kodaikanal. Enroute we stopped at Thapovan cafe for a cup of tea.

After reaching Kodai town, and after a little searching amidst the pouring rain we discovered our hotel Sama Farms Resort. For about one km the road is broken and was full of slush. It was an experience negotiating this stretch with full luggage, tired riders and in heavy rain. Gurpratap was down with a sore throat and fever and so we decided to rest for a couple of days. In any case, the weather was freezing and it rained continually during those two days that we were holed up at Sama Farms. Our host Goody went out of his way to make us as comfortable as possible during our stay. Here are some pictures.

Here are some more pictures of our stay at Sama Farms

When in Kodai, say cheese!

Our host Goody's family have art galleries in Chennai and Pondicherry. Some art work was on display in the dining area.

On Day 5, the rain and fog lifted, the sun was out and Gurpratap declared he was feeling better. Good news all around, so we booked a car and decided to take a drive down to Mannavanur which is about 25 kms from Kodaikanal. We had donne this ride a couple of years before and wanted to reminisce the beauty of this place. At the time, there was only one vendor who sold mushroom soup, now its like a bazaar and not so beautiful a spot anymore.

A couple of pictures from a view point.

We later returned to Kodai town and after getting the bikes from the resort we rode over to Munchiez. Munchiez is a popular eating joint in Kodai and renowned for their tasty fast food and coffee. Let me endorse this review and tell you not to miss this restaurant when you visit Kodaikanal.

This video encompasses the footage shot from Day 1 to Day 5, i.e. from Pune to the end of our stay in Kodaikanal.

Super Tlog as usual Akshay Bhai. Always your fan of Day rides

Thanks. But honestly, I have become a little lazy in updating the blog. I am still stuck updating the ride in Dec, whilst in Feb. There has been some more riding done and to update between that time.