A visit to Dudhsagar falls

Dudhsagar falls, it was my first visit and I was very excited as I am very fond of fresh waters. Thanks to Tata Motors #DriveWithSOUL event, I got the opportunity to visit the falls by road. I was staying at the Dudhsagar Spa Resort which was considerably close to the falls. All I knew about Dudhsagar falls was that it was among India's tallest waterfalls. The falls is located in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park among the Western ghats. The waterfall forms the border between Karnataka and Goa states. This waterfall was picturized in the famous Hindi Blockbuster 'Chennai Express' and having watched the movie, I knew this waterfall is going to be very beautiful.

Bloggers click a selfie before the drive to the falls

We drove in our Tata Safari to the Dudhsagar falls taxi stand which is closer to Collem station. From this point, private vehicles are not allowed so you will either have to trek till the falls or hire a taxi which could cost around Rs.400 per person, max 6 people in a taxi. They also give us life jackets which we need to wear when we enter the water as the water is very deep. It is a 12 kms trek or drive from the taxi stand to the falls. The road is rough and one will have to cross 2/3 streams and a check post to reach the falls. Around 400 taxis are allowed by the forest department. On a conversation with the driver we were informed that they get one trip on an average of 2 days. Around one third of them get business on weekend and half of them get business on weekday from November to May. As the roads are closed between June to October, the drivers need to earn their bread in the operating months and hence the rule of no private vehicles allowed to the falls.

At the check post, one has to pay Rs.30 for still camera and Rs.150 for video camera. Mobile phones are not charged. The charges on video camera are unnecessary as one can always shoot a video on any of the camera's. It was a 45 mins drive from the taxi stand to the falls, often resulting in back pain. Hold yourself tight while on the route. The driver showed us a temple, a house where a family stays, a bar and refreshment store. He wanted to pick a stranger saying he is from the forest department, but the other passenger's refused on grounds of less space.

Driver also showed us the path under the railway line which would be taken by the bikers during the monsoon season as the road would be closed as the water level will be high in the streams. Due to poor road condition, no audio system in installed in the taxi said the driver. Once we reach the falls area, there is a 10-15 mins walk to the falls. Tourist are given one hour to return to the taxi which I feel is very less. It would take around 20 mins walk to the falls as everyone would be clicking pics at different scenic locations, 10 mins walk back to the taxi, 10-15 mins at the changing shed, bio toilet etc leaving with only 15-20 mins at the falls. I feel it is very less time at this beautiful falls after such a struggle to come all the way to the falls and paying a hefty amount for the taxi and other charges. The drivers always complain of people being late as they usually take more than 60 mins to return to the taxi. They should give us 2-2.5 hours at the falls as it is unlikely for the taxi driver to get another ride, the same day.

I have not seen the falls in August but Shreenidhi, another blogger from Chennai who was with us in the journey had visited the falls on rail in the month of August and he had described us the route he had taken and the flow of water in the monsoons. We had the bottom view of this magnificent falls and also got to take a dip in this fresh water which was very cold yet the feel was different. Oh how I wish I had more time to be in the water as every second was a wonderful experience. While taking a dip, I got to interact with the other SOUL members (Safari Owners United League). Srihari and Perez from SOUL Bangalore were too much fun and also the reason for me to get into the water and swim till the falls. I got to interact with many other SOUL members at the falls, though we all stayed at the same resort. We also got to see 2 trains pass by when we were at the falls. We all were talking about the Chennai Express train, Shah Rukh Khan and the movie as we looked at the train pass by (What else do you expect with a Bollywood fan around ;) ).

Beware of the monkeys around. You can also find a ladies changing room, men changing room and a bio toilet at the falls. I was also told that one can drink at the falls area but not smoke but still could see some buds and beer cans around and not in the trash bin. So when you visit, keep the place clean. While returning, I saw some students trek to the falls and not take the taxi. Also, we requested the driver to stop mid way at one of the stream so that we could get down and take some pictures and also soak our legs in some cold running water. I had a great time at the falls. Hope you find the post useful for your visit :)

Review of Dudhsagar Spa Resort

Dudhsagar Spa resort is one of the decent accommodation near Dudhsagar falls. Yeah it is THE Dudhsagar falls shown in Chennai Express. On my visit to Dudhsagar falls, I had the privilege to stay at Dudhsagar Spa resort during #DriveWithSOUL trip.

I had reached the resort just about time for lunch counters to close. So I headed for the lunch buffet. The buffet spread was not that great, just average with respect to variety and taste. Basic offerings like sambar, rasam or curd rice weren't available, there were no much options in starters too. If you stay here then you are stuck with the resort food unless you would like to travel many kms just to get some decent food. Outside eatables and drinks are not allowed and the items at the bar is priced high (2/3 times more than MRP). my friend, Arjun ordered a bottle of beer, MRP at Rs.29 sold at Rs.100. So you end up paying the price set by the resort for your food and beverages. Fish curry was really good during the dinner buffet along with some rava fried fish (oh it had to many thorns). For dessert, either strawberry ice cream was served else Kheer but the kheer hardly had any dry fruits in it. Staying in Goa, I expected some more of sea food on the menu as the taste of chicken curry was just average, but to my disappointment I just got a chance to have fish curry. Also, there is no microwave or kitchen setup in the room like the other 2 or 3 star resorts to cook a basic dish, so the restaurant is your only hope.

Heading towards the room, the room is spacious. you can opt for a cottage or a tent. It had geyser, AC, Hair dryer, TV with a set up box, Daily supply of tea/coffee sachets and water bottle, fresh soaps and bath towel. It also had a wardrobe which had a weird stink and hence I did not prefer using it to keep my clothes. I did not get the time to have a cup of tea or coffee from the service provided. The rooms were either cleaned in the afternoon or evening and when I left my room in the morning, it was cleaned when I returned for lunch with fresh supply of bath towel. Soaps were not replaced, may be because I did not use them completely. The temperature of AC could be controlled with the remote, giving me some peaceful sleep. One challenge which I faced was with the geyser, despite many efforts I couldn't get a perfect combination of warm water, either the water was too hot or too cold. In toiletries, 2 mini soaps, 2 clinic plus shampoo, one shower cap and paper rolls were provided.

I had heard a common complaint that the resort is close to the highway which has lot of moving traffic and hence could get disturbing at night. Fortunately, my cottage was not close to the highway due to which my sleep was not disturbed or was it? I was too tired to even figure this out. So, preferably take a tent/cottage which is not close to the road so that you are not disturbed by the moving traffic.

The campus of the resort is considerably big with 2 swimming pool, a mini pool for kids and a 4 feet deep pool for others which has a mandatory dress code (one can buy pool costume from the reception), a snooker table which is not maintained well so do not expect a good game here, a spa which has many services (you could get a 10-20% discount) and a large area for adventure activities or even for a stroll. I had the opportunity to try out Zip lining activity which did give me a boost of energy when I rested at the resort.

There are many lawns in the campus with too may greenery around which I liked. The lawn near the restaurant was set up for barbeque and DJ night for Night 1 with Arambolla band performing for us so one could arrange that when they are here. It also has a small stage set up which could be a dance floor.

The resort is on the other side of the toll booth and hence, when ever you want to enter Goa, you will have to buy a toll ticket. This resort is close to the falls so it could be ideal for anyone who wants to have a weekend with a visit to the Dudhsagar falls.

Drive with S.O.U.L. South Regional Drive to Dudhsagar falls

Tata Motors came up with a new initiative called S.O.U.L. which stands for Safari Owners United League. Automobile company. They normally conduct various city drives for breakfast or lunch or movie with a drive to a nearby destination, so S.O.U.L. south regional drive was an extension to this with various members of S.O.U.L. from different cities driving to the location but this time it was with their families. S.O.U.L. South regional drive was a drive to Dudhsagar falls, a similar North regional drive was a drive to Corbett.

Automobile companies have started to take care of their customers and their needs post sales. Tata Motors have realized the importance of keeping their customers happy and entertained apart from addressing their concerns. S.O.U.L. bring the Safari owners and their families together to discuss about the car, customization, long drives, concerns, etc building a bond with each other and also with the brand.

I was very happy to be part of S.O.U.L. South Regional drive to Dudhsagar falls in Goa. The South regional #DriveWithSOUL event had the members of S.O.U.L. drive to Goa on Day 1 with leisure activities at the resort followed by a visit to Dudhsagar falls and Sernabatim beach on Day 2 and return to the respective cities on Day 3. I have usually fly down to Goa so it was my first drive, esp SUV. I was pretty excited.

Day 1 started early in the morning with a Tata Safari Dicor picking me up and I was joined by other invited bloggers - Arjun from Bangalore and Srinidhi from Chennai who came all the way to be part of this journey. Little later, we were joined by Raghu and his wife in his Safari Dicor. He has been driving his Safari Dicor from 6 years and has been an active member of Bangalore S.U.G. (Safari Users Group) indulging in various drives with the other members of the group.

A smooth drive was felt ignoring the toll. Srinidhi who drove most of the journey informed that more than Re.1 per km was paid at the toll booth. Ghat section started after Dharwad and Shrinidhi enjoyed the ghat section more than straight roads. We barely stopped on our journey, just twice - once for breakfast at Kamat and second for some cool coconut water. This helped us reach our destination which was Dudhsagar Spa Resort around 2.30PM. We took around 8 hours to reach the resort, just in time for our lunch. A separate post on my stay and review of Dudhsagar Spa Resort is posted.

Day 1 was a relaxed day with everyone checking in at different time. Everyone indulged in different activities at the resort like Yoga, a visit to the temple and/or zip lining. I enjoyed the zip lining activity along with some time at the pool, while the others had a visit to the temple and Yoga session. Evening was musical with Arambolla band performing for everyone along with barbecue set up. Later a DJ took over and the entire evening I noticed the members discussions their cars and the modifications and also the concerns they had with their vehicle.

Arambolla band

Day 2 was a jam packed day so it started early. After breakfast, around 33 Safari's left for Dudhsagar falls. It was eye catching to see a convoy of Safari on the roads of Goa. Some Safari had awesome modifications to it. Many accessories were on sale and I noticed this when a printout of the same was kept in the room where one owner could tick the accessories he/she required and Tata Motors would make sure it was fitted on to their SUV's at their respective location.

We drove till the Dudhsagar falls taxi stand from where we had to hire taxi to reach the falls which was around 12 kms from the taxi stand. We spent around an hour at the bottom view of the falls, taking a dip in the fresh water and clicking pics while I also got to interact with the other S.O.U.L. members. A separate post on my visit to Dudhsagar falls is posted. Post lunch, we headed to the Sernabatim beach in South Goa in a convoy which shook the roads of Goa and made every head in Goa turn. Evening was relaxed time at the beach with members indulging in various water sports. I took a jet ski ride while some took para sailing. I spent most of my evening at the beach interacting with many S.O.U.L. members. It was a well spent day and I could recollect my entire journey while I laze around a shack by the beach side munching on some pancakes, prawn salad, goan prawn curry, fried rice and looking at the sky filled with stars and the moon's reflection on the sea.

Sernabatim beach

Lets #DriveWithSOUL

Banana pancake 

Prawn salad

AM's multi cuisine shack

At night, at the resort Sonal and Daniel from 70 Event Management Group were thanked by S.O.U.L. members for organizing and executing the entire trip with ease. During the entire stay I did not come across any meetings or presentations by Tata Motors, rather it was like a vacation for all their members and their families, a big happy family.

Day 3, With a heavy heart it was time to head home. I had 2 options, either to get back home in the same Safari Dicor at my convenient time i.e. post breakfast or to travel back in a convoy of beast to Bangalore at 6AM. I chose the latter as I could interact with other S.O.U.L. members and also get a feel of a drive in a convoy. We drove back to Bangalore in Perez's Safari Storme. His Safari storme is the newest addition in the Safari group. The convoy was led by Srihari and checked by Mahesh/Perez at the last. Having breakfast at Hotel Brindavan in Dharwad, lunch at Kamat, Sira making me reach Bangalore at 6PM. It took me 12 hours to reach Bangalore but the entire feel of a convoy drive was different. Thanks to Perez for allowing us to be part of his journey back to Bangalore.

Clicked from Perez's Safari Storme

Some breakfast?

Bangalore's Safari convoy

The Bloggers team along with Driver Balu clicked by Shrinidhi

S.O.U.L. members with their families

Such drives help the brand in promotions too as a large convoy of cars would make every head turn at every road we traveled. The regional drive focused not just on the owner but also on their families. This was a great initiative by Tata Motors to keep the car owners engaged. Hats off for #DriveWithSOUL.

I am going to miss this drive

A long weekend was well spent with a new travel experience. I would like to thanks Tata Motors and BlogAdda for making me part of this unique experience. Pictures may not be as great as my experience :) Looking forward to further such drive's as I was informed that more drive's will take place in future.