Balmuri Falls

This year, most of our trips were made at the last minute — and our drive to Coorg was no different . We were confused about where to go and when to start. After a long chat with Priya, we still hadn’t decided anything until Friday morning! Finally, Priya took charge — she spoke to Vinod and his family and booked a stay at Villa Katipadu, near Srimangala.

Our plan was simple — start early, drive through Nagarahole Forest, and try our luck spotting wild animals . We began our journey at 4:30 AM. On the way, Vinod suddenly said he was craving breakfast at Jai Bhuvaneshwari Military Hotel near Srirangapatna! Since we were quite early (the hotel opens at 7:00 AM ), we decided to explore a nearby spot — Balmuri Falls, which was just about 20 km away.

Balmuri Falls is a small yet beautiful man-made waterfall on the Cauvery River, located near Srirangapatna. It’s around 135 km from Bengaluru, making it a perfect quick getaway or a short stop on the way to Mysuru or Coorg.

When we reached, it was peaceful — no crowd at all! In fact, we were the only ones there . We paid ₹50 for parking and enjoyed the calm surroundings.

Clicking a few pictures  and watching a couple of beautiful birds fluttering around .

• Timings: Open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Entry Fee: No entry fee (only parking charge ₹50)
• Best Time to Visit: Between October and February, when the water level is perfect and the weather is cool 

After spending some relaxing time here, we drove back for breakfast and continued our journey to Villa Katipadu. On the way, the resort owner suggested we take the Srimangala route instead of the Kutta–Nagarahole road because of better road conditions.

We finally reached our destination by 1:00 PM, after multiple fun stops along the way .