You can spend days at Balur Estate itself exploring the waterfalls, spotting birds, and just walking amidst absolute tranquility along its 26kms of estate roads. But should you wish to get around a little – the area is just pretty to explore in a car, or on a cycle, or even by foot!
- The source of the Hemavathi : The river originates a couple of kilometres from the bungalow, just above the estate. There’s a quiet temple there you can spend some time at.
- Huge pretty tea estates, and a visit to the Tea Factory (if permissions come through).
- Kudremukh – about 60kms away. The drive is pretty, and goes through Kalasa – a historically important temple town.
- Horanadu – another centre of pilgrimage at the end of a very scenic drive.
- Sringeri – an old, important math in the hills.
- Agumbe – the “Cherrapunji of the South” which now actually gets more rain than the latter!
- Kemmangundi, the Hebbe Falls and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
Its basically the setting Balur is in – bang in the middle of a huge expanse of green hills that receive a lot of rainfall, that make it a charming place you can spend a week exploring and not run out of options.
But, of course, we recommend the hammock, long walks, cups of tea/coffee and a few books for a relaxed do-nothing time ….