Waterfalls beckon weekenders

BANGALORE: It won’t be Ganesha alone who will take a dip this weekend. To make the most of the extended holiday, Bangaloreans are frantically packing their bags to soak in nature’s splendour. And where are they headed? Riversides and waterfalls.
This being the last of the three long weekends this month -- Ganesh Chaturthi falls on Friday — the city is seeing an exodus. Copious rain across the state is tempting weekenders to opt for destinations near rivers and waterfalls — roaring down in full glory at this time of year.
Business is in full flow for cab rental companies, with most vacationers preferring to drive down.
College student Ishaan Thapa and his cousins, who live in Koramangala, plan to go river rafting in Madikeri. “It’s a two-day trip and we’re hoping to have a blast. It doesn’t seem to be the right time to go to the beach. I’m looking forward to an adventurous weekend. We’ve booked a cab so we can enjoy the trip on our own terms. We spent a fantastic weekend in Goa during the Varamahalakshmi festival in the first week of August,” he said. In tourist spots like Madikeri and Maddur, river rafting is organized during monsoon weekends.
Ashish Gupta, marketing consultant from BTM Layout, said, “I visited Talakad, Shivanasamudra falls and Bheemeshwari with friends during the Independence Day weekend. We booked a cab and covered around 250km on all three days. We didn’t book a hotel as we travelled through the nights, so the trip was easy on our pockets.”
Hot wheels
Cab rental companies like Savaari, TaxiforSure and Carzonrent claimed the number of bookings for short trips has gone up by an average of 30% because of long weekends.
Savaari’s founder Gaurav Aggarwal said they’ve seen a 30-40% increase in bookings for getaways in the lap of nature. “Driving long distances with friends is the perfect way for bachelors to spend a holiday. Renting a car and splitting the cost is economical too. This year has seen many long weekends. Most tourists have opted for places like Hubli, Chikmagalur and Goa,” he said.
RK Holla, secretary, Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association said the last extended weekend saw over 10,000 SUVs being booked for trips. He expects a similar reponse this time too.
Pop spots
Nature lovers are heading to Nrupatunga Hill in Hubli, Mandalpatti in Kodagu, Mysore, Bheemeshwari near Kanakapura and Jog Falls in Shimoga district.
The adventurous lot is opting for Dudhsagar Falls in Goa, Mekedatu gorge near Bangalore, Skandagiri in Chikkaballapur, Ranganathswamy Betta near Kanakapura and Madhugiri hills in Tumkur district.