If the name sounds like Timbuktu to you, I won’t be surprised. But actually, this is a small hill-station in central Karnataka. It’s small, not much known, not much developed and there lies its beauty intact.
The place is primarily maintained by the Department of Horticulture, who have done a great job by having a large variety of flowers, plants and trees. The main boarding and lodging facilities too are run by them. Places of interest include the Rock-cut Garden, Hebbe Falls and Z-Point. Other nearby places are Bababudangari (Hindu-Muslim place of worship) and Shanti Falls.
The temperature of the place is just a few degrees lesser than Bangalore, but the weather is pleasant most of the time. Whether in summer or winter, it would be wise to carry some warm clothing.
The crowning glory is the Rock-cut Garden, which is almost on the peak of the hills. It houses a whole range of flowers, with some amount of nature preserved. There is a Sunset Point, which will allow you to watch the sun set in the backdrop of vast hills and plains. From certain points, you can see the Bhadra Reservoir far ahead of you in the plain region below. In my view, this is the best part of Kemmanagundi itself. The other feature is the calm surroundings, provided you visit during non-holidays.
Trekking is always good in such places, though you should be ready for some steep descents and climbs here. You could trek your way to Hebbe falls, which again is quite untouched by development. Swimming and bathing is in store for the adventurous. This and other small places can also be covered using jeep transport, available at that place. Bargaining skills would be useful in that case. For trekking, you should get hold of affordable local guides.
Accommodation is not of star quality, but just enough. Sometimes, you might face some problems like power-cuts, cockroaches and rats. Another hitch is the quality of food. It is not very palatable, but good enough to fill your stomach three to four times a day. Taking some packed food with you would be quite helpful. If you have your own vehicle, you could even carry cans of water. Booking for accommodation is to be done in advance in the Department of Horticulture’s office in Lal Bagh, Bangalore.
The last but possibly the biggest problem is transportation. The nearest town is possibly Birur, which has only 2 to-and-fro bus trips (around 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.) in the entire day (to the best of my knowledge). Birur is connected to Bangalore by train, but the timings may not match the bus timings earlier mentioned. Added to that is the noon check-in and check-out timings for accommodation. So, it’s your responsibility to work out the best suited mode / timings for yourselves. Far better would be to get your own vehicle, provided you’re capable of handling hilly terrain and hair-pin bends.
Despite all these hassles, Kemmanagundi is worth a visit -- I’d vouch for that. As much I’d like to publicise this place, I’m also equally worried that too much attraction and development might destroy the natural beauty, as in other popular hill-stations in India like Ooty.