Bath is a popular day trip destination for tourists. But a few hours trailing around the main museums or sitting on an open-top bus won't give you much more than a fleeting impression of the historic town. Bath is a unique destination with layers of historical associations and and a peaceful charm that is all its own, and to really appreciate the city you need to stay more than a few hours.
In fact, if you are planning a vacation to 'see' the UK, Bath could make a very good base. London is less than two hours away by train, so you can easily spend a couple of days exploring the hectic big city. And if you really want to see England, you'll find many of the country's different facets all within a short distance of Bath, from chocolate-box villages to historic harbours.
Bath facts
The brief facts: Bath is a city (population approx. 100,000) located in the south-west of England, not far from Bristol. The earliest documented inhabitants were the Romans, who indulged themselves in Bath's thermal springs (unique in the UK). Bath's second high-profile era was the eighteenth century, when the town was a hugely popular resort for royalty, aristocracy, gamblers and rakes. In between 'taking the waters' at the Pump Rooms, and attending colourful assemblies, Bath's Georgian tourists indulged in all manner of intrigues, and the kind of superficial lifestyle described by one-time resident Jane Austen.
What to see in Bath
In the eighteenth century Bath was re-designed as an outdoor showplace for Georgian society. Almost the entire town centre is a coherent and attractive map of honey-coloured limestone terraces. Among the town's architectural highlights are the curved and panoramic crescents, and Pulteney Bridge, where you can pause to shop while crossing the river Avon. Bath has several fascinating galleries and museums devoted to subjects ranging from the town's Roman past (a trip to the Roman Baths is unmissable) to the history of costume.
What to do in Bath
If you're tired of sightseeing, Bath offers a reasonable range of cultural and entertainment options. The Theatre Royal sees major touring productions, while there are several cinemas and plenty of good restaurants, pubs and cafes. There are festivals in Bath throughout the year, and plenty of outdoors summer events. The surrounding countryside offers excellent possibilities for days out and walks.
beautiful Georgian town of Bath
Hogenakkal Falls From Heven
Hogenakkal At A Glance You get the feel of the river running nearby when you enter the sanctuary enclosing Hogenakal waterfall. Suddenly, there is plenty of vegetation and little habitation, the road keeps going down and down into the valley indicating the probability of finding a river. A 15 minute of quite drive into the forest leads you to a busy and noisy village(or call it a marketplace) or Hogenakkal. The real action begins with the boatmen, even before you get to see the waterfall. You realize that you need a coracle to go there, and approach the boatmen expecting to pay may be a 20, 30 or 50 rupees. You would be in for a big surprised when they ask you for a 500! Heavy bargaining can bring it down considerably but they are pretty smart businessmen and they know you wont go back easily after coming this far! This is another big waterfall on the Kaveri river after Shivanasamudra. Though not as high as the earlier one, it is equally magnificent, with the river falling into a narrow gorge in several bursts of water. There is no wide open space where you can stand and watch the fall; you need to hire a coracle and get right into the gorge to be able to see it. The boatmen can take you really close to the falling water, sometimes to make the water splash into you if you wish. River here is only a little wider than Mekedatu but much mellow, flows through a narrow channel surrounded by rocks on both sides which are carved into strange shapes by the river. Boatmen say water is probably a 100 feet deep here. The channel looks lovely and the rocks look as if they were carved by an artist! There are many such bursts of water in Hogenakkal. Another attraction are local kids who can show you their diving skills, for a fee. They can dive for you from a height of around 30 feet into the water and climb straight up back on the rocks in no time, all for mere Rs.5 from the spectator. There is competition within them and you may be offered a discount! A little downstream to the river is a wide plane where day trippers and picnic crowd spend most of their time, but you don't really find a good shelter anywhere there. Men can attempt a massage offered by the local masseur but is best avoided. Accommodation How To Get There Things To Do
There are just two places where one can stay overnight - the Tourist Bungalow run by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (080-2275869, 2275883) and Hotel Tamil Nadu (043425-54447 and 54448).
Air : Nearest airport is Bangalore, 130 km.
Rail : Nearest railhead is Bangalore
Road : Several tourist taxis and buses ply from Bangalore to Hogenakkal. It is a two and a half hour drive to the falls. Road is the fastest and the most comfortable way to get to the falls.
En route to Hogenakkal, stop by at Pennagram, a village where you will come across brightly coloured giant terracotta statues. Referred to as Aiyanars, these are regarded as guardian deities by the villagers. They depict everything from moustached warriors to even a modern day policemen!
Once in Hogenakkal, you can take a coracle ride across the river. The coracles or circular basket boats are covered with buffalo hide or black plastic sheets and ferry tourists across the shimmering, rippling river. The ride will take you to the foot the majestic waterfalls – an exhilarating yet intimidating experience. The water here surges under the coracle, tossing it around, raging and hissing as though it might flood and capsize the boat any moment. The sight of Hogenakkal up close is as spellbinding, imposing and even a bit frightening. This white water fall is particularly impressive soon after the monsoon months when the river is brimming.
Though the boats might seem flimsy on first glance, their basic design has remained unchanged for hundred of years and are in fact quite safe. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even ask your boatman to spin the boat - the experience is akin to sitting on a spinning top.
Once you have had enough of the boat ride and want to calm down your wrecked nerves, try getting a massage from the famed Hogenakkal masseurs. The local malishkarans or the mystic masseurs are armed with oils, powders and esoteric knowledge about the different massage points in the human body and they are good! There are also a few women masseurs.
If you plan to stay longer than a day, you can take long treks in the surrounding Melagiri Hills and explore the lush, rugged, landscape.
