Honnemaradu Trip

Place : Honnemaradu (Sharavathi Backwaters)
Date : 20’th and 21’st Jan 2007
Participants: Praveen, Jatin, Harish M,Sandeep Sreenivasa,Naveen,Manish,Harischandra,Srinivasan Prakash
Girish RH ,Sreenath ,Praveen
Activity: Water sports & fun
Total distance covered : 900 KMs.
Total cost : RS :1000 per head to Honnemaradu 2 day activity +Transport (Around 1700 per head)


'Honnemardu' is supposed to be a village submerged under the Linganmakki reservoir in Shimoga district.Just 10 KMS before reaching Jog Falls, you should take a deviation from Talaguppa and travel for 10 KMs to reach Honnemaradu.

The reservoir is some 80KMx50KM and you can see water until your sight gets lost. The water is pretty clean and left virtually untouched. Nowhere will you find traces of human interference especially of plastic type of interference.



Sun Rise at Honnemaradu


View of Honnemaradu



View of Linganamakki Dam from Honnemaradu

Our Team

After an initial 'how to use' session with life jackets, we were on our own swimming to a nearby island, of course with our jackets on. I had never ever realized the convenience/ importance of a life jacket until then. You can literally float without any effort and that was the reason for all our faces getting tanned. For some of the guys, it was the first time experience with swimming. After swimming for 2 hrs, we had a heavy lunch followed by sound sleep.

Swim to Island with Life Jackets

Evening time was 'Coracle' time. 'Coracle' is a big round tub like thing with seats. Two people row it and it was a good first time experience with a boat:) We went to a nearby tiny island for the night's stay. We pitched our tents, collected firewood, make the campfire, had food and chatted, sang, danced away to glory. After dark, we could see the beautiful lit Linganmakki Dam. It was a sight to watch (though our cameras could not capture it).

Coracling to the Island

Coracling to the Island

Pitched tents to spend night in Island

Campfire at the Island

Sunset at Honnemaradu

Next day morning we coracled back to the mainland. There were heavy winds blowing and we had to coracle against the winds / tides and after much circus we reached the Mainland.But few of our collegues were still struck in the Island, so myself with the instructor and my friend coracled back to the Island and got our friends back to Mainland. Coracling against the tides is pretty difficult, infact one of my friend’s coracle toppled twice near the starting point itself.

Next in store was 'Canoe'ing. Canoe is the normal rowing boat. We Canoeyed to one of the Islands and returned back. Canoeing was the best part of the trip for me.

Canoeing to the Island

Canoeing to the Island


Next day morning we coracled back to the mainland. There were heavy winds blowing and we had to coracle against the winds / tides and after much circus we reached the Mainland.
But few of our collegues were still struck in the Island, so myself with the instructor and my friend coracled back to the Island and got our friends back to Mainland. Coracling against the tides is pretty difficult, infact one of my friend’s coracle toppled twice near the starting point itself.
Next in store was 'Canoe'ing. Canoe is the normal rowing boat. We Canoeyed to one of the Islands and returned back. Canoeing was the best part of the trip for me.

After finishing all the activities, we returned back to Bangalore on Monday morning by 3 AM.

It was a nice experience, different and adventurous compared to all the trips / trek i have done in the past.
But if u are looking out for luxuries, then forget, Honnemaradu is not the place for u People. We literally have to do all things by ourselves, wash dishes, carry our tents, get firewood etc etc...............
No Music / cigars / drinks/ non veg and plastic are allowed in Honnemaradu.Food and accomodation is pretty bad, but it is worth a place to visit and experience all the activities........

Do’s:
Carry Paper plates, plastic cups, some snacks, sun screen lotion,2-3 pairs of clothes, towel , Blanket, toiletry, plastic cover to keep drenched clothes

Don’t’s:
Do not carry Cigarette, drinks, non veg food

Recommended to go in a group of 8- 10 people.
Recommended that you have your own transport, else you will be required to walk for 6 kms from Talaguppa to reach Honnemaradu.

Best time to Visit: December- January.

Route From Bangalore : Bangalore->Tumkur->Birur->Shimoga->Sagar->Talaguppa->Honnemaradu
Distance : Around 400 kms from Bangalore.

Book for this water sorts activity atleast 2 weeks in advance

For bookings, Contact:
Mr. Swamy, Ms. Nomita - Adventurers
The Adventurers
142, 69th Cross, 5th Block, Rajajinagar,
Bangalore INDIA 560 010
Phone: 91-80-3305508 or 91-80-3409712


Links to Snaps:

http://in.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/pravin_c_h/album?.dir=/1f9fscd&.src=ph&.tok=ph_iO_FB_6wlradD_

http://picasaweb.google.com/sandeep.shande/Honnemardu

Related Links:
For More details on Honnemaradu, visit
http://www.dudseascrawls.com/node/2370/print
http://www.dreamroutes.org/dreams/nithin_honnemardu.html