My Travelogue – Chikmagalur Trip-2

 

My Travelogue – Chikmagalur Trip-2

(Office trip to Chikmagalur with colleagues)

 

 

Disclaimer:

I have penned down below the memories of an office trip with colleagues wherein no reference is made to the company's name, or names of people, but only elaboration and description of the journey and the moments that were spent together.

 

 

Aug-01-2025 - (Friday):

It was a Work-From-Home day for all of us. 

Late in the evening we were embarking on the much-awaited office trip to Chikmagalur with our colleagues. Hence all of us were quite thrilled during the day.

We were planning to start by midnight from our respective offices.

I reached my office by 9:30PM, and met few colleagues there. Many were yet to come, and I had in fact reached there quite early. 

I went up to our office, met many folks who were there and had a nice chat. 

Later we all came down and some of us assisted in bringing down some sacks of chips and snacks and also few crates of water bottles to be loaded into the buses. These would be the refreshments that would be distributed to everyone during our journey. 

The buses were parked down on the main road and by then many of our employees had assembled there to board.

Everyone seemed to be very happy and thrilled as this is a rare occasion where we were going for a two-day long trip. So far the picnics and outings from office during the last many years were confined to only a day's event.

I met lot many colleagues and finally after meeting and chatting with many, finally we boarded our bus, a volvo traveller of Bharath Benz.

We had buses departing from all the three office locations in Bangalore.

By around 11:45PM, when it was close to midnight we set out from our office in Banashakari.

Even though a late start close to midnight, there was no compromise to the energy level, fun and frolic. The fellow employees in my bus were mostly youngsters and they made the bus a dance floor, dancing wildly to the rhythm of the blaring music being played. 

Our bus was out speeding on the highway, late in the hour after midnight and reverberating to the rocking rhythm of dancing and frenzy. 

Later that night by around 2:00AM we stopped by at an eatery on the highway for some refreshments.

There were five buses in total that had departed from the three office locations and all the buses were halted there.

The office folks for the trip were of around 130+ in number. It was nice to meet several colleagues from other offices whom we occasionally meet, and had a nice time together at the eatery where we had stopped in the wee hours. 

We spent more than an hour there, had some snacks for refreshment, quite odd to have at such an odd time of 2:00AM – 3:00AM, yet we didn't feel it so odd.

We got back into our buses after an hour, and again set out by around 3:15AM. The drive was quite smooth and comfy and our bus was sped over the highway, gliding smoothly.

I dozed off after we set out from the eatery, and when I woke it was almost day break.

Aug-02-2025 - (Saturday):
Well as the day dawned, when I peeped through the curtains of the bus, I could see that we were zooming past several corn fields and vast swathes of land. It was nice to be on country side roads and the fresh air and peaceful atmosphere fills us with solitude.

We reached Chikmagalur and were dropped off at the main road near a bylane which led to the resort - "The Silver Sky". 

We had to travel for around 1.5 kms through a narrow road to the reach the resort.

The resort was providing pickup service but there were only quite few pickup vehicles - few jeeps and cars. Hence many retorted to walking all the way till the resort.

We passed by fields and coffee plantations and woods to reach the resort. 

The resort was in the backdrop of the mountains of Chikmagalur with coffee plants all around to be seen.

It was lucky that I was among the few who got the jeep commute to the resort. Many others had to walk all the way up to the resort which was quite strenuous.

Once at the resort, we collected the keys to our rooms from the reception.

The resort had plenty of cottage rooms which were very cosy and ultra-modern with top notch facilities. There was ample storage space and all required amenities and a nice balcony with a good view.

My two roomies arrived late as they had to walk all the way to the resort.

After getting freshened up I set out with some colleagues to the reception as it was time for breakfast.

We had buffet breakfast with both Indian and Western menu which included - juices, idlies, vada, poha, paneer paratha, porridge, baked beans, cakes and muffins, sliced chicken sausages, boiled as wells as scrambled eggs, bread butter and jam, cornflakes, milk, tea and coffee, and there was also a live dosa counter too.

The dining hall was lively with plenty of folks all around, and many smiling and familiar faces, everyone thrilled and joyful for being part of this team outing.
I sat with two of my colleagues for our sumptuous breakfast.

Afterwards, with few of my friends to accompany I went for a nice walk outside the resort premises. We walked down the road quite long, in the cool chilly mountainous climate, enjoying the serene atmosphere, lush greenery all around of jungle like surroundings, pine trees and several other trees and vegetation typical to mountain side which we don't usually find in cities. Country houses and huts were also around with moss covered fences and roofs, the damp road, and the cool and fresh country side air etc were extending a soothing calmness and peaceful feeling to the mind.

I walked back tracing my footsteps back to the resort's entrance and then I went ahead the road up to coffee plantations and plots with pine trees. It was adjacent to the resort. 

In the backdrop, the tall majestic mountains were clearly visible, beautiful olive green coloured mountains, and dark rocks jutting on the surface too here and there.
After a while of walking we could notice that the road abruptly ended and it was just a muddy path beyond that.

Accompanying two of my colleagues I up the road and we went further up through the muddy road up to a gate and then took few steps inside and stood there glancing all around.
There were houses to be seen at far end and the surroundings all looked as if it was some place in Wayanad (in Kerala) with striking resemblance. 

We walked back and eventually into the resort. Walked within the premises of the resort going past several beautiful cottages and coffee plants all around in the resort, and finally I parted ways with the colleagues and returned to my room.
My two roomies were there taking rest, I had brief conversations with them and later took a brief nap for an hour or two, and then when I woke up it was time for lunch.

I went down again accompanying a set of colleagues for lunch, again a grand buffet type food with veg at a corner and non veg (fish & chicken) towards another corner. It was again grand and all of us had a heavy intake.

After lunch, it was time for the most thrilling and much awaited part of this outing - Mullayangiri trekking. We embarked on this trekking without wasting much time.

I set out by around 2:30PM, in a jeep arranged by the resort folks and with 7 other employees to accompany.

The resort where we were staying was down the hills of Chikmagallur. So, as we set out from there, the jeep took the deviation from the town square and went up the road to Mullayangiri hills. The jeep climbed up the winding roads of the mountains, conquering the curves with ease.

It was a lovely ride and we reached an open area where we were dropped. The jeeps from the resorts were not permitted beyond, and hence we all had to hire another jeep which took us still higher up the hill and dropped us at a spot from where we all had to walk a long way to reach Mullayangiri hill top.

Mullayangiri peak is the highest point above sea level within the state of Karnataka.

My group of 7 folks in my jeep with two or three ladies among the group, seem to be among the first group of folks from the resort to reach there.

We had a nice walk in the cool misty weather across the long stretch. It was a slope and the long road wound around boulders and hills and hence the walk was quite arduous. We used to take rest for a while inbetween and resumed our walk.

After a long walk and taking lot of clicks of the beautiful views the place had to offer and also selfies of picturesque scenery in the back drop, we finally reached the foot of a hill and from there we had to climb some steps (around 400 to 500 steps) to reach the peak.

The serene beauty of nature and the hills draped in the mountain mist and the huge drop down to the valley, and the scenic beauty of the whole area were very much mesmerizing and soul quenching. I captured lot of nature's pristine beauty in my smartphone's camera.

The final climb up to the top was infact too much strenuous and arduous yet the determination and persistence was what made us get to the top.

We had to halt inbetween to catch our breaths, and then again continued our climb up. When I used to halt, I used to look around to view the beautiful surroundings. Pristine beauty which can never be described but only viewed and experienced !!!

As we climbed up the steps whenever we looked to the mountaintop, it mostly remained eclipsed by thick mist around, and it cleared inbetween but used to be soon engulfed by mist again.

I continued climbing with others and it was a great feat to reach the top. Very perspiring yet rejuvenating.

There was a small temple at the top and we had to leave our shoes and then walk barefoot over the rocks as we entered the premises of the temple.

I had come in the first trip of jeep exactly at 2:30PM and hence my set of folks almost arrived there first.

When I came out of the temple and descended the steps I met many other colleagues we took some clicks together. 
After spending some time at the top and enjoying the beautiful view and taking clicks we descended down the steps.

It was so misty and too windy up there. The weather too cool and the views the place had to offer is a magnificent gift of nature, and worth cherishing a lifetime.

The atmosphere was comparatively quite clear when I arrived, and there was good sunshine but now as I descended things seems to be different with rapid changes in weather conditions. Thick mist began to cover the mountain top and the surroundings also.

We continued our descend down the flight of steps, and by now thick fog had engulfed the entire area.

I captured the beauty in my smartphone camera and continued my brisk walking along with few other colleagues.

We walked back the entire stretch of path, and then a jeep ride back to location where the jeeps from the resort were waiting.

We had to wait at the parking lot for some time for the rest of the folks in our group to join us.
As we waited there, the weather turned so bad with the fog blanketing all over the place to such an extent that people and objects which were quite nearby were hard to make out, and fully obscured by the fog.

I had never witnessed so intense fog ever in my life anywhere.

The oncoming vehicles to the area had fog lights turned on and yet we could only see the pair of fog lights beaming through the white blanket of fog as the vehicles approached from a distance, and only when quite near, the vehicle would gradually fade into the scene when it emerges out of the mist.

We continued staying there waiting for our colleagues and observing and enjoying the rapid changes in the weather.

Finally, once the rest of the folks in our group arrived we set out in our jeep back to our resort. 

As our jeep descended the hills, the weather had changed drastically, it turned very cloudy and for a stretch of road on the way, the road was again blanketed with heavy fog with poor visibility. It started to drizzle slightly.

Oncoming vehicles appeared to emerge from a foggy wall, with their head lamps alone visible through the fog from a distance,  and when near the full vehicle emerges out of the fog and used to passed by.

As we descended further down the winding roads, it started raining badly. It seems every evening it rains in Chikmagallur.

We finally reached the resort and were dropped at the reception area. We went into the dining hall. There was tea being served.

Had a nice time chatting with friends over a cup of warm tea and cookies, an apt refreshment after a cool trek.

Later we were back to our room to relax and refresh, and after nightfall again came down for a nice dinner. It rained heavily and hence the bonfire plan got cancelled.

Aug-03-2025 - (Sunday):

In the early morning a walk through the coffee plantations was planned and may of our colleagues joined. I too wanted to join and had set alarm in my smartphone to wake up early but unfortunately I overslept. My bad.

Once I was up, got ready and with some colleagues we went down for buffet breakfast.

Then afterwards returned to our room and within an hour we checked out.

We assembled at a banquet hall where a delegate from senior management addressed the crowd. He spoke of the success and motivation aspects, and how the trip was planned and turned out to be successful. Also he did talk about the ambiguity that lay ahead in our career journey and assured us on bright days ahead and not to be apprehensive. Then, we all were gifted with a keychain, as a souvenir to be kept to remember this wonderful trip.

We assembled down in the front of the resort for photos, and then set out.

I set out on foot walking down with two colleagues, down the road. We went ahead chatting and it was so nice to walk through the country roads, so refreshing. 

As we covered a good distance walking, a car from the resort approached us and stopped for us to board. We managed to squeeze in, and it took us to the main road.

Then we had to wait for some time there, for our buses to arrive and afterwards we got in and settled down and were enroute to Bangalore.

The journey back was nice, calm and peaceful. I sat beside the window enjoying the landscape as the bus went through the serene roads of Chikmagallur. The team had the same vigour and energy enroute back to Bangalore as well with dancing and fun. 

Inbetween we got down at Hassan for lunch and then again resumed the journey and was back in Bangalore by nightfall.

 

It was a nice a wonderful trip, which was fun filled and rejuvenating, and bestowed us with warm cherishable memories. This was the only two-day long trip I was part of during my entire tenure in the company and such overnight trips are planned quite rarely like once in a decade. Hence the moments were priceless to all of us and sure to recall in the days ahead.

 

 

 

Penned down by,

Suveen Jacob Abraham.