A Road trip from Bangalore to Mysore

While talking to a good friend of mine, based out of Bangalore , he happened to share his recent interesting journey of a Mysore road trip and asked if I can blog about it. I was quite to happy to do so on his behalf. Here’s him recounting the experience.. ” I always jump at the prospect of taking a solo road trip. There is something about being alone on the road with your thoughts. However, if I have too much on my mind, then I avoid driving solo. Last September, I had to travel to Mysore from Bangalore to attend a friend’s wedding. While I would have loved to drive, there were too many thoughts weighing on my mind. Therefore, I decided to avail a licensed Bangalore to Mysore car rental with a driver.

The distance between Bangalore and Mysore is 140-160 km – a 3-4 hour drive. I started comfortably at 7 in the morning – the reception was not until 9 at night. I thought of spending the day traveling and unwinding before attending the reception.

Bird Watching at Ramanagara

After a small discussion with the driver, we decided to take the Bangalore-Bidadi-Channapatna-Mandya-Mysore route. I took this route specifically because I wanted to visit the Ramadevara Betta Vulture Sanctuary at Ramanagara. The drive was smooth and relaxing and within around 90 minutes we reached the vulture sanctuary. After spending some time there and failing to spot any vultures, I decide to move on.

Shop Stop at Channapatna

My next halt in my Mysore road trip was at Channapatna – the town of wooden handicrafts. I have two kids, my next-door neighbor has one, my boss has two, and my colleagues have a total of 6 kids. Hence, this stop was mandatory as I needed to buy wooden toys for all the kids (the pre-condition for approving my leave!). Next, I visited the summer palace of Tipu Sultan. The palace is a great reminder of the Indo-Islamic architecture and was the summer residence of Tipu Sultan – majestic to say the least.

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

After driving further, we reached the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary at Srirangapatna, barely 15 km from Mysore. The photographer in me suddenly woke up and I took my DSLR and headed in asking the driver to have a bite and rest since I was planning to be here for a while. The Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is beautiful with six islets on the bank of the river Kaveri. The flora and fauna are a photographer’s dream come true. I went crazy clicking flowers and birds and landscapes and nature. I was probably here for 2-3 hours and would have stayed longer if the driver wouldn’t have called me to check if I was fine.

Food Stop at Srirangapatna

We then headed to the Thotada Mane restaurant in Srirangapatna for one of the most delicious vegetarian meals I had eaten in years. With my stomach full and mind relaxed, I asked the driver to finally take me to Mysore. Within 30 minutes, I was in the City of Palaces – Mysore. I thanked the driver and checked in to my hotel marking an end to the Mysore road trip.

During this entire road trip, the driver was extremely accommodating and helpful.”

One thing’s for sure. The next time I don’t feel like driving and want to book a dependable cab in Bangalore, I know who to call!