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Haarangi - When you chase clouds to Kodagu and the traffic chases you back
​Sitting at the Fifth Generation coffee shop sipping their single-origin freshly brewed black coffee, it was indeed a romantic monsoon ride. Admiring the rain pounding on the faraway mountain ranges, in no time, they reached where I was and oh, how it drenched me. Riding in the rain is always tricky. You wear all the rain gear to stay dry, but the non-breathable material makes you wet (sweat) from inside.
​A ride to Kodagu district is synonymous with a monsoon ride. The initial plan was to visit the Golden Temple and then the Harangi Dam close by. It started to rain as soon as I got going. After a quick breakfast from a popular restaurant group, I was soon out of Mysore and on the single-lane highway.
The tourist traffic is negligible, with a few stray TTs, taxis and private cars. With the arrival of the monsoon and the beginning of the school season, roads are close to empty except for the regular commuters and those like me looking forward to riding in the rain. The otherwise busy road to Madikeri was calm. The vista was splendid, with everything verdant after the showers. But this was only short-lived. On my return leg, the traffic had built up quite surprisingly. Guess people are no longer waiting for the weekends to hit the road.
Harangi Dam is built across River Harangi, a tributary of Kaveri. This river joins Kaveri at a place called Kudige, not far from where the reservoir is situated. The not-so-popular (or not as popular as) Dubare elephant camp, the Harangi elephant camp, is relatively new. Opened in 2022, it is adjacent and on the banks of the Harangi Reservoir. A Short walk to the camp from the entrance is quite refreshing, on a pleasant day. Alternatively, you can ride one of their vehicles at ₹20 per person. The entry fee is ₹50 on weekdays and ₹60 on weekends for adults. The two-wheeler parking is at ₹25.
The surrounding area looked fresh and spectacular, drenched in the rain. The dark clouds and gusty wind formed a dramatic and breathtaking background. After this brief stop amongst the frenzied populace to get an Insta-worthy photo or video, I sat watching the elephants being fed and tried being stoic. The place closes at 11 and reopens at 16.00. Apart from the Elephant camp, where you can feed the elephants and spend time watching the scenery, one can go boating on the backwaters.
​On the way to the Dam, a short deviation due to roadwork is a bother if you come from Kushalnagar - Somwarpet road. The road continues further, forming a loop and exits near Nisarga Dama just outside Kushalnagar town. As my plan was to go to the Dubare Elephant Camp road, I completed this loop.
​The Fifth Generation Cafe is a coffee shop on the Dubare Elephant Camp road. A quaint cafe with a good ambience and fantastic coffee. Coffee is from their own estates, and they also organise estate tours.
With the early onset of monsoon, many water bodies already seem to be filled to the brim. Soon, it would be a good time to visit the roaring waterfalls. With eight more rides to go, the forty seem to be getting closer. Crunching miles, Kiki has completed 71K on the odo with this ride.