The trip was only for 2 days. We arrived at the HornBill resort (where we stayed for the trip) in the morning and relaxed at the river side after a refreshing juice. There is an artificial poolside created just by the bank of the river and there are beach chairs lined up under the tree shade to sit back and relax. It was a wonderful feeling and the best way to soak in the nature.....the river dancing and flowing by and huge tall trees on the other side of the bank. As we were engrossed in our own thoughts in that beautiful silence, a group of people landed on the bank...they returned from a boat ride to the nearby island. The group had lots of young kids and they started playing in the riverside with their parents. The kids looked frightened and scared to play in a river, unlike a swimming pool that most of the kids are familiar with. The resort provides life jackets to its guests including children, so there is no fear of drowning. But you can be washed away in the water if you go too far into it. The river Kali is wide and deep in some places. There are whirlpools here and there, that one has to be cautious about.
We planned our activities for the 2 days and went to the island trip in the afternoon on our first day at the resort. We get to row to the island by ourselves with a guide in the boat. The island has a natural jacuzzi, which gushes water with such force that you almost loose control if you don't hold the rocks tightly. Since it started raining after we reached the island, we could not spend much time there. But playing in the river when it is raining is very exciting! I was reminded of my school days when we went swimming in the pool during our summer vacations :) and the early monsoon showers hit Bangalore.
After the island trip we went into the jungle for a nature walk. It was almost dusk and was getting dark. Since it had rained and was expected to rain more, the place was damp and quiet. The forest was dense and the only sound was of the river flowing by. All this reminded me of the haunting forests showed in movies like Kaal and Raat. There was a campfire in the evening and we had a sumptuous dinner.
The next morning was the day of rafting; the much awaited activity ever since I knew I was coming here! There was a big group which was the guest of some other resort. We were all split into groups and we boarded the rafts. One trainer accompanied each raft to guide us. The guide briefed us on the usage of the paddle, the instructions to be followed while rafting, and guidelines to follow in case of an event. We started rafting on the river and it was a thrilling experience to sit on the raft and row. The guide gave us only instructions on rowing and it was team effort that was involved in rafting. When we reached the first rapid, it was both thrilling and scary for some of us who were first timers! Once we crossed the first rapid, it was a triumphant feeling and all of us were ready to conquer more. For every rapid, the guide excused one of us from rowing and asked us to sit in the front. When we rowed into the rapid the water would gush into the person's face. This was thrilling and drove away the fear in us. In the calm stretches we even jumped into the water and flowed with the boat.
The normal course of the raft was 12 KM from the starting point. But this time we were lucky to extend it for another 3-4 KM. Because of the rains the vehicles which had to pick us up from the end point could not reach the place. So we rowed for some more kilometres. When the new end point came, we were all asking for more!
On the way back to our resort, we saw people celebrating Holi, the festival of colors. The villagers had decided to color even the cattle and the pet dogs to celebrate the festival of spring, which were all sporting colors - red, blue, green, and yellow. It was a refreshing experience and Ravi and I were looking forward to return for another trip; this time with friends and family. We made a short trip of sight seeing around Dandeli in the afternoon and were soon packing bags to leave. We boarded the train back to Bangalore that night and returned home. This 2 day trip was worth everything and well deserved for the two bruised souls!
About the resort
The HornBill resort is stretched on the banks of the Kali river. It is spread across a wide area all along the river bank which gives a lot of scope for long walks. It has cottages that are spacious and clean. They are placed far away from each other and this makes them private and cosy. There are different options like treetop rooms, tents and normal cottages.
The food served at the resort is lip smacking, deep in the jungle I really wondered how the dishes would be so tasty. The resort has a huge dining area with a television in one corner. There is a lot of space for a campfire also.
The staff is friendly and helpful. The staff for the adventure sports are well trained and attend various workshops and trainings held across India and Nepal.
About Dandeli
Dandeli is a small city in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. It is located on the banks of River Kali and is very famous for Wild sanctuary, Paper mills, and Forest resorts. Most of the forest resorts are located on the banks of this river. One of the attractions of this place for adventurers is River Rafting. This place is quiet and is free from the usual commercialisation. Amidst the jungles, there is no pollution and it is calm.
How To Reach: Dandeli is 117 KM from Karwar, 75 KM from Hubli, 57 KM from Dharwad, 481 KM from Bangalore.
There are train and bus facilities fron Bangalore. Train is the best option, as it is less tiring.
