Hogenakkal waterfalls – Niagara Falls of India

Place: Hogenakkal waterfalls, Tamilnadu

Distance: 126 km from Bangalore

Type: Waterfalls, sightseeing
Ideal for: Family and Friends

Best time to Visit: July to December

Tamil Nadu roads always fascinate me, the countryside roads covered by trees on both the sides are serene to ride. Single lane roads with twists and turns cutting through many villages would be a treat to ride for any biker. I don’t know why I never planned a ride to this place until today. Hoganekkal falls can be reached either via Kanakapura or Denkanakotai. I chose the later one as the route is scenic and beautiful.

Best of the Beast: Iconic view of the Hogenakkal Falls

Saturday Morning: I started at 7 am in the morning and reached Hosur at 8.15 from where my other two friends joined. We took the right turn from Hosur and rode straight 30 kilometres until we reached Denkanikottai for breakfast. Sarvana Bhavan in Denkanikottai is famous among the tourists on this route. I had been already to this place on my last ride to Bettamugilalam (which was awesome by the way). The food was not only delicious but also pocket-friendly.

After Denkanikottai, the roads became narrower and more beautiful. Little did we know that we would be crossing the forest called as Anchetty forest. 8 kilometre of the ride through the forest was the best part of the trip I would say.

Riding through the Anchatey forest was one the best experience of this ride

Hogenakkal Waterfalls: Reached Hogenakkal falls at 11 in the morning. As we approached we were stopped to pay the entry fee & parking charges (simply looting) and a bunch of locals approached us to offer coracle ride and body massage. I could understand the coracle ride but body massage sounded strange to me.

We parked the bike and started walking toward the falls. I had no idea about the place so we simply followed directions which read “way to the main waterfalls”. As we were walking I could see a lot of people getting body massage that’s when I realized this place is famous for body massage. We were intruded by another 10-15 people offering oil massage. Though I was tempted to take it I didn’t because it would make me sleepy and would be very difficult to ride back.

The common area for oil massage

We walked towards the main waterfalls. There was again an entrance ticket (Rs. 5/head) to go over the hanging bridge. It was expected to get the best view of the falls from the hanging bridge but it didn’t live up to my expectations. It wasn’t looking anywhere close to what I had seen in the google photos. I opened the google again to inquire where to get such great view. A boatman was following us since the beginning who was bugging to take the coracle ride, I showed him the picture and asked him if I can get the same view if I take the coracle ride. After he said yes, I was convinced to go for the coracle ride which was costing us Rs. 750.

The main view of the waterfalls from the Hanging bridge

Coracle Ride: The rides are organized by the govt of Tamilnadu and its a fixed rate, there’s no chance of bargaining and on the brighter side no chance of getting cheated by the locals. Max of 4 people is allowed per coracle excluding the boatman. So if you are a group of 6 then you will have to take 2 separate tickets. After wearing the life jacket we boarded the coracle. In the beginning, Rs. 750 for 3 km ride felt overpriced but after seeing the effort needed to row against the water streams we decided to give him additional Rs. 100 as tips.

The boatman peddling

The view is so serene and peaceful to the mind

Beautiful view

The ride was not only scenic but also peaceful. I started missing the coracle ride I did in Dandeli which was an unforgettable experience for me. There were people selling chicken and fish items on the river banks and the heights of marketing reached when we spotted people selling snacks and cold drinks in the coracle. The river divides two states, we could see the Karnataka on the other side. Even Karnataka govt offers the coracle ride, so if you are coming from the Mysur side then you can reach the other side.

A person selling snacks and cold drinks in the coracle

The current was high and the boatman was putting a lot of effort rowing against the upstream to reach the main waterfalls. As we were nearing we could hear the loud roaring of the falls. The view was breathtaking I can’t find words to describe the view. You can check my video to get an idea about what I am talking about.

This is the closest view of the waterfalls. It was a magical experience

A lot of tourists enjoying the coracle ride. Don’t miss it

We then moved to the viewpoint from where we can get the iconic view of the falls. We had to get down from the boat and climb the stairs, the boatman carried the coracle on his head and followed us. There is a small elevated structure from where we can get a perfect view of the falls. Exactly like the one I saw in the google photos. I was overwhelmed by the view. The boatman offered us to extend the timing by another hour (paying extra 750) so that we can enjoy the waterfalls. We didn’t opt for it and crossed the last stream to reach the endpoint.

Hoge = smoke, Kallu = Rock. The reason behind the place name.

The iconic view of the Hogenakkal waterfalls

Can you see the rainbow created in the falls?

It was 2 pm in the afternoon, a perfect time for lunch. We had a nice rice-sambar meal with the fish fry at the nearby local restaurant.

Petrol Khali: My bike was not starting, for some reason, the bike had given up on the mileage and the fuel tank was empty. The nearest fuel station was 13 km on the opposite route to Bangalore. The only option left for us was to buy loose petrol available at the local stores at an extra charge of Rs. 25 per litre. I bought 2 litres which should be sufficient to take me till the next petrol bunk on the way which was around 40 km.

Taking a dip in the River Kaveri: You can’t miss getting into the water when you visit waterbody like this. We stopped after a couple of kilometres where there was no crowd and the water was pristine. After playing in the water for an hour we started our ride back to Bangalore at 4 pm. Took a fuel break and tea break and finally reached Bangalore at 7 pm.

Didn’t get the swimming glasses? No problem.

Taking a dip in the Kaveri River

The gang. 😉

A bike ride can make you refreshing than anything

Love for roadside tea

Conclusion: I would suggest you visit this place in the month of July to December when the water level will be good. Otherwise, you will get disappointed. The roads are excellent to ride but its equally dangerous so ride with care.

Don’t forget to check out the youtube video of this ride. I would really appreciate if you could subscribe to my Youtube channel “Sakre Cubes”, which will encourage me to make more of such amazing videos 🙂