Dudshagar falls are a tad out of the way, no transport, buses not viable and one of the main Rail access points, Castle Rock was over the State border of Karnataka. Decision was made to hire a bike and ride the hour or two out to Castle Rock
By the end of the day, I’d made up my mind, if you can ride a bike in India, You can ride a bike!
Traffic is intense. Road rules don’t even count as “suggestions” and believing you have “your side of the road” will result in you becoming a Windscreen smear on a truck or bus long before lunch.
Bike performed beautifully and did everything I asked, including hauling my fat arse up some steep and winding hills.
I think it was close to heartbreak when arriving at Castle Rock station, I was promptly informed the train line was out of service and the only way to see the falls was to ride back to Collem, (Kulem) and take the 4WD’s to the base of the falls. I had so wanted to take the train across it. The ride back to Collem was ………………..eventful! Coming down a winding 2 lane mountain road, rounding a left hander to see three trucks wide. I still have no clue how they fitted. Getting nearly pushed off a single lane road by a tip truck, etc.
Arriving at Collem, there’s no shortage of people to inform you the train is out, so you have to book a 4WD trip with ME! Eventually, I picked one of the 400+ “Only People” to book with and off we set.
Once you reach the parking point, there’s a really nice walk through the bushland before reching the base of the falls
The scene unfolds to provide a beatiful view of the cascading waters flowing into a natural pool full of Fun-Seekers
I saw no reason whatsoever to be the odd man out so, partake, I shall. What was wonderful to see was that more than half of the blokes were just in their Reg Grundies, so I felt right at home.
Dudhsagar Falls (lit. ’Sea of Milk’) is a four-tiered waterfall on the Mahadayi River in the Indian state of Goa, 60km from Panaji . Dudhsagar Falls is perched at the top of a crescent shaped valley and surrounded by pristine forests, and it is amongst India’s tallest waterfalls with a height of 310 m (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 metres (100 feet). Dudhsagar Falls offers an amazing view, attracting tourists from around the globe.
Dudhsagar Waterfall is perched in the peaks of the Western Ghats and would be a sight to behold in the monsoons when it is in full and furious flow. From a distance, the waterfall appears like streams of milk rushing down the mountainside. After pouring across the Deccan plateau, the headwaters of the Mandovi River form a foaming torrent that splits into three streams to cascade down a near-vertical cliff face into a deep green pool.The Konkani name for the falls, which literally translated means “sea of milk”, derives from clouds of milky foam which rises up at the bottom of the falls.
Dudhsagar is set amidst breathtaking scenery overlooking a steep, crescent-shaped head of a valley carpeted with pristine tropical forest, which is only accessible on foot or by train.Like most places in Goa, the Dudhsagar waterfall too has a legend attached to its name. The legend tells the story of this powerful and wealthy king who ruled a kingdom in the Western Ghats. His lavish and opulent palace in the hills was surrounded by vast gardens which were full of deers and gazelles.
The King had a beautiful daughter, who used to enjoy taking a bath during the hot summers, in the picturesque lake near the forest on the edge of the King’s palace grounds. It was her habit to finish her bath and have a jug full of sugared milk in a jug made of pure gold.One day when she was finishing her usual jug of milk, she found herself being watched by a handsome prince standing amongst the trees. Embarrassed by her inadequate bathing attire, the resourceful Princess poured the sugared milk in front of her to form an improvised curtain to hide her body, while one of the maids rushed to cover her with a dress.Thus was the legend born. The sugared milk (dudh) poured down the mountainside and continued to flow in torrents as a tribute to the everlasting virtue and modesty of the Princess of the Ghats.