Abbigundi falls

How to get there:
Abbigundi is 10 to 12 km from Byndoor. Byndoor is 128 km North of Mangalore on NH-17. You will see a ‘Janata Rattubai Girl’s High School’ board after crossing about 200 meters from Byndoor. It is on the foothills of Ottinene hill. Take a right here (towards east). You will come across a Konkan railway tunnel to your left. Keep going in this road till the dead end. After crossing around 5 km you will reach Maddodi village. After crossing further 3 km you will come to a point where 3 roads meet. The other road is from Shiroor. Continue in the road which is eastward. You will finally reach ‘Koosalli’. There is one lone house. The trek starts from this point.

Initial 5 to 8 minutes will be a simple walk through the paddy fields and you will reach the stream. You need to go against the stream for about 45 to 50 minutes to reach the falls.

It falls in seven steps and total height of the falls is around 380 feet. You can go till the second step from the bottom easily (even this involves making your own way through the thick forest).

Nearest railway station:
Byndoor. But not all train stops here. Hiring an own vehicle is highly recommended. Approximate time of travel is 3 hours (From M’lore to Koosalli village).

Category:
It is moderate to difficult trekking and involves jumping over big rocks and not suited for family tour. This place can also serve as a picnic spot, if your destination is only the stream and not the falls.

Best time to Visit:
November to February.
It will be inaccessible during rainy season. After February there will hardly be any water. Best of Best time is late November to December, since you would face less difficulty in trekking and with the river still in full flow.

Where to Stay:
a) Kshitija Nesara Dhama
Kshtitija Nesara dhama is a forest department guest house. There are 3 cottages and they charge around 300 rs./day (Not sure. Please confirm). But they will not provide any food and you will have to arrange for that yourself. You can get the food packed in Byndoor. The best thing is that these cottages are on the hill top close to the Arabian Sea, from where you can get the glimpse of River and the sea flowing side by side. The full moon day is ideal and imagine a campfire in such a setting:-). But you would need the prior permission from the Forest department of Byndoor to stay here.


b) Sai Vishram beach resort
There is one beach resort started recently. They provide only Vegetarian food. They arrange the boat riding as well. Please follow this link - http://www.saivishram.com/Home.htm

c) Turtle bay beach resort
This resort is in Trasi famous for Maravante beach. Please follow the link - http://www.turtlebayeco.com/

Near by places of intrest:
a) Chaktikal Falls
This falls will be visible to you when you are on the way to Abbigundi. But very few people have been to this place.

b) Kshitija Nesara Dhama –
It is about 2 to 3 km from Byndoor. After Byndoor you have to continue in NH-17 (towards north) for about a km. You will come across Raghavendra mutt to your left (after climbing Ottinene hill). By the side of the Raghavendra mutt is a road (westward) which leads you to this view point.

c) Seneshwara temple Byndoor
This temple has historical importance and has Hoysala architecture. It is in the heart of Byndoor and anyone in Byndoor can give you the pointer to this temple.

d) Maravante Beach
Maravante beach is 20 km south of Byndoor on NH-17. Here NH-17 is sandwiched between river Sowparnika and Arabian Sea.

e) Kollur
Kollur is 28 km east of Byndoor. To go to Kollur go southward from Byndoor on NH-17 for around 1.2 km. You will come to Yedthare village and take a left turn (towards east). It is 27km from this point.

Suggested itinerary:
Start from M’lore on an early Saturday morning. It takes 3 hours to reach Koosalli. The trek to the falls will take another hour. After visiting the falls go to Byndoor, pack the food and go to Kshitija Nesara dhama (You should have done an advance booking) or stay in the SaiVishram beach resort. Stay there for the night. The next morning you can go to Arasinagundi falls and Kollur temple or go to Murdeshwara and Apsara konda falls in Honnavara.

Caution:
The place is full of big rocks and also will be slippery. Be careful. Beware of snakes. Also there is no nearby place where you get good food. So pack your food. Carry first aid box. It is an essential here. Carry a set of clothes if you want to get into water. Also please do not jump into water on the second step if the river is in full flow. There will be an undercurrent of water.