GUIDE TO VISIT DUDH SAGAR FALLS from BELGAUM

SUPER AWESOME and ADVENTURES place

It’s a must visit once in a life time – great place.

Here I would explain the

• ways to reach Doodhsagar from Belgaum, 
• tips to enjoy the tour, 
• best time to visit this place,
• planning and packing before starting the tour.

Dudhsagar Falls Information:

The water fall is on the border of Karnataka and Goa states in the western ghats.

Dudhsagar Falls is a 4 tiered waterfalls located on the Mandovi River.

The waterfall is located in the “Bhagwan Mahavir Wild Life Sanctuary” at Collem in South Goa.

The best time to visit is in Monsoon rainy season.

During the monsoon season the falls are transformed into one of the most powerful falls in India and it is listed as

•  India's fifth tallest waterfall 

[1. Vajrai Waterfall(Maharashtra), 2. Kunchikal Falls(Karnataka), 3. Barehipani Falls(Orissa), 4. Langshiang Falls,  Nohkalikai Falls, Nohsngithiang Falls(Meghalaya), 5. Dudhsagar Falls(Goa)]

•  Dudh Sagar is 227th in the world

The water plummets hundreds of metres (over a thousand feet) in large volumes during the rainy monsoon season, forming one of the most spectacular natural phenomena where we can’t see the top of the fall and it looks like water is coming from clouds

 

It is a four-tiered waterfall with a 

•        total height of 310 metres (1017 feet) and
•        an average width of 30 metres (100 feet).

We can see the falls standing on the train bridge which is constructed on the river after the falls. The fall of the water forms big spill of water which makes you wet in few minutes on the bridge.

Best times to visit: July to Sept.

How to reach Dudhsagar Falls from Belgaum:

There are different ways to reach DudhSagr falls which you can find in internet but as I went from Belgaum so I would give the details regarding trip details from Belagum -> Dudhsagar ->Belgaum on Sunday trip.

Express trains ply to & fro everyday from Londa Junction but at odd hours & only on Sundays there runs a convenient train from Belgaum in the morning and in return there is only a single convenient Express Train in the Evening to reach Belgaum back.

01. Before start of Journey:

1. PACK FOOD: As you do not find good food to eat pack some good food sufficient for lunch and snacks to eat  
2. EXTRA CLOTHS:  One pair of extra clothes as your cloths will get wet near the falls.
3. WATERPROOF BAGS: Take bags which are water proof so that water does not enter inside the bag and make you extra cloths wet 
4.  SPORTS SHOES: Wear sports shoes as you need to walk on train tracks and also they will become wet
5.  RAINCOATS: Carry Raincoats (Umbrellas not preferred)  for each individual members
6. TORCH: As you need to walk in tunnels you need torch to see the route

(Not Mandatory but if ladies are accompanied and they cant stay in wet clothes untill they reach back home then Trekking tent is necessary to change the dress)

     7.  TENTS: As there are no rooms to change the dress so Ladies can use the tents to change the dress  

02: Start Journey:
Train “Poorna Express” which runs on every Sunday from Pune (Maharashtra) to Eranakulam Jn (Kerala)

Starting From Belgaum: Sunday Morning 07: 45 AM it starts from Belgaum.

Train starts from Pune and stops at  Satara, Karad, Sangli, Miraj, Ghatprabha, Belgaum, Londa Jn so you can catch this train from any of these stations if this station is near to your place.

Else try reaching any of above mentioned stations at the train arrival time, like travelers from Bangalore have 2 options:

• travel from Bangalore to Belgaum and get into "Poorna Express" from Belgaum Station at 07: 45 AM or
• travel from Bangalore to Hubli and then from Hubli to Londa. Get into "Poorna Express" from Londa at 09:05 AM 

As there is no facility of providing tickets in DudhSagar falls station so you should buy return ticket also in Belgaum.

 
As general bogie will be full get into Sleeper Class bogie and pay extra fare to TC during ticket checking. 

03. Journey:

From Belgaum train goes to Londa Junction --> Castle Rock --> DudhSagr Falls Station.

Train route from Belgaum to Londa to Castle Rock is covered with green dense forest on both the sides.

 

                                                     View in Castle Rock station

From Castle Rock station they attach 2 engines as Ghat starts because ghat route is so big single engine cannot run the train.

One of the railway employ traveling with us gave us information like: In Ghat section train wheel slips, so they have some mechanism to stop train wheel slipping on rails in this ghats where they use sand which they store in engine room.Engine has a pipe from where sand is spilled on tracks so wheels do not slip on tracks - The train has an electronic traction-control system that automatically starts the sand sprayers when the wheels slip.

So you can see big number of bags filled with sand on Castle Rock station.

Great Scenery of dense forest starts from Castel Rock Station 

                                            View On the way Castle Rock to Dudh Sagar

From Castle Rock to Dudh Sagr falls its fantastic view on both the sides.
On left hand side its high rocky hills where we cant see the top of hill and right hand side its deep depth where we cant see the land – feel is like train is going in Clouds

We will find small waterfalls during the journey.

Small Water falls on the way to DudhSagar Falls

Train will cross many tunnels during the journey.
We will find many people on the way who are trekking from Castle Rock to DudhSagar along with the train track.

04: Walk from DudhSagr Falls Station to DudhSagar Falls:

DudhSagar Station where we get down

Once you get down in DudhSagar Station start walking in same direction train went after leaving you in station.

As there is only train track on which you need to walk on that track for about 2 KM  to reach DudhSagar falls.

There is  small church on the way

On the way you need to cross 4 tunnels where few are big and few are small.
Here you need to use you torch as its very dark inside and you might fell down as rail tracks are not straight and few small broken iron tracks are kept while repairing tracks on the way.

You can have a look at great scenery during your walk to DudhSagar

 

You will find small Water falls on the way of your walk to Dudh Sagr Falls

05: DudhSagar Falls:

Once you near the falls you will see the board "Dudh Sagar falls". 

The train track is on the bridge and water which flows from falls flows below this bridge and flows down the hills.
Once you are on that bridge water falling from falls will be spraying water on you in air.

The moment you see this great fall of water you get astonished - you feel its life time moment.

Stand on the bridge opposite to the falls and falls water will drench you completely within 5 mins with water sprayed by falls

 

Standing here open your mouth  - the water sprayed by falls enters your mouth.
Moment you taste that water you feel its "Amrut" and no purified water on this earth can give this taste.

Beside the bridge you find steps to walk down the bridge and see water rushing below the brdige.
In Summer we can have bath in this water as water in falls will be very less so flow of water will be less.

Near the falls you have small place where you can have your food as rain will be playing hide and seek – you need some shade to have food.

 Goods Trains Pass regularly – they will be blowing horns always to make people move from tracks

As its GOA you find few people selling Beer there.

06: Return: Either go back to Dudh Sagar Station or to Kulem Station to catch train

From Dudh Sagar you have 2 options to catch train back to Castle Roack -> London -> Belgaum:

-          Either go back to Dudh Sagar Station and wait for Goa Express which will arrive around 16:30 and reach Belgaum at 19:45 PM

-          Else walk till Kulem which is around 10 KM from Dudh Sagar and you can catch same train Goa Express Train which comes here at Kulem 16:30 and reaches Belgaum at 19:45

Second option of going to Kulem staion needs 10 KM walk but they say you can view Dudh Sagar falls from far as train track takes U turn and runs infront of Falls which gives good far view. (Shown in many Movies - Myna and Chennai Express)

Once you come away from falls either towards DudhSagar station or towards Kulem station try to change you dress and wear dry dress.

Rain will not be continuous but it will occur heavy rain in intervals for which you have to use raincoats or Umbrella.

If you board a train in Dudh Sagar Station it will be one more adventures task to get inside the train because there will be large number of people trying to board that train to go towards Castle Rock -> Londa -> Belgaum.

Again while returning back as you have general ticket TC will charge you for Sleeper class charges.