What would be your reaction if you were invited for an adventurous trip that involves an enchanting train journey and a visit to one of the spectacular waterfalls in the country? The monsoons were vigorously active over the west peninsular India and the whole range of Western Ghats, drenched in rains and dew, offers a picturesque and riveting account of Indian Monsoon! Hailing from Chennai, a city considered to be a rain shadow region, the monsoon is a rarity and, often, deficient. However, the year 2019 was a blessing from the rain gods.  Over the past few years, I make it a habit to execute travel plans during monsoon to experience nature in its pristine form.  That’s what happens when you fall in love with nature! So, when I put forward this travel plan to my sister and brother-in-law, they were delighted.  It was an instantaneous YES from both of them!

UNFOLDING OF A MEMORABLE JOURNEY:

Undoubtedly, taking off from work on a Friday is among the best feelings.  Combine it with the following Monday, it’s a double delight! It’s such a pleasure to stay away from your co-workers! Ha ha! With preparations for travel in full swing and all the excitement, we hired a taxi to Chennai Central Railway station.  The weather was hot and humid, but I knew the weather conditions would change pretty quickly! And, yes! It did! As soon as the train chugged out of the station, the skies opened up!  To our surprise, we experienced rains for the entire duration of train travel! As I said, it doesn’t always rain in this part of the country, even during monsoon.

After a blissful day journey, it was a pleasant scene by the dawn.  With the sun making its way out of the horizon, it was greenery on either side of the railway lines as far as the human eyes could see.  The lush green paddy fields, chirping birds, and streams of water kept us seated by the windows.  The train was heading towards the popular Dudhsagar waterfalls and was passing through one of the difficult terrains on Western Ghats.  At an elevation of 2,040 feet, Castle Rock is among the many picturesque railway stations in this part of the country!

At the Castle Rock station, additional locos are attached to the train for operational efficiency.  The speed limit for passenger and express trains is set to 40 km/h, while it is 30 km/h for good trains.  Located in the heavily forested area bordering Karnataka and Goa, this station is dearer and popular among tourists.  Because of its close proximity to the Dudhsagar waterfalls, some people disembark at this railway station and walk along the railway track to reach the falls.  Though, there’s no official passenger stoppage for trains at Dudhsagar falls station.  So, walking on tracks is illegal.

As the train makes its way through the many tunnels to the Dudhsagar falls, everyone is bound to be wonderstruck by the spectacular beauty of the waterfalls.  A visit to this place, either by train or trek is more exciting during the monsoon! With heavy rains lashing the region, one gets to see the panoramic view of the Western Ghats with rain waters cascading from the rocks!

Typically, you take a mode of transportation to reach your destination.  In this case, the journey in itself is a destination!

The first time I travelled in the year 2014, I vowed to come back again! You can read my first time travel experiences here! This was my second trip to the same destination in the same train!

WHERE DOES THE TREK BEGIN?

Come monsoon, every adventurous soul will crave for a trek to these majestic falls.  Located on the Mandovi river in the Bhagvan Mahaveer Sanctuary in the Indian state of Goa, Dudhsagar is a four-tiered waterfall and is among India’s tallest waterfalls with a height of 310 m.  One can reach Dudhsagar falls in two ways!

1. If travelling by train, disembark at the Castle Rock Railway Station and walk on the railway tracks.  The Dudhsagar falls is at distance of about a KM with a few tunnels making it truly adventurous.  However, the Indian Railways has officially closed this type of trek. So, it is illegal to walk on tracks.
2. The second and the preferable approach is taking the jeep trials. If travelling by train/road, disembark/drive at/to the picturesque Kulem Railway station.  During the monsoon season (July – September), no jeeps are operated on these muddy trials.  However, you can trek along the path with necessary permissions provided by the Goa Forest Department.  There are several streams of water that needs to crossed over.  Some of these waters carry strong enough currents that sweep you along its path.  One has to be extremely cautious.  While on the trek, never halt for more than a minute.  There’s a high probability of experiencing leech bites.  The total distance of this trek is 11 km and it takes about 4 hours to reach the base of the waterfalls! Make sure to stay hydrated and carry packed food.  You will not find any canteen/restaurants.
3. The third approach is to visit during the winters (October – February).  The jeep trails are open for general public.  You can drive to Kulem/Mollem and hire jeeps operated by the Goa Forest Department.  However, the intensity of water flow will be lesser compared to that in the monsoon!

THE OTHER LESSER KNOWN NEAR-BY DESTINATIONS:

What comes to your mind when you think about Goa. I am sure it must be beaches, pubs, and churches.  There’s other, typically, less explored destinations too.  One such is Tambdi Surla Mahadev temple.  Surrounded by lush green forested land, Tamndi Sural Mahadev temple is the oldest temple in Goa.  Built in the 12^th century, it’s a treat to the eyes.  It’s unique style of construction is the only monument of Kadamba-Yadava architecture.

About 4 km from this temple is a beautiful waterfalls, also called by the same name – Tambdi Surla falls.

SO, WHEN ARE YOU PLANNING A TRIP?

If you are of self-contained type, this day hike to Dudhsagar can be done with relative ease! If you want every arrangement in place, there are lot of operators! I would recommend going with Treks Unlimited! Consisting of young individuals, Treks Unlimited is professional right from the word go! Do look up on social media with links to the their respective Facebook and Instagram profiles in the aforementioned reference.

Let me know if you liked this blog in the comments section below.

Feel free to share this blog with family and friends! Hit any of the social media icons you see on the screen to share this blog!

And, do subscribe to my travel blogs! So, you don’t miss out on many such fascinating travel stories!

Here’s a delightful trailer video of the entire train journey!