Basic Info of Dudhsagar Waterfall Trek:
Dudhsagar Falls (literally Sea of Milk ) is a four-tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of Goa. It is 12 Km from Kulem village. It is amongst India's tallest waterfalls with a height of 310 m (1017 feet) and an average width of 30 metres (100 feet). The falls is located in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park among the Western Ghats. The waterfall forms the border between Karnataka and Goa states. The area is surrounded by a deciduous forests with a rich biodiversity. The falls are not particularly spectacular during the dry season but during the monsoon season however, the falls are fed by rains and form a huge force of water. It has always been one of the most popular landmarks for tourists visiting the region. Most of us have seen it in photos and movies, and have immediately desired to visit the place at least once. After all, to see the waterfalls from the window of a train would be an experience a traveler would want to remember forever.
How to reach Dudhsagar Waterfall :
There are 4 route to approach Dudhsagar waterfall:
- Kulem Route: Kulem is a base village for this route. It is 495 Km from Pune and route to reach base village is Pune-->Kagal-->Gargoti-->Amboli-->Kulem. You can reach to waterfall by Jeep Safari, Trek via Mud road and Trek via Railway track route.
- Castle rock Route: Castle rock is a base village for this route. It is 420 Km from Pune and route to reach base village is Pune--> Kagal-->Belgaum-->Anmod-->CastleRock. You can reach to waterfall by Trek via Railway track route.
Trekkers for this Trek:
Praveen Patel
Pooja Lokhande
Sandeep Jadhao
Hemant Borole
Vishal Khandade
Pradnya Kadam
Priyanka Kumud
Meghna Mota
Saurabh Joshi
Poonam
Ashish
Shreya
Vijay Pathak
Arsh Sandhu
Ripu Tomar
Payal Gautam
Akhil Parihar
Mayuresh
Dudhsagar Waterfall Trekking details:
Difficulty level Easy(by jeep), Medium(trek from Kulem), Hard(trek from CastleRock)
Base village Kulem/CastleRock, Goa, India.
Trek distance 11 Km from Kulem and 14 Km from CastleRock
Day 1:
This was on our to-do list ever since we came to know about this waterfall but we could not go in rainy season due to a ban by the forest and railway department. Trek from all route to Dudhsagar is still banned by forest department but there are few groups who arranged it with the help of local guide.
So after long group discussions and lots of planning, we finally decided to visit this place on 20th and 21st October. Initial plan was to go by train, visit Dudhsagar on 20th Oct and nearby places on next day but we could not get train tickets so we decided to go by private bus. If you go by commercial vehicle then you have to pay state taxes(for Karnatka- 16000 & for Goa- 4000). We have booked Dudhsagar spa resort two weeks prior to our plan as we were planning to spend some good time in nature and visit Tambdi Surla waterfall on next day. Finally the day has come, we packed our bags and gathered near Wakad bridge for the most exciting trip.
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| Group Photo before heading to Goa |
We left Pune at around 09:30 Pm on Friday(19th Oct). We took our first tea break near Khed-Shivapur plaza. After having Antakshari and fun games during journey we reached Dudhsagar Spa resort on next day at around 08:00 Am. We got freshen up, had breakfast and then explored resort. This resort is one of the few decent accommodation option which is very close to Dudhsagar waterfall. It is located in middle of Mollem National park and has beautiful tent houses. Resort has peaceful surrounding and is a perfect place to spend good time with family and friends.
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| Antakshari and Fun games during Journey |
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| Foggy Morning in Goa |
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| Group Photo at Dudhsagar Spa resort |
After exploring resort, we have started driving towards Kulem village which is start point of Dudhsagar Trek. It took us around 15 mins to reach at Jeet safari ticket counter from resort. It was bit crowded that weekend and there was a long queue at ticket counter for booking Jeep safari. They charges 500 rs per person for Jeep Safari and each jeep accommodates 7 people. A forest entry fee of 50 rs per person is also charged by forest department. Life jacket is compulsory for every person and rental fee for the same is 40 rs. It is advisable to book tickets on www.ticketpapa.com in advance to avoid long queue. If you are planning for complete trek from Kulem village then you will have to hire a local guide as per instruction by forest department. We didn't know about advance booking so we spent around 2 hrs in queue to get tickets for Jeep Safari. Once you get tickets, trip guide will help you to get life jackets.
Note: The jeep safari is closed in the monsoon months of June to September. It starts somewhere in the first week of October depending on rains.
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| Ducks roaming in Dudhsagar resort |
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| Food Court inside Dudhsagar resort |
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| Group Selfie at Jeep Safari ticket counter |
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| Chilling near Lake before Jeep Safari |
These jeep safaris are organised by the Goa Forest Department. They take you to the bottom of the waterfalls through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. At around 12:30 Pm, Our Jeep Driver has started driving towards Dudhsagar waterfall. The dirt track starts right after we left the Kulem taxi stand. An arc saying Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary welcomes you in. The jeeps halt here to pay the sanctuary entry fees. This is also where you have to pay the camera fees.The Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary is a plastic-free zone. Our jeep driver asked us if we had any plastic bottles with us. You have to report the count here and on the way back they ensure you’re carrying them all out. Do not leave any plastic objects behind, at the Dudhsagar waterfalls.We were now in a dense forest. This is part of the western ghats is mostly evergreen. We were just settling into the unsettling feel of the rickety drive when we were faced with a huge river. Our driver deftly drove the jeep through this water body without even a slight flinch. It took us around 40 mins to reach at Dudhsagar waterfall Jeep parking from ticket counter.
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| Dudhsagar waterfall Forest Route |
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| Jeep Safari in Bhagwan wildlife Sanctuary |
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| Jeeps crossing water stream |
Dudhsagar waterfall swimming point is not too far for parking and it takes around 20-25 mins to reach there. It is just simple walk with beautiful surrounding greenery. Parking up we walk the rest of the way through the jungle, passing streams and dense foliage. We are in the part of the reserve that is the Mollem National Park, reputedly home to giant squirrels, bison, leopards, deer, pythons and cobras, but the only wildlife we spot are the monkeys which are so used to being fed by the tourists that they are quite habituated to humans. The views of the surroundings all along the way to Dudhsagar waterfall were just fabulous.
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| Excited faces at Dudhsagar waterfall Gate |
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| Wooden bridge built to cross water stream in Rainy season |
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| Train passing in front of Dudhsagar waterfall |
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| Forest trail towards Dudhsagar Waterfall |
After walking for 15 mins, We crossed a small wooden flat bridge and got the view of the Dudhsagar waterfalls cascading down. Climbing over some rocks we catch our first sight of the Dudhsagar waterfalls. Literally the name translates from the local language of Konkani as ‘ocean of milk’. At around 14:20, we reached at Dudhsagar swimming point.
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| Wooden Bridge built on water stream |
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| View of Dudhsagar waterfall after crossing wooden bridge |
We kept our bags aside, changed our clothes and walked into some nice, cold flowing water. Damn!! it felt incredible, all our exhaustion swept away with the water.The swim is never-the-less a joy. As the water from waterfall splash on your face, you will get a feeling that heaven is preaching you. That great heaven where one wishes to go after death is teaching its folk about kindness. It gives us an example of how even the great of greatest thing have to bow down to show and gain respect. It was great and unforgettable swimming experience under Dudhsagar fall.
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| Closer view of Dudhsagar waterfall |
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| Group selfie at Dudhsagar Waterfall |
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| Swimming and relaxing |
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| It felt good when water splashes on face |
We have spent more than an hour here and started returning towards jeep parking at around 15:30. we have reached jeep parking within 20 mins. Jeep driver has started driving towards Kulem village and we reached village at around 16:30. It is a trip well worth making, from the bumpy ride through the jungle, followed by the short but beautiful hike and the falls themselves which, even at this time of year, are lovely to see.
Note: The Dudhsagar waterfalls close at 05.00 PM. To make sure that all vehicles and tourists are out of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary by this time, they stop the sale of tickets by roughly 2 Pm.
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| Taking memories before return journey |
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| Wooden bridge crossing during return journey |
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| Happy faces outside of Jeep parking |
We have then decided to have lunch in local restaurant so have explored few and found one who served yummy goan fish dishes. Our table just went ballistic on fish fry, fish curry,crabs and other sea food dishes. After having Lunch and tea, we have grabbed some stuff and started driving towards Dudhsagar Spa resort.
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| Raw fishes |
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| Lunch in local restaurant |
After reaching to resort, we got freshen up and had some rest. Resort staff have arranged bonfire, Live music and barbecue. Everyone was bit tired but still we had lot of fun in evening. Plan for next day was to go for morning trek so we slept early at around 12:30 Am.
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| Bonfire in Dudhsagar resort |
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| Live music and Dance in resort |
Day 2:
Basic Info of Tambdi Surla Waterfall Trek:
Tambdi Surla Waterfalls is Located inside the Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, It is a 12th century Shaivaite temple of Lord Mahadev. Due to its remote location, people often miss the opportunity to visit the temple. But a trip to Goa is incomplete without a visit to this ancient Tambdi Surla temple which is a treat to eyes because of its unique style of construction. Tambdi Surla waterfalls is 90 minutes away from the temple. If you are visiting the temple, a trek to the waterfalls should be a must in your to-do list. The falls is located amidst thick forest, so it is recommended to take a local guide along. The trek might take a little more than 90 minutes depending on the steep ascent.When you see the waterfalls, you are speechless. It is so beautiful, just like the mention of stream in a poem. Water cascading from the height of 50 meters in a zigzag way looks really beautiful. There is a little pool created by the falls. If you want, you can take a dip in the chilly cold clear water. Create magical memories by clicking the best pictures of your life. Both the places, the temple and the waterfalls, both are worth visiting.
How to reach Tambdi Surla Waterfall :
Tambdi Surla waterfall can be reachable from Tambdi surla Mahadeva Temple which is 16 Km from Kulem village. Kulem is 495 KM from Pune via Goa [Pune - Kagal - Gargoti - Amboli - Kulem] and 432 Km via Karnataka [Pune - Kagal - Belgaum - Anmod - Mollem - Kulem].
Tamdi Surla Waterfall Trekking Details:
Difficulty level Medium
Base location Tambdi Surla Mahadeva Temple, Goa, India.
Trek distance 4 Km from Tambdi Surla Mahadeva Temple
We got up early, freshen up and gathered at resort gate. Our driver has started driving towards base village of this trek. We had tea and breakfast on the way. The road passes through lush green forest and you will barely see another vehicle or person on the way. At the end of the road lies the Tambdi Surla Mahadev temple in the clearing. It is a bit off the beaten track like a worn out page of an old history book. You will find a couple of food stalls near the parking. The road is in excellent condition throughout. The trek to Tambdi Surla waterfalls starts just before the bridge towards the left into the forest. It took us around 25-30 mins to reach at base point of this trek by bus.
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| Scenic road on the way to Tambdi Surla Waterfall |
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| Group Photo before starting Tambdi Surla trek |
We have hired local guide as this trek is through dense forest and routes are too tricky and confusing. This trek takes around an hour for expert trekkers. We started our trek towards Tambdi surla waterfall at around 07:00 Am. The trek starts just before the bridge over Surla River towards the left. The trail to waterfall runs parallel to Surla River for most of the part. The weather is great throughout the year in Goa so excessive heat or cold will not be an issue. While on trek route, you will also find a few streams flowing down the hills. Fresh air and beautiful views, you will experience all these on your way. The path will be quite broad initially but will start to narrow. We took small break after continuous walking for 30-35 mins.
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| Short Break after walking for few mins |
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| Happy faces during trek |
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| Beautiful trek trail |
After few mins of walk and steep ascend, we have finally reached at point where waterfall was clearly visible. The very first view of the Tambdi Surla waterfall is a sight to behold and made us forget all the tiredness and difficulties we went through the trek. The waterfall cascades down with full energy and creates a loud roar. We descended down to the base of the waterfall where the water current was too intense.
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| Group Selfie at the entrance of Tambdi Surla waterfall |
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| Amazing view of Tambdi Surla waterfall |
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| Relaxing under Tambdi Surla waterfall |
We have spent around 20-30 mins under waterfall, sat there for while and started returning towards base point. Descending was easy and it took us only 25-30 mins to reach at trek point where we started. It was beautiful trek with so many amazing views. We had breakfast at local stalls in parking area and then decided to explore Tamdi Surla Mahadev temple and garden area.
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| Sitting and relaxing at Tambdi Surla waterfall |
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| That moment when water splashes on face |
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| Short Break near to water stream on return journey |
Tambdi Surla Mahadev Temple:
This temple was built in 12th century. The small yet perfectly proportioned temple building is constructed from black basalt stone which is cut crisp and deep surrounded by beautiful garden. The temple is dedicated to Hindu Lord Shiva. The Shiv Linga in the inner sanctum is always decorated with local flowers. A headless Nandi (Lord Shiva’s vehicle) adorns the outer sanctum. A trip to Tambdi Surla temple is essential to anyone who is in love with south Indian or Jain temples. The black basalt temple and the green grass garden perfectly complement each other. The surroundings are extremely peaceful and you can sit here in the garden for as long as you want and soak in the beauty of this man-made marvel.
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| On the way to Tambdi Surla temple garden |
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| Tambdi Surla temple garden |
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| Beautiful Tambdi Surla temple. |
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| Inside view of Temple |
At around 10:00 AM, We have started return journey towards Dudhsagar resort. Road condition is very good so we reached resort within 20-25 mins. We got freshen up, had lunch, packed our bags and left resort with good memories at around 12:30 Pm. It was memorable stay at resort.
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| Relax time in swimming pool at Dudhsagar Spa resort |
Next plan was to visit Harvalem waterfall as it was on the way. It took us 40 mins to reach there. The waterfall is surrounded by uninterrupted nature and Harvalem rock-cut caves that were featured in Mahabharata. June to October is the best time to visit this waterfall. It takes around 10-15 mins to reach waterfall view point from parking.
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| Rudreshwar Temple |
Water falling from height was creating a blissful side. You can reach the base of the waterfall easily unlike other waterfalls. The Rudreshwar temple is there in vicinity to waterfall. The steps leading to the temple were to the one side of the waterfall from where one can have a mesmerizing sight of waterfall.Within walking distance of the fall there is Harvalem Caves which are believed to be place where the Pandava took refuge for a while during their exile. It's a good half day trip to this place but worth visiting.
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| View taken from top of Waterfall |
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| Beautiful View of Harvalem Waterfall |
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| Another View of Harvalem Waterfall from top |
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At around 13:30, We have started our return journey towards Pune. It was really beautiful weekend. Everyone was tired and most of them were sleeping in bus but still some of us had great fun on return journey. We had lunch and dinner on the way. We reached Pune at around 22:30 :)
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| Sleepy faces during return Journey |
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| Local Thali in Sawantwadi Village |
Best time to visit Dudhsagar & Tambdi Surla waterfall Trek:
I would recommend one to avoid visiting the waterfalls in the monsoon months of July- September as lots of incidents have occurred during this span. Months of October to November is what I would highly recommend as the rains have just gone by leaving behind the lushest green surroundings and a moderate water flow level at the Dudhsagar Waterfall.
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