Sakleshpur – Weekend Travelogue – A road trip to Sakleshpur

Hey my lovely readers, here I’m to share Sakleshpur weekend travelogue. When you hear the word ‘Sakleshpur’ obviously you think about little hill station tucked away in the Western Ghats, beautiful lush green coffee plantations. Right? Yes of course the Sakleshpur is famous for trekking, and coffee.

A pleasant little hill station tucked away in the Western Ghats, Sakleshpur offers a refreshing getaway. Sakleshpur is a part of Hassan district of Karnataka and is a major producer of India’s coffee and cardamom.

An unplanned trip to ‘Poor man’s Ooty’ – Sakleshpur

It was an unplanned road trip, actually we started our journey early morning from Bangalore towards Hassan. It was two days trip and actual plan was to go to Belur, Halebeedu and Shravanabelagola. On the way we thought like we can cover those three places on the next day. So we decided to visit Sakleshpur (at least some places) on the same day afternoon.

We reached Hassan around 12 in the afternoon, refreshed, had our lunch and started to Sakleshpur. Though we visited only two places but it is an awesome experience. Let me share here detailed itinerary of Sakleshpur.

How to reach?

Sakleshpur is 220 km from Bangalore. It is well-connected to the major cities in Karnataka by buses and trains. The nearest airport to Sakleshpur is the Mangalore Airport, 137 km away from the city but Bangalore airport is recommended.

We travelled from Bangalore by Car. Train and bus are not so convenient if you are going on weekends for a trip. They consume more time than car.

Where to stay?

We stayed in Hassan as we had planned to go to Belur and Halebeedu temples. As I said, trip to Sakleshpur was an unplanned one. But there are good hotels and homestay’s in Sakleshpur too.

Best time to visit Sakleshpur : September to March

Popular Tourist Attractions of Sakleshpur:

1. Manjarabad Fort
2. Bisle view point
3. Shettihalli Rosary Church
4. Kukke Subramanya Temple
5. Betta Byraveshwara Temple
6. Green Route Trek
7. Jenukal Gudda
8. Belur & Halebeedu

In the above attractions we were able to visit only two places – Shettihalli Rosary Church and Manjarabad Fort. Next day morning we went to Belur and Halebeedu .

Shettihalli Rosary Church

Our first stop was at Shettihalli Rosary Church, is an ancient church situated at Shettihalli village in Hassan district of Karnataka. It is one of the popular places to visit in Hassan and among the best places to visit near Sakleshpur.

Popularly called as Floating Church, Shettihalli Church was built in 1860 by the French missionaries for the wealthy British estate owners. The church was built magnificently in the Gothic Architectural style.

After the construction of the Hemavati Dam and Reservoir in 1960 the church was abandoned. Since then the church submerges in water every year during monsoon season. In spite of being broken down to ruins. This location makes great for photo shoot.

Manjarabad Fort

Manjarabad Fort is an ancient fort situated in Hassan district of Karnataka. It is one of the unique historical forts in the country and among the famous places to visit in Sakleshpur. Manjarabad Fort was built by the then ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan and showcases the brilliance of Islamic architecture. It is situated on a hill top and has a scenic view of the Western Ghats. 

Built as a frontier to store ammunition, Manjarabad Fort was used as a protection for Tippu Sultan’s army against the British. The fort, it enveloped in fog and hence named as Manjarabad fort. The name Manjara came from ‘manju’ which means ‘fog or mist’ in Kannada.

It is one of the few sightseeing places that offers an unforgettable view of the Western Ghats. One can also be overwhelmed at the sight of Arabian Sea from this fort which is located at an elevation of about 3200 feet above sea level. 

Video of Sakleshpur

What to buy in Sakleshpur?

Coffee powder, and spices like cardamom, cinnamon & pepper.

Suggested Read: Belur – A real gem of Hoysala Architecture. 

We returned to Hassan for the stay, it was around 8pm by the time we reach our hotel in Hassan. Next morning we headed to Belur and Halebeedu. A beautiful Hoysala Architecture. Check out the video of Belur here.