Interesting places to travel

Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. Another 25,000 monumnets are yet to receive protection. Karnataka is a travel destination for trekkers, rafting, hill stations, wild life sanctuaries, bird sanctuaries, national parks, water falls etc.

Recently, the Government of India has proposed to the UNESCO to include important ecosystems in the western ghats as a world Heritage Site. Two subclusters of natural areas occurring in the list are entirely in the Karnataka region covering several Wildlife Sanctuaries and some reserve forests. Fragile and exotic ecosystems like Kudremukh National Park, Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuaries, Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuaries, Agumbe, Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuaries, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuaries figure in this list. As such the Western Ghats that run South-North through the Karnataka is considered as one among the twenty five Bio-diversity hot spots of the World. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (also a designated UNESCO Biosphere reserve) is located at the junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Nagarhole National Park Wildlife sanctuaries and Bandipur National Park and Nugu Wildlife Sanctuaries in Karnataka are included in this biosphere reserve. The State is home to the largest concentration of Asian Elephants along Kabini River in Nagarhole and Bandipur Parks. These two parks also hold among the most viable population of the highly endangered Indian Tiger. Rannebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary in Davangere district is home to one of the largest populations of Black Buck anywhere in India. The Doraji Wildlife Sanctuary and areas in Karnataka like Bellary district, Chitradurga are strongholds of the sloth bear. Waterfalls and Caves Karnataka is famous for its waterfalls. Waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park are listed as must see places and one among the 1001 natural wonders of the world. Jog falls of Shivamoga district is one of the highest waterfalls in Asia. Some well known caves in Karnataka are Yana Caves, Kavala Caves and Syntheri rocks in Uttara Kannada district. Sugriva’s cave in Hampi holds similarity to the description of Kishkinda in the epic Ramayana, hundreds of caves in BasavaKalyana in Bidar District. Eco-Tourism The districts of the western ghats and the Southern districts have popular tourism locations. Some of the popular locations include Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka boasts of the highest elephant and gaur bison population in India. Its forests hold some of the largest remaining populations of the endangered tiger and leopard. Eco-tourism is a very popular activity in the state. Outdoor activities Karnataka is a rock climbers paradise. Yana in Uttara Kannada, Ramnagara near Bengalooru district, Shivaganga in Tumkooru district and Tekal in Kolar district are a rock climbers heaven. Water Sports Tucked away amidst the lush greenery of the Western Ghats, along the Sharavathy backwaters, is Honnemardu- a heaven for acqua adventure enthusiasts. Lovers of water sports throng this idyllic spot for coracle rafting, canoeing and windsurfing. Numerous islands dotting the backwaters make it an Ideal island camping site, too. River Rafting and Angling The azure waters of the river Cauvery, are ideal for river rafting. 82 kms from Mysooru is the Cauvery Fishing Camp, at Bhimeshwari. It is a paradise for anglers, with mahseers found in abundance. The place is also accessible from Bangalooru (100 kms).

in Karnataka-India; shashikiran152@gmail.com; www.onlytravelforindia.com

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