If you are visiting Karnataka, then you have to visit the marvelous district of Shimoga, the Sharavati River and the Jog Falls. These are amongst the largest tourist destinations in India. Jog Falls, situated about 100 kms away from the beautiful city of Shimoga highlights the natural scenic beauty of the west. It is the most preferred location for tourists, to enjoy their vacation. A calm and serene environment, it displays the natural wealth of Indian cities. The Jogada Gundi Falls or the Jog Falls is one of the prime tourist destinations in the state of Karnataka. It is in close proximity to the city of Bangalore and is about 30 kms away from the splendid rural region of Sagara. The region remains cool all around the year, but the ideal time to enjoy the waterfalls, is between the months of August and December.
The falls, originated from the Sharavati River, initiating from the Ambuthirtha. It flows in the northeasterly direction passing through the Western Ghats, and forms the Jog Falls before flowing into the Arabian Sea. Amongst the other tourist places near Jog Falls, Vanake Abbey Falls is a major tourist destination. This is the most popular fall in the state of Karnataka and is located at a distance of around four kms from the Agumbe. This is another famous tourist destination and is commonly known as the ‘sunset point of Karnataka’. The entire region of the Vanake Falls is covered with green, lush, which further adds to the beauty of the region.
Another fall, flowing from the river Sharavati is the Achakanya Falls, which is amongst the largest tourist places near Jog Falls, and attracts a large amount of the crowd around the year. At a distance of 10 kms from the Thirthahalli, forwarding towards the Hosanagar, you can catch the glimpse of this grand waterfall. The Jog Falls, is famous all around the world for possessing its natural wealth of varied varieties of animals. The Thyvare Koppa Lion and Tiger Reserve are an innate sightseeing destination. It is not only toured by several thousand of Indians, but attracts people from all lifestyles from around the globe. It is approximately 12 kms away from Shimoga, towards heading for the Jog Falls. It is situated near the Tunga Anicut Dam within the Shettihalli sanctuary and covers a total area of over 200 hectares. It is especially famous for the tremendous amount of beers, huge variety of rare tigers, birds and deer.
The Hidlamane Falls in Hosanagar Taluka near Nittur is yet another famous tourist place near Jog Falls. In reaching this, destination visitors have to trek through rocky and beautiful hills. This entire region is enclosed by green lush forest, which houses innumerable variety of trees that can be rarely spotted in any other region. While trekking to this fall, it is necessary to carry all the essentials, as the entire region is barren and secluded. Last but not the least if you are visiting Jog Falls, you have to visit the Sharavati River that cascades in several other waterfalls, and is an astounding visual retreat to cherish for a lifetime. If you advance further towards the direction of Sharavati, you can also see its meeting with the Arabian Sea.