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How old were you when you first got bitten by the travel bug? Anna was mere 3 months old when she first traveled with her parents on the mountain roadside from Khajjiar to Dalhousie in the midst of heavy hailstorm. Her parents thought at one point that they wouldn’t be able to make it but they did and since then, they have been travelling every single chance they got.
Anu, Elmo and Anna have been hitting the roads together. Anu, a strong mother and wife to Elmo, a travel enthusiast had always been a travel freak. After the birth of their daughter Anna, their near and dear ones thought that their love for travel would subside but as they say, the genes had already been passed on to Anna and they gave her the very first camping trek experience of her life in September last year to Coorg.
“Anna loves climbing, whether hills, trees or anything. Whenever she sees a hill, she asks her father, ‘Appa, are we going to climb this?’ She cries to walk on rocks and adventurous roads.
…And So, It Begins!
“Anna, me and her father traveled to Coorg from Thrillophilia for a camping experience. We wanted our super cool daughter’s first trekking experience to be super cool and so we decided to take the road trip to Coorg. We didn’t inform our parents about the tent accommodation as they would get worried but on the other hand, we took a gang of friends from Chennai and Bangalore to be a part of the trip.”
The trio reached Maday Holidays camping site which was recommended by Thrillophilia. It was drizzling when they reached the site and after settling down for a while, they were briefed about the Nishani Hills trek. The camp host Sai informed that the trek was of moderate difficulty that covered streams, forests, 4 ft tall grasslands and spread over 6 km. When he saw Anna, he showed some skepticism but encouraged them to take the entire trek and not quit in between as the return route was different.
Anna, Marching Ahead
“As we started our trek, some turned back looking at the peak but most of them continued seeing the spirit of our little girl. She was absolutely charming on the way, sprinting and running along the steep curves, thick forests and grasslands. Whenever anyone would feel tired, she would befriend the rest of the groupies and persuade them to keep walking. Finally, as we reached the final ascend, she held hands of the trek leader and reached the top. Though the rain made it difficult for us to stay at the top for long, we started going downhill.”
Leeches, Leeches Everywhere
“The trek was of 6 Km and I was a bit hesitant if we could finish the trek with Anna but the kid was in her full energy level. We moved through the jungle hills which turned difficult later with uneven branches, thorns on the way and hundreds of leeches; although we had carried salt with us along the way to get rid of the leeches. Everyone was showing disturbance on the face due to the leeches but seeing the kid walking cool, made all of us move forward.”
“By the time we started descending, the rain started to get heavier. When we reached the campsite, most of us including Anna were covered with mud and leeches. She got bitten on the head, shoulders, neck and belly which she took it on a positive side, to everyone’s surprise.”
In the night, the sky turned dark and it started to drizzle. However, all of them decided to camp outside in the open, set a campfire and indulge in nature viewing and imbibe the chill breeze.
Check Out Best Places For Trekking Near Bangalore
Memorable Moment
In the morning, the family went to the nearby stream for a dip. Later, the trio took the extra adventurous Jeep safari to the coffee plantations with Sai. As the jeep maneuvered on the off road, Anna looked excited while Amu and Elmo’s bodies pumped with the adrenaline rush. After the safari, we sat for coffee while Anna took bath with the majestic elephants at the Dubare Elephant Camp. She thoroughly enjoyed her time with the wild beasts.
“The one memorable moment was our tented accommodation in the midst of a plantation during night where it was drizzling. The warmth of the family kept us together in the cold night.”
To All The Parents Of Young Kids
“We were really happy to give her such an experience. We want her to grow more with the nature, experience the beauty of the world rather than pushing her to run in the race of the life at such an early age.”
“Amidst hilly forests, muddy trails and uneven roads, we realized the value of togetherness and family that kept us moving on the road no matter what the terrain. We would love to take similar trips again in the future with our little daughter.”
Message For The Readers
- You can do trekking and white water rafting so keep the gears ready
- The climate can change anytime so take extra clothes
- You can get cheap, tasty and quality food even at local stops
- Traveling from Mysore to Coorg in public transport is an experience in itself
- Don’t miss the elephant bath at Dubare Elephant Camp
- Nisargadhama deer could make your day
- If you are a trekking freak, Tadiandamol needs to be on the top of the list
- If you go to Coorg during the end of November or beginning of December, you can experience the Puthari Festival filled with folk songs and dances
- The temples and monasteries give you a time to reflect on yourself
