Camping Site Near Bangalore– While life in most metro cities might seem to be rewarding initially, eventually, the mundane routines of imperfect work-life balance and the traffic woes start seeping in.
Thankfully despite being a metro, Bangalore still has a lot to offer when looking for an escape into the lap of nature. Some off-beat places that Travelescape’s community recommends are DD Hills.
There are many places in and around Bangalore to spend quality time with loved ones.
Table of Contents
Camper’s Camping Site Near Bangalore
Today I will share a serene camping site where you will only find a few people. And the best part – it’s a free camping site.
You do not have to pay anything to anyone—no parking charges, no camping charges, and no hidden charges whatsoever.
On top of that, the place is super clean and very close to nature, with a river and a hill in front of the camping site, adding to the beauty.
Occasionally, you may see a herd of sheep, goats, and beautiful aquatic birds. Doesn’t that sound like a dream come true for any nature enthusiast?
Apart from all I have shared, the place also gives an adrenaline rush to those always looking for slight off-roading while driving/riding on a mud trail.
Close to Bangalore and more intimate to Nature
We are talking about approximately 80 KMs from Bangalore and 66 KMs from my house, which is in JP Nagar, Bangalore.
The name of this beautiful camping site is Thaavaragatte Pump House in Kanakpura. This pump house is very close to the beautiful Arkavathi and takes 1.5 to 2 hours to reach the destination.
We had been planning to go somewhere not so far from Bangalore where I don’t have to keep pressing the clutch and breaks that often while driving.
A scenic road view would have added to the overall experience.
Also, some self-cooked, essential South-Indian cuisine in the open air would strike the right balance. Considering all these things, we finalized Thaavergatte Pump House as an off-beat, soul-invigorating destination.
I also recommend you read my blog on KRS Backwater Camping, another best camping sites near Bangalore.
Getting Ready for the Trip
Since I had a night shift on Friday, I didn’t want to be too stressed out during the journey, after-all the intent was to relax at the end of the day. I had a good sleep after the office.
Thanks to Work-From-Home, one can go to bed minutes after finishing the shift. We started after I had a good six hours of sleep, and we thought of having breakfast while sitting next to river Arkavathi.
We started from our place by approximately 10:30 and were supposed to reach the pump house by 12:15.
However, unfortunately, there was some commotion on the road, which led us to be late by nearly 45 minutes or so.
Rough roads often lead to great destinations.
The road was good till the last village, Nidagallu, but the street from the town to the pump house could be better.
There is a narrow road that is too partially broken, and you would also experience some water logging on the road. Not a great route for cars that have relatively low ground clearance.
One might assume the pump house to be the last spot as the road is not visible from there. However, from the left side, there is a mud trail, which doesn’t seem welcoming due to the wild hedges partially covering the mud road.
Taking your car beyond this point is advisable only if it has good ground clearance. Alternatively, you can also take a walk as the said camping site is hardly 300 to 500 meters from this point.
I thoroughly enjoyed driving on this piece of the trail, thanks to my Force Gurkha, which has been built considering all these adverse riding conditions.
Once we crossed this part which seemed like an initial barrier, we found ourselves in a beautiful place with ample space to park our car and set up our camp.
Setting up the Camp
After helping me with the initial setup, my wife started preparing a galvanizing cup of strong tea, which was much required. Meanwhile, my son helped me with the remaining setup and then started capturing the moments from his perspective.
This was my first time trying to use a tarp shade. Since we were not carrying the Awning Poles, we used tree branches for our experiment, which went pretty well.
Much awaited Breakfast
Since we had started without having anything substantial, breakfast was immediately next on the agenda.
My wife prepared a generous helping of some flavorsome Upma, a.k.a., Uppumavu or Uppittu, a great Indian dish equally loved in the Northern and Southern parts of the country.
Being quite full after having Upma, I felt like going for a walk to help me with my metabolism. On the other hand, my wife preferred to go for a power nap in the tent.
After all, someone had to utilize the tent after taking the pain of setting up the entire thing.
My son, unable to decide whether to go for a walk or settle down for a nap, preferred relaxing on the reclining camping chair.
Our Camping Gears List
At this point, I would like to share some information about my camping gear. When we know that we will not get any help from anyone in remote sites like these, we should clarify what we should carry along for a pleasant camping experience.
You may want to include or exclude a few items as per your requirement; here is mine for a day camping:
- A Tarp/Garden Umbrella – To give shelter against sunlight and rain.
- Camping Chairs – To have a comfortable, above-the-ground seating arrangement.
- Camping Tables – To provide a platform for cooking/eating.
- Stove with Butane Gas – To help you in quick and effective cooking arrangements.
- Kitchen Box/es – To carry the basic utensils and groceries.
- Water Supply – Drinking Water, as well as water to wash utensils.
- High Energy, ready-to-eat snacks – Keep your spirits high while preparing your food.
- Tent – To provide a private and protected space for a quick nap or overnight stay.
- Toilet/Changing Tent – To be used as a changing room/washroom.
- Medical Kit – To keep you ready against any mishap.
- Flashlight – To help in the dark if you get late while wrapping up/during night camping.
A Cup of Coffee in mid of nature
Returning to our camping, after spending some time in mid of nature, we had the urge to elevate our caffeine levels.
This time, coffee would be our magical potion to rouse us up. After having coffee, my wife and I went for a nature walk along the river Arkavathi.
We soon found ourselves sharing that space with a herd of sheep and goats.
The goats and sheep were plunging into the river’s shallow waters, making those beautiful sounds of mild splashes.
The herd walking in the water sounded melodious, sporadically breaking the place’s silence.
Nothing from the To-do List
Here, I would like to inform all the readers that this place is for someone other than the ones who believe in going to sites with a to-do list in mind. You will not find any water activities like boating or water zorbing.
It’s also not advisable to get into the water without knowing the forms of life that may be sharing that space with you.
Also, since the place is not too developed, you should not expect any facilities nearby. There is just a pump house in the name of a concrete structure.
Is it safe for overnight camping?
We heard a few animal sounds from the thick forest near the place. We are still determining if the site is safe enough for an overnight stay. If anyone is thinking of an overnight stay, check with the locals and make necessary additions to the camping setup.
Too Full for Lunch
We were carrying some boiled potatoes and Dosa Batter for lunch; however, we didn’t feel the need for the same as we were not hungry.
The packet of the Dosa Batter was bloated by now in the absence of refrigeration and seemed to be exploding very soon.
We learned that it’s a good idea to refrigerate the batter or similar materials if you are going on a hot day.
Wrapping up for the day
We wrapped up the place by nearly 4:00 p.m. and started our journey home. The timing was so great that soon after we headed back, it started raining heavily.
We enjoyed that drive in the rain as well. Although the rain impacted our speed, we reached home by 7:00 pm.
Please follow the below link to reach this beautiful camping site:
https://goo.gl/maps/DXvVUP1dVj4uUV979
Let me summarize a few crucial details about this camping site:
- Distance – 80 KMs from Bangalore
- Parking Space – Pump House employees may object to parking their vehicles in front of the building.
- Parking Charges – No Parking Charges
- Camping Charges – No Camping Charges as you don’t have to pay mother nature.
- Eateries – No Eateries/hawkers available. Please keep your arrangement.
- Drinking Water – Please carry your drinking water.
- Toilets – No Toilets available. Please carry your toilet tent.
- Activities – No adventure/water activities.
A Vlog to Justify the Camping?
Here’s our exclusive vlog, which is the video documentation of our camping near Bangalore, Please do watch it out for all the detail.
Join Our Exclusive Travel Community!
You are cordially invited to join our exclusive TravelEscape Facebook community. In case you are interested, we also have a WhatsApp group.
Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.
0 Comments