Name: Kemmanagundi
Rating: 4.2

Hebbe Falls, Kemmanagundi Overview

Among 35 waterfalls in Karnataka, Hebbe Falls is the most stunning one located in the Chikmagalur. This enchanted waterfall is in the beautiful Kemmangundi hill station, an 8-hour drive from Bangalore. The water of Hebbe falls comprises medicinal herbs offering healing qualities, thus attracting a large number of tourists who come here for a dip.

Hebbe Falls drop in magnificent form, gloriously from a height of 551 feet over the slippery black rocks in two steps called Dodda Hebbe and Chikka Hebbe. While the Dodda Hebbe is the bigger one, the Chikka Hebbe fall is the smaller one. The tourists have to cross the hairpin turns and creeping mist to reach the famous Kemmangundi hill. Hebbe Falls is a part of Bhadra Tiger Reserve.

Must Know Before You Visit Hebbe Falls

Tips :

Reach before 3 PM at Hebbe Falls checkpoint as it takes two hours to complete the trip.
4X4 jeeps are available at the checkpoint that cost INR 500 per person on a sharing basis (for 8 passengers) and INR 4000 for the entire vehicle. Private cars are not allowed
Visiting Hebbe Falls will require trekking, even after the jeep ride
Besides, tourists can also trek a steep and narrow path of 8 km to reach the site.
Permission is required from Forest Authorities which is available at the check-point
You need to carry backpack, trekking shoes, water.
There will be little to no network coverage.
You need to be careful with leech attacks while trekking.

Trekking at Hebbe Falls

The closer you get to the hills, you can see the Hebbe Falls cascading down from 250 feet to the Dodda Hebbe and Chikka Hebbe in 2 stages. After reaching the forest check post, there are two options to get to the falls. The first option is trekking. The falls are exactly 10 km away from the Karnataka Horticulture Department guest house, which is often used as a major landmark for starting the trail. The other option is to take the local transport from Balavara to reach the trail.

While trekking, it's easy to get lost as the trail gets unidentified at several spots. It's advisable to follow the electric wiring fence to reach the endpoint. There is also a serene temple of Chowdeshwari Mahashakthi Devathe. This is the only place in the route where locals can be seen who come here to worship and take bath in the nearby stream. During monsoon, the trail gets clouded with less to zero visibility because of the fog and heavy rains. So, it's advisable not to go on trekking during monsoon season.

Apart from the trekking, the road trip is another ideal option to reach Hebbe Falls. A jeep is the best option to ride over the rugged and rock-ribbed road. The road gradually descends towards a gradient closer to the falls. The entire trail takes an hour if covered with a jeep else trekking takes a longer time by walk. The vehicles are allowed up to the Khoday's Estate and beyond that walking is the only option. It will take only 20 minutes to reach the falls on foot.

Places To Visit Near Hebbe Falls

Kemmannugundi Hill Resort: You can go to this resort located at a distance of 1km from the checkpoint for a sumptuous meal after or before visiting the waterfall.

Z point: It takes almost an hour to reach the Z point from the Hebbe falls. You can enjoy the pleasant view of the sunrise from tranquil Shanthi falls.

Kallathi falls: These are also known as Kallathigiri falls and Kalahasthi falls. The falls descend from a height of 122 meters. This place has mythological significance. Maharshi Agastya used to live here.