
The Grand Canyon of India Gandikota with Belum Caves
fromGandikota Trip with Belum Caves | Bangalore
The Grand Canyon of India as it is called, Gandikota offers spectacular gorges cut through Erramala Hills by the Penna river.
- Reviews 3 Reviews5/5
- Vacation Style Holiday Type
- Activity Level Easy
- Group Size Medium Group
Muddie Trails presents an alluring combination of beautiful Gandikota canyons with magnificent Belum caves this weekend.
Gandikota, located at a distance of 280 Km from Bangalore, is known for its spectacular gorge formed by river Penna that cuts through the Erramala hills. This handsome piece of nature’s architecture is called the Grand Canyon of India by travelers who are fascinated by its unmatched beauty. A visit to this remote village in Andhra Pradesh is all the more enticing for its rustic fort exploration and a bit of trekking to the river to indulge in swimming.
Belum Caves are the second-longest caves in the Indian subcontinent open to the public. These caves are more than a thousand years old and were formed by a constant flow of underground water over a period of time.
On the first day, we shall go trekking down to the Penna river, indulge in swimming with life jackets, go on a coracle ride if available. We will also visit a seasonal waterfall that is active from July till Dec. There are different places to explore like a fort, old temple, food storage units, and other monuments. We will top it up with the Canyon view in the evening. A profile picture overlooking the stunning gorge is every traveler’s dream. Bonfire close to the canyon is another beautiful experience of this trip. Get prepared to taste spicy and tasty Rayalaseema food.
The next day, we shall visit the Mylavaram dam where all the water draining from Gandikota gorges is stored for irrigation purposes. It’s a huge water body where we can go right on top of a reservoir that makes it all the more exciting to click some cool pictures.
We will follow it up by a visit to Belum caves to explore the world underground. The unique stone formations inside the caves form narrow routes one has to crouch and squeeze to get through. Don’t worry, it’s well lit and aerated inside, so you wouldn’t feel suffocated.
Come, join us on this fun-filled weekend trip to Gandikota and Belum caves.
Highlights of the Gandikota Trip:
- The Grand Canyon view
- Easy trek to the Penna river
- Gandikota fort & ruins
- Swimming with life jackets
- Mylavaram Dam
- Belum Caves
- Amazing sunrise and sunset from the gorge
- Campfire
- Music and Social gathering under open sky
- Spicy Andhra food
As we are amidst a pandemic, please go through the following blog of Travelling in the times of COVID-19 and COVID FAQs before deciding to join the trip.
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A complete travel story!
About Trip
- This trip involves basic facilities in terms of food, travel, and stay without any luxury, whatsoever.
- This is a group trip with shared model. It may not suit everyone – especially for those expecting privacy and comfort. It best suits for people who wish to socialize.
- Please do not book this trip if you are not okay with above points.
Travel:
- Tempo Traveler or Mini Bus (with push back seats).
- Note: This trip involves overnight journey on a push back seater (Not sleeper or semi-sleeper).
- We request you to book this trip only if you can handle slight discomfort (especially last row of the vehicle).
Stay:
- Camping close to Canyons.
- Tents on 3 and 2 sharing basis.
- AP Tourism Board washrooms to freshen up
Food:
- 2 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch (veg), 1 Dinner (veg & non veg) are included in the package.
- 1 Lunch at Belum caves is self-sponsored.
- Food cooked is as per local Rayalaseema cuisine. It is hot and spicy.
Things to carry:
- Toiletries, moisturizer, light towel, lip balm, wet wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste
- A lightweight large Backpack for the trip (no suitcase, no trolley)
- A small backpack for outdoors (to carry a water bottle, snacks, towel, etc)
- Photo identity proof with address (Aadhar/Passport/Voter ID)
- Poncho or rainproof jacket with a hood (from June to September)
- Full sleeve cotton t-shirt, track pant is advised as it’s a hot place (Oct to Feb)
- Cap/Hat/Sunscreen (to avoid getting tanned bigtime)
- Sunglasses (to keep your eyes fresh)
- Fully charged power bank, charger, camera (if you wish to)
- Proper water bottle for your trip. You may fill at our restaurant.
- Disposable garbage covers (To separate used/unused, dry/wet clothes).
- Any kind of sandals or shoes are fine.
- Your personal medications, if any.
- Waterwear if you wish to take a dip in the river/fall.
- Carrying a handwash/sanitizer/tissues will help during the trip.
- Carry a lil bit of cash for Sunday lunch, dinner, and misc. expenses.
- Don’t carry expensive items. You are responsible for your own belongings.
Pickup points:
Central Silk Board Bus Stop: 10:00 PM
- In front of Udupi Grand – Service Road going towards HSR Layout
- https://goo.gl/maps/fNAsT9jPbgpDTarV8
Marathahalli: 10:25 PM
- In front of Mahindra Showroom
- https://goo.gl/maps/ArLDJVvWQZMpXvrk6
Tin Factory: 10:40 PM
- Tin Factory Bus Stop
- https://goo.gl/maps/5WEvhNpkAFjJdNbv9
Hebbal: 11:00 to 11:10 PM (based on traffic)
- Hebbal Bus stop – The opposite side of the road to Esteem Mall
- https://goo.gl/maps/hdj1itkfAjKtkE1w5
What’s next after booking your trip:
- A Whatsapp group shall be created on the trip day and Vehicle & Trip Leader details will be shared.
- This trip involves traveling with strangers and night stays (if any). Please be mindful that:
- It is mandatory to share your personal information with the team along with a copy of your government approved ID card.
- You will need to share your co-traveler(s) details if you have booked more than one seat.
- Live location of the vehicle will be sent in the group once it starts at the first point.
Seasonal variations:
- June to mid-Sept (monsoons): It’s a slight rain shadowed place, but may get intermittent rains which provide a respite from usually hot weather. The river will have a good amount of water.
- Mid Sept to Feb (winter): These months bring lots of backpackers to Gandikota. Best for peaceful sunrise and sunset.
- Mid Mar to May (summer): Gets really hot. We usually don’t organize Gandikota in these months.
- Travel
- Camping (2/3 sharing)
- Public (AP Tourism board) & Private washrooms to freshen up
- Food: 2 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch (Veg), 1 Dinner (Veg & Non veg)
- Experience all places in the Highlights section
- Swimming with life jackets
- Belum caves entry
- Bonfire (if it doesn’t rain at that time)
- Music and social gathering under the open sky
- Trip Leader
- A hell lot of entertainment!
- Lunch on Day 2.
- Coracle, Zipline or any special activities, if available.
- Any misc. expenses not mentioned in the inclusions above.
Terms and Conditions
- The itinerary is fixed. No special requests to change itinerary/schedule shall be entertained. Do not give advice(s) to the Trip Leader(s) to change the itinerary.
- Cooperate with the organizer(s) in following the schedule set for the day (especially getting up and getting ready in the morning). This will ensure travelers won’t miss out on the real fun part that is traveling.
- Every traveler is responsible for his/her for your own safety. Don’t indulge in any illegal or silly activity that causes harm to you or fellow travelers.
- Do not wander into the forest away from the designated trail for treks. There may be snakes, scorpions, and dangerous animals.
- Unexpected situations: It may happen we do not cover all the places mentioned in the itinerary because of unpredictable reasons like bad weather, landslides, wild animal presence, abrupt blocking of sites by the police/forest department, delay in travel because of an issue with our group itself, traffic conditions, etc. In most cases, if the time permits, the organizer(s) will take travelers to an alternative place. But in some cases, we may have to skip a place altogether.
- Absolutely no littering. We swear to protect our environment.
- No alcohol & smoking during travel, treks, and other outdoor activities. There would be a separate window and space (usually at night) to have these at the campsite/homestay for interested people.
- Travelers are expected to respect each other and help each other. Avoid discussing sensitive matters like sex, politics, and religion/caste/race.
- Using foul or abusive language, eve-teasing, arguing with fellow travelers/organizer(s), and/or involving in the physical assault will not be accepted and will stand a chance of being deserted by the group then and there.
- The event will stand canceled if less than 8 travelers signed up for the trip/trek which will be informed 24 hours before the trip start time.
- Every traveler is expected to sign a liability/waiver form given by the organizer(s) after boarding the vehicle. This liability form will discharge Muddie Trails of any unexpected incident like injury/death/theft etc.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation by Traveler
- 80% refund/100% postponement if you inform about your cancellation before 48 hours of the event start time. An email has to be sent to muddietrails@gmail.com to raise a cancellation request.
- No refund/postponing is allowed within 48 hours of the event start time whatever is the reason (Health, Accident, Covid, Family crisis, Office issue, or anything else).
- No refund/postponing is allowed for partial payment – booking fee – which is done to book your slot.
- No refund during/after the event.
Cancellation by Muddie Trails
Muddie Trails may decide to cancel the event if there are less than 8 travelers signed up for the trip/trek.
What if we don’t get the minimum number of people for the trip?
We have 2 options in this case:
Option 1: Complete refund.
Option 2: Switch to any other trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
Cancellation due to external factors
Muddie Trails may have to cancel the event in case of external factors that are beyond our control like Natural Disasters, Extreme Weather Conditions, Red Alerts, Political Disturbances, Bandh/Curfews, Local Issues, Road Blocks, Train cancellations, Covid-19 or any other disease outbreaks etc.
In these scenarios:
- No Refund is allowed.
- 100% trip amount can be used for any other new trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
- Once you confirm your participation on the new trip, all the above Cancellation policies will apply for the same.
There are two best seasons to visit Gandikota – monsoons, and winter.
- Monsoons (Jun to Sept) offer a pleasant climate to explore Gandikota which is a naturally hot place because of its rocky terrain. Plenty of water in the river is a nice attraction.
- Winter (Oct to Feb) presents hot days and pleasant nights. Taking shower in the river/waterfall gives much-needed respite. Lovely sunsets and sunrises.
Wonderful experience with team. Having travelled with so many community I dint had much expectations but it surely went more than expected. Thanks team for lovely experience. Hoping to enjoy more with you guys
Awesome hosting, we had a nice time trekking in Gandikota. Looking forward for some more troops like this. Thank-you
This has to be one of the best trips I have ever gone to. Beautiful organised trip by Muddies. The itinerary was planned seeing the comfort of the traveller so that they don't get too tired to enjoy the trip. Accommodations and facilities provided by the company was great too.