Dudhsager Falls

...there, we went to visit Dudhsager Falls.

About Dudhsager Falls
The Dudsager Falls are on the border of Karnataka and Goa. The highest point of the falls is 600 metres and it is classed as the 5th highest waterfall in the world. The falls themselves are located inside a tropical jungle with lots of beautiful scenery all around.

Getting There
We stayed in Calangute in Goa and to get to the falls, we took ...
...The return taxi journey cost £20 which wasn’t too bad really as that taxi actually sat and waited for us, and came on the trip with us, giving us lots of background information about the area.

Once You Arrive
Once we arrived in Mollem which is the town the Falls are located in, our taxi driver took us to the people organising the trips to the falls. The Falls are located within a Nature Park and in order to get there, you have ... more

I visited Goa in India in March 2006 and while I was there, we went to visit Dudhsager Falls.

About Dudhsager Falls
The Dudsager Falls are on the border of Karnataka and Goa. The highest point of the falls is 600 metres and it is classed as the 5th highest waterfall in the world. The falls themselves are located inside a tropical jungle with lots of beautiful scenery all around.

Getting There
We stayed in Calangute in Goa and to get to the falls, we took a taxi which took about an hour to get there. The return taxi journey cost £20 which wasn’t too bad really as that taxi actually sat and waited for us, and came on the trip with us, giving us lots of background information about the area.

Once You Arrive
Once we arrived in Mollem which is the town the Falls are located in, our taxi driver took us to the people organising the trips to the falls. The Falls are located within a Nature Park and in order to get there, you have to take a Jeep which cost £5 for a return journey. You need six people to fill the Jeep up and the cost it split between the six people. We were only travelling as a couple so we waited round until there were six people to fill the Jeep.

The Jeep Ride
The Jeep was an old rickety thing but did the job all the same! The journey to the falls probably took about 15 minutes, driving through the jungle to the entrance of the park. On the journey, the guide pointed out various wildlife such as monkeys and wild deer. Along the way, there were also a few shacks which the local people live in and they all gave us a wave as we drove past.

Arriving At The Park
Once we arrived at the entrance to the park, we were told we had to pay a £2 entrance fee and a further £1 if we wanted to take a camera in. All the money goes towards looking after the park and it was only a very small price to pay so we didn’t mind. We were informed that we were not allowed to take any drinks in with us, such as plastic or glass bottles. This is to ensure that the tourists do not drop litter and ruin the park. After paying our entrance fee and a quick trip to the loo, we all got back in the Jeep and continued our journey.

Journey Into The Park
Once inside the grounds of the park, it probably took a further 10 minutes to reach the section where everyone gets out and walks. Many people do this trip and we had a convoy of Jeeps all following each other. Once we arrived at the parking spot, everyone got out and the Jeep driver became our guide for the trip.

The Walk Through The Jungle
There are pathways that lead through the jungle and to the falls. Walking through here really was such a beautiful experience. It was extremely hot in Goa but because you are in the jungle, it was shaded and the walk was very pleasant. As we walked through with our guide, he pointed out various points of interest. There are streams that run from the falls all through the jungle and little bridges have bee built for the tourists to walk over. I would advise anyone doing this trip to wear study footwear, and not flip-flops as myself and my friend did. We got very hot and out flip flops kept sliding off our feet which wasn’t very useful when you’re climbing over rocks!! There is no disabled access so this trip is only good for able bodied people.

The Monkey’s
Inside the jungle, there are wild monkeys and we got the chance to feed them. There are park rangers who sell fruit such as bananas and grapes which you can buy for about £2. On our way to the falls, out taxi driver stopped off at a roadside fruit and veg stall and we bought about 100 bananas for 50p so we didn’t need to buy them in the jungle. Once we got to the section where the monkeys were, we all stopped to feed them for a good 20 minutes. Although the monkeys are wild, they are used to tourists and happily come and take the fruit from your hand. I really enjoyed this part of the trip as we got to see around 50 monkeys and we actually saw a mother and her two day old baby which was lovely.

Getting To The Falls
The walk to the falls took about 20 minutes of climbing over rocks and using the paths and bridges that had been built there. When we arrived at the bottom of the falls, we all had the chance to swim at the bottom of them, in the freezing cold water. The coolness of the water was so nice because by the time we reached the bottom, we were all quite hot. We sat at the bottom of the falls for about an hour so we had plenty of time to have a swim and dry off in the sunshine afterwards. There are a few guides who walk around selling drinks for about 50p a bottle and they collect the glass bottle afterwards to ensure the park does not become littered.
Getting into the water was easy as you can just climb down some of the rocks and ease yourself into the water. The water is deep so it would not be much good for anyone who is not very keen on water. Once you are inside the water, you can swim over the various rocks which are in the water and have a rest. You can also swim underneath the waterfall but the current is obviously very strong because the water is falling a few hundred feet.

Overall
I would 100% recommend this trip to anyone visiting Goa. This was definitely my favourite trip of the whole holiday. I have never seen a waterfall before and it really was so beautiful. The trip was made even more special because of the fact that you could feed the wild monkeys. I thought that trip was really good value for money and it was very easy to organise without doing it through the tour operator (who charged £50 for the trip). 

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