Long and winding road

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Here are some little-known routes you can trace through the Western Ghats.

The mercury is slowly inching its way up the scale, signalling the onset of another Indian summer. If you are planning the grand summer road trip, try to veer away from the beaten path of summer getaways.

COFFEE TRAIL
You can traverse the coffee district of Chikmagalur in Karnataka. Starting at the town of Chikmagalur, head towards the peak of Mullayyanagiri, the highest point in the state. From here you can continue through pristine shola grasslands, part of the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, all the way to the Bababudangiri shrine.

There are plenty of staying options at coffee estates, with rates to suit all budgets. Continuing along the forested roads you will pass the abandoned iron-ore mines of Kemmanagundi. The road then winds down the ghats back to Chikmagalur.

SHARAVATHY VALLEY
Start at Shimoga, again in Karnataka, and take the road to Sagar. From here you can visit the Jog Falls, which will be a trickle in summer, or head to Honnemardu, where you can camp in the backwaters of the Linganamakki Dam.

Downstream from the dam, the road winds through lush bamboo forests following the Sharavathy river to the Arabian Sea. The road ends at Honnavar. Here if you turn to the north you have the beaches of Karwar and Goa, and if you head south, the beaches of Mangalore and Kerala.

TEA COUNTRY
From Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu take the road to Mettupalayam and head towards Kotagiri. You will climb a beautifully surfaced narrow road through vast tea plantations. Pass the hill station of Ooty, head towards Gudalur, and then turn towards Sulthan Bathery in Kerala.

Here the road will thread through dense bamboo forests and again emerge into tea plantations in Wayanad district. Wayanad is a great place to trek. Climb Chembra Peak here and camp at its heart-shaped lake. On this route you will find places to stay to suit all budgets.

FOR SUVs
It doesn't get rougher than this. From Virajpet in Kodagu district of Karanataka take the road to Kannur in Kerala. It will surely test the mettle of your vehicle. This largely unused, thus unsurfaced, road passes through the heart of the Brahmagiri range.

It is locally known as the Makutta road. You are certain to find herds of elephants blocking your way, and the joke is that the road is so unused, you sometimes find saplings growing out of it.