Dabbaguli at Manchinbele: Offbeat rustic getaway an hour away from Bangalore
Don’t confuse this Dabbaguli with the off-roading jungle paradise by the Cauvery river on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border that also shares the same name. This Dabbaguli is also offbeat, lush and green. But, it is located on the other side of Manchinbele dam, a gorgeous dam on the Arkavathi river. It is a small agriculture focussed village located by the banks of the Arkavati river at Manchinbele reservoir. And it is my offbeat rustic getaway for a Sunday morning bicycle or motorcycle ride.
At just about an hour away from Bangalore city, Dabbaguli allows you to soak in the beauty of the fruit orchards and farm land in Bangalore rural’s countryside while enjoying the lush expanse of blue and green that make up the Manchinbele dam landscape. If you start early, Nice road will greet you with fog and once you cross Mysore road and enter the small road leading towards Dodda Alada Mara, beautiful nurseries and farmland greet you at every turn. It is here that you feel that you have left the acrid air of the city behind and are breathing pure nature.
My favorite pit stop on this route is the small family run shack/restaurant at the junction of Dodda Alada Mara and Manchinbele dam crossing. The thatte idli with spicy chutney and piping hot chitra anna is the perfect way to kick start your relaxed Sunday getaway. With a full stomach, you can head forward towards Manchinbele dam. If you feel like it, you can walk to the top of the view point and soak in the views. If you wish to head straight to Dabbaguli, cross Manchinbele and a few kilometers ahead, you will see a right turn for Dabbaguli village. After 6 kms of curvy roads, you will finally reach the village of Dabbaguli where pretty little traditional brick homes and the fresh smell of cow dung greet you.
As you keep going forward, you will lose the tarred roads and come upon unpaved roads. If you keep going down the road, you will pretty soon see the shining waters of the Arkavathi and the lush green expanse surrounding it. The surprising thing that you will notice here are huge stage like setups next to the riverside. These are incomplete shooting locations of Kannada film movies. You can park your vehicle here and go for a walk by the riverside. Fruit orchards, flowering trees and large houses will catch your attention. If you happen to reach there at 9 AM or so, you might also find some boats and boatmen ready to take you for a ride on the Manchinbele reservoir.
To me, Dabbaguli is the place to unwind and relax. The sounds of nature, clean air and rustic environment are ideal to super charge your batteries. A walk by the reservoir side and in the village in the early morning sun is nothing short of surreal. And if you wish to catch up on some of your Sunday beauty sleep which becomes very appealing especially after a lip smacking breakfast, then the trees by the reservoir side with the gentle breeze make for that dream bed.
You can do a lot at Dabbaguli if you choose to or you could opt to do nothing. Either ways, your Sunday morning will be full of nature and pleasantness and at only a hour from Bangalore, we couldn’t have asked for a more offbeat rural getaway. Go visit Dabbaguli on your next Sunday day trip from Bangalore and let me know how it goes.
Activities to indulge in at Dabbaguli:
1) Walking in the village
2) Boating on the Arkavathi river
3) Simply chill and enjoy the rustic environment
4) Walk or cycle by the banks of the Manchinbele reservoir
5) Take selfies at the couple of incomplete film shooting locations by the waterside
How to reach there:
Dabbaguli should be between 30 and 50 kms from Bangalore depending on where you are based in the city.
The route would be: Nice road Mysore road exit –> Take right at Raja Rajareshwari college of engineering–> Cross railway track –> Cross Dodda alada mara (Big Banyan Tree) –> Take left at junction towards Manchinbele –> After crossing Manchinbele dam, continue straight till you come to a right where a sign board guides you to Dabbaguli.
Once you reach Dabbaguli, you will have to negate some unpaved roads to reach the banks of the Manchinbele dam reservoir.
Where to eat:
There are a few small shacks near Manchinbele dam in case you wish to have a snack or a hot beverage.
If you don’t mind delicious food served in a simple rustic environment, try the small shop run by a husband and wife at the corner of Dodda Alada Mara and Manchinbele junction. It is here that you take a left if you are coming from the Dodda Alada Mara direction. This shop serves excellent local breakfast like thatte idli, chitra anna and bajji.
If you wish to eat at a nicer place with good toilets and ample parking space, you should try the many restaurants on Mysore road. 
Other nearby tourist attractions:
1) Manchinbele Dam: Perfect Sunday morning getaway near Bangalore
2) Savandurga: Monolith hill, temple and rustic day trip
3) Dodda Alada Mara: Bangalore’s 400 year old Banyan wonder
4) Shri Shantmurthy Shanishwara Temple: Offbeat temple with stunning Savandurga and other rock views and an adventure hotspot
5) The various nurseries of Dodda Alada Mara area
6) Channapatna: The city of toys
7) Ramanagara: The rocks where the movie Sholay was shot
