Trek to Dudhsagar Falls Guide in Goa

1. A m a z i n g D u d h s a g a r w a t e r f a l l s a n d B e a u t i f u l C a s t l e R o c k A m a z i n g D u d h s a g a r w a t e r f a l l s a n d B e a u t i f u l C a s t l e R o c k n e a r G o a n e a r G o a Update: Every year, the rules about letting people walk through the railway tracks change. Find out the current scenario before you plan to use this route. Even if the railway tracks are off-limits, you can still make an equally adventurous trip to the Dudhsagar waterfalls. Read on, to find out how. A visit to the Dudhsagar waterfalls should not end with just a visit to the waterfalls. Because further ahead is Castle Rock, a town that looks like it’s emerged straight out of a storybook. Where goods trains are the most common mode of transport. And the locals seem unaware of the hidden gems their town (hamlet, really!) has to offer. Dudhsagar waterfalls But first up, the thunderous cascading star of the visit – the Dudhsagar waterfalls. A picture speaks a thousand words. But even a thousand pictures fall short of what hit us when we first laid our eyes on these waterfalls. Save The Dudhsagar waterfalls (Dudh: milk, Sagar: sea) are located in the middle of a forest on the Goa-Karnataka border. It is a four-tiered

2. waterfall with different ways to reach each level. The bottom of the waterfall is accessible through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. The forest department runs a 4WD service through the sanctuary up to the foot of the Dudhsagar waterfalls. This service is closed during monsoon. However, the local guys still run a bike service through the forest to take you to the base of the Dudhsagar waterfalls. Here you can actually get into the water and enjoy a leisure swim! You will find these guys at the Kulem railway station, when you start walking to the forest department’s office. How did we get to the Dudhsagar waterfalls? Another, more popular approach is to the middle of the Dudhsagar waterfalls, through the railway tracks. We travelled in a passenger train from Madgaon in Goa to Kulem. At Kulem, we boarded a goods train. Some local guys agreed to be our guides and fixed us up with the motorman of the train that was leaving soon.

3. We stood on the edge holding onto the railing outside the engine of the goods train. Travelling up the steep Braganza pass on the seamless tracks through a lush green forest in a rhythmic motion, with the wind in our faces, we felt one with nature! The railway tracks trace a horseshoe (U) over the valley approaching the Dudhsagar waterfalls. The first glimpse of the falls is, hence, from across the valley. Our guide knew the exact point at which we would see the waterfalls. When the train got there, he started shouting “camera ready, viewpoint, viewpoint”.

4. We got the cameras all ready. The train slowly (and extremely steadily) approached the viewpoint – and we froze. We just couldn’t take our eyes off the majestic Dudhsagar waterfalls. At that moment, we couldn’t care about the camera, the photograph, the viewpoint or anything else. The Dudhsagar waterfalls, even from that far across the valley, had hypnotised us.

5. From a distance, it looks like the area around the Dudhsagar waterfalls is covered in clouds. It is actually just the spray from the waterfalls. Its momentum is so strong, it actually crosses over to the other side of the railway tracks. We had to put our camera away to prevent it from being sprayed over. Another experience on our trip to the Dudhsagar waterfalls, was getting to walk on railway tracks. We walked up to a place called Sonalium, a station so tiny, it didn’t have a ticket counter or a platform! Just a board letting us know its existence.

6. It was fun walking through this section of the railway tracks in the middle of the forest through numerous tunnels. We had to be mindful the whole while of the sound of any approaching train. Castle Rock Further ahead of Dudhsagar is a town called Castle Rock. The name was inviting enough and a 30-40 minute train ride ahead got us there. When we got off the train at Castle Rock, the station master there was surprised. He assumed we were there by mistake. He vehemently insisted there was nothing to see in Castle Rock and asked us to leave for Dudhsagar waterfalls! It was a sleepy little hill town. The Castle Rock station seemed to be the only reason the town existed. All the infrastructure belonged to the Indian Railways and being a Sunday, everything was shut. Apart from these railway buildings, the place is a small village. Families keep

7. poultry at homes and they cook in wood fired stoves. It felt like we were part of a story, wandering around in a magical land in search of treasure. And sure enough, we found one, in the form of a board saying “Castle Rock Adventure Camp” run by the Karnataka government. “Discover a new trail every time” was their charming tagline! We followed the tree-lined misty trail. It eventually led us to the fully functional campsite – that apparently no one knew about! There were a couple of cabins for stay, each equipped with 12 bunk beds. The outdoor seating and dining arrangements were at the perfect vantage points. We even met the trained staff, who took care of food and security. On that cold misty afternoon, it looked really picturesque. Had we known of this place earlier, we would have definitely planned to stay

8. here for a night. Dudhsagar waterfalls are a perfect getaway for a short holiday from Mumbai or Pune. The not-so-easy approach makes it sufficiently offbeat. Closeness to nature, a sense of adventure and a touch of magic – a visit to Dudhsagar and Castle Rock has it all. Trains that go to the Dudhsagar waterfalls To find out about the trains that go to the Dudhsagar waterfalls either log onto the official Indian Railways reservation website or use this extremely informative website maintained by the fans of the Indian Railways. Dduhsagar waterfalls is not an official station, passenger trains do not halt at the Dudhsagar station. Tips on visiting Dudhsagar and Castle Rock A passenger train leaves every morning from Madgaon, Goa for Kulem. From Kulem, get on a goods train (request the motorman) and jump off the train at Dudhsagar. It is not an official stop. Regular trains do not halt at Dudhsagar. Alternatively go ahead up to Castle Rock. From Castle Rock, either walk back to the Dudhsagar waterfalls or get into a goods train. Chances of this train halting at Dudhsagar are higher than the one from Kulem. Or take an Indian Railways train like Amravati Express and get off at Sonalium. A couple of kilometres’ walk from Sonalium will get you to

9. the Dudhsagar waterfalls. Get a map of Madgaon. Names of some train stations are similar (Kulem and Kalem) and can be misleading. Having a map will avoid any confusion. No food is available at Dudhsagar waterfalls. You must carry their own supplies, preferably from Madgaon.