Dudhsagar Waterfalls – Dudh (milk) Sagar (sea) – Milky Ocean

Dudhsagar Waterfalls – Dudh (milk) Sagar (sea) – Milky Ocean

Dudhsagar Waterfalls, Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park is at Collem in Sanguem taluka, South Goa district of Goa. For weeks the plan was to visit, but how? Lots of confusion was present. Suggestions were to visit by train, by bus or by car.

I personally went to Vasco railway station to inquire whether there is a train to Dudhsagar Waterfalls or not. I was told there is no train that stops at Dudhsagar railway station. If one has to visit by train, one has to get down at Collem railway station. The passenger train starts from Vasco railway station daily early in the morning, somewhere around 7 stops at Madgaon and it takes one or more hours to reach Collem railway station. And in the evening hours again one has to take a train from Collem to reach Madgaon or Vasco but if the evening train is missed, then one has to stay at Collem.

And for the bus one has to reach Panjim Bus Depot and take a bus (available every hour or so) that is leaving towards Belgaum. The bus will stop near Mollem and again one has to hire a taxi or auto or any vehicle available to reach Collem and again while coming back again to the same spot and waiting for the bus to arrive and towards Panjim. The distance between the drop point of the bus at Belgaum Highway And Collem was also not known.

Finally hiring a taxi was the best option. Taxi Yes, Taxi. Confusion is over now. I was happy. The amount Rs. 1400 Panjim – Dudhsagar Waterfalls – Panjim Or Rs. 1600 Panjim – Dudhsagar Waterfalls – Tambdi Surla temple – Panjim.

I was on the way and the route followed by the hired car driver was interesting.

Once we reached Collem – The location where hundreds (98 jeeps as said by our jeep driver) of jeeps were waiting for guests to arrive to take them towards Dudhsagar Waterfalls which is approx. 12 km inside the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park.

Rs. 300 is the charge per person. Uncle collects the amount. 6 + 1 (driver) person are allowed within the jeep. No matter whether you are alone or with a group jeep will be arranged by Uncle. I was alone, and I was joined by a few other travelers. Very good arrangement – will say. Thanks to the association.

Private vehicle as said by the driver is allowed but at your own risk because one has to cross two/three water flows, almost a small river but one is deep. If a private vehicle engine fails or the vehicle got stuck anywhere within the wildlife sanctuary, a tractor is the only option to get your vehicle out of the sanctuary and as per the driver’s statement, tractor charges Rs. 3000. Better is to use a taxi operator’s jeep. Even jeeps I have seen stuck or failed due to some reason within the sanctuary. Motorcycles are allowed. Rs. 40 is the charge but the experience says – No because crossing one small river is not possible. If we switch off the engine and cross the river, still the water will enter the engine. While crossing one water flow which is really deep, the water even entered inside our jeep.

Anyways, once you reach the gate of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park, you will be charged Rs. 20 per person for entry And Rs. 30 for a digital still camera. There are more charges if you carry a professional camera. The driver collects money and visits the window to collect tickets – Do not worry. Till then you can have a look around the jungle area.

Entry timings: 8:30 am – 3 pm (the last jeep entry into the sanctuary)

After paying and collecting tickets the jeep enters the jungle. The road is muddy. The red wet mud and deep jungle all around. In between the jungle is the railway track. Goa or Karnataka trains pass through this jungle. Sonalim is the station within the jungle, but no train stops. As written earlier I inquired about visiting Dudhsagar by train but was told by Vasco inquiry no train stops except at Collem railway station. Anyway, I will recommend visiting by road is the best. There is one temple within the jungle and a family stays close by. The jeep driver showed us Dudhsagar railway station within the hills and on the other side of the station or one can say hills is Dudhsagar Waterfalls. The jeep takes approx. 50 mins. to reach Dudhsagar Waterfalls from Collem. Once you reach Dudhsagar Waterfall’s Jeep driver will suggest you to take a one-hour tour of the Waterfall and come back as he is waiting. Altogether it takes 3 hour’s journey after reaching Collem-Dudhsagar Waterfalls-Collem. Now after getting down from the jeep, one has to walk for about 10 mins. between/through the rocks within the jungle while crossing small narrow bridges.

Remember: There are lots of monkeys in the jungle.

And finally, far one can watch the flow of water. Dudhsagar i.e., Dudh(milk) sagar(sea) – milky ocean or ocean of milk – truly said. The height as said is approx. 600 meters – an amazing fall to watch. The wish is to enter the water and I off with clothes and within shorts in the cold milky water. No words to describe what I felt. One has to visit to experience all I can say, and personally, I wish to visit again very soon, maybe in days to come.

Remember: There are a few spots within the water which is deep and stones around/within the water are slippery – Be careful.

From 2003 to 2007 14 people died due to drowning at Dudhsagar Waterfalls. A list of people is displayed close to the waterfalls which are sad to read. Please take care of yourself and your children. Do not dive as there are rocks within the water or enter the water if you do not know how to swim.

And a goods train passes on top of the hill whistling.

Isn’t that interesting? Maybe one day I will cross Dudhsagar Waterfalls by daytime train to watch how it looks from the top. Anyway, very soon one hour was completed, and with a heavy happy heart (Ha Ha Ha) I had to leave. The wish to stay more was always present, but rules are rules – one must follow and again 12 km within the jungle route crossing a few water flows including the deep one, and finally reaching Collem. Thanks to Shankar – The jeep driver for enhancing our knowledge. In between the jungle, I saw a board showing the way toward Devil’s Canyon, but the driver was not interested in visiting as it is not allowed. There are some horrifying stories attached with the same as said by the driver. Anyways, haunted maybe, and I decided to visit Tambdi Surla the 13th-century temple. The request to visit was conveyed and the hired car driver turned the car towards Collem Police Station road.

Collem to Tambdi Surla Temple distance is 21 km (approx.)

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