Breaking The Myth Called Sharavathi Nature Trails

Donald Porter, V.P. of British Airways once said ‘Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.’  This post is not to introduce you to a new destination or an offbeat experience, but to acquaint you of how mismanagement of certain service providers can completely sour the mood of the customers and give them a bitter experience, while they were yearning for tranquility.

Recently, a team of HFL along with our valuable clients, went on an excursion to Sharavathi Valley. The valley located in the central Western Ghats of Shimoga district, Karnataka is a serene deciduous forests of the Western ghats and has many waterfalls, islands and jungle trails to offer. We at HFL have been endorsing the place for last 3 years and it is one of the most sought after location among our clientele. The service provider in this case is Sharavathi Nature Camp, an Outdoor Adventure and Environmental Education Organization that provides a camping and water activities program.

The Sharavathi Backwaters

The trip began on a bad note when there was nobody to brief/receive us upon arrival. Lack of any kind of manager/guide surprised us, as we had been very well received in the past by program coordinators. Pushing this out of our minds as a result of lack of resources, we had a sumptuous breakfast of idli-sambhar, and got ready for the trek. There was no room to put our luggage, and we depended on the kind-heartedness of the cooks who agreed to let us keep our luggage in kitchen storeroom. The cooks of the camp donned the hats of the trekking guide and the team had to follow them as no trekking guide was available this time.In our previous visit, a forest ranger was hired as a guide who gave a detailed information about the place, trails  and various flora and fauna. Thankfully the driver we had hired from Sagar decided to accompany us. A late start to the trek, courtesy complete mismanagement and miscommunication, ensured that we trekked in hot sun. Nevertheless, the scenic surroundings of the jungle calmed our annoyance and we trekked to the beautiful waterfalls. Enjoying our trek and the pure luxury of waterfall in the hot weather, we returned to the camp, boneless with exhaustion. Looking forward to a tent and shower wasn’t asking for too much, would ya say ?

Water for bathing

Murphy’s Law ensured we were deprived of both for the next 3-4 hours after our return. There was no tent in place, and no water in the common bathrooms/washrooms due to a malfunctioning motor. Our less-than-desired fluency in Kannada resulted in us trying to explain to the cooks for the next 2 hours that we wanted a tent and water to bathe. Going back and forth between the arguments about whether we should return to Sagar and rent a hotel, we finally decided to stay as the lure of a bonfire on the banks of backwaters in moonlight was too strong.  There is a God, and He decided to intervene then, when the cooks/helpers finally understood our plight and put up an available old tent for us. We shall not talk about the condition of the tent, because, you know, we’d like to forget it ASAP. Sufficient to say that it gave us somewhere to be, so that we could spend the night.

Collapsed Tent

The next day, which was supposed to be dedicated to water activities, saw us sharing 2 kayaks amongst 15 people. Eventually everyone chucked the kayaks, and enjoyed a cool swim in the backwaters. We came back to our tent by noon, and after devouring tasty lunch of Pulao and Raita, spent the afternoon getting annoyed and pissed with the loud music being played by a few forest officials who were staying as fellow-guests. Below are some other observations that we made during this ‘misadventure’.

• Essential amenities like bathrooms and toilets were not properly maintained. They were dirty and no water was available.
• The organisers have some strict rules regarding camping named ‘Nature Etiquette’. We tried to follow this to the T, but were disappointed that few forest officials, who were also guest with families, made it a point to break as many rules as possible. Liquor bottles were littered everywhere. The fellow campers were drinking and playing loud music, which is a strict no-no. It not only nullifies the  values of Camp, but also pose a threat to nearby habitat.
• Before water activities, the group were not briefed about it. There was no raft building activity as promised in the itinerary that is provided on their website.

Nature Etiquettes

The surprising part was that when we tried to register our problem, it fell on deaf ears. Mr Sampath, the camp manager (who has been courteous in all our previous interactions) behaved in an unprofessional manner and hung up the phone when we tried to bring the issues to his notice.It was disheartening the way this trip turned out to be a disappointing affair for our esteemed customers and certainly not at all worth the price (Rs. 2000/person). We cannot overlook the fact that the local staff tried helping us to the best of their capacity. But the sad truth remains that a pristine location, bestowed so kindly by Mother Nature, was ruined by human mismanagement.

Team HFL suggests that the Sharavathi Nature Camp should appoint a full-time camp manager/guide to run the program effectively and with professional expertise. The need for basic amenities like clean washrooms is a must, atleast at the Muppane Camp. The quality of tents and kayaks is non-negotiable. Unfortunately, the current situation simply doesn’t meet the standards that we have set up for our offerings.

UPDATE (8th Oct 2014):"A few days back, we received an email from Mr. Sampath of Sharavathi Nature Trails (SNT). As per him the campsite is not maintained by them but the forest department and SNT cannot do anything incase the forest officials show up and make merry. Thus SNT doesn't take  the responsibility of the upkeep of the location of the campsite and their job is only to conduct the program."