Dudhsagar falls is a place for you to visit, if you are looking for a short nature excursion in Goa or when you want to escape with your family to a neat picnic place.
I share further on how to get there, travel charges, what time to visit and what to expect from the Dudhsagar falls!
A while ago, my husband and our Bavarian friends decided to go for a trip to the legendary Dudhsagar falls in Goa.
We needed a day off and none of us had ever had the chance to visit these beautifully high waterfalls before, so we packed our cameras, took the car, and ventured towards the other end of Goa towards Ponda and Mollem.
Table of Contents
🚗 Getting there
It was a busy Wednesday on the roads but we took only about 1 1/2 hours from Vagator (North Goa – coastline Bardez area).
So if you come by cab from Calangute, Baga, Arpora, Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, or Candolim, plan in about 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the drive (just in case the traffic gets too much).
From Arambol, Ashwem, Mandrem, Morjim plan another 1/2 hour in to get to Dudhsagar falls.
From Panaji (Panjim) city you would take about 1 hour to get to the Dudhsagar falls (over Old Goa aka Goa Velha).
⌛ When to visit?
Once we arrived there we realized that we chose the right day to visit the Dudhsagar falls, because the little elephant village Mollem was literally empty.
Normally that is not the case, in fact, I heard people say that usually hordes of tourists come to visit the picturesque jungle and waterfall.
Lucky us!
To get to the falls you need to hire a jeep, you can’t go there in your own car.
Dudhsagar is situated in a natural reserve and the government is limiting the number of taxis per day.
You need to get to the Dudhsagar falls before there are no tickets left!
Best time to visit Dudhsagar falls -> 10-11 am – Monday to Thursdays
Worst times to visit Dudhsagar falls -> anything after 12 pm, weekends & holidays, rainy season (as it might be closed)
From the village Mollem (or was it Kullem village?) we took a jeep.
I would suggest doing the same thing because the road to reach the waterfall is super tedious, in fact, it’s not a road and you have to pass a few rivers and rocks and only a jeep can take that, a normal bike will get damaged.
🚙 Jeep Ride
One jeep can take about 6 people (although there is space for 8 people + driver).
We paid about Rs. 400/-per person and for those who don’t know to swim Rs.30/- for life jacket + Rs.50/- go for the forest check post.
(Fix priced, you can’t get cheated!).
The drive from Kulem village to Dudhsaar falls itself is very bumpy.
I don’t mind it, I am young but I don’t think so that would be something for an elderly person or somebody who suffers from serious ailments (just a thought at the side…).
After a 10 minutes drive, you will reach the forest department’s checkpoint and there the driver will ask you to go to the little hut and pay for your cameras (of course everybody has one nowadays).
We paid about 50 INR (0,70 €) for a photography camera and I think so it’s about 100 INR (1,40 €) for a Video Cam.
Then the drive to dudhsagar falls continues for another 30 minutes.
You will be passing a few rivers with the jeep and you will have time to observe the wonderful nature around you.
Lots of trees at the beginning of the journey are either mango trees or cashew trees and after a while, you will realize that the jungle is getting thicker with bigger, older, and higher trees and dark passages where the light doesn’t reach.
If you are lucky you’ll be able to sight a few animals such as deer, tropical birds, wild bores, snakes, and at one point you will be able to make out the waterfall from afar.
Oh, and you might see a lot of Termite “castles” as well (love those)!
🌊 Dudhsagar Falls
Reaching the forest parking space of the dudhsagar waterfalls you will be told by the driver that the meeting point will be there in an hour’s time.
The whole place is so serene and inspiring, you feel like you have gone back in time with the amazing landscape, rocks, and fulfilling nature.
You won’t get a mobile signal at the Dudhsagar falls, any way you won’t need it and if you need help or are hurt, there are always lifeguards near the dudhsagar waterfalls.
Dudhsagar falls are situated right at the border to the state of Karnataka and this is the point where the Western Ghats mountain range begins.
You might recall that I had mentioned in an older post that the Western Ghats mountain chain is part of the UNESCO Heritage and therefore the nature surrounding the km long mountain chain is highly protected.
When coming closer to the waterfalls you will notice that the white stream of water seems to take forever to fall from the highest point down into the little lake river.
You will also observe a bridge at one of the highest points and if you are lucky you’ll be able to experience the vibes of the Indian railway train passing the bridge.
And then there are the monkeys… The little and big pink-faced macaque monkeys are used to human visitors.
They don’t mind us as long as there are not too many of us and as long as we give them the respect they deserve as the local residents.
They will sit next to you and they might be in the mood to play with you, however, don’t threaten them or they will show you who the boss is!
There was that Russian lady who kept pushing that monkey to jump up and show some teeth so that she could take a unique snap.
I don’t suggest doing that.
If they attack you, don’t blame the monkeys, it’s your own fault then!
Of course, you should be aware that the little wild man likes to be near humans because they wait for a chance to rob.
Don’t underestimate the monkeys, they will con you!
Some of us were happily discovering the surroundings others had a blast taking out their little gadgets.
It was a serene moment of peace, something so rare in this fast-growing busy world, it was as if we had found the fountain of youth in Asia.
While coming back to the jeep from the paradise we were honored to have the lifeguards coming along.
They explained that the dudhsagar falls are closed in the heavy rainy season, July & August, due to the heavy water streams and high floods.
They also explained that the so-called devil’s canyon further down the jungle area was closed due to deadly accidents in the past.
Although the government was planning to reopen it in the future once security measurements had been taken.
The drive back took us another 40 minutes and once we reached back we went for a hearty, delicious, filling Indian dinner at a newly built restaurant.
That place had some kind of mini historical building park.
We never went to see it simply because the price of 300 INR seemed outrageously ridiculous and to see anything so weird is just a waste of time.
Of course, there are occasions where elephant rides are offered or an elephant bath, but we didn’t venture for that either.
I don’t know how these elephants are treated and tend to be careful.
Otherwise, the village itself is pretty cute with local houses and chicken and baby piglets taking rounds.
You might not be able to see that anymore in the developed Goa, so I and my German friend had a blast playing around with some of the small animals. ^.^
❓ Is it worth visiting?
Dudhsagar falls might not be for you if you are somebody who is extensively spending time in nature on your own or if you do not like a lot of people around you.
It’s also not that exciting for somebody who does a lot of nature trekking.
Dudhsagar falls is for you if you are looking for a small adventure with your family or friends.
If you are looking to reconnect with nature and to see more than just the beaches in Goa.
Dudhsagar is great for all those who come from the busy life of an Indian city.
There are various hotels in and around Mollem/Kullem village, I, personally, can’t recommend anything as I didn’t stay in any.
However, I still think it makes sense to just stay near the coastline and to visit Dudhsagar falls for a day trip.
Dear Reader, have you been to Dudhsagar falls or are you planning to visit the waterfalls?
The post, Dudhsagar falls, was first published on March 15th, 2013 at masalaherb.com and has been updated and enhanced ever since.
