Magnificent Dudhsagar Waterfall: Trek to it if you have plenty of luck or stamina!

About Dudhsagar Waterfall:

Dudhsagar waterfall is one of India’s tallest waterfalls with a height of over 1000 feet and an average width of 100 feet. It is four-tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River, inside the Bhagwan Mahavir wildlife sanctuary, in Sanguem district of Goa, close to the border with Karnataka. Though perennial, the beauty of the waterfall increases multi-fold during the rainy season. From a distance, the waterfall appears like streams of milk rushing down the mountainside.

Dudhsagar literally means ‘Sea of Milk’. According to legend, there was once a princess who used to bathe in the waterfall, and drink milk from a golden jug thereafter. Once, as she finished her bath and was drinking her usual jug of milk, she noticed a prince watching her. She poured the milk to form a curtain to hide her modesty and that is how the fall gets its name.

How to reach:
By train: The falls can be reached by a train journey from Vasco or Margao. At Kulem (or Collem), there is a railway station where the train stops to pick up passengers for the journey to the waterfalls. There are two trains a day that halt at Dudhsagar and it is possible to catch a morning train up and spend several hours at the falls before taking an afternoon train back.
By road: The easiest way to reach the waterfall is to take a 4×4 vehicle to the Dudhsagar taxi stand and hike the one km distance from the dropping point. Tours operated by GTDC (Goa Tourism Development Corporation) have Dudhsagar Waterfall as one of the tour stops, and several private operators also offer trips to the Waterfall. However, the roads leading to the waterfall, maintained by the Goa Forest Department, remain closed during monsoons and open in October.
By trek: The nearest rail station accessible by road to the falls is Castle Rock station, about 14 km from Dudhsagar falls. Visitors can either trek the 14km stretch or board a train from Castle Rock and disembark at the Dudhsagar halt. Or you can take a train up to Kulem and trek about 13km to the falls. It is to be noted that the Dudhsagar rail stop is not a station where passengers can expect a platform. Passengers and visitors have to climb down the ladder of the rail compartment in a short 1-2 minute unscheduled stop. From this rail stop, visitors have to walk about a kilometer on the tracks to arrive at the falls. This includes crossing a 200m train tunnel, which is totally dark, making the walk a bit tougher.

Our experience:

We visited Dudhsagar at the beginning of September. As mentioned above, the roads to the falls are closed in monsoon. But the beauty of the Waterfall is enhanced during rainy season. So our only options remained train or trek. Some of our friends decided to reach Kulem by train late night, and trek about 13km to reach the Waterfall. The rest of us decided to travel by train right up to Dudhsagar; we were counting on being able to alight at the unscheduled halt 😛 Both groups were expected to reach Dudhsagar at the same time.

Why did some people choose the arduous trek from Kulem if there was a train halting at Dudhsagar itself? Well, of late, there were instances of Railway Police Force (RPF) not allowing large groups to alight at Dudhsagar as there had been some mishaps at the falls recently. As the only way to reach the falls is by crossing railway tracks, safety becomes a concern, especially in case of large groups. Also, there have been instances of people falling off the slippery rocks. Hence, until safety measures are improved, RPF decided to restrict the number of visitors by preventing them from alighting from the train itself. Therefore, some of our friends took the Hubli express (starting from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus) and alighted at Londa. From Londa, they took a private vehicle to Kulem, and started their trek around 3am. The route included a jungle trek (including crossing 3 river streams), and walking on rail tracks. (In my humble opinion, such a route would seem scenic and adventurous during the day, but is neither safe nor enjoyable at night.) They reached Dudhsagar at around 6.30am.

What about the lazier group? Well, we took the Goa express from Pune (from Mumbai to Pune, we went by bus), had a comfortable journey, and managed to alight at Dudhsagar. We then proceeded towards the falls and once crossed the tunnel we saw the first view of the falls. It was beautiful! After a walk of about 1km from Dudhsagar station, we reached the magnificent falls at around 6am! 🙂

The two groups then merged, and after spending some time at the falls, we started our return journey. After walking for few minutes, we saw the Waterfall from the Kulem route, which gives a view of the falls with a railway bridge in between. The view is enhanced when a train crosses the bridge. We then trekked through Bhagwan Mahavir wildlife sanctuary and spent some time in a river stream on the way. We reached Sonaulim railway station after trekking about 4 kms, from where we boarded a train to Kulem (the alternative is to trek the 6km from Sonaulim to Kulem, but it is mostly through railway tracks, which gets boring after a while, not to mention, risky).

At Kulem, we checked into a guest house, had lunch, and rested for few hours. We then returned to Kulem station, and boarded the train to Madgaon (Margoa). From Madgaon, we boarded Matsyagandha express and reached Mumbai early next morning.

The biggest challenge for both groups was reaching Dudhsagar, with one relying on their stamina and the other on luck. The return journey was relatively uneventful. Nevertheless, we came back with a sense of accomplishment 🙂

Tips and tricks:

1. Research well before deciding on your route, which would also depend on the season and your appetite for adventure!
2. Carry adequate food and water. Dudhsagar waterfall has no facilities whatsoever, so you’ll find no food, drinking water, or toilets for few hours until you reach the nearest railway station or guest house.
3. There are monkeys at the Waterfall, so make sure your food is well hidden inside your bags. (You can also carry a small damru to ward off the monkeys.)
4. If you plan on following the trekking route, you might encounter leeches in your jungle trail, so keep salt or matchbox handy. It is also advisable to wear full sleeved t-shirts and long-bottomed track pants. Trekking shoes are a must.
5. A word of caution: If you plan to go by train, and RPF officials prevent you from visiting Dudhsagar, please heed their advice. Also, be careful while walking on railway tracks and through railway tunnels, and always watch out for oncoming trains. Also, tread with caution at the Waterfall, as the rocks are slippery and the barricades are not very robust.

Cost: Approx. Rs. 1,500-2,000 per person (including train tickets, food and guest house charges).