By Aparna Prasad
‘Now, imagine a chilly night by a scenic lake with dim-lit stars in the sky. You are sitting with your friends on a wooden bench by your tent. Sizzling sounds of chicken and mushrooms fill the air. Your stomach starts to rumble in anticipation of the delicious meals and stories to come. Laughter and chatter fill the night, with insects chirping on the side. Secrets are whispered because the dark can keep secrets that are too embarrassing to uncover by daylight. It is a barbecue night at Camp Monk, Bangalore.’
It started with a gush of adrenaline the night before. Three 20-year-olds looking for the best adventure before their 3rd year of college begins. Bangalore is well known for its IT hubs as well as for its bars and pubs.
However, after a year of college parties, what I craved was a close-to-nature break. It seems so did both my roommates. There came a plan: three girls, one camp, and #cancelhustleculture.
We began scanning for camps. Most were booked. Then one of us stumbled upon Camp Monk in Bannerghatta with a funny-looking monkey for its logo. The images on Google seemed to feature the camp right beside a beautiful clean lake. We all have to agree, that clean lakes in Bangalore are hard to find, so I was already in.
We booked one of the deluxe tents which was rather on the pricier side (around 2000 INR per head) but looked very comfortable to stay in. Breakfast is included, and the camp provides you with a barbecue grill, so we packed food items that could be grilled at dinner. It’s a great idea—not only did we save money, but also made some wonderful memories that night.
Reaching Camp Monk
By cab, it should take you an hour to reach the camp. We took twice that much time moving by auto and metro, but no complaints— it was a whole lot of fun!
A quick tip: Always get more people on a trip. Besides the company, it helps with managing your budget.
Camp Monk, Bangalore, welcomes everyone. We saw families, couples, and even dogs having the time of their life, and yet, the place wasn’t crowded—surprising, considering it was the weekend. Maybe it is the openness of the space, or the camp is yet to be discovered.
We were sitting by the edge of the lake when I saw one of the dogs swimming in the water. It must have been the dog’s owner that kept cheering on and the others joined in. When I was younger, I was told by other kids that I swim like a dog. I’m starting to get what they mean. Dogs look so funny in water with their heads popping out.
Taking inspiration from the dog, we decided to go for a swim in the lake ourselves. One tiny difference between swimming in a lake versus a pool would be that in a lake you can drown. Our lifeguard suits were loose on us and I noticed something. Unlike a gradual slope in the pool, the lake floor suddenly drops beneath you.
However, if I had to choose between a lake and a pool, swimming in a lake wins hands down. My friends and I couldn’t stop playing and splashing water on each other like five-year-olds. Being around nature always brings out the playful ‘nature’ in all of us. But for solitude, you go deeper into the water.
The experience
I felt alone in the water surrounded by heavy winds and birds holding onto their nests. It’s a different experience where you feel humbled by the vastness of the world. You feel grateful to even exist.
But I’m only human. It doesn’t take much for my state of mind to shift from gratitude to anxiety. All it takes is a green insect climbing on the white walls of your tent welcoming you back from your swim.
There was a large green insect, about 1 foot long (that’s how I imagine it) with its needle-like antennas pointing toward me. If I wasn’t dreaming I’d say It had the most vicious grin smeared on its face. The insect made a huge leap from one side of the tent to where I was standing. I closed my eyes, hoping at least I’d get to say my last words. If you hadn’t guessed already, I have an irrational fear of insects. Camping in the wilderness proved to be the most ideal exposure therapy.
I wanted to say I’m never going to camp again because of that one experience, but the staff at Camp Monk, Bangalore, were kind enough to help me get rid of the insect and bear with my tantrums. To be honest I’m surprised at how well our first-ever camp trip went. Who knew that there was a beautiful lake hidden amidst the city hustle of Bangalore?
Know before you go
Did you know Bengaluru was once known as the City of Lakes’? There are a total of 189 lakes spread across the city. So it should come as no surprise that Bangaloreans can even set up their own camps by the lake.
Inspired to go camping? Start scouting for some great spots here.
