madhuonthego

Sipping a cup of freshly brewed hot coffee with a view of misty mountains and coffee plantations stretched till your eyes can see. Sounds like a perfect recipe for a lazy weekend getaway? Coorg,also known as the Scotland of India, is indeed one of the favourite weekend destinations for Banglorians and also tourists from other parts of South India.

Around 250 kms away from Bangalore,this beautiful Hillstation is surrounded by lush green mountains and acres of coffee plantation.Small houses ,villages and hamlets here exudes mesmerising ambience and are timeless in their beauty.

Coorg is a perfect destination for long walks,treks, the rich biodiversity also makes it a paradise for bird watchers and nature lovers. Apart from sheer abundance of natural beauty everywhere, there are quite a lot of activities depending upon your interest.Some options for adventure enthusiasts are trekking ,camping in the coffee plantation and white water rafting in Dubare. For Nature lovers and those intersted in sightseeing, Nagarhole National park,Abbey falls, Irpu falls,Talakaveri ,Baag mandala ,Nisargdhama and Dubare-Elephant capturing and training camp are worth a visit.

My personal favourites are Talakaveri ,the origin point of river kaveri and a scenic view point that offers a magnificent view. Second is Raja’s Seat,a view point over looking the valley.

Like many hillstations in South India,you can buy fresh coffee and spices. Home made wine is one of the specialities here and you will be amazed to see the variety of flavours available.

Madikere is the commercial and transport hub of Coorg district.You can find some good restaurants and shops here.

There are umpteen number of stay options available ranging from luxury resorts to humble home stays. If you are not very particular about the amenities that a resort has to offer,than home stay is highly recommended.It provides an opportunity to mingle with locals ,experience their culture and cuisine. Homestays here are perfectly safe.

Coorg is a place really close to my heart,with the number of times I have visited Coorg ,it’s become a second home to me. During all these visits we have always stayed at homestays.In our recent visits,( also the most memmorable one as my favourite people joined in) we stayed at Chillipili estate. A beautiful homestay situated admist coffee plantation. A perfect place to spend time with your loved ones.
Apart from the natural beauty what I like most about this place is simple and friendly locals,always ready to help.

The best part about Coorg is you don’t have to plan for months in advance to come here, (atleast from Bangalore) all you need is your Car keys or bike (for adventure enthusiasts) and there you go.Thats how my first trip and many after that materialised.

Happy Travelling !