Coorg - The Scotland of India

Travel With Me

7:11 am — Boarded the train to Bengaluru.

12:15 pm — Reached Bengaluru. Got off at the earlier station and took a rick to the nearby Metro station and then further commute to the outskirts. Called my friend. He says you got off too early and not the station you were supposed to. Wait for me a bit longer to come and pick you up.

1:30 pm — Reached the outskirts. Wait for my friend to come. In the meantime, I snack on something and sip on fresh juice.

2:00 pm — He comes and picks me up. We head to Coorg.

We take Mysuru Road. Beautiful ride. Pleasant weather. Rains on and off.

Had a lunch break stop at Kicchane Halli Mane owned by Kannada Actor Sudeep. Masala Dosa and other dosas ordered amongst other things could have been made with less oil. Tip for you: Ask for dosa with less or no oil and no spicey chutney inside it if you can’t bear spicy food.

Coorg, here we come.

It was around 9:00 pm we entered Coorg after going on several detours and wrong directions. Well, some credit goes to my friend who most of the time-shifted focus from viewing the maps to being engrossed in our less productive and valuable yet interesting conversations. Every time, we passed a two way or a three-way junction, suddenly my friend’s wife or I would interrupt him speaking and ask him to check if we were going in the right direction. And very correctly he would say “no, we are going off track.” There was even a point when we almost reached Zostel Homes instead of Zostel Coorg. 10 km before reaching Zostel Homes, my friend asked me if we were travelling in the right direction. That is when it hit me that I was supposed to have told him earlier that I was staying at Zostel Coorg on the first night and not Zostel Homes. It was already 10 pm now. Google maps indicated that we were 9 km away from their hotel and 24 km away from Zostel Coorg. So my friend suggested that we go to Treebo Trend Vrindavan Coorg, their hotel, and find out if there is an extra room or space in their room. We took a turn and went to their hotel. To our luck, we got enough space for me to sleep on a bed outside their room as they had booked a suite which was very spacious. In no time we went to bed as we were exhausted.

The next morning I woke up early to tweeting birds, sunlight and a fresh breeze. I wanted to use the toilet very urgently. Since my friends were sleeping inside their room which had a toilet, I went downstairs to the reception and used the toilet that was there. Thank God there was one. I bumped into the owner of the hotel, an ex-Air Force technician who has served in a war against Bangladesh. We conversed for over an hour and during this time, he shared a lot of history about Coorg and his family.

After some time, I headed back to the room, refreshed, and ate a tasty and scrumptious breakfast. The food in the buffet was very homely and included toasts & jam, idli & chutney, poori & subji, cornflakes, and tea & coffee. I then checked out and decided to venture out.

Day 1 in Coorg:

Mercara Gold Estate Coffee Plantation

We visited the Mercara Gold Estate, a 20-year-old coffee and spice farm 14 km from the hotel, and 9 km from Madikeri, to tour the coffee estate. The farm is unique as all the spices are grown and well organised. There is also coffee processing and roasting at the estate itself. During the one hour guided tour of the farm, we were introduced to all the different crops as well as the roasting process. Special mention to Mr Ravi who was knowledgeable, and patient in answering all our questions. Book your tour here.

At the end of the 60-minute tour, we were served filter coffee. Since I am lactose intolerant, I choose Civet black coffee. It is produced from the coffee beans digested by the civet cat. The faeces of this cat are collected, processed and sold. It is highly priced because it is claimed to be a more nutritious and high cost involved in sourcing the animal dropping, wastage during processing and quality certification. Although the civets’ digestive process does make the coffee smoother, it also removes the good acids and flavoursthat characterize a speciality cup of coffee. A captive civet, likely taken from the wild, looks out from a wire cage where it is kept to produce kopi luwak, the world’s most expensive coffee. Visit the Café.

Namdroling Monastery Golden Temple

The Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery is the largest teaching centre of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. The Golden Temple complex is home to about 16000 refugees and 600 monks. We literally saw them almost everywhere 5 km from the temple. We spotted them at eateries, supermarkets, vegetable markets and more.

Namdroling Monastery’s main entrance is an attractive four-story tower with a wheel portraying symbols of Buddhism. The main attractions inside the temple are the statues of Lord Buddha in the centre with statues of Lord Amitayus and Lord Padmasambhava on either side. Visitors can pray, meditate, give their offerings and rotate the mani prayer drums. Rotating these prayer drums is believed to give the same benefit as chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum”, the Buddhist prayer. Since we arrived at 1 pm, the prayer rituals that were conducted were quite delightful to watch. We witnessed nearly 50 monks praying in the middle of the hall.

Shopping centres near the temples offer tourists the opportunity to purchase traditional Tibetan items like costumes, statues, carpets, and jewellery. But we did not buy anything from the shops. After the visit, we were quite hungry so stopped at Masala Art restaurant outside the Golden temple. The food was delicious and the service was quick too.

Some of the items I remember we consumed:

1. Fried Rice | ****

2. Veg Momos | ****

3. Tibetan Soup | *****

4. Peach Iced Tea | *****

5. Sweet Chilli Baby Corn | *****

6. Prawn Malai Curry | *****

More information about the Monastery is here.

Dubare Elephant Camp

It is the place where elephants used to be trained for Mysore Dussehra. However, now these animals are used for jungle rides. The elephants are trained under naturalists. Tourists can observe elephants in detail and from quite close. Trained Naturalists offer tourists details on Elephant history, ecology and biology. We went 90 minutes before the closing time. We parked the car and gradually started walking towards the camp. There is only one way people can reach the camp and we must all walk with nearly half our bodies submerged in water. By the time we were halfway to the camp, it started raining, so we decided to return to the car and return to our hostel and hotel respectively.

Chiklihole Reservoir

On the way back, we stopped by the Chiklihole Reservoir while it was still raining. Pronounced ‘Chikli-holey’, it is a large body of water that offers both relaxation and tranquillity; perfect for holidaymakers and nature lovers like me looking to escape the stress of life back home. The area surrounding the Chiklihole reservoir was attractive. Watching the Sunset from here was extremely picturesque and photogenic. The green meadow on one side and the thick forest on the other make this place a great travel destination across Kodagu. After spending 15 minutes taking some photos, we left.

Zostel Coorg | Hostel

After dropping my friends back at their hotel, I drove to the hostel where I booked a bed in a mixed dorm. Situated in the lap of nature, Zostel Coorg is a backpacker hostel that allows you to mingle with fellow travellers over bonfires & hikes. Zostel Coorg is tucked away in the greenest lands of the town. Since I reached around 8 pm I got a chance to mingle with fellow travellers, the majority of them surprisingly from Tamil Nadu. We sat, drank and eat in this cosy common room till midnight with tasty food from the multi-cuisine cafe. Each of us shared our life and travel stories and got to know each other.

Day 2 in Coorg:

Mandalpatti Hills

Mandalpatti, crowned at a height of 1600m, is situated at around 18 km from Madikeri, Coorg. We drove to this fascinating trail located en route to Abbey Falls. It took us nearly two hours from Madikeri. Upon reaching the destination, we boarded a jeep to go up the Madalpatti Hills. It cost us Rs 2000/- for the 4*4 jeep ride that was extremely bumpy, rocky and merely like a roller coaster ride. But the driver drove stupendously with wonderful control. During our ride, we gathered that he does about 3 rides daily. Our ride took an hour to go up and an hour to come down. We spent about 30 minutes at the top of Mandalpatti Hills.

Mallali Hills

Right after our trip to the Mandalpatti Hills, we drove to Mallali Hills. There was not enough mobile network connectivity during our ride. We struggled a bit to get to the destination. We even stopped by a local department store where we found two IT professionals sipping on Chai, one using his laptop and working remotely and the other giving him company. Both work for Livspace. We reached Mallali Hills after a 2 drive from Mandalpatti Hills.

The stunning milky-white Mallalli Falls finds abode in the north of the Kodagu region is the pride of Karnataka, India. The cascading falls seated 26 km off Somwarpet right at the base of the Pushpagiri Hills leave tourists mesmerized with their beauty and splendour. It starts from where the Kumaradhara River takes an extreme dive of more than 1000 m and then takes a natural course leading to the Arabian Sea. Take in the beauty and behold the sights of the verdant jungles, the surrounding scenery, and the river diving deep from the origin of Mallalli Falls.

There was a 750 steps path from top to bottom of the Malali Falls tourist spot. We walked down halfway and soon returned to the top as it was quite boring. Moreover, a police officer informed us at the beginning that there are only 750 steps down and we cannot go near the water/falls because it has been cordoned off due to mishaps and suicides in the past. It was quite a challenging climb back to the top. Since it was around 4 pm and would take 2 hours for us to return to Madikeri, we decided to return to our rooms respectively.

No Stay | Homestay

Upon our return to Madikeri, my friends wanted to check in at their hotel. When we arrived at the hotel, the staff there indicated to us that they did not get the booking from OYO. This was Fab Hotel Prestige Residency. That made my friends grumpy and tensed as there were no rooms to stay in for the next two nights. We walked around to find some hotels in the neighbourhood but to our vain found none. So I immediately called my friend who runs a travel agency called Astral Trips. Within 5 minutes, he found my friend a homestay that was 20 km from Madikeri. Something was better than nothing. I asked my friends to take it no matter what. And I took a taxi to Zostel Home Coorg to stay there for the next two nights.

Day 3 in Coorg:

Zostel Home Coorg

Concealed within a lush expanse of delicate coffee plants, pepper creepers, and shrouded jackfruit trees lies Zostel Home Coorg. Dipped in tranquillity, this traditional Keralan house lets you be thoroughly at one with Nature. While the verandah invites sunlight and fresh breezes your way, the rooms all gaze out at the greenery. The Home consists of private rooms and dorms, offering you just the perfect mix of a secluded and social escape. Bringing stories, music, and conversations together is the antique common room. It truly lets you indulge all your five senses in the woodland’s essence. The Home is also equipped with multiple cosy and quiet nooks for digital nomads to set up a workstation, while the 50 Mbps fibre net adds convenience. Homely meals make the deal fulfilling, which are served with local stories by our loving hosts. When holidaying in this sequestered residence, you’ll enjoy simple nature and village walks, refreshing sunrises and violet sunsets, and the goodness of slowing down time to live to your fullest. There is even a place for fishing, trekking, and exploring the coffee estate around.

Activities we got involved in:

1. Badminton

2. Cricket

3. Carrom

4. Uno Cards

5. Board Games

6. Basketball

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Some of the buffet items that were served:

1. Idli, Chutney, Sambar

2. Toasts, Jam, Butter, Bread Omelette

3. Poori & Subji

4. Paneer Butter Masala, Roti, Fried Rice, Chicken Curry, Jackfruit Curry, Dal Makhani

5. Vanilla Ice cream — After a scrumptious dinner on the first night, having a sweet tooth, I politely asked the host if there was a sweet. He quietly whispered that there is enough ice cream for 5 of us. We agreed to eat. He went inside the kitchen and served us in small cups. That was a kind and wonderful gesture.

6. Tea, Coffee, Juices

Two nights and a whole day to rest at Zostel Home Coorg was what I needed. It was calm, serene, and solitude. I also needed to rest after driving for 2 days and moving around a lot. It was also nice to meet fellow travellers at the hostel. There were graphic designers and illustrators, IT professionals, a Dentist, and a PR professional, and all of them were from different parts of the country. We even watched RCB win the match. Dinesh Karthick’s knock was a delight to watch. Though there was only one RCB fan, we still enjoyed watching the match and playing UNO cards together till midnight.

The next morning, we all sat down together for breakfast and discussed many things including what to do in life, career options, and more. After breakfast, it was a fairly emotional moment as we had to depart and bid goodbye to each other. We exchanged numbers in the hope that we would meet once again or stay in touch with each other.

Day 4 in Coorg and Mysore:

After checking out of the hostel, my friends picked me up and we embarked on our return to Bengaluru. We made a couple of stops at Madikeri, purchased spices, did some chocolate tasting and then purchase some too, and stopped by a café to drink coffee and nibble on snacks.

Around lunchtime, we stopped at Bopy’s restaurant in Vijay Nagar in Mysoreto have a local meal. The food was good. We had biriyani, starters and curd rice. Curd rice was what I needed to cool the body after a lot of eating the previous 3 days. After lunch, we set off to Bengaluru and reached home by 10 pm. I totally loved driving the Hyundai Venue my friend owns.

I like travelling to a place just once and not revisiting it again. In that way, I get to travel to more places in the world and have no attachments to a particular place. I enjoyed Coorg a lot as it reminded me of Scotland, one of my all-time favourite destinations in the World so far. So if you do not get a chance to visit Scotland, travel to Coorg.