As a side trip from Bangalore we decided to go to the district of Coorg in Karnataka. I had read and heard many great things about the area and it was suppose to be amazing during Monsoon season! We took an A/C Volvo bus to Kushal Nagar, upon arrival at the bus station the owner of Iyris the Home Stay picked us up and escorted us to his home.
We were pleasantly surprised by the size and cleanliness of the room. Everything was arranged for us by Iyris and we had a taxi waiting for us after freshening up!
As a suggestion from our driver we headed to Mandalpatti, where we hopped in a Jeep for 3 hours of off-roading. Once on top of the mountain and amidst the clouds we were rewarded with 360 degree views of the valley and were quite literally swept off our feet by the strong winds.
On the road coming down Mandalpatti is a turn off for Abbi Falls, a 70ft waterfall roaring from the monsoon rains. It's a quick 10 minute walk from the roadside and you can enjoy a coffee or chai from one of the many vendors. I suggest the coffee! A perfect place to stand is the old suspension bridge where you can feel the mist and beauty all around.
After Abbi Falls we headed to the town of Madikeri to view Raja's Tomb. I would skip this, there is not too much to see and no explanation of the history of the tomb's. We weren't there more than 5 minutes before it began to downpour. I don't think we stopped laughing while running back to the car.
We spent the evening relaxing at the homestay while listening to the rain, and our host explaining the history of Coorg and it's people.
The next day we had planned on going to the Elephant Camp and Whitewater Rafting but the water levels were too high and dangerous to cross the river. We were able to enjoy the Golden Temple just outside of Kushal Nagar. It's the second largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet and after Dharamshala. You can tour the monastery and listen to the chanting on the monks. We than went for a walk along the beautiful secluded semi-circular Chiklihole Dam.
After which we headed back to the Homestay and had a lovely tour of the plantation. The main crop on the plantation is Coffee with both Arabic and Robusta seeds growing. We were also delighted to see all the spice, fruit, and flower trees along the tour which included black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, papaya, mango, starfuit, avocado, and jackfruit - just to name a few!
On our last morning in Coorg we sat back and enjoyed one last cup of coffee on the porch and joked (somewhat-serious!) about retiring here before leaving for the bus station.
We were pleasantly surprised by the size and cleanliness of the room. Everything was arranged for us by Iyris and we had a taxi waiting for us after freshening up!
As a suggestion from our driver we headed to Mandalpatti, where we hopped in a Jeep for 3 hours of off-roading. Once on top of the mountain and amidst the clouds we were rewarded with 360 degree views of the valley and were quite literally swept off our feet by the strong winds.
After Abbi Falls we headed to the town of Madikeri to view Raja's Tomb. I would skip this, there is not too much to see and no explanation of the history of the tomb's. We weren't there more than 5 minutes before it began to downpour. I don't think we stopped laughing while running back to the car.
We spent the evening relaxing at the homestay while listening to the rain, and our host explaining the history of Coorg and it's people.
The next day we had planned on going to the Elephant Camp and Whitewater Rafting but the water levels were too high and dangerous to cross the river. We were able to enjoy the Golden Temple just outside of Kushal Nagar. It's the second largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet and after Dharamshala. You can tour the monastery and listen to the chanting on the monks. We than went for a walk along the beautiful secluded semi-circular Chiklihole Dam.
How cute is this calf?
After which we headed back to the Homestay and had a lovely tour of the plantation. The main crop on the plantation is Coffee with both Arabic and Robusta seeds growing. We were also delighted to see all the spice, fruit, and flower trees along the tour which included black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, papaya, mango, starfuit, avocado, and jackfruit - just to name a few!
Coffee Seeds.
Black Pepper
Starfruit.
Jackfruit.
Avocado.
On our last morning in Coorg we sat back and enjoyed one last cup of coffee on the porch and joked (somewhat-serious!) about retiring here before leaving for the bus station.
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