Written by: Raju Shanbhag
Coorg (Kodagu)
This sleepy town on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats has an easy going feel written all over it. You visit the town on any day, anytime, you’ll feel that the curvy roads and carefree people of the town have pulled the cover of lush greenery found around the city over their heads and are taking a long nap; not willing to be woken up anytime soon.
But as a traveler, you would hardly want to rest in Coorg. The place has so much to offer to the adventurist in you. Explore the unexplored nature found in abundance in and around Coorg, go carting, go fishing, and if you feel too tired to explore this wonderful place any further, we suggest you take an elephant ride for a balcony view of the things around you!
Orientation
Coorg is located 260 km from Bangalore and 120 Km from Mysore. River Cauvery, the heart of irrigation in this part of the state flows here. In fact she starts her journey from here.
Weather
Normally, the weather is around 15°C in Coorg. But if you end in this place at the wrong time, it can get to 28°C and that’s not very pleasant, especially in a hill station.
Getting there/ Route Information
If you haven’t seen Mysore and believe that Zoos and Palaces will set the mood for the upcoming journey, halt in Mysore on your way to Coorg and enjoy all these.
Buses
KSRTC has regular Rajahamsa buses plying from Bangalore to Mysore and Coorg. Most of the buses leave at night and by morning, you are at Coorg. You do not have to worry too much about waking up in the morning as the bumpy road ride after Mysore does the job for you.
Other Vehicles
If you are taking your own vehicle, you can see lots of places such as Dubare Elephant Camp and the Tibetan Monastery on your way to Coorg. Most of the hotels and resorts in Coorg have a check in time at 14:00 hours and it makes sense to visit all these places before you reach Coorg.
Road Quality
Although the road from Bangalore to Mysore is NICE, it deteriorates after Mysore.
Pictures of Coorg
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Major Attractions
Tibetan Monastery
The gold rules at the place worship. There are three gold coated temples here and they are all wonderful to see. Prayer session starts at 1 p.m. Duration: 1 -2 hrs. This is the second largest Tibetan settlement in India and you will see lots of Tibetans hanging around here. Do not expect Jackie Chan’s and Bruce Lees though!
Dubare Elephant camp
Located 8 km from Kushalnagar, you will get to ride elephants in this area.
Kaveri Nisargadhama
If you decide to check out this manmade island near the banks of Cauvery, a hanging bridge will welcome you to this bamboo forest. You can try out horse riding and elephant riding and if you are riding your luck, you can even try boating (If there is enough water in the river).
Harangi Dam
Good garden and you can play some water sports as well. Duration: 1 – 2 hrs.
(Places in Madikeri)
Abbey Falls
Although the height of the waterfalls may not impress you, the whole package in which the falls is presented is the stuff sceneries are made of.
Raja’s Seat
This is the place where lots retired people gather together to watch the sun go down. The view is not breathtaking, but the peaceful surroundings and the inexpensive chat stalls around the so called park make up for the deficiency.
Omkareshwara Temple
Finding this temple can be as tricky as finding the god himself if you don’t know the local language. It’s a small temple with an ancient style of architecture.
(Nearer to Bhagamandala)
Bhagamandala
Unless somebody hits on you and say that this is Bhagamandala, you will not even notice its existence even if you pass right by. But this place has very important religious and historical background to it. If you are looking for beautiful sceneries, and religious places are not on your agenda, skip this place.
Talakaveri
Birthplace of river Kaveri. The Brahmagiri Hills which stand dauntingly next to Talakaveri are said to be the places where the seven sages performed their dhyana (Meditation). If you are looking to increase that number, go right on.
(Nearer to Siddapura)
Nagarahole National Park
One of the best wildlife Sanctuaries in South India. Be there early morning to enjoy the safari tour by the forest department. Overnight stay also is facilitated. Enjoy watching wild boar, mongoose, peacock, jungle fowl, bison, spotted deer, sambhar, barking deer and many other birds and animals.
Iruppu falls
Tucked away in the middle of a beautiful jungle, Iruppu Falls is good for trekking. But beware of the leeches here (no, we are not talking about your travel agent)
Vital Tourist Information
Be at the right place at the right time!
If you end up being in Coorg at the wrong time, it can destroy all your images of beautiful, cool hill station within minutes. Although the travel companies tend to charge more during the peak season, we suggest you be prepared to shell out some extra bucks.
Hotels: There are countless hotels and resorts in and around the Coorg that can accommodate you and your purse very conveniently. But to taste real flavor of Coorg, we suggest you try any of the Home Stays in Coorg. They provide value for your money and provide you with authentic, homemade Coorg delicacies.
Coorg is a nice place…Make sure you stay in homestays..especially in coffee estates. There are many homestays available in Coorg.
Quite a cool place! Best to visit just after the rains; so you get to see the george of Abbey Falls.
I been there once nice place. Anybody pls suggest some good vegetarian restaurant other than homestay food.
Can someone recommend some good home stays please? There r so many homestays and everybody says thiers is best and I’m confused..
Somewhere I read, there are more than 600 homestays in coorg. May be someone who has really stayed in any homestay can please recommend a few.
To view pics of Coorg, click on the following link.
http://picasaweb.google.com/sudarshan.multimedia/ManchalliCoffeeEstateCoorg#