The scenery is simply mesmerizing. The winding roads take you through a maze of greenery, at every labyrinthine corner you meet a collage of colors which explode into shades of blues, purple, greens, browns and yellows. The roads seem to have no destination, they just lead you from one part of paradise to another. As you inch inside the green carpet you’ll pass plantations of coffee, cardamom and pepper which merges with forests, foliage and fauna.
It is an ode to nature and no wonder it has been attributed the sobriquet, Scotland of the East. There is a beeline of tourists who visit Coorg and the proof of it are the various boards of homestays which interrupt the seamless flow of greenery. The colonial bungalows, the sprawling estates, the charm of a plantation lifestyle has lured many tourists to Coorg who live in homestays and resorts that offer you a glimpse of the charming town and its cultural landscape.
We travelled from central India to south India. Our stay in the north was in this charming resort “The Coorg Jungle Resort”. The resort is located at the splendid beauty of Harangi Back water surrounded by dense forest and coffee plantations, Coorg Jungle Camp is an excellent place merged within the greenery at Herur near Kushalnagar of Coorg district. The resort had a vibrant and fun-filled dance floor. The X factor was the live music and of course the water facing view, it was like icing on the cake.
Day #1: Abbey Falls and Raja’s Seat
We decided to visit the nearby places, as it was already past noon. The very first place we went was Abbey Falls. Abby Falls which is also know as Abbey Falls is beautiful waterfalls in Madikeri town. This waterfall is located between private plantations of coffee & pepper. There is a hanging bridge constructed just opposite the falls but during our visit visitors were not allowed to go. You cannot go underneath the falls due to the barricades and one needs to enjoy the beauty from a distance.
The last to go place was Raja’s seat, we reached just in time to ensure a nice secluded spot to enjoy the sunset. As the sun was setting, temperature dropped, and we could feel the chill in the air. It was a very soothing experience, the view the breeze the sunset was just pacific. The place had a great view of the massive mountains and the beautiful valley.
Day #2: Dubare Elephant Camp - a hidden gem
An hour's drive from the Coorg town, Dubare is a deciduous forest located right adjacent to the Kaveri river. It is an important base for the Karnataka Forest Department's elephants.This place would offer you a chance to get to know these giant, enchanting creatures better. To reach the camp, you need to cross the river. The elephant camp lets the tourists enjoy the sight of elephants bathing, eating and doing other activities nearby. The tour would be like camping with the big giant elephants in their natural habitat. You can see the huge Asian elephants playing in the water and then showering with water using their trunks. We were lucky we got to scrub the elephants and bathe them, as well as feed them with the mahouts.
Day #3: Namdroling monastery (Bylakuppe)
In the midst of all the coffee, pepper and forest is a Tibetan settlement in the form of Bylakuppe. The main prayer hall in the monastery has a series of such paintings on its walls rendering a very colorful feel to the prayer hall.The peaceful ambience, the view the prayer chants it was altogether a different world. We soaked in the tranquil environment quickly. The enormous gold-coated idols of Buddha left us speechless. No time in there is enough to appreciate the architecture of the place. There were many small handicraft shops around selling shawls, artefacts and costumes on the way out.
There are some holidays that make a lasting impression and leave you wanting more, for us Coorg was one of them. Dense wooded forests, lush green valleys and undulated challenging mountain ranges make it an exquisite location for the tourist seeking natural scenic spots and challenging treks.
By Karishma Dudhbade (our esteemed customer)
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