Coorg - Cofee Plantations in Western Ghats, Karnataka

The British named it ‘Scotland of the east’ for its mesmerizing beauty. Coorg district, with its headquarters Madikeri is one of the most beautiful places that one could ever visit. A unique land, with beautiful people who speak a very different tongue, Madikeri and its surrounding areas are a tourist haven. The striking quality that would stand out would be the hospitality of offer. Coorgi’s are arguably the most loving and hospitable people that one can come across. And this certainly reflects in their lipsmacking cuisine.

A lovely walk in the coffee estates, a visit to the Buddhist monastery in Kushalnagar, a shower at Abbey falls, an elephant ride at Dubbare, a drive to Nagarhole and watching the sun set from Raja seat – well, a holiday couldn’t get better than this! Coorg, Kudagu or Kodagu as this region is called nestles in the western Ghats of south west Karnataka. It is about 1000 meters above the sea level and the verdant plantations and gently sloping grassy plains have earned it the sobriquet the Scotland of the East.

Coorg A land of chivalry and pride, a life of solitary splendour, rich food and spices is in short termed Coorg. Smell the coffee, taste the oranges, flavour with cardamom and savor the honey. Popularly termed as the Scotland of India, Madikeri, the district capital of Coorg is 1525m above sea level. Sparkling valleys, lush green mountain ranges, awesome weather...all beckon you to the land of warriors. The Dubare forest, situated in the south of Coorg is an Elephant haven. It was here that originally elephants were trained for Dasara celebrations held in Mysore every year in the month of October. Here you can simply spend hours just watching elephants. Nisargadhama is a popular family holiday spot. With ample cottages spread over forest area, it is an ideal place to spot deers.

The lush green forests, the looming mountain peaks, the acres of pruned coffee plantation, serpentine roads, rocky paths, well laid gardens and a plethora of flora and fauna greet any tourist venturing to the dizzy heights of Coorg. The hill station of Coorg offers relief to those grown tired with the mundane nature of city life. The fresh air in the hill sides is a welcome change from the concrete high rises and can rejuvenate you from within.

You will enjoy driving along its lanes, drinking in the scenic beauty and the vast expanse of greenery. Croog offers to any bird lover 300 different species of rare birds. With a pair of binoculars slung on your shoulders you can spend a day picnicking on the grassy mountain slopes. While vacationing in hill station of Coorg you can choose for a safari in the Nagarhole Game Sanctuary organized by the Forest Department. Herd of elephants, sprightly spotted deer, running wild boar, Running wild dogs, ferocious bisons, apprehensive peacocks, jumping monkeys are often spotted in the sanctuary. If you are lucky you can have an encounter with a tiger too. The best reserves of tigers in the country are said to be in Nagarhole Game Sanctuary.

Trekkers can scale the heights of the three major peaks in Coorg, Brahmagiri, Tadiandamol and Pushpagiri. Coorg Adventure Club organizes treks and other adventure sports like rock climbing, aero sports, nature camps and river rafting.

Visitors enjoy golfing in the three active golf courses of Croog hill station. 'Coorg Golf Links' in Bittangala, 'Mercara Downs' in Mercara, and another in Pollibetta.

Enjoying the Coorg monsoon is another attraction of the hill station. Tourists keen on enjoying the torrential rains of the hills venture to the coffee plantation to get thoroughly drenched and revel in the joy of the experience. Create your own adventure while on your trip to the enchanting evergreen hills of the Coorg.

Moodabidri, which is popularly known as Jain Kashi, is one of the major centers of Jainism in South India. This quiet sleepy little town is 37 km northeast of its district head quarter Mangalore. It is near the Arabian (western) coast of Karnataka state, in India.In these pages we have tried to present you a complete picture of Moodabidri. These pages will be frequently updated and we plan to add several new features and information in the days to come. Geography The park is adjoining Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary on the western side and is linked to Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary through a narrow stretch of Reserved Forests on the southern edge. The southern & western sides of the Park form the steep slope of the Western Ghat ridge line, with the altitude varying from 100m 1892m (peak). The northern, central and the eastern portions of the Park form a chain of rolling hills with a mosaic of natural grassland and shola forest. Kudremukh receives an average annual rainfall of 7000mm, which has evolved forest types of mainly evergreen or semievergreen climax forests in the region. Gangamoola In Samse taluk of Chikmagalore district, this hill is surrounded by thick forests. Three important rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi have their origin here. A Goddess Bhagavathi shrine and a Varaha image 1.8 m within a cave are the chief attractions. This cave is inaccessible during the monsoons.

Kotebetta is the third highest peak in Coorg after TadiyanDmol and Brahmagiri. It is about 30 kms from Madikeri on a diversion on the Madikeri Somwarpet State highway. About 20 kms from Madikeri, there is a big bridge across a river (at this place called Hattihole) where you need to take a diversion to the left and go by the stream for sometime till a small board indicates that the road to the right takes you to Kotebetta.

Galibeedu is about 10 kms from Madikeri and is further from the Club Mahindra (Coorg Valley). The trek begins after GaLibeedu where the asphalt on the road suddenly disappears near a school about 7 kms from there.

The treks The road leading up to Kotebetta gradually suffers the natural degradation into a jeep track and then down to a trek trail. The peak can be sighted from quite some distance away and the route can be mapped quite easily from this side. The trek to the top would be around 10 kms.

Beyond GaLibeedu to Madikeri is mostly a ridge walk that ends at the famous tower in Madikeri and would be around 15 km after the initial steep climb. We did a shorter version tho, and ended up at the post office at GaLibeedu.

Coorg has a number of beautiful villages that present a picture post card look. There are a number of picnic spots in Coorg that include the beautiful Abbey Falls. Most of the wonderful places are located near Madikeri, the district headquarter, which is located at an altitude of over 5,000 feet above sea level. Tadevendamol, the highest peak in the region is best for trekking. The peak offers beautiful view of the Arabian Sea in the distance. Nagarhole National Park is an ideal place for wildlife enthusiasts.

There are several tourist attractions in Coorg. The Abbey Falls is at a distance from Madikeri Town. It takes a drive along the ups and downs; turns and twists to reach majestic Abbey Falls. Water plunging down creates a hazy cloud and garrulous noise. Somwarpet is the sprawling coffee plantation with towering trees, which is a fabulous treat to the eyes. Heady smell of cardamom and pepper creates a wonderful feeling. Nagarhole National Park is just like many national parks in India, this one was also created out of the hunting reserve of the royals of Coorg. One can always take an elephant safari to watch tigers, panthers, rhinos and wild elephants, gaur, deer, wild dogs and langur. Madikeri is the biggest tourist attraction in Coorg. Fondly referred as the 'Scotland of the East', the land has unparalleled natural splendor. Apart from the misty hills, lush forests and rambling coffee plantations, Madikeri Fort (19th Century) is also worth a visit. Omkareshwara Temple was built in 19th century by King Lingarajendra, the temple sport a unique mix of Keralite, Gothic and Islamic architectural styles.

Kaveri Nisargadhama this is a pretty island formed at a fork of the Kaveri River. There are many interesting activities organised by the forest department such as elephant rides, boating, watchtowers in the trees, and a hanging bridge to reach the island.

Tibetan Monastery This is a large Buddhist settlement of Tibetan exiles. There is a big monastery here as well as interesting shops for Tibetan artefacts and feng shui objects.

The town is picturesquely situated on an elevated plateau on the Western Ghats. It is at a height of 3740 feet above mean sea level. The main edifice at Madikeri is the fortress built on a flat topped hill providing spacious enclosures for the palace and its subsidiary buildings. The palace is now converted into government offices including the Deputy Commissioner's office.

The town itself is a tourist attraction with its meandering roads, hillocks on one side and the valleys are on the other. The Omkareswara temple located in the heart of the town, was said to have been built by LingarajaII in 1820 apparently as a remedial measure for the sins he committed. The temple, unique in its style, was built in a mix of Islam and Gothic architecture, and appears like a mosque with four minarets in the four corners and a central dome. The presiding deity is Omkareswara (lord shiva). Halfa kilometer away from the temple, there is a place known as ‘Raja’s seat’ where the erstwhile Rajas of Coorg used to relax in the evenings with their families and enjoy the splendors of Subset beyond the Western Ghats. The place offers scenery of beautiful greenish valley, misty hills and meandering roads. An 8 Km drive from Madikeri, through forest and coffee plantations, took us to a beautiful location called, Abbey falls. The crystal clear waters splash down from a 70 ft. high rocky formation forms the water falls. There is no public transport to the place, but tourists have to arrange themselves for transportation by local autos and taxis. Tourists can hire vehicles or can walk from Madikeri to the water falls and back. One can enjoy the thrilling view of hillslopes, deep valleys dotted with scarcely populated villages in the plantations. There are a few trekking points around the town, viz., Tadiyandamol (1908mt. MSL), Pushpagiri (1870mts.), Nishani Motte (1270mts.) and Kotebette (1620mts.). There are some tour operators/trekking organizers in the town. Among all the trekking points, Tadiyandamol is the most adventurous and exciting though tedious. The other points are also very good. The trek through hills, valleys, paddy fields and various plantations crisscrossed by numerous mountain brooks and miniwater falls was awesome.

Coorg Beyond Believe

Coorg Valley; You would think that a travel agent dreamed of 'Coorg'. Just fantasize this 1,293 square miles of undulating topography carpeted in just about every shade of green possible, wreathed over by a gauzy stole of thin white mist. Bamboo, sandalwood, rosewood forests. Apiaries making heavenly honey. Murmuring streams and rivulets, children of the mighty Cauvery, herself born within this realm, wending her way swiftly at times, languorously at others, through her lands. Waterfalls, deep ravines, paddy fields, sloping glades, grassy downs, coffee bushes studded with red berries. Pepper, Cardamoms, oranges, nutmeg, turmeric, lemon grass...a land fecund beyond believe. Wild beastes and a martial race of men and women who compel a second and even third glance with their chiseled profiles, stately bearing the striking dress.

Hanumana Gundi Waterfalls

Water gush down a height of more than 100 feet onto natural rock formations at this waterfall. Situated 32 km from Kalasa, you can reach here trekking.

Lakya Dam Located near the Kudremukh project area, this is an interesting spot in the Kudremukh range.

Gangamoola In Samse Taluk of Chikmaglur district, the Gangamoola Hill is surrounded by thick forests. Three important rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi have their origin here. A shrine of Goddess Bhagavathi and a Varaha image measuring 1.8 m within a cave, are the chief attractions. This cave is inaccessible during the monsoons.

Jamalabad Fort Jamalabad is famous for its fort built by Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore in 1794. The fort was renamed after his mother Jamalbee. The village, which lies at the foot of a high rock, forms a part of the Kudremukh range of hills near Belthangadi.

Located 32 Km. from the Kalasa, the water fall has water falling onto Natural rock formations from a height of more than 100 feet. Getting into falls involves some trekking. The best time to visit this place is between October and May.

The Kodagu region is full of trekking trails. The best season to trek is from October to the beginning of February. Simply follow the mountain trails dotted with little shrines some beside waterfalls, and others on the banks of rivers. The other welltrodden trekking trails in Kodagu are in the Brahmagiri ranges of South Kodagu , where a forest trail leads from Iruppu Falls to the Brahmagiri peak. Another interesting trail leads to Pushpagiri (1712m,) Kodagu's second highest peak, which can be climbed via the village of Heggademane to the north of Madikeri.

Madikeri

Amidst cloudcapped hills and thick forests, coffee plantations and tea gardens is the evergreen hill station of Madikeri, in the Coorg district of Karnataka. This is a wonderful holiday destination, both for the tranquility inspired by the landscape and the unmistakable charm of the Kodava people.

The charming hill district of Coorg or Kodagu, lies in the Western Ghats and is surrounded by coffee plantations and orange orchards. The main town is Madikeri around which all the resorts are centred. Coorg has some lovely colonial bungalows and homestays, as well as many larger commercial hotels. Apart from visiting the tourist highlights, you can go for lovely walks in the plantations, trek in the forest, picnic by the side of jungle streams, go boating and fishing on the Cauvery River, and have a beautiful outdoors holiday.