My Trip To Coorg from Bangalore
- Moumita C.
- May 24, 2020
- 6 min read
Kodagu or Coorg, situated in Karnataka, famous for its lush green landscapes, has been rightfully called ‘The Scotland of India’. Located on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, it is one of the most beautiful districts(not exactly a hill station) in Karnataka that you can visit on a budget. I personally have travelled to this place 4 times in the 4 years that I have stayed in Bangalore, so that speaks volumes about how I feel about this place. Cheers to greenery, beautiful weather and even more beautiful memories! :)
Distance from Bangalore to Coorg:
The average distance from Bangalore to Coorg is about 270 kms. Check out the map here if you need to.
Transport Options:
I personally prefer travelling by sleeper buses because that way the entire group can have a good night’s rest and land there charged up, but you can take your own/rented car too. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses are available fair number of times everyday. Online websites give options for several private bus services too. A one side fare for the trip would cost around INR 350-700 per person depending on the month you are travelling in. KSRTC travelers boarding from Satellite bus stop near Kengeri can avail tickets for less.
There are no direct trains or flights from Bangalore to Coorg.
Time taken to reach from Bangalore to Coorg:
By car: Around 5 hrs, but will depend on your speed mostly.
By bus: Around 6 hrs, reaches early morning (4am if you board around 10pm).
Madikeri:
Madikeri is the place where I have always put up, while in Coorg. So let me give a short description about this place. The KSRTC main bus stand is situated here in Madikeri, which is the capital of Kodagu.You can find plenty of hotels, shops, ATMs,eateries around this place.
Lodging and accommodation:
You can find plenty of homestays and hotels in Madikeri. The tariff of hotels in Coorg is pretty reasonable.I have stayed thrice in a homestay named ‘Janani Homestay’(you can find it on OYO) and once in another homestay named ‘OYO Home 41558 Spacious Stay Ashraya Madikeri’.Both places had a hallway,furnished kitchen,TV with cable channels, ,bathrooms apart from the bedroom.Both had 1BHK and 2BHK options. Price was around 1000 INR per night for 1BHK option.
Places to visit:
1.Abbey Falls:
We kick started our trip with Abbey Falls (Abbi Falls) which is at a distance of about 7kms from Madikeri.It is a picturesque waterfall surrounded by coffee and spice plantations.
2.Madikeri Fort:
As you enter the fort (also called Mercara Fort), you can see two life-sized elephants made of mortar. There is an inner fort inside which there was a Virabhadra temple which was removed by the British in the year of 1855 so as to build an Anglican Church in its place. It now serves as the office of the Deputy Commissioner and has been converted into a museum. It is closed on Mondays and stays open from 10 am to 5:30 pm on other days. There is no entry fee as there is not much to see here.
3.You can also visit Raja’s seat which is very near to the fort while you are here.It is a beautiful sunrise/sunset point and has a beautiful well maintained garden too.
4.Bhagamandala:
Bhagamandala is located at about 33 km from Madikeri district headquarters. The famous Shiva temple ‘Sri Bhagandeshwara’ is situated here.The journey to this temple from Madikeri is very calm and visually appealing. Buses are easily available too.There is generally very less crowd here and we could easily offer our prayers before heading out.
A strict dress code prevails here.Everyone is required to wear traditional clothing while visiting the temple.Shorts/half/cropped pants are not allowed .If someone arrives in shorts, he is required to wrap a lungi(white piece of cloth) provided by them,else the guards wont let you in.
‘Triveni sangam’(Confluence of 3 rivers) is also near by and one can take a bath here while enjoying nature. Ritual includes taking a bath in Triveni before visiting Talacauvery situated at a distance of around 8 kms from Bhagamandala.
Bhagandeshwara Temple and its dress code.
5.Talacauvery:
Talacauvery is the birth place of river Kaveri/Cauvery.There is a beautiful temple situated here on the Brahmagiri Hills and is an important place of Hindu pilgrimage.The temple was constructed for Lord Agastheeswara.
6.Mandalpatti:
This is one of the biggest tourist attractions of Coorg.The lush green Mandalpatti mountains are part of the vast Pushpagiri reserve forest in the Western Ghats.You have to hire a jeep(easily available at the KSRTC main bus stand at Madikeri) the night before and start the journey by 5 am in the morning.The bumpy jeep ride will take you to the hill top through coffee plantations and beautiful rural areas from where you can get a panoramic view of the mountains.The mist is heavy in this area and you tend to get drenched,so it is important to carry warm clothes and caps.Avoid bringing aged people on this jeep ride because it gets too bumpy at times.
Fun at Mandalpatti!
7.Omkareshwara Temple:
This is an ancient Shiva Temple and derives its speciality from its style of construction which reflects a mix Islamic and Gothic styles.
Timings: 6:30 AM to 12:00 Noon; 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM(no entry fee)
History behind the temple:
Lingarajendra II, the ruler of Coorg in the early 1800 had killed a Brahmin who had opposed his wrong-doings.Legend has it that the spirit of the dead man continued to haunt him and the king had to turn to more learned Brahmins to seek a solution.On their advise, the king got a special lingam from Kashi(Varanasi) and instated it at the Brahmin’s death spot.It is said that the spirit stopped troubling the king from then on!
8.Iruppu Falls:
Situated at an 80 Km distance from Madikeri,Iruppu falls is one of the best waterfalls where you can take bath at Coorg.River Lakshmana Tirtha plunges down from a high altitude to form Iruppu Falls.It is surrounded by greenery.Make sure to wear shoes with a good grip,else you may tend to slip off.
Now to cover areas near KushalNagar(There are two big towns in Coorg where you can avail lodging facilities,namely Kushalnagar and Madikeri. Kushalnagar is smaller in area and provides lesser facilities/services than Madikeri):
9.Namdroling Monastery:
This breathtakingly beautiful Tibetan monastery,also known as ‘The Golden Temple’ due to its mesmerizing looks, is situated at an 8km distance from KushalNagar,in Bylakuppe.The monastery holds beautiful huge golden statues of Buddha in the prayer hall and unique Tibetan paintings all throughout the walls of the monastery,both inside and outside.It is home to around 5000 monks and nuns.You can see little monks wrapped in their customary maroon cover ups running around the monastery.If you are fortunate enough,you can hear them chant their hymns together in the prayer hall while loud bells clang,creating a hypnotic atmosphere where you can spend hours without complaining.The monastery gates close sharp at 4pm,so make sure you arrive before that.
10.Nisargadhama:
At the Nisargadhama Forest Park,you can do a lot of fun activities like elephant rides,boat ride,a zip line.A deer park is also present.There are a few shops to eat and drink from.There is a children’s play area too.You can find a shopping complex here that sells local wine,home made chocolates,clothes,shoes,accessories,decorative items,gift items etc.If you have kids,they will have a gala time here,else you can give this a skip if you are running out of time.
11.River Rafting at Dubare/Dubare Elephant Camp:
The reason behind me travelling to Coorg again and again(4 times till now) has to be the river rafting experience at Dubare. The Kaveri river rapids take the thrill up a notch during the monsoons. Make sure to reach there by 11am as that is the time when queues are small and hence the waiting time is less.They generally close by 4pm so make sure you are on time.The rates for rafting depend on the time of year.I have rafted at as cheap as 250 INR but prices can go up to 800 INR if demand is high during peak season.They generally fill each boat with 8 people and provide life jackets,paddles and an instructor. The most thrilling part comes at the end of the one way rafting session,where the boat is stopped and people are asked to jump into the extreme cold water where you can feel all the cells in your body come alive!(You may choose to stay back if you want).If you like adventure,you will keep returning for this experience,I guarantee you.
Fun in the water at Dubare.
Note:
1.Carry an extra pair of clothes are you will be sogging wet once you come out of the water.
2.Carry cash to pay for tickets because only cash is the accepted mode of payment, and the nearest ATM is at Kushalnagar,so you have to travel back if you don’t have cash(Takes about 25 mins to travel from Dubare Camp to Kushalnagar,so add 50 mins to your arrival time)
Elephant Camp at Dubare has now been restricted and tourists can only feed the elephants if they want.All other fun activities including elephants have been discontinued.
12.Nagarhole National Park:
This national park is famous for its flora and fauna. Wildlife spotting and the safari rides at Nagarhole National park is a must for nature lovers.Dont miss it!
Best time to visit:
The best time to visit Coorg is from September to February.
Trip duration:
3 nights 2 days (including travel)
Expenditure:
About 6500 per person for 3 nights 2 days (including travel,food and stay.)
So these are all the places that I have visited during my trip to Coorg,and have enjoyed thoroughly each time.I have kept going back to this place because of its simplistic charm,beautiful pockets of lush greenery,natural beauty and awesome weather. Would you consider visiting Kodagu?Let me know in the comments below! :)
Image references:
Aerial view of Coorg:
Iruppu Falls:
Omkareshwara temple:
Gomukh ghat
Temple:
Nisargadhama:
Bridge:
Deer park:
Elephant:
Raja Seat:
Nagarhole:
Tiger:
Deer:
Elephant:
Car:
All other images are my own.
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