Coorg - where time stands still !

It was a long deserved holiday after my son was born and hence was really looking forward to it.It was Saturday morning where we left our home at 7:00 am on 24Th May.I had packed my son's whole world .That is the benefit when you are travelling by your own vehicle. Believe me you will have great fun - driving down to Madikeri.

Coorg is around 250 kms form bangalore. The route is Bangalore – Ramanagaram – Channapatna – Maddur – Mandya – Srirangapatnam - Hunsur – Piriyapatna - Kushalnagar – Suntikoppa – Madikeri. We took the Mysore Road and because of late start ,got stuck little bit in the traffic Jam. Took a quick break in the CCD outlet near Ramanagram.

The road till Srirangapatna is very good as it is a state highway. You need to take the deviation to the Ranganthittu bird santuary (Hunsur bypass). The road is a two lane , but it is in quite good state and is scenic. Then you will hit the Mysore - Hunsur Road which goes till Kushalnagar. The drive on this stretch is very pleasant with very little traffic.

There are direction boards in most places, but it is always better to confirm with the local people. We reached Kushalnagar by 2:00 pm . It was really surprising to see so many Tibetan faces all of a sudden. That just reminds you our country is so diverse and has so many colour and hues.

One of the decent place to stay in Kushalnagar is Hotel Kannika. The hotel has a restaurant attached to it which serves quite delectable food. You need to book your rooms in advance. Even if you are not lucky to get an accommodation there are two more decent hotels in the vicinity of this hotel.

After checking in the Hotel , we headed to the Namrdoling Monastery in Bylakuppe.Bylakuppe is the largest Tibetan refugee settlements in India.The Namdroling Monastery is the largest teaching center of Nyingmapa , a lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the world.There are total four temples , but the golden temple is the main one. The temples are adorned with intricate carvings and paintings depicting the life and teachings of Buddha.

The place just exudes a surreal calmness and you can feel that tranquility beseeching you.The main golden temple houses larger-than-life gold statues of the Buddha Sakyamuni, Guru Padmasambhava, and the Buddha of long life, Amitayus.

The monastery houses several prayer halls , a college and hostel where about 1500 monks are provided free living and education. The surrounding is lush and with manicured lawns and beautiful garden adding a touch of peace and serenity.

We bought souvenirs from the shopping complex adjacent to the monastery and then proceeded to Hotel. We were tired and after having a sumptuous dinner in Kannika itself went for sleep.

Next day after having a quick breakfast in Hotel Athithi , we proceeded to Nisargdhama. Nisargdhama is basically a island which you can cross through the hanging bridge.

The place is resplendent with bamboos all around and there are many relaxing corners where you can just unwind.

This also houses dear and rabbits enclosure. Just clicked few snaps of my son . He was really enjoying the place.

There are playareas which small children really enjoy. My son riding an elephant with a little help from his grandmother.

Dubare was next in our list. The place is around 20 kms from Kushalnagar. It is the best place if you need a taste of adventure in the lap of nature. The place houses elephant training camp which you reach by crossing Cauvery . Boats are available and they ferry you for a small charge of Rs20 . It was fun watching the elephants taking bath and getting a scrub from their masters.
Manjeera and daughter Mandhara was really having a jolly bath in the river.

We checked this new place Dubare Inn(Phone : 08276 - 267855) situated in the river bank and really liked it. We were so fascinated by the place that we decided to come next day.
We then proceeded to Madikeri. The road from Kushalnagar to Madikeri is uphill and verdant with coffee and eucalyptus trees doting all around the place. The fresh air from the forest infused with the scent of coffee rejuvenated our mind and soul. The 35 km drive from kushalnagar to Madikeri is quite intoxicating. The road though two lane is in good condition.

We took the first stop in Omkareshwara temple. The temple architecture resembles more like a mosque. After then we visited the Abbey falls. The fall is located inside a coffee estate. It was niece to pass through the estate to see the fall . The fall is not so great . But definitely niece to visit once.

It was already late , so we decided to come back to Kushalnagar. That day we had dinner in Kannika itself. We ordered some chicken stuff and it was quite tasty.Next day checked out and went to Dubare Inn.

The place is beautiful as picture postcard. Dubare Inn has few 5 cottages which are charming and on the top of that you can park your car just in front of your cottage :-) .

Though you don't have the facilities of the modern world like television , Internet etc. But then who cares when you can just hear the the gurgling of river from your bed and when you have sparrows to wake you up in the morning .

We had decided to spend the whole day there , in the lap of nature . I and my husband , Amit are just water babies and just enjoy water sports. We thought of giving a try to rafting . For beginners ,they have a track of 4 kms ( up and down).

Our rafting coach took us to a point where the river gets deep up to 20-30 feet, but the water is placid and no undercurrents. It was exhilarating to swim in the pristine water with our life jackets on :-) We took a stopover to meet a baby elephant and which was just 1 month old. That was first time in my life when I was meeting such a young elephant.By the time we came our muscles were aching . But the spirit was still high , so just played in the river water.

In the night we had a candle night dinner by the cottage , with the river and the birds playing the perfect host . The menu though limited , food was just delicious.

Next day it was time to bid adieu . We bought some coffee , cinnamon and pepper in Kushalnagar.The return journey was smooth. The highlight of the trip was definitely Dubare which we enjoyed immensely.

Some facts :
1) Madikeri and Kushalnagar has quite some niece places to stay which are not advertised in internet etc. So , even if you don't get any reservation still you can directly go there and find out.
2) The best time to visit Coorg is the onset of Monsoon. The place is really lush during that time of the year.
3) If you are travelling with small kids , do not forget to keep some warm clothes and caps as it can become very cold in the night.