One such place, which has gained widespread popularity, is the South Indian region of Coorg. Rightly known as the ‘Scotland of India’, this region has everything that a nature lover, an adventurer, a spiritual soul, couple, vacationer or even an explorer would ask for!Over the years, tourism destinations that offer rejuvenation and invigorate mind, body and spirit are gaining in popularity and are being preferred over the others. That is why even in India, people are now enjoying the breathtaking landscapes and stunning sceneries over regular metropolitan destinations.
Located in the Western Ghats of South Western Karnataka, Coorg is an administrative district that covers an area of 4102 sq km and has its headquarters located in Madikeri. This place is famous for its superior quality coffee and brave warriors
Also known as Kodagu, Coorg has a famous history spanning around the stories of great warriors. The indigenous people of Coorg were known as the Kodavas, who were also the earliest agriculturists of this region.
Coorg, in current times is considered to be one of the famous hill stations of the country and some of its major attractions are Talakaveri, Nisargadhama, Iruppu Falls, Lakshmana Tirtha River, Abbey Falls, Dubare, Nagarhole, Bagamandala, Mallalli Falls, Buddhist Golden Temple, and other such places.
Tourism in this region plays a pivotal role in boosting its economy. The tourism in this region is mostly centred on the idea of eco-tourism and consists of adventure activities like walking and trekking tours, wildlife safaris, and plantation buildings converted to 5 Star resorts.
1. Trekking at Tadiyanamol
Rising above 1750 metres above sea level Tadiyanamol is the highest peak of Coorg. The trek to Tadiyanamol trek is quite an adventurous one and covers a distance of around 12 km. This trek owing to its popularity forms an important part of the Coorg tour packages.
Moreover since the trail of this trek is of medium difficulty it is good for both amateur and experienced hikers. To get the best of the views during this trek it is advisable that the hikers start trekking early in the morning, as it even makes the climb pleasant in the morning weather.
The whole trek passes through lush green track of the forest and it reaches up till Brahmagiri peak but only on clear days. Before taking the trek one needs to make a list of items essential for this trek, which is gearing up well to face the leeches and the chilly weather. One should be prepared with all kinds of camping necessities as there are non-designated camping sites in the whole trek.
Although this makes the camping scenario a bit difficult but camping on the summit gives an amazing view of the star filled night sky to the hikers. Apart from this it is also necessary for each and every trekker to carry plenty of food and water, as there are practically no options for either cooking or getting food around here.
2. Camping in Coorg
Coorg, with its pristine and untouched beauty, has always captivated its visitors. Its stunning peaks, picturesque plantations and scenic outlook make it a hub for the nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts.
Camping in Coorg allows spending splendid times and witnessing the surreal beauty of the coffee-land. During any of the camping expedition, one can easily feel the aura, charm and appeal of Coorg.
Set on the banks of the Kithu Kakathu River in Coorg, Barapole is a well-known water rafting destination in region, which consists of more than nine Class 2?Class 4 rapids. The Kithu Kakathu River flows from Brahmagiri Hills to the Arabian Sea and has a turbulent course.
Before participating in Barapole river rafting spree, organisers prepare tourists thoroughly with safety instructions and guides one would require for rafting in this place. Any person older than 12 years of age can participate in this rafting trip. The entire rapid run takes around 2 hours to complete and the course of the river become even more turbulent with Class 4 rapids in the stretch where the river passes through Poonya coffee estate.
Since the river is surrounded by dense forests, travellers are advised to be prepared for an encounter with leeches, snakes or spiders. All those who are planning to visit this place for long, are advised to book their accommodation at some popular hotels around on the way, since Barapole offers basic though comfortable accommodation with provision for basic food. So in case one wishes to stay at Barapole only, it is advisable that the person should carry some packaged food and fresh water along with him/her.
4. Plantation Walk
Plantation walk forms one of the most important part of the Coorg Tour Packages owing to the fact that this region is known for its finest quality coffee production, which alone contributes to 60% of India’s coffee yield. Due to this all the plantation trails are located in and around the coffee growing estates of Coorg.
Apart from this, pepper, cardamom and vanilla are also grown here as intercrops and their aroma enriches the atmosphere of Coorg and is a must for tourists coming here to experience. This region also consists of abundant teak, rosewood and sandalwood forests, which provides tourists with a relaxing atmosphere to walk through.
Although tourists can find huge private bungalows as well as general hotel accommodation in this trail but the best way to enjoy any of these plantation walks is by booking your holiday with a resort that is located either in one of the estates or close to it, the reason being that these resorts provides their guests with guided plantation tours, which makes the tour even more interesting.
5. Quad Biking
The best place for quad biking in Coorg is Chelavara, which is known for its thrilling outdoor adventure activities. The best season to visit this place is between the months of October and May, as the weather here is pleasant and joyous during this time.
Amongst all the adventure activities offered in the Coorg region, quad biking is the most loved of them all. The circuit for quad biking is 1 km long and is covered using 250 cc fully automatic quad bikes. These fancy machines are pretty easy to ride and are not at all risky.
Anyone who is 18 and above and has a valid driving license can take part in the activity and enjoy its thrill. Quad biking is one of the best ways to test your riding skills safely. Before entering the circuits, riders are guided through safety measures and guidelines and are provided with a set of helmet and visors. Once you are on the circuit, all you need to do is enjoy the one-and-a half hour’s ride.
6. Bird Watching
Coorg is considered to be the bird watchers’ paradise in Southern India due to the reason that this place is home to more than 307 species of birds, which is almost 25% of the 1250 species of birds found in the India.
The reason this place is a haven for birds is the fact that Coorg is situated in the Western Ghats, which falls in the path of the South -West monsoon due to which it receives a heavy annual rainfall ranging from 4000 mm to 8000 mm in the Western Ghats itself.
Although in the past 2-3 decades a lot of deforestation has taken place, yet the forest department along with coordination of the locals has been able to protect the wildlife biosphere in this region. Talking about the various Coorg Packages, a bird watching tour is a must-do activity in your itinerary to make your visit to Coorg even more interesting and enticing.
The most commonly found birds in this region are Darter, Storks, Pintail, Rosy Starling, Golden Oriole, Wagtails, Warblers, Grey Junglefowl, Nilgiri Woodpigeon, Forest Eagle-Owl, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Grey-headed Bulbul, Broad-tailed Grass Warbler, along with Indian White-backed Vulture and Nilgiri Laughing Thrush whose sightings are quite rare, as they have become critically endangered.
7. Kayaking
For all those who wish to spend a small vacation amidst the beauty and calmness of Mother Nature along with their friends and family members, Coorg is the best place to be in. This place is filled with scenic beauty and lush greenery all around.
Apart from its natural beauty, Coorg is well known among tourists for hosting an array of adventure sports in order to provide entertainment and fun to adventure lovers. The most common adventure activity that people like to participate is kayaking due to the fact that it lets participants enjoy the beauty of the surroundings along with feeling the thrill of rowing a boat.
While you are kayaking in Coorg, you get to observe the calmness of this place and the various sounds of nature forming a symphony here. All you need to do is enjoy your 2-3 km long kayaking session in the calm stream of the Kaveri River and get to enjoy the mesmerizing aura of Coorg while passing through lush green forests, coffee plantation estates and rocky cliffs. In a true sense kayaking in this region gives you an opportunity to meet with your inner self along with enjoying the thrill of boating.
8. Omkareshwara Temple
'Image Credits : RiteshConstructed by Linga Rajendra II in 1820, the Omkareshwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is built in a Hindu-Mohammedan style of architecture, which consists of a central dome and four turrets in the corners.
According to religious belief of the locals here, this temple was constructed by the king in order to appease the spirit of a saint Brahmin whom he had killed himself in order to fulfil his political ambition. It said that the Brahmin became a Brahmarakshasa, who kept on bothering the king until he brought a Shiva Linga from Kashi and installed it in the temple. Since then, this temple has become a prominent place of Hindu worship that is visited by thousands of pilgrims each year.
As mentioned above, the construction of the temple and its architecture reflects the native Hindu-Mohammedan style found in the various ancient constructions of this region. The windows of the temple are made of Panchaloha bars with the alphabet ‘lim’ placed between two consecutive bars. At the entrance door of this temple is fixed a copper plate with the temple’s history inscribed on it along with a Linga installed near it. It also features a fish tank that consists of several species of beautiful fresh water fish.
9. Abbi Falls
'Image Credits : psykleAwarded as one of the top 25 waterfalls in India, the Abbi Falls or the Abbey Falls is a beautiful waterfall located in the mountains of the Western Ghats. This place is around 8 km from Madikeri and is nestled between beautiful private coffee plantations and spice estates.
It features several small streams of water combining together to form this beautiful waterfall, which plunges down into a calm pool with enormous speed and later connects with the Kaveri River. The water flow is quite high during the monsoons and it eventually diminishes during the summers.
So the best time to visit this place is during early winters as the water flow remains charged due to plenty of water brought to it by the monsoon. This place is accessible to tourists through a narrow road that passes through coffee and cardamom plantation estates. There is a hanging bridge on the opposite side of the fall that gives a nice view of the Abbey Falls and that of the Kali Mata Mandir along with the coffee and black pepper trees.
10. Golden Temple
'Image Credits : RahulRThe Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara or Golden Temple of Coorg is one of the top places to visit while you are in Coorg. This temple is located in the Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery, which is considered to be the largest teaching destination of Nyingmapa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the whole world.
More than 5000 Lamas consisting of both monks and nuns reside in this monastery along with a religious college and hospital. The original name of this monastery is Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling and it was founded in 1963 by Kyabje Penor Rinpoche post his exit from Tibet in 1959. In its initial days, the monastery was just a bamboo temple covering an area of not more than 80 sq ft.
Although the Golden Temple is open to tourist visits round the year, the best time to visit this place is during the Tibetan New Year, which takes place somewhere around February and March, as the dates are never static. During this time, the monastery is beautifully decorated and it hosts traditional music and dances by the Lamas along with a solemn procession in the monastery itself that lasts for 2 weeks.
11. Trekking at Pushpagiri
'Image Credits : VishalPushpagiri is the second highest peak in the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary and is located around 36 km from Somwarpet and 1.5 km from the Kumaralli village surrounded by the forests. Trekking to Pushpagiri starts from the base Bhagati and proceeds to other regions.
This route is considered to be one of the toughest routes of Southern India to trek on. Owing to its adventurous trail and challenging landscape to hike on, hundreds of tourists come here each year to take this trek.
Image Credits : karthick sivaThis trek exposes tourists to the pristine natural beauty of Coorg in the finest of ways possible. This is a great track to cover especially for nature lovers, photography fanatics and adventure seekers, as this trail has something or the other for each of them. The trail of this trek mostly passes through wet forest severely infested by leeches.
So whosoever plans to take this trek it is advised to take precautions to avoid leeches. The total trek covers a distance of around 10 km, which roughly takes around 3 hours to cover one way. There is also an alternative to this route i.e. instead of Bhagati, people can cross Subramanya situated in the Dakshina Kannada district of Pushpagiri.
12. Trekking at Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
Brahmagiri is basically a hill situated at a height of 1608 metre above sea level and located in the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. The Brahmagiri trek in this region is one of the well-known treks of the Karnataka region which takes its visitors through a pleasant track consisting of lush greenery and awesome views. This trek takes one inside the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to large herds of Asiatic Elephants and consists of dense forest, endless grasslands, water streams, and Iruppu waterfalls.
Having all these scenic beauties in sight, the hikers’ interest never gets waned. The best part about this trek is that its trail is quite easy to cover and it consists of a guest house, which provides shelter to the hikers in case of rain or just for relaxing.
Since the trek passes through a lot of forest areas, permission from the Forest Department Office at Srimangala is required for either conducting or participating in the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary trek. After seeking permission, a nominal entry fee is charged per person, and a guide is appointed by the forest department in order to assist you in this trek.
13. White-Water Rafting at Dubare
Dubare is a famous woodland area that is quite popular for its elephant training camps positioned on the banks of the Kaveri River. These elephant training camps are now run by the forest department of Coorg. Here one can enjoy the aura of nature and learn a lot about elephant ecology and their training activities.
Apart from that, the place also provides trekking and rafting activities to the tourists. Dubare river rafting is one of the adventurous parts of Coorg Packages, as Kaveri in this region has extensive water flow but not much of rapids, thereby making river rafting quite easy. The rafters have to choose between 8.5 km and 12 km run, with the longer run being widely dependent on the level of water present at that particular time.
While rafting moves through forests and scenic surroundings, tranquillity wraps all around and one can easily feel invigorated and enthralled. Due to the scenic beauty and the exquisiteness of this place, white-water rafting at Dubare is quite popular amongst tourists.
14. Angling at Valnoor
River Kaveri is the principle river of Coorg, which originated from here. Kaveri and Coorg together form a terrific combination in terms of offering a memorable touring experience to all its visitors. In simple terms, this place has something or the other to interest each of its guests.
Especially for those who are interested in fishing, Valnoor is the ideal place to be in the Coorg region. Valnoor being one of the most beautiful sites for fishing in Karnataka draws the attention of a number of angling enthusiasts from all over the country to visit the place.
Located in the backwaters of the River Kaveri, Valnoor fishing camp is a picturesque place with spellbinding calmness. This place is known for hosting various species of fish, including Mahseers, Marals and Mapps. Although Mahseers and Marals are found in abundance here, yet they are quite tough to catch and are considered as prized catches.
There are a lot of fishing camps located in this place that conduct fishing tours with Valnoor being the base point. The fishing camps here provide each of the anglers with a regular fishing license and it is advisable that only those who are serious about fishing should visit this place along with their own fishing equipment.
15. Boating in Honnamana Kere Lake
Honnamana Kere Lake is considered to be the biggest lake in Coorg, which has both historical and spiritual significance. This lake is situated 6 km away from Somwarpet town and is named after Goddess Honnamma.
A temple of the Goddess is built adjacent to the lake and as according to the local belief it is said that Goddess Honnamma had sacrificed her life of the welfare of the people and the story of Hara has been derived from this.
This place is surrounded by beautiful mountains and lush greenery of the coffee plantation along with some ancient caves believed to have been built by the Pandavas. The lake is a prime destination for boating and fishing for the tourists who visit this place.
Every year during the Gown Pooja Festival, newlywed couples visit this place and give offering to the Goddess. The place is usually very calm with the atmosphere filled with the chirping of the diverse species of birds, so while you are boating in the lake you can feel the strong aura of this place along with enjoying the scenic beauty on view. Owing to the spiritual significance and scenic beauty, boating in Honnamana Kere Lake is considered to be on the most famous activities in the whole of Coorg Packages.
16. Microlight Flying
Coorg is one of the prominent places in Southern India where outdoor adventure activities are very famous. Tourists from all over the country visit this place in order to experience the thrill of participating in these adventure sports.
Amongst the array of adventure activities offered by the region, the microlight flying is the fanciest of them all and is gaining a lot of popularity amongst tourists. Microlight flying in Coorg offers tourists the moment of a lifetime along with being able to get an eagle’s eye view of Coorg, which is simply mesmerizing.
The aircraft used for microlight flying has the capacity to fly in air for 4 hours at a stretch along with being able to cover a distance of 350 km running at a maximum speed of 100 km/hr. This aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment including a GPS system, which enhances flight safety along with its proper routing.
The aircraft also consists of a power hand glider, which has the capacity to fit in two people including the pilot, and can bear body weight up to 250 kg. Although the flying experience per person lasts for just 15 minutes yet the experience gained from it is everlasting.
17. Waterfall Rappelling
Rappelling or abseiling is one of those outdoor adventure activities that every adventure lover would want to embark on! So for all those who have this activity on your wish list, Coorg is the ideal destination for fulfilling it.
Rappelling is actually the act of climbing down a cliff with the help of ropes. The best place in Coorg to undertake Rappelling is Chelavara where this whole experience gets even more intensified and exciting due to the fact that here rappelling is done thorough waterfalls, which adds an extra element of adventure to the whole sport.
Although the activity is quite tough to complete but there are no safety issues related to it. Before one takes participation in this task, he/she is fully trained and guided by professionally trained experts.
In general the climbers have to descend from an average height of around 150 feet from the cliff by stepping on footholds and rocks cracks. The total duration for covering this task is approximately 2 hours. This adventure sport provides an exhilarating experience on its completion and fills the heart and the mind of the participants with a pulsating thrill.
18. Raja’s Seat
In earlier times Raja’s Seat was the official sunset point for the kings of Kodagu, which currently serves as one of the most visited destinations of the Madikeri region. Situated amidst the lush greenery of the hills with enchanting views, the Raja’s Seat is a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of nature at its fullest. The breathtaking view of the mist covered hills along with the mild rays of the setting sun is sure to mesmerize the visitors.
It is believed that in ancient times a lot of Kodagu kings spent their evenings enjoying this beautiful view in the lap of Mother Nature. This spot has been developed into a beautiful garden in recent times to add even more charm to the positive aura of this place.
If one is in Coorg, he/she can visit this place for a refreshing morning walk or a quiet evening stroll to enjoy the atmosphere of Raja’s Seat. It is opened to tourists during the weekdays only, and a minimum entry fee of Rs 5 per head is charged for the duration of one hour. This place even has a toy train ride, which is quite an attraction for children as well as adults.
19. Dubare Elephant Camp
'Image Credits : ashish vDubare is a forest camp located on the banks of the river Kaveri, where elephants taking part in the Mysore Dussehra Festival are trained. This forest camp, along with its surrounding forests were once a part of the princely state of Mysore and the camp has been sending elephants for the festival during the time of the Maharajas.
All these elephants are trained under expert mahouts and the eco-tourism in this place acquaints tourists with varied cultures and traditions of this region. Visitors coming to this place get an opportunity to learn about elephant ecology and conservation activities from naturalists. Along with the learning lessons the tourists can go down the river and can give elephants a scrub bath or can watch them getting oil massages.
Apart from this, the region also serves as a unique trekking destination and an amazing abode for naturalists and bird watchers since the surrounding forests are home to many species of birds and animals. Along with this, one can enjoy a boat ride in the river watching crocodiles soak up some sun near the river. Overall the Dubare Elephant Camp is a prominent part of Coorg Tour Packages.
20. Wildlife Safari in Nagarahole
'Image Credits : Ashwin KumarFor nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts and photography fanatics, Nagarhole National Park is one of the best places to explore in India. Known for having high density of Asiatic Elephants, this national park consists of thick and swampy forests along with diverse varieties of flora and fauna. This place can also be called a bird watchers paradise due to the fact that there are more than 250 species of birds found in this region.
In case of animals some of the species that are commonly found here are Indian bison, striped hyena, Indian pangolin, Indian porcupine, red giant flying squirrel and the Royal Bengal Tiger. This forest is open to public round the year except for rainy season starting from 15th July to 15th October. So it is advisable to plan your trip according to these dates in case you don’t wish to miss out on this amazing national park.
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