Coorg: Coffee And Trekking
Coffee Estates, Lush Forests, Trekking And Homestays
Surrounded by the Western Ghats, Coorg is one of the greenest and most beautiful areas in India. The Brits even called it the "Scotland of India".
Coffee plants hide in the shadows of silver oaks, and bright red poinsettias grow as tall as a man. When the British called the South Indian region of Coorg “the Scotland of India” they may have exaggerated slightly, but driving through miles and miles of green coffee estates or trekking in the Western Ghats, it is easy to see why they loved this area.
Coorg, or Kodagu as it is known locally, is a major coffee producer, and it also grows cardamon, pepper and other spices. The hills of Coorg are filled with trekking paths and with comfortable homestays, perfect for getting away from it all.
Trekking
Trekking in Coorg means walking through lush forests, stopping for lunch at a riverbank and swimming under waterfalls. The Brahmagiri mountain range is a popular trekking area, and the trek from Irpu Falls to the Brahmagiri Hill (at 1608 m) is famous. The 60-m high Irpu Falls look at their most astonishing just after the rainy season in November/December. Brahmagiri is the origin of the Cauvery river that runs through Karnataka, and the river's source in Talacauvery is a major pilgrimage centre.
Many homestays can also help to choose a local trekking route. The best trekking season is said to be from November to February.
Those who would prefer not to do all the walking themselves can always opt for an elephant back safari in the Nagarhole National Park (Rajiv Gandhi National Park). The thick tropical forest is home to tigers and wild elephants, but langur monkeys, wild boar and deer are more common sights.
Madikeri
Coorg’s capital Madikeri, at 1525 m above sea level, is where you are most likely to arrive if traveling by bus. Coorg does not have good train connections, and the only way to get around is by bus, by car or by motorbike.
When sightseeing in Madikeri, stop at the Raja’s Seat where the Kodagu kings, or Rajas, used to watch the sunset. The Madikeri Fort was originally a mud fort, but was rebuilt in stone by Tipu Sultan, who ruled the region in the 18th century. About 8 km from Madikeri, the Abbi Falls are inside a privately owned coffee estate and are a popular picnic spot.
Madikeri has some accommodation options, but to really get away from it all, it is best to choose a homestay outside the city.
Homestays
Falling asleep at night in a homestay, surrounded by coffee estates and dense forests, the only sound you’ll hear comes from the birds, and maybe the occasional elephant. Most homestays in Coorg offer home-cooked Kodagu food that is spiced up with coconut, ginger, chilli, pepper and cardamon, many of them grown in Coorg’s own spice plantations. This food is much nicer than anything you ever ate on the road in South India.
Weather
Bring some warm clothes, because temperature really drops at night. If you don’t like getting wet, it is not a good idea to visit between June and September, when the South-West monsoon can mean heavy rain that lasts for hours, if not days. The North-East monsoon follows in October. When the rainy season ends, Coorg is at its greenest. November to February is a good time for trekking in Coorg, and when the South Indian heat gets too much from March to May, the Kodagu hills are the perfect place to escape to.
