Chasing the Sun @ Coorg

It all started when the a random group chat on a well used, and recently in news, mobile messaging application turned into a full blown discussion about places to visit in Karnataka. Before we knew it we were making plans to travel to Coorg. Blessed with beautiful scenery and a stunning landscape, Coorg or Kodagu is dubbed as the Scotland of India and very rightly so. This quaint little town is mostly famous for its natural beauty, lush greenery, coffee plantations and friendly people. The planning as usual was anything but plain sailing. 

Finally the D-Day arrived. After a mini trip around Bangalore to pick up people, and again a few uncertainties, we were finally off. We stopped for quick tea break at Maddur. By the time morning broke, we are near Khushal Nagar.

Now there are plenty of places to visit in Coorg and it’s a nature lover’s paradise. Not wanting to miss out any we made a plan for the next 2 days. We decided to cover the places in and around Kushal Nagar the first day. The first stop was Dubbare, which is an Elephant camp. When we got to Dubbare we found that the Elephant Camp was closed that day due to a strike. Water rafting was another option. But after much deliberation we decided that we won’t be rafting that day as we hadn’t brought change of clothes.

Next on the itinerary was Nisargadhama, which is a picnic spot formed on the river Kaveri. The park does not look much from the outside, but is huge. The best part of the park is the river flowing through it. It is a serene place to sit, relax, put you feet in the water and not to forget Photography. Feeling adventurous, few of the group tried out the Zip-line( more commonly known as the Flying fox), consists of a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to, or attaching to, the freely moving pulley. It was exhilarating.

After lunch we proceeded towards the “Un-missable” Golden Temple. It is a Buddhist monastery, the largest Tibetan Settlement in Southern India and monastery locally called "Golden Temple". Somehow entering the monastery seemed like stepping into a totally different world. The slience was surreal and the peace had an over-whelming effect. After entering the monastery, the chatter of the group gave way to amazement and then to silence, as if each was lost in their own world of contemplation. The 40 Feet statues of Buddhist gurus left an everlasting image in the minds of everyone.

When we finally made it out of the monastery, we were getting late for our planned Sunset at Medikeri. Little did we know that we were getting into a game of “chase the Sun”. We got to Raja’s Seat in Medikeri, but the sun had already set, but had left us a beautiful and cool twilight. A toy train ride later, which brought out the “bachpan” in all of us, Coorg’s market turned out to be the next destination for us. After a small run through the market, we called it a day.

Since we couldn’t get to the vantage point for sunset, we decided to catch the sunrise. Next day, at sharp 6 AM, we trooped into Raja’s Seat and after a small trek were at the sunrise point. The sun at its prank-iest best and was hiding in the clouds robbing us the opportunity to witness a spell-binding sunrise. The Raja’s Seat is a garden and a picturesque view to the valley. Legend has it that the local Kings(Raja’s) used to watch the sun set and rise from here.

No trip to Coorg is complete without seeing Abbey Falls, which was our next destination. Abbey Falls, the main attraction of Madikeri, is a breathtaking waterfall where the Kaveri River cascades down a rock face from a height of 70 feet. A narrow paved path leads down from the main road to the water fall. A hanging rope bridge is built over the gorge so that visitors can take in the full view of the waterfall and the river.

Next on the agenda was Mandalapatti. The road gets narrower and narrower while going towards

Mandalapatti as if it wants to test the desire of the traveller to reach the peak of the plateau. The view point at the top is worth the drive and the trek upwards. The view takes the breath away and one would wish to sit at the edge of the plateau and take in the serene panoramic view of the Western Ghats and also let the cool air wash over the face.

Talkaveri was a place which was somehow managing to make a lot of in’s and out’s of our agenda. But after Mandalapatti we realised that we had enough and more time to cover Talkaveri too. Talkaveri is the source of the Kaveri river and is considered one of the holiest places in Karnataka. The temple complex is a sight to behold, beautiful at the same time simple. A pond in the centre which holds the water from Kaveri had lot of pilgrims taking the holy dip. The temple is dedicated to Lord Agastheeswara, who is considered to be the link between great Sage Agasthya and river Cauvery. At the right side of the temple is a flight of stairs. 450 steps later you are treated to a uninterrupted view. As you are taking the view, you are interrupted by the buzzing of the mobile. You open it to see a message which reads “Welcome to Kerala….” And you go W.OW. You are standing, almost, on the border of Karnataka and Kerala.

Our Coorg trip was finally reaching its final leg. We were sapped of all energy after an eventful day.

As we were passing through Medikeri, we took a small break. Suddenly it dawned upon us that we could finally catch the Sunset. A hurried rush to Raja’s Seat and, voila, there it was. A huge dot on the horizon, plastered against an orange-ish sky. We had finally managed to catch the Sun, in all its setting glory. Satisfied, we watched as the sun slowly made its way down the horizon again leaving us with a stunning twilight. A fitting end to our 2 day Coorg adventure.

We made our way to our carriage and within 4 hours are back to Bangalore. And I’m sure those who made it to the trip had a good night’s sleep.

Coorg is one of the best destinations for nature lover. Not saying much and as “A picture is worth a thousand words”, so be it.

Route: If you are traveling from Bangalore and take the deviation at Srirangapatna be careful as the road, called the Dam Road, is not that good. Alternate route will be to take the Ring Road in Mysore and look for directions to Hunsur.

Tip: The places to see in Coorg are spread at a distance from each other. So plan carefully.

Stay: There are few good cottages both at Medikeri and Kushal Nagar.

Checklist for next time: Irupu Falls. Try to get behind Abbey Falls. And bike ride to Mandalapatti after the rains.

Chai: There are a few good places near Medikeri bus stand and also at the junction from where you can go to Raja Seat.