We visited Coorg few months back and the experience had been average, however the weather is a plus. The place is mostly known as Madikeri locally.
Where? Coorg is a tiny town in Karnataka state situated some 150kms away from Mangalore.
Route: Goa- karwar - Ankola - Gokarn - Kumta - Honnavar - Bhatkal - Udipi - Mangalore - Madikeri(Coorg)
Panaji - Karwar - 107Km, Karwar - Mangalore - 269km, Mangalore - Coorg - 151 km, Total: 527km
Town: The place is small but nice. Full of greenery and pleasant weather.Lot of coffee plantation all around and the drive through tiny interior roads is a pleasure.
What to See: I would say, go here for relaxation, weather and a away-from-city stay. However, you can always do some bit of site-seeing like:
Golden Temple: This is a must-do. Beautiful and quiet place with three large and imposing Golden Buddha statues. Just about 30 km away from Madikeri, its a Buddhist Monastery built in 1963, which the locals call as Golden Temple.
Abbey Falls: To reach here one has to make his or her way through some dense woods, dotted with coffee bushes, trees and creepers, and suddenly find a cascading gush of water. A good picnic spot.
Omkareshwara Temple-Just a stone’s throw away from the Madikeri Fort.
Raja Seat: This is right in the town. Go here in the evening. Enjoy the sun-set here. There is a nice garden and a small toy train which will take you around for a nominal fees. This place gets crowded in the evenings, especially during weekends.
Dubare Forest: Around an hour and a half from Medikeri. A ferry there takes you across to an elephant camp where one can see various elephants and even take a joy ride.
Stay? There are plenty of home-stays here and these are recommended. May be a bungalow at the plantation is perhaps the best place to retire.
Some other places one can visit are: Harangi Dam / madikeri fort / madikeri palace
Overall, a good 2 day vacation place mostly recommended for relaxation.