I had already planned to go to coorg for diwali vacation with my family for five days. we took the netravati express from mumbai and reached kankanadi station(mangalore junction) we reached the next day at 7.20 a.m, from there we went by our booked indica car and the roads leading to madikeri (coorg) were in very bad condition, instead the road from mysore to coorg is very nice as told to us by our car driver, but we chose mangalore as there are more trains from mumbai to mangalore rather than mysore.We reached madikeri (coorg) in four hours. The car cost us Rs-2200/=.We stayed at a great home stay over there called ALPEN GLOW. The owners of this home stay are Ananth and Jayashree, who are kannadiga brahmins and are very humble and kind in character. We avoided the other home stays that we had researched on the net and chose this one due to it’s close proximity to madikeri town which is just about 1-k.m from this home stay, still this place was calm and peaceful and we didn’t regret our decision of picking alpen glow as the owners looked after our daily needs regarding food, sightseeing, car arrangement etc.As it was diwali time they invited us to light diyas, burst crackers and dined with us together as a family. They bonded with us like family and looked after all our small individual requirements. They charge approx 1300/-for a couple and provide a very neat room with a double bed, t.v, attached bath with geyser. On request they provide extra bed for children. They also serve good vegetarian south indian food at a reasonable price. The owner ananth"s cell no is 09844576429.Ananth is also a co-owner and joint editor of a popular newspaper in madikeri called "shakthi daily”. We visited the sight seeing places according to advice given by ananth and really we enjoyed the places. I quote here some of the sightseeing places in coorg which are definitely worth visiting.
Day one: - 1) Thalacauvery:-it"s a sacred place where the river cauvery actually originates from. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and has a temple inside. The adventurous can climb the 450 steps to reach brahmagiri hills, which is very scenic. 2) Bhagamandala:-It"s on the same route of thalacauvery.It is the meeting point of three rivers where people take a dip in the sacred water and there is a nice temple also. 3) Abbey falls:-It’s a very nice waterfall inside a private coffee estate. One has to descend some fifty to sixty steps inside the coffee estate and then the roar of water will greet you to a sight of the majestic abbey falls.It"s particularly huge in the rainy season and less in other seasons, but we enjoyed it very much as still there was enough water in the falls to enchant us.
Day two: - 1) Dubare elephant camp:-It’s a must visit place. you have to cross the small river by an electric boat and go on the opposite end to meet the intelligent elephants and can see them feeding, playing etc.There is an elephant safari, but only in the mornings from 10 a.m, where the elephants take you on their backs into the forest, which is quite enjoyable. You can also do river rafting in the river for thrills. 2) Nisargadhama:-It"s a natural bamboo forest garden. You have to cross a little bridge over the river to get inside. The surroundings are natural. I t has a deer park inside it. There are tree top machans for viewing from top of it. You can observe the river inside it, where adoring monkeys also welcome you. They are not at all nasty, but are playful. Sadly the authorities do not maintain this place well and that’s very sad for the visiting tourists to see it in a bad state. 3) Bylakuppe namdroling tibetan monastery:-It’s a fantastic place worth visiting.It"s the largest monastery of south India. Inside it there are various small temples with statues of buddha, but there is one main big temple which contains three very large statues including buddha which are 60 feet high from the base made out from copper and plated with gold which are very enchanting. The roof of the temple is a very large structure that will leave you awestruck. Just outside the monastery, there is a shopping avenue where there are very nice shops selling cultural items, gifts, antiques etc.Do bargain as they quote high rates first. 4) Raja’s seat:-It’s near madikeri town, it’s a small garden from where you can get an excellent view of the valleys beneath and the mountains around in a 180 degree view which is wonderful to see. In the evenings they play musical colourful water fountain which is quite nice and entertaining.
Day Three:-1) Nagarhole wild life sanctuary:-You can visit this place which is approx over 100 kms from madikeri.It has various species of wild animals. A
good place for those interested in wild life.2) Irrupu waterfalls: - It is the most enchanting waterfalls of coorg and it’s nice to see it fall from a height, continuosly flowing.
There are some other places like omkareshwar temple for the religious in the madikeri town.Harangi dam is closed for common public now due to the recent terror threats.Raja”s tomb (Gaddige) nearby madikeri town is a heritage sight which also due to the pathetic attitude of the authorities is in real bad shape and is sometimes closed for the public, which is a pity. The fort in madikeri town contains a museum which contains the weapons of the bygone era and depicts objects used in ancient culture during the reign of the kings. Most of the area of the fort now has offices of government personnel.
Really, coorg is a very nice place to relax and enjoy the bounty of nature for all.