Our Coorg Trip

As is usual for a vacation, we started looking out for pleasant hill station to spend time and decided to travel to Coorg. It is ~240 Km from Bangalore and ~120 km from Mysore.We went to Bangalore and from there we got a bus directly to Coorg - Medikari. At the beginning we thought Coorg was a small area but when we booked the ticket and enquired about the places around we came to know that it’s a region of scattered villages with a few townships standing out. Madikeri is a little hill station, also known as Mercara, this little hill township is considered as the capital of the Coorg region. At the time of traveling we came to know that Madikeri/Mercara is places to visit in COORG. Mercara - the commercial town of coorg is the best place to stay and go around. Madikeri is cool, beautiful place with wonderful views and old buildings such as a historic fort. It is a mountainous district, presenting throughout a series of wooded hills and deep valleys; the lowest elevations are 3000 ft. above sea-level. We reached on Weekend and had tough time to get the room. Mercara is a small town where there hotels are very less and with lots of go around we got comfortable room to stay in Hotel Hilltown. It is very difficult to get rooms during weekends. Its better to book it in advance. We had booked a cab for site seeing. Around Madikeri roll the coffee estates. We came to know that Karnataka leads in coffee production and Coorg accounts for almost half of the total coffee production in the state. Most of the places are with cardamom fields covered with white and purple blossoms, and the people called the Coorgis and they speak Kodagu language.The places to visit in city Medikari are the historic Madikeri Fort, the Omkareshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu, beautiful Golf ground and beautiful view points such as Raja's Seat. Around Madikeri, there are many recreational and pilgrimages such as Abbey falls and Talcauvery. If you have come away to enjoy the natural beauty in Coorg, come to Raja's Seat, a favourite spot of the kings from where one can see the sweep of the mist-covered blue hills and valleys with green fields. The kings used to sit here every evening enjoying the sunset and beauty of Coorg. Today, the area around Raja's Seat has been developed into a public garden.The Omkareshwara Temple, dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu, is almost 200 years old and is a surprising blend of Islamic and Gothic styles. The picturesque Abbey Falls, which is 8 km from Madikeri, is a good place for picnics. However, no regular transport is available to this place and private arrangements need to be made for a trip to the falls. A short distance walk to Abby falls with ups and downs of hard steps and covered with trees around. It would take at least a week to explore the entire Coorg area. However, there are other places nearby too which should not be missed on a trip to Coorg. Iruppu Falls, 91 km from Madikeri, is a well-known pilgrim centre, associated with Rama, hero of the Ramayana. Talcauvery is the place where the River Cauvery originates. Nagarhole National Park is one of the better-managed Indian wildlife sanctuaries. The Horticulture Research Centre is located in this district. Harangi, situated 36 km from Madikeri, is a popular picnic spot famous for its tree houses. The exports of Coorg are mainly rice, coffee and cardamoms. The best time to visit Coorg is from November to April. The temperature variations experienced at Coorg are not vast. The climate remains pleasant throughout the year. The temperature however between 25 and 16 degrees in summers and winters. Coorg being a hill station attracts a lot of tourists. Rainy season starts from June to the end of September, the rivers flow with violence and great rapidity. In July and August the rainfall is excessive, and the month of November is often showery. The hottest season is in April and May. The trip was a highly satisfying and rejuvenating experience for everybody.