Situated in the Eastern side of the Western Ghats.. Coorg is all about the romance between the clouds and the hills. Lush green coffee plantations, tropical rain forests, hills kissing the clouds, warm people and a cuisine to die for…….Coorg is called the Scotland Of India, but in my opinion it can put Scotland to shame.
Here are a few ‘Must Do’ things when in Coorg:
1) Live in a Homestay in the midst of a coffee plantation: Coorgis are extremely warm and hospitable, and one needs to live with them to understand their culture which is very distinct, nothing like you would see anywhere else in India.
Most Recommended Homestays: http://www.homestaykodagu.com/home_stay.html this link gives you a list of homestays in Coorg.
My personal favorite happens to be Silver Brooke Estate : http://silverbrookestate.com and for those of you who still insist upon living in a luxury property then Orange County Resort is unarguably the best http://www.orangecounty.in/coorg-resorts/
P.S: Coorgis are also EXTREMELY good looking, so all you single ladies and gentlemen hope you are getting the cue 😉
2) Do try the famous Coorgi pork and their Thali: No one makes pork like the Coorgis and if you are a vegetarian, trust me it will make you wish you were not. Just the aroma is enough to get you drooling. Missing it would be akin to sinning 🙂 and if you just can’t think of non veg, then the veg thali is your substitute which is quite nice too. But the pork is OH MY GOD yummmmm:)
Veg Thali : The assortment has you spoilt for choices
3) Visit Bylakuppe : It is the second largest Tibetan settlement in India. Spread around 15 to 20 acres of land, there is another world that exists within the walls of this premise. The monastery is HUGE, if you go there around 4 pm you can catch the evening prayer, most of which you might not understand but the chants, the vibrations and the aura all of it make the experience surreal.
Monks praying during the evening prayer, the vibrations of the chants will touch your soul…
4) Go trekking! : Coorg offers different kinds of trekking trails from easy, moderate to extremely challenging. Depending upon your appetite for adventure and exhaustion, pick up one of the categories. But do move you lazy butts to trek here as the terrain is best explored on foot.
Few of the trekking trails run along the river Cauvery….
5) Go Off Roading : Because there are coffee plantations here and coffee plantations aren’t as dainty as tea plantations, you can actually rev up your 4 WD and go for a spin down the muddy tracks.
Off Roading Tip # 1: Try it only if you are reaally good at driving, else you and your car may literally go ‘off the road’ …….
But a visit to Coorg should be in everyone’s travel check list. The place offers nature at her best.
And in the end as I always say, don’t just see Coorg as a tourist…..Experience it like a traveler 🙂
Bon Voyage !!
Ghummakar (The Traveler) 