Coorg – September 12, 2011
This is gonna be quite a long one. One, reason being this would be a wonderful read for my own self when I want to and secondly might be of little help for someone wanting to plan one.
Coorg – This trip was planned way before in May 2011. We had booked our timeshare at Club Mahindra and got a 7 day vacation free. Hence, we planned our trip to a place that we could drive down to.
Much excited we started our drive on 10th September from Chennai to Bangalore. Left home at 5:15 AM and after filling fuel started from Adyar at 5:45 AM. Reached Vellore at 7:35 AM and stopped for breakfast at Hotel Aryas (On the right side of the road). After breakfast resumed our drive to Bangalore at 8:15 and reached Bangalore at 11:30. The day was spent at a friend’s place.
Next day morning (September 11th – Day 1) started at 5:45 and started our drive to Coorg. Stopped for a tea at Bannarghetta road and resumed our journey at 6:00 AM. Stopped for breakfast at Kadhambam restaurant (After Chennapatna). We reached this place via Nice road at 7:00 AM. Finished breakfast and started our drive back at 7:45 AM.
Proceeded towards Mysore and took the bypass after Srirangapatna (The road that leads to Krishna raja sagar dam and Renganthittu Bird sanctuary). After travelling some distance on this less crowded road, you join the bypass road that leads to Mangalore which is the Mysore – Mangalore highway (SH88). From here we bypassed Hunsur, went through Piriyapatna, Bylakuppe, Kushalnagara, Sontikoppa and reached Madikeri at 11:30 AM. The road towards Madikeri seems to have been newly laid and was very smooth. The last lap was little bad with pot holes but was manageable as the distance was short. We reached our resort around 11:30 AM. After all our check in formalities at Club Mahindra Kodagu Valley, we freshened and stepped out to eat lunch. Had lunch at one of the restaurants at Hotel Coorg International. Food was very tasty and after a sumptuous lunch went back to the resort for a good nap. The day was spent indoors watching TV.
Day 2 - The second day started after a good night’s sleep. We left the hotel at 9:15 AM and went in search of a nice place to have breakfast at Madikeri and landed at a nice vegetarian canteen. The place was very neat and small and served very homely breakfast. Was worth the try and we decided we would do our breakfast there till our stay at Coorg. The name of this place is Krishna Canteen (Near Hotel Fort View). Post breakfast proceeded towards Thala Cauvery (The birth place of Cauvery). It was a wonderful drive through paddy fields and valleys. The road condition was fine most of the times except at few places. Reached the temple and there was a view point from there and had to climb appx 300 steps and it was a blind view point where there was no walls constructed. The weather has been amazing ever since we reached Coorg and it has been very cold all through the day with slight drizzle once in a while. We also covered a place called Bagamandala which was 8 Kms before Thala Cauvery. This place had a temple and a stream that was called the Triveni Sangam as 3 rivers confluence here. After spending some time there, we had lunch at a small mess which again was simple but good food and left back to our resort. Rest of the day was spent again indoors.
Day 3 – As usual started around 8:30 in the morning for breakfast and post that visited the Abbey Falls. The drive was pleasant with the roads being narrower and with sharp curves. After parking our car, we started to walk down the pathway to reach the falls. It was about 500 meters down and the path was easy to walk with broader steps. It wasn’t very steep. The roar of the falls could be heard much before reaching the spot. The moment we reached the falls the view was absolutely breathtaking. Since this was just after the monsoons the falls was at its best flow. The roaring sound of the water and the water hitting our face was just awesome. There was a hanging bridge that was right across the water giving direct view of the falls and the river below. Standing on that bridge itself was a wonderful experience as you would tend to get drenched because of the water from the falls hitting directly. After spending some time there enjoying the water we started our walk back. The walk up was not very tiresome as the steps were much broader and easier to walk. After some refreshments started from there and visited the Omkareshwara temple, Madikeri fort and went for lunch at a place that served very homely meals. After a good lunch came back to the resort and spent some time in the evening walking around the resort and enjoying the places inside
Day 4 – As usual the day started with breakfast and we headed straight to Dubare Elephant camp. This is a place where they train elephants for different purposes. To go to the elephant camp you need to take a boat to the other side of the river and there are boats for this purpose at very minimal cost of Rs 20 both ways. Unfortunately since it was prior to Dussherah, we were told that all elephants were taken away to Mysore only that morning. There was one elephant and we went on a short ride and after that came back to the other side of the river. Since it was post monsoon the river Cauvery was at its full flow and the sight was just amazing. There were some people who were pestering us to take to rafting and I was not very comfortable doing a rafting. I definitely am scared of the feel that I might fall in to the water knowing its an adventure sport. However, the other 2 were convinced that they wanted to raft and compelled me to join them as well stating that I would be missing something id I don’t go along with them. After much persuasion from them I decided to join them. I have always been for boating everywhere however the thought of rafting especially when there are rapids scared the shit out of me. We were 3 in a boat along with a guide and it was a 7km raft with 3 rapids. We were all set for the ride and the guide thought us some basic commands and some basic instructions that we had to follow. It all sounded good and he mentioned he would teach us some safety commands after we start our ride. It was very smooth and the water was almost still at most of the places and the feel was absolutely good with the Dubare forest on one side, the sound of birds, the sound of water, the sound of air.... Beautiful feeling it was. So now was the time for us to hear more commands from him. The worst was coming from him to add to my fear. He was telling about the rapids and told us that in case we happen to fall in to the water we need to just lie flat and that the water would push us a little further and he can come and pick us up. Lying flat because he mentioned there are rocks everywhere and chances that we might get hit in our legs if we just try to float as is. So that was enough to add to my fear. Now I was eagerly waiting for the 1st rapid and was asking him many questions and he was patient enough to answer them. He said it was a simple rapid and it would be fun. So just before we were approaching we were asked to row fast and there we were at the 1st one and I still remember how the boat hit on a huge rock and rotated in the swirl before landing at a safe place and by then we were inside out of water. This one was enough to get that fear factor out of me. It became fun then on and I was eagerly waiting for the next one not knowing how good or bad that was gonna be. Before the 1st and 2nd there was quite some distance and we were just enjoying nature as we were rowing. The 2nd was supposed to be a simple one with a small drop and that’s it, it was supposed to be. We were supposed to be rowing real fast to cross the rapid without getting stuck in the rocks. SO we were all geared up once again, and just as I thought we were in and out of water and crossed the 2nd one, I realised that our boat got stuck in a huge bush right in front of the rapid. It was nightmarish for me as the water was absolutely forceful and the boat was sitting in a bush and was not moving an inch and because of the force of water the guide also couldn’t push the boat. It was scary but at the same time fun too. The guide now had to slowly get down in the water and he found some place to rest his feet for support and tried hard to push the boat away from the bush. It was getting a little difficult because of the force of water. However with the help of other 2 guys in the boat, we somehow managed to get out of that rapid and it was good fun. So once again it was all calm and the guide warned us that the 3rd which is the last one is very forceful and there are all chances of falling inside and he warned us to hold the rope real tight and not let go in case we fall. So my nightmare never ended. Though I was enjoying everything, I wanted to get out of that place without falling anywhere. The 3rd one approached we rowed fast and there was a drop once again and as he had rightly mentioned it was very forceful and our boat literally sank inside the water before coming up and the boat was filled with water. This was an experience of a lifetime for me. Now he made a round in the same area and parked the boat right in front of the rapid and I was again scared that he was gonna ask me to get out of the boat to drain the water off as that’s what he was mentioning to us. He asked me to handover everything to him including my specs and asked me to lean in front of the boat holding the rope tight. He said he was gonna make the final one very adventurous. He took control of the waves and the way he went towards the rapid made the boat vertical and it went inside the water literally and came back to normal. It was ecstasy. Since I was inside the boat kneeling I went completely inside water and he repeated the same for about 5 times before I screamed to him to stop that. The water was forcefully hitting on the face and it was real fun. I think that was the most unforgettable part of the trip and I still don’t think that I would ever have the courage to go for something like that all over again. This experience can only be felt and I have tried hard to express it in words.
So that was fun filling and we headed straight to a restaurant as we were very hungry. Had good food and visited this place called Nisargadhama. Good place and was very calm, full of bamboo trees. After that we called it a day and returned to our resort.
Day 5 – We were all prepared to leave Coorg after a fun filling and memorable holiday. It was drizzling ever since morning and we had one more place to cover before we headed to Bangalore. It was Bylakuppe – The Tibetan settlement. So we stopped at that place around 10 AM and the place gave a feel as if we were in some other country. The whole place was nice and it was supposedly the prayer time at the Monastery. It was good and after spending a while there and after a bit of shopping, we headed straight to Bangalore nonstop.
So there came the end of an awesome, fun filling, memorable vacation and drive.
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