Made our first marriage anniversary (September 06, 2019) special & memorable by taking a trip to Mysore & Coorg...
Not having the habit of planning an itinerary for a trip, I just noted down the places to visit and highlighted it on a map!!! I feel that if an itinerary is planned on the day itself, it leaves room for improvisation and also any last-minute change is easy to be incorporated in it...
One of the travel mantras is 'travel light' and I try to follow this every time, be it a leisure trip or a business trip, but always end up carrying excess clothes & snacks!!!
Day 1:
Early morning flight from Mumbai made us land Bangalore by 8 am... Mysore is at a distance of approximately 190 Km from the airport and can be reached by Ola/Uber/local taxi/private bus but we opted for the state-run Flybus as it has a stop just outside the airport... Moreover its quite reasonable over other sources as it costs INR 800.00 per seat... Also, the bus has a comfortable seating arrangement, providing enough leg space, which is essential for long-distance travel...
Upon reaching the Mysore bus stop, we had a quick bite at a restaurant - Ganesh Hotel that is located just opposite the bus stop... Though the restaurant was not so furnished and also worn out, the food served was a treat to our taste buds... South Indian thali consisting of rasam, sambhar, rice, apalam, etc was truly authentic and delicious... And so was the open dosa and filter coffee... The meal for two just cost us INR 150.00, which was simply unbelievable!!!
Post satiating our hunger, we headed straight to our hotel - 'Roopa Elite'... Immediately after opting for a quick tour of the hotel, we retired onto the bed to rest for a few hours before heading out in the evening...
We prefer using Makemytrip to book air tickets, hotels, local transport, etc during our every trip as it's not only convenient but also offers a great deal for their regular members... And if there arises any problem or any support is needed in their bookings, their customer care people are easily accessible over chat or email and they ensure to provide an immediate solution or support...
'Chamundeshwari Temple' was our first place to visit in Mysore... It's a beautiful temple located on the top of Chamundi Hills… Chamundeshwari is the goddess Durga, the epitome of Shakti and the temple is one of the Shakti Peethas… It was evening time, the fog had densely spread around and within a few minutes, everything had turned hazy... Even the temple seemed invisible amidst the fog... Being a Mumbaikar, it was a heavenly feeling to experience such cold weather... And binging on hot served mirchi-bhajiya on the roadside was the icing on the cake!!! What else could you ask for a perfect evening… Went back to the hotel from the temple... Had light dinner and called it a day...
Day 2:
The next morning after having breakfast, we went to 'Mysore Palace'... It is a historical monument and once was the residence of the royal family of Mysore… Had heard a lot about the magnificent palace, which seems to be the second most visited historic place after the Taj Mahal and so was too excited to visit it finally... And truly, it’s an amazingly built palace... Each and everything in the palace has been built with minute details and finesse... Was spellbound with its architecture... We spent too much time in the palace as wanted to have a closer look at every door, each hall, frames, etc. of the palace...
From Mysore Palace, we went to 'Mysore zoo – Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens'... The zoo is home to various animals and birds such as Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Baboon, Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Deer, Crocodiles, Snakes, various species of Birds, etc… Zoo also houses a butterfly park where one may spot beautiful, colourful butterflies… Karanji lake forms an integral part of the zoo… Sitting on a bench near the lake, looking at the crane drinking water from the bank of the lake, and experiencing the serenity & calmness of the water was the best part of the evening… And to our luck, our eyes got a visual treat of a peacock swaying across the lake…
The next stop was 'St. Philomena's Church'… I have this fascination for churches... I simply love to spend time in a church as it fills me with peace & calm... When we arrived at the Church, it was the time for a mass prayer due to which it wasn't possible for us to explore the church and experience its calmness... However, I was more than happy just being there... Had garam-garam samosas with chai at a nearby food stall and headed towards our hotel...
Since it was our last day in Mysore, we just explored the city on foot visiting local shops and cafes... Did not feel like leaving the place and thought to extend our stay but unfortunately couldn't...
Day 3:
Post checking out from the hotel the other day, on our way to Coorg we dropped at Guru Sweets to carry back home the authentic sweet dish of Mysore - Mysore Pak... Guru sweets is the oldest shop to make and sell Mysore Pak and it is said that they serve the best Mysore Pak in Mysore...
Coorg is at a distance of 120 km from Mysore... Various modes of transport are available but we opted to book a private cab from Makemytrip for a relaxing ride which was really worthwhile... By the time we reached our hotel in Coorg - 'The Coorg International', it was 6-7 pm but felt like night as since its a hilly area, darkness had spread over too soon… We had a light dinner at the restaurant in our hotel and called it a day...
Day 4:
Unfortunately the next morning, cold weather made me fall sick due to which we couldn't plan anything until the afternoon... In the late afternoon, we headed out to explore Abbey falls followed by Raja's Tomb and Raja’s seat…
'Abbey Falls' is located amidst lush green forest... A hike of a few steps would make one reach Abbey Falls but in the rainy season, these steps turn slippery... But it is only during the rainy season that Abbey falls offer an attractive view... Something about the amazing waterfalls is the sound, which the water makes while gushing from the top and the droplets of the water splashing on the face… What a feeling!!!
And yes, I couldn't complete writing about the Abbey Falls without the mention of the small food stall located just at the entrance which serves yummy Maggi over a cup of hot tea...
'Raja's Tomb' is the monument, which has the mortal remains of the royals of Kodavas… The tomb has not been well maintained but it is surrounded by a well-maintained garden which offers a place to relax and unwind... At least for us, it was a must-visit and I really loved spending our time there...
'Raja's Seat' is the garden having beautiful flowers and an artificial fountain… One of the beautiful places in Coorg … what’s the best about the place is that it offers a great picturesque view of the entire city and a breathtaking view both of sunset as well as sunrise… In the evening time, the garden turns super cold and all misty offering time to sit back, relax and feel the weather… Simply blissful!!!
We reached the hotel at the night… Celebrated our anniversary over scrumptious Chicken Chettinad with rice, and wine served at the restaurant in the hotel... It’s beautiful to celebrate special days with someone special and no one around... Just the two of us!!! Simply romantic :)...
Day 5:
The plan for the last day in Coorg was to visit Elephant Dubare Camp, Deer Park, and Tibetan Temple… Was very excited to visit 'Elephant Dubare Camp' as along with safari, one can have a chance to feed and bathe the Elephants… But since it had rained heavily the previous night, the camp was closed as one needs to cross the Cauvery river to reach there and I was a lot disappointed as it was the place which we were really looking forward to... However, we instead spent some time in a nearby 'Deer Park' and spotted some deer... Namdroling Monastery Golden Temple being the next stop lifted my spirits…
'Namdroling Monastery Golden Temple': The monastery has a Tibetan temple, Study center, shopping places, food-corners surrounded by a garden… The temple is home to thousands of monks and students... The place is serene, calm, and beautiful wherein one can experience their inner-self... The main attraction of Tibetan temple is the huge structure of Tibetan deities... Temple offers an exciting sight wherein hundreds of monks and their students perform their rituals and offer prayers loudly, which makes it a majestic sight... It’s a must-visit place!!!
On our way back to the hotel, we halted at a restaurant - Prince Hotel to only embark into flavor-some Coorg Chicken Thali, which is highly recommended for non-vegetarian travellers...
In the evening, we went to Raja’s seat to visualise the famous fountain show amidst the chilling weather...
Coorg has the most appealing weather, which becomes the best during monsoon season... And no wonder it is known as the Scotland of India as its truly a heaven!!!
Day 6:
Next day post breakfast, we headed to Bangalore airport and then back to Amchi Mumbai!!
Drafting about the trip took me back to all those memories created during the entire trip and made me nostalgic!!! Memories capture a moment spent and that's what makes it worthwhile when looked back...
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