Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 3/21 by Sasank Raavi — Kaveri river across the elephant camp

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 4/21 by Sasank Raavi — Bylakuppe Golden Temple - Buddhist Monastery

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 5/21 by Sasank Raavi — The Golden Budddha - Sanctum Sanctorum

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 6/21 by Sasank Raavi — Gautama Buddha and Amitayus

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 7/21 by Sasank Raavi — Cauvery Nisargadama

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 8/21 by Sasank Raavi — Rabbits @ Cauvery Nisargadama

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 9/21 by Sasank Raavi — Abbey Falls

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 10/21 by Sasank Raavi — The crossover-bridge at Abbey

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 11/21 by Sasank Raavi — A nice view of Abbey form the bridge

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 12/21 by Sasank Raavi — Mandlapatti Hills

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 13/21 by Sasank Raavi — ATV Rides

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 14/21 by Sasank Raavi — Padmasambhava , Gautama ,Amitayus

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 15/21 by Sasank Raavi — The Trek Uphill

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 16/21 by Sasank Raavi — From the jeep

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 17/21 by Sasank Raavi — Madikeri Museum

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 18/21 by Sasank Raavi — GGovt. Office near museum

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 19/21 by Sasank Raavi — Madikeri Fort

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 20/21 by Sasank Raavi — Raja's Seat

Photo of Rounding off the Land of Coffee- Madikeri 21/21 by Sasank Raavi — Landscape view from Rajas seat

Coorg or Madikeri undisputedly gives you the refreshing feel of a nice and fresh , fully blended morning coffee. It can be called the land of coffee owing to its densely surrounded private coffee estates, entwined green bushes and never ending chain of green hills.

It is the perfect getaway from the concrete jungles, traffic and chemically treated lawns. Madikeri is hilly and calm, the serenity of the place is addictive providing the right atmosphere to rewind and indulge in nature. Its also the perfect honeymoon spot for the newly married and there is not exaggeration in calling it the Scotland of India.Reside at Coorg for at-least 3-5 days to experience the culture, food and local shopping.

Opting a home stay in a coffee estate is way better than staying at a hotel. Rice rotis and fish curry are the famous local dishes which will tickle your taste buds. A wine enthusiast may pamper himself with the variety of fruit and spice wines that are available at every nook and corner.

There is no better place than Madikeri to relax and escape the tiring 9-5 cycle of life. The abode of nature is too good to be true. I relished every bit of it and urge you to do the same.

Abbey Falls

Abbey was our first site to visit . It is 10 KM from Madikeri bus stop and one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of Karnataka. It is located between several coffee plantations amidst thick cover of green. As you walk for half a mile from the road towards the waterfall you will notice the chirping of different birds and the sound of of gushing water. The place in itself has a different aroma which is quite pleasing and soothing. A perfect getaway spot to relax and indulge in mother nature as you keep staring at the waterfalls with every minute passing by unnoticed.

Raja Seat Mantapa

It is said that Rajas Seat is where the king of Madikeri used to relax at evenings . Located very near to the Madikeri fort in the middle of the town , it is built on the edge of a hill with a beautiful garden and artificial fountains. The view from Raja's seat is a pleasant spectacle of several layers of greenery and an unending chain of hills . Every evening one can witness the sun-kissed mountains with flamboyant colors of the blue sky as dusk begins.

Dubare Elephant Camp

The third site on our list , 30 KM from the town , Dubarey does not fail to surprise the human kind owing to its magnificent elephant camp and river Cauvery that flows across the dense forests. The camp is separated from the main land by a small river tributary which can be crossed by a boat to witness the amazing scene of mighty elephants bathing in the river , splashing water around and entertaining the tourists who stand at a distance with their mouths agape. We took an elephant ride and couple of selfies holding on to the elephant tusks with the mahout sitting on the elephant top. One can see the rearing of elephants and if you can convince the mahout , you can feed the elephant too !

Nisargadhama

Cauvery Nisargadhama is a thick mangrove forest on the back waters of river Cauveri. It is stunning to see mangrove tress fully grown in water as you walk on the wooden bridge that is built across the forest. The trees completely shade sunlight and provide home to birds and monkeys which are quite an entertainment to watch. One can see the black fishes of a certain kind fluttering in the water. There is a ultra-mini zoo with caged white , black and brown rabbits feeding on leaves and straws. Cauvery Nisargadhama is a place to visit if you've never seen mangroves. The ride to cauvery is pleasant and unforgettable with a boulevard of trees shading the highway and pleasant cool breeze that is perennial.

Golden Temple

Home to Tibetan Culture in Karnataka, The Golden Temple is a Buddhist monastery with Golden statues of Gautama Buddha, Padmasambhava and Amitāyus. The monastery is utterly calm and peaceful , a sudden change of environment we experienced after a long ride. Trees bearing yellow flowers fully blossomed, neatly maintained garden and monks sleeping under the shade of trees are the first of things one can witness as you enter the premises. The gold-coated Buddhist statues in the monastery are imposing and unique, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Tibetans. Tourists can also shop for handicrafts, carpets and incense sticks, all sold by the monks. Remember there is no chance to negotiate as the monks do not talk at all ! You either buy or let go.

Mandalpatti

Mandlapatti is 30 KM from the town , en-route to which you can engage in adventure activities like ATV rides which are truly adrenaline pumping as you manage to ride across mud and gravel roads for 4 KM. Mandlapatti is a famous trek spot and the beginning of a hilly forest range which is known as Pushpagiri Wildlife Sancturay, home many wild animals. The ride to mandlapatti is not easy and requires riding over ghats for close to an hour.As you reach the spot which is at very high altitude there is no way further because of the dangerous thin road full of muddy gravel with a deep valley on either side. We hired a jeep that took us further uphill for 13 KM where the trekking spot was. On trekking uphill one can see a magnanimous view of a seamless chain of hilly mountains completely entwined with green trees. The wind blows harsh and the only way forward at this place is to go back home before the sun sets.