This Place Should Be on Every Coffee Lover's Travel Bucketlist

With a happy tummy and smiling faces, we decided to continue with our journey. The good thing about a roadtrip to Chikmagalur is that (a) the roads are in excellent good condition plus (b) you get to visit several famous places/spots like Belur, Gorur dam and Shravanabelagola on your way. We however, wanted to just relax on this vacation and headed straight to our homestay. It took us 3 hours to reach Chikmagalur from Kunigal. (total 5 hours drive from Bangalore)

By the time we arrived at our homestay - " The Sattva Nature Retreat ", it was already lunch time . Choosing a place to stay in Chikmagalur is fairly easy. From Luxurious resorts to budget hotels to cute homestays, you have so many options. We however, decided to go for a homestay (have slowly grown fond of them post covid wave :P) because of the privacy, personal touch and warm hospitality you receive from the owners . The traveller and adventurous kid in us is always keen on experiencing the local cuisine and culture and for that, it was imperative for us to spend some time with a local family here, enjoy their local cuisine and understand the history of the place. We had a lovely experience at the Sattva Nature Retreat and we would definitely recommend it to everyone who is heading out to Chikmagalur. You'll have to book with them directly (you can either call them or reach out to them through their insta handle). Nestled amongst the coffee plantations of Chikmagaluru, it is an extremely clean property, having an open garden and forest area with amazing views and is in close proximity to Mulayanagiri, Bhadra Forest Reserve, Shringeri, Horanadru and Agumbe.

The highlight of our stay was the food and our coffee-time conversations with Kavitha Aunty and Prabhakar Uncle (the owner couple). Two freshly cooked meals a day with unlimited mind blowing coffee, were part of our package and it cost us only 8500 Rs per night.

Upon our arrival, we were served their local cuisine - Kerala rice, rasam, local chicken curry/dry fry and tender coconut souffle.

The temperature was a little on the higher side (they don't have an A.C.) and the host told us that the best time to visit the place is probably during the monsoon season, between July-September. We took some rest after having lunch and was woken up by their househelp who came with 2 freshly brewed cups of tea and piping hot tea leaves pakodas :).

In the night, the host also organized a small barbeque dinner for us. Gulping down hot kebabs amidst absolute tranquility and serenity, with only intermittent sounds of the crickets and the cool breeze, was an extraordinary experience.

Day 2:

The previous night, we went to bed early because we were on a tight schedule the next day. We got up early in the morning, had our breakfast and headed for our next adventure. We had planned a hike to the Mullayanagiri Peak. It took us an hour to reach the starting point of the hike from our resort. Situated at a height of 6300 ft, Mullayanagiri Peak is the highest peak of Karnataka. Many adventure junkies choose to trek through the mountains, follow the marked trail and reach the top. However, we decided to take the easier route by car and then from the starting point it is just 300 steps. It took us half an hour to reach the top. Standing at the edge of it, we could see vast acres of green rolling hills and some amazing views. There is also a very old Shiva Temple at the top.

By the time we came back, it was already late afternoon. Since we were extremely tired, we quickly had our lunch and then went back to our cottage for a quick nap. In the evening, we went to the local market to buy some local coffee and visited the World of Coffee, which is India's first 4D coffee experience café. As soon as we walked inside the place, the first thing that caught our attention was the interactive 4D coffee wall. You also have an aroma station inside to help you soak in the smell of different coffee pods. You then cross a cave like entrance to reach the tasting zone which has a brewing bar, a bakery and a coffee challenge zone. We ordered their famous viatnamese coffee and some tea cakes which were absolutely delicious.

On our way back, we also made sure to pick up some good quality coffee and masala chai from the nearby Pandurangas coffee shop.

When we returned to our cottage, Kavita aunty had organized a small cooking session for us (home grown jackfruits). We enjoyed the entire cooking experience, that jackfruit tasted really well :)! We had our lunch and then went off to sleep.

Day 3:

Next morning, we were extremely sad to be leaving the beautiful property which had become our home from the past 2 days. After our breakfast, Prabhakar uncle gave us a small tour of their coffee plantations and then graciously offered us some of their homemade fig wine. You can also buy the fresh produce from their organic garden (peaches, figs, butterfruits and tangerines). We bought a couple of butterfruits (avacados) and figs.

Visiting Chikmagalur was like a breath of fresh air which helped us break the shackles of our daily, mundane lives. We cannot wait to plan another trip to Chikmagalur but this time it'll definitely be during monsoons :).

The Benjabi recommendation:

1. Ditch the resorts/hotels and stay at cute homestays.

2. Visit only and only during the monsoons.

3. Do taste their local cuisine and pay a visit to "The World of Coffee".

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-By The Benjabi Affair

A Bengali girl and a Punjabi boy having found their common love for travel and tea