A misty evening in Coorg

Tripoto
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 1/10 by Priyanka Das
A thoughtful seat - Dubare forest resrve
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 2/10 by Priyanka Das
Prakruth homestay - view from the cottage
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 3/10 by Priyanka Das
A lonely tree on the lake
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 4/10 by Priyanka Das
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 5/10 by Priyanka Das
Dinning shed
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 6/10 by Priyanka Das
view of the sunrise
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 7/10 by Priyanka Das
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 8/10 by Priyanka Das
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 9/10 by Priyanka Das
Photo of A misty evening in Coorg 10/10 by Priyanka Das

Anybody who has lived in Bangalore knows the tale of this fabled little hamlet in Kodagu district. Coorg has lured unsuspecting travelers into its abyss for decades. With an impressive list of must-see tourist attractions, Coorg does come around as the Scotland of India. The Talakaveri, Tibetan Buddhist Temple, Iruppu falls are only to name a few. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that a bunch of overworked IT-ians had very high expectations from this little town when we embarked on the happy-go-lucky trip from Bangalore on one fine Friday.

We were gravely mistaken.

Turns out, Coorg was no shy maiden that day. She was in no mood of being courted. She had no desire of being the cold, foggy princess that day. She smelted in the summer heat, breathing fire, its relentless battering and beating down he poor travelers who were unprepared for this indifference. There was not a single cloud in the sky, not a single wave of cold air relieving us from the hot summer day. Needless to say the impatient six that we were, we decided to cut the whole adventurous city-trotting facade by half and run for shelter before Coorg’s ire broke our very stance.

After what seemed like an exaggerated eternity, we finally breathed deeply as our car went off road on a dirt path leading into a wooded earthy forest which can only be described as magical. The car bobbled up the road as the playful sun’s ray meticulously tried to find their way around the labyrinth of lime green leaves, splattering ruthlessly over the olive grass blades that stood in attention watching the strange procession passing them on the rickety road.

After about a 15 min drive, we reached our homestay.  To say that the place came as a mild surprise to us would be a serious understatement. The homestay or to give it its rightful place, resort, was located on a spawning swathe of land, encompassed entirely by manicured lawn and peppered with numerous flowering trees. The guesthouses were tiny log and thatch cottages that dotted the elaborate landscape instantly trapping one into a fairy tale where one almost certainly expects a talking rabbit to jump out of the many shrubby floral bushes.  But, the most striking feature of this landscape is the enormous lake. At first our mind wouldn’t believe that a lake of this magnitude can possibly be hidden in this enchanted forest; maybe it was the trick of the dusky sun? But it was there. A secret covertly held by the gentle slopping hills and cascading trees. As we caught our breath, the gentle waves of the enormous lake lapped on the shore reflecting the numerous shades of orange that the setting sun was throwing its way. We didn’t know how long we stood there, outside of the cabins trying to keep up with the changing hues of water, but the orange orb of sun had grown dimmer and a ethereal mist had engulfed us. My eyes scanned the shimmering water coming to rest on a wayward bird which was lazily picking on grains of earth on the expansive roots of a nearby tree. That night as I lay beneath the pewter sky gazing at the dancing stars, their shimmer reflected on my face, taking form of a smile; a smile that I carried with me all the way back to Bangalore.

Miscellaneous:

How to get there
Coorg is well connected by bus and road from Bangalore

Where to Stay:
Though the place is dotted with several hotels and homestays, I recommend stay away from the city. It will be worth the drive to go to a secluded forested place. We stayed at prakruth homestays.

What to do:
Well… now that is a tricky one. I would say, do the regular touristy thing you will find cluttering the tourist office’s brochures but definitely keep a day or two to just laze around with a book listening to the crickets as they go about their nightly affair. Trust me…getting off the beaten path in Coorg would be rewarding in so many ways.