Coorg or Kodagu is a hill station snuggled in the Western Ghats of Southern Karnataka and is famous for its natural beauty and scenic grandeur. One of the most popular weekend getaways in Southern India, Coorg is rightly called the Scotland of India and also the Kashmir of South India.
If you ask me why should I visit Coorg? I would say if you like a tranquil place which boasts of its alluring sights, misty hills, lush Teak wood and Sandalwood forests, green valleys, wildlife sanctuaries, coffee and tea estates, orange groves, waterfalls then you must visit Coorg. Coorg is specially famous for its Tea and Coffee Estates as well as Spice Plantations.
Best Time to visit Coorg
October to April is the best time to visit Coorg since the weather remains pleasantly cool, and hence makes it a perfect time for sight seeing and other outdoor activities. June – September is the time when monsoons hit the beautiful Coorg, with June specially receiving the highest rainfall. But if you really want to see Coorg in its full glory, then visit it in August or September. Rains subsides during August and September month, and weather becomes pleasant so you can go for sight seeing as well as enjoy the occasional drizzling too.
Activities you can indulge in Coorg
Coorg and nearby places have so much to offer for everyone.
It has three wild Life sanctuaries (Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Talakaveri Wildlife sanctuary and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary) one National Park (Nagarahole National Park/Rajiv Gandhi National Park), Waterfalls, Forts, Religious places, Heritage sites, markets selling spices and coffees, dry fruits and artifacts, restaurants serving Coorgi Cuisines etc. There are lots of outdoor activities and adventure sports in which you can indulge yourself like
Trekking
Coorg is a bliss for people who love trekking. October to March is the best time for adventurous activities in Coorg. There are many popular trekking routes in Coorg like Brahmagiri Trek, Tadiyandamol Trek, Kotebetta Trek,Kumara Parvatha Trek, Kakkabe Trek, Pushpagiri Trek, Abylu Trek to choose from.
River Rafting
Bring out the adventurer in you with white river rafting while in Coorg. There are various river rafting opportunities in Coorg to choose from. Go to Barapole as Barapole river is the most popular river rafting location. Barapole river has some attractive stretches to raft through rapids.June to October is the time when you get the best water flow for white water rafting.
Quad Biking
Quad biking inside the coffee plantations will definitely drive you crazy. It is available at Kedkal near Madikeri in Coorg.
What to Shop from Coorg
Since Coorg has sprawling Coffee and Tea Estates so you will get unadulterated coffee and tea here which has a very strong aroma. So, make it a point to buy lots of coffee and tea packets from here. You can also buy superior quality Spices which are grown here like cardamom, pepper, cumin, mint, oregano, sage, basil, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and rosemary and also, dry fruits like cashews, figs, and raisins. Then, you can buy Sandalwood Crafts, Rosewood Carvings, Tibetan Artifacts, Imprinted tables, intricate ethnic jewelry.
How to reach Coorg
By Air- As Coorg doesn’t has its own airport, so first you have to first reach Bangalore or Mysore or Mangalore by Air and from the Airport, you need to hire a cab to get to Coorg. Coorg is 120 kilometers away Mysore, 135 kilometer away from Mangalore Airport and 260 kilometers away from Bangalore
By Rail- The nearest railway station to Coorg is at Mysore. Take a train till Mysore and from there, get a cab to Coorg.
By road- Coorg is best connected to road with all the cities like Mysore, Bangalore, Mangalore. You can hire cabs or State buses to reach Coorg.
Where to Stay?
When it comes to staying at Coorg, you have umpteen options to choose from like a resort, or a hotel or home stays or guesthouses.
Thanks for reading. I shall see you guys soon! Take care!
Much Love, Neha
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