A trip to Coimbatore to visit my sister turned out to be the perfect opportunity for a family holiday to Coorg, the ‘Scotland of India’. A real treasure in the lush green Western Ghats, Coorg is the perfect spot to explore with the kids. After shortlisting all the things we wanted do during our holiday, we decided to stay at the Rain Forest Retreat, which is a 25-acre organic farm and a natural haven for kids. We were lucky to get rooms, as it is a popular place with foreign tourists! We hired a Tempo Traveller and off we went to this beautiful place.
The drive via Mysore
Photo Credit : flickr/Lingeswaran Marimuthukumar
Coimbatore to Scotland… err sorry Coorg is about 320 kilometres. After 4 hours and having travelled about 200 kilometres, we decided to stop at Mysore for the night. Lucky for us it was a Sunday, which is the only night in the week, apart from festivals, that the palace is illuminated with 100,000 bulbs. It was quite a sight to behold!
The next morning, we passed the town of Madikeri and continued a bit longer on a road through lush green forests to reach the Rain Forest Retreat. The kids were all too excited and jumped out of the vehicle to explore this beautiful farm. As much as I shared their enthusiasm, I had to be adult-like, get the bags offloaded and settle in first. Everything was so beautiful and rustic. The rooms were charming with all the basic amenities – though not a place for the electronic buffs! No TV, no laptop, no mobile phone network and no computer games – complete unadulterated bliss!
Food is served in a common area where all guests come, eat and meet. In the afternoon, we decided to go for a walk nearby to a beautiful crystal clear stream. It was a lovely walk, mostly downhill – but of course we had to trek back up. It was tiring but the freshness of the air just kept us going and we came back feeling quite refreshed, ready for the next day.
Bathing the elephants
Going to the Dubare Elephant Camp was the plan for the next day. We hopped back onto the Tempo Traveller and headed 45 kilometres to the camp. We had to get there early to join in the routine of scrubbing and bathing the elephants. Motor boats are available to cross the Cauvery River, for Rs. 20 a head, to get to the elephants on the other side. The kids enjoyed getting into the water to scrub and clean the elephants. After the elephants were all cleaned up, they were ready to give rides to all the eager beavers. Rs 100 seemed quite expensive for a short 10-minute ride but when on holiday one has to give in to these extravagant desires!
Hungry, we headed back to the other side to eat at the dhaba style South Indian restaurants. Another exciting thing to do at Dubare is rafting. We had a great time as we bounced up and down in the raft. The rapids are not of a very high grade, making it safe for kids. We were given all the equipment as part of the Rs.100 we paid per head. Now, that’s value for money!
Learning to live organically again
Photo Credit : flickr/Krishanu_Seal
It was lovely to be woken up in the morning to the sound of birds and cicadas. The kids were up early and ready to explore more of the farm. After breakfast we were given a tour of the organic farm, where they grow coffee, vanilla, cardamom and black pepper. The kids loved their lesson on the importance of living in tandem with nature and of farming organically.
After lunch we went to see the Abbey Falls, one of the main attractions around Madikeri. It is a bit of a long walk, about 500 metres downhill, on paved and unpaved steps. It’s a beautiful waterfall, which falls down a rock face from a height of 70 feet. There is a hanging bridge across the gorge so we could view the falls from the centre. Once we were back up to the road, we all enjoyed some coconut water and then went to the town to look around and do a little bit of shopping.
And a trip is incomplete without the blessings of the Almighty
Photo Credit : wikimedia/s_w_ellis
Next morning, we went to Talacauveri - the origin of the Cauvery River. This is considered to be the most holy place in Karnataka. The Brahma Kundike is a small spring that flows into a pond, which goes underground and then flows out 1 kilometre downhill. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Agastheeswara who is supposed to be the link between the sage Agasthya and the River Cauvery.
We headed back to the Rain Forest Retreat and spent the rest of the day just relaxing and enjoying the hospitality of our hosts. The kids got busy making boats out of leaves and floating them down the stream that runs through the estate.
But this was not the end. On our way back to Coimbatore, just 40 kilometres from Coorg, we stopped at the most magnificent Tibetan Monastery at Bylakuppe. It is the largest in India. The 40-feet high statues of the Buddha, Padmasambhaya and Amitayus are a sight to behold. Walking around the grounds gives a very divine feeling with monks chanting in the various temples. Outside the temple complex, there are some amazing Tibetan shops. So don’t forget to do some shopping!
Coorg is a fantastic place to spend a few days with the family and relax. I would love to head back whenever I get a chance!