By road
~250-270 km from Bangalore, ~135 km from Mangalore
South India · Karnataka
Coorg, Karnataka
Coffee estates and cardamom air · ~250-270 km from Bangalore, ~135 km from Mangalore
Getting there
By rail
Mysore, ~107-120 km
By air
Mangalore International Airport, ~135-160 km
Best time to visit
October to March — post-monsoon green, pleasant days
Don't miss
Abbey Falls
Raja's Seat
Dubare Elephant Camp
Talakaveri
Things to do
Coffee estate stays
River rafting on the Barapole
Waterfall hikes
Where to eat
Sources: open-meteo, osm, wikimedia, Photo: Aneezone at ml.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Light woollens, rain shell, shoes for estate walks
A quieter corner
Mandalpatti peak at sunrise by jeep track
Questions travellers ask
What is the best time to visit Coorg?
October to March. The monsoon has just finished, so the hills are at their greenest and the days stay pleasant for walking.
How do I reach Coorg?
Mangalore Intl is the nearest airport at 135-160 km, and Mysore is the closest railhead at 107-120 km. Most people drive in from Bangalore, about 250-270 km away.
What should I carry?
Light woollens for the evenings, a rain shell, and shoes you do not mind muddying on the estate walks.
Is there something beyond the usual sights?
Mandalpatti peak at sunrise, up a jeep track. It is the one people talk about afterwards.
What is there to do besides sightseeing?
Stay on a coffee estate, raft the Barapole when it is running, and walk out to the waterfalls.
About Coorg
- Hills
- Forest
Where it is
Coorg, officially Kodagu, is a hilly district on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats in south-west Karnataka, bordering Kerala, with Madikeri as its main town; the Kaveri River rises at Talakaveri in its hills.
History
The Haleri rajas ruled Coorg from 1600, building their fort and palace at Madikeri, until the East India Company annexed the kingdom in 1834. It remained a separate province under British rule and, after independence, the small Coorg State, until it merged with Mysore State, now Karnataka, in 1956.
People
The Kodava people, with their own language, Kodava takk, keep distinctive traditions: Puttari, the rice harvest festival, Kailpodh, a festival honouring arms, and a way of draping the sari with the pleats at the back. Kannada, Malayalam and Arebhashe are also widely spoken in the district.
Known for
- Coffee and pepper estates
- Talakaveri, the source of the Kaveri
- Raja's Seat and Abbey Falls near Madikeri
- The Dubare elephant camp
- Kodava pandi curry and kadambuttu
Did you know?
Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, the first Indian commander-in-chief of India's army, and General K. S. Thimayya, a later army chief, were both Kodavas from Coorg.
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