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11 Kick-Ass Things to Do in Coorg

Rachel Jones — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:43:54 +0000

When I heard of Coorg, all that came to mind was COFFEE, so I found myself just blown away by how many things to do in Coorg there are. In case you haven’t heard of this area, it’s in Karnataka, India in the Western Ghats.

I went with goMowgli and one of the guides, Karan, grew up on a coffee plantation there. It was amazing to get such an inside look at the area. Here are my favorite things to do in Coorg that you can do too next time you’re in the area!

At the bottom, I have links to the two VERY detailed posts I wrote on Coorg that explain these places in fuller detail.

11 Cool Things to Do in Coorg

1. Spend the day walking around Chikli Holé.

It was a refreshing site to see cows eating green grass and no tourists around. The perfect place for a long walk or picnic. There is a hidden Shiva temple back here only locals know about- have fun finding it!

2. Bathe elephants.

Definitely a highlight of my time in Karnataka, bathing these huge cuties at Dubare elephant camp was a blast. I loved that they were well taken care of, retired logging elephants. I also loved that they were still used for work int he jungle, rather than just for tourism.

3. Stay at some cozy homestays.

I mention all the ones I stayed at in my posts that I’ll link at the bottom, but getting a hotel in Coorg is silly when there are so many homestays around, most of which are on plantations of some sort. I loved coming home after a hard day trekking, having a cute lady in her nightgown pour some tea, and a friendly dog come sit by my side. Might not have had WiFi, but was well worth it!

4. Wander the ancient Madikeri.

It’s this ancient town with a fort (and some amazing stories), one of the coolest museums I’ve seen in India (UM, stuffed cheetah, what!!) and had old school photographs (aka people carved into rocks) just sitting out, with no worries someone would steal them. What a town!

5. Coffee, coffee, COFFEE

What can I say, Coorg is famous for coffee for a reason. We drank a lot, we saw a lot of coffee plantations, and the girls even got some to take home as souvenirs. We had it with all our food no matter what time of day!

6. Um, there’s wine too

Although not the hugest fan of fruity wine, it sure was interesting to try all these random flavors like betel nut and pineapple!

7. Try Bylakuppe | Tibetan awesomeness

Who knew the second biggest Tibetan colony is in Karnataka!? and in Coorg of all places… it was so fun to see a new culture in the midst of all the curry and rice. I ate about 700 momo’s and then died of a food coma. There are amazing temples and restaurants here, as well as local Tibetan artists, hair stylists, and markets.

8. Four-wheel drive through Mandalpatti.

You just can’t ask for better views. I loved the jeep ride through the Western Ghats. This wasn’t a safari, this was pure bumpy fun!

9. Oh wait there is a better view | Thadiyandamol

This trek about killed me (two hours each way, I know, I’m a wimp) but WOAH that view! Beware of leeches.

10. Visit this secret waterfall.

Ok it’s not secret because I wrote about it already, it’s called Cheladara. It was so great and no one is ever there. Perfect little stopover.

11. Swim in Iruppu Falls

This one isn’t as secret, so get up early to check it out. The path to walk under is broken, but you can get it and swim a little here. It’s cold though!

Coorg is clearly amazing.

So there you have it! If you’re just popping through Coorg, I hope this list gives you a better idea of what all you can do. I think you could spend a full week here on your backpacking trip and absolutely love it.

Better to move about and try new places than stay in one homestay. This was my favorite part of the goMowgli tour I took. Enjoy!

If you want all the details, check out my two posts that explain my whole time in Coorg:

If you are planning a big trip to India, please check out my India Guide eBook. You can download it and read more about what’s inside, here. It has 6 year’s worth of India travel all tidied up into a perfect guide for travelers.

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The post 11 Kick-Ass Things to Do in Coorg first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 11 Kick-Ass Things to Do in Coorg appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Complete Guide to Traveling in Karnataka & 9 Hotspots

Rachel Jones — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 09:23:00 +0000

I am BLOWN away by Karnataka. For some reason, tourists just don’t spend much time traveling in Karnataka. Backpackers pop over to Hampi (the mysterious boulders) or maybe a trip to Jog Falls and that’s about it. Even Indian nationals were saying, “holy cow is that REALLY in India!?” on comments of my Karnataka photos.

Karnataka is kind of this undiscovered state when it comes to international tourism… which means you should get your little booty here asap! I traveled the ENTIRE state for one month with goMowgli and learned so much, so without further ado, here is a little guide to the Indian state of Karnataka.

UPDATE: As of 2018, gomowgli is no longer – sadly! If you still want a tour in India, I recommend checking out my blog post with the best group tours and this post which explains the best day tours for the adventurer!

You’ll have here a quick guide to karnataka, 9 hotspots to visit, and my favorite hotels in Karnataka. All have links to full posts that share more in depth information.

Quick Guide to Traveling in Karnataka

Location: Karnataka is coastal below Goa, above Kerala and goes inland to reach Andhra Pradesh. It also go up to border with Maharashtra.

Language: Kannada

Overview: Karnataka is known for many things like it’s Hoysala Empire, Chamundi Hills (where the story of Dashara comes from), Tiger reserves, Mysore’s royal kings, and silk and incense manufacturing. There are tropical beaches (the coast is one of the wettest areas in India), jungles (the Western Ghats, which are protected because of how many incredible animals live and flora grow there), ancient caves, and some of the oldest temples in the entire world. At one point Karnataka ruled all of India! It also has Asia’s largest population of elephants.

Currency: Indian rupee

Food: I’ve written a post dedicated to this: Guide to South Indian Food… enjoy because it’s all drool-worthy.

Getting there & away: You can book a flight into Banagalore and take a train or bus anywhere you want. Traffic in Bangalore is terrible. If you are in Mysore and want to fly, it’s cheaper to bus to Bangalore. The buses in Karnataka are known as some of the best in India (although mine broke down once) and my train trips in 2AC were clean and safe. Karnataka is well connected, but in rural areas you’ll have to take crowded locals buses unless you hire a car our join a tour. Mangalore is a huge travel hub, and Hubli is another huge hub (and not worth spending a day in).

Solo Female Travel: I was on a tour, so rarely totally alone, but I found Karnataka safe. Many of the best places are very rural though, so I wouldn’t suggest traveling alone at night. Make sure you book ahead in rural areas and have someone meet you at bus stations. In Karnataka, dress appropriately.

Places NOT TO MISS in Karnataka

1. Coorg

Land of filter coffee, cozy homestays, secret waterfalls, and homemade Kodova wine… this is my favorite place in Karnataka, and one of my favorite in India. Deep in the Western Ghats are teh Kodova people who are meat-eating, nature-worshipping, warriors. They can even carry their traditional knives. Loved 4-wheel driving in the Ghats, checking out a small Tibet town, and trekking to the second tallest peak in Karnataka. The Dubare elephant camp is here, and is a great place to bathe elephants. Don’t miss: eating pandi curry.

Also See:

2. Mysore

Mysore is the Royal city of Karnataka. The market is the most organized I’ve ever seen in India. Picture streets green and clean like Bangalore, but with less people. It’s a cozy place considering what a big city it is. Key sights: watching artists, going up to Chumundi Hill, and seeing lights at Royal palace. This is the place to try yoga and Ayurveda as lots of westerners move here to dedicate their lives to the practice. Don’t miss: eating Mysore Pak

Also See:

3. Around Mysore

If you only have time for one city, Mysore is the place because there are day trips you can take to experience so much more. There is a crocodile sanctuary nearby, a nearby reservation to see tigers and leopards, many ancient temples, Bahubali the largest monolithic statue in India, and small religious towns, massive waterfalls, and you can visit BR Hills to see even more wild cats & meet locals tribals.

Also See:

4. Hampi

Hampi of course is the ultimate place for tourists to go in Karnataka. I will take my parents there when they visit this year, and I’ve already been there 3 times myself. It’s stunning, you can stay in little cabins looking over rice paddy fields, ride bikes around to the resevior, see ancient temples, and check out the mysterious boulders along the river. You can even watch the temple elephant be bathed. Getting here you can take a train to hospet and rickshaw to Hampi.

Also See:

5. Around Hampi

People come and go from Hampi without checking out the nearby UNESCO Heritage sites! Crazy! Make sure to take time for a tour (or you can hire a car). Nearby are Aihole and Pattadakal built by the Chalukya in the 4th and 5th centuries. There are 100’s of temples here. It’s some of the oldest stuff you can see in India. Driving through the villages and rural areas here is an event of it’s own and it’s great to take time and get out to take photos and meet local kids. The Badami caves are also a day trip from Hampi and are very intriguing and ancient. The hotels here are scarce and had terrible amenities and food. Bring snacks!

Also See:

6. Coastal Karnataka

Worth a visit, but not as good as Goa (Ashwem, Little Vagator, Keri beach) or Kerala (Varkala, Kovalam). Karwar was beautiful because it was empty and pristine- but there wasn’t much to do there plus you have to drive into town to find a restaurant and the roads aren’t easier. I also didn’t see many scooter rentals. Gokarna is popular thanks to Om beach because shaped like “om” but personally, I found it dirty, the food terrible, and I was constantly bothered by domestic toursits with their cameras and even video recording me. Most girls there (both Indian and foreign) discussed not feeling comfortable in a swimming suit. You can also head down to Murudeshwar to see the second biggest Shiva statue in the world.

7. Dandeli and nearby areas

Dandeli was a cute little forrest area. There are tons of homestays as it’s a popular place for people from Maharashtra to come visit on their holidays. If you take a small holiday within India, this is a great spot to go for a weekend getaway. It’s all about nature, hiking, relaxing, and a little bit of adventure sports on the river.

Also See:

8 Adventures in Dandeli, Your Jungle Weekend Getaway

8. Chikmagalur

This is another very popular domestic tourist destination in India. There are lots of homestays and they are QUITE pricey. Funnily enough, domestic tourists usually pay more for a room than backpackers because backpackers are on tight budgets, while domestic tourists save up for this big trip and can spend more – therefore they are charged more. This area is therefore pricey. Homestays will run up to 2,000 rs per night (without food), whereas in Coorg they were closer to 1,000 (food included).

Just near Gokarna heading to Chikmagalur, is Banavasi temple. You can see this temple and Jog Falls in the same day. The temple is one of the coolest I’ve seen in India and it’s not even in the guidebooks! Jog Falls are the second biggest falls in India. In this region you’ll do lots of treks (to the tallest peak in Karnataka at 6,300 feet), see great views, find secret waterfalls, and try amazing food at cozy homestays. I also thought that the temples in this area were insanely cool!

Also See:

9. Bangalore

The best place to come and go from in Karnataka if you are flying. This is the biggest city full of expats, traffic, IT industry, big city life, great food, and all the amenities and 5 star hotels you could ask for. I’ve been a couple times, but haven’t spend more than a weekend at a time. Nh7 Bangalore was hosted here but it’s not as good as the Pune one.

Favorite Hotels and Homestays in Karnataka

I stayed at a lot considering I spent a month in the state, so I won’t list them all here- just the ones that really stand out. In all my posts on Karnataka, I mention each place I’ve stayed so the information is there. Here are my favorites:

Dhyan’s Den in Coorg – cozy homestay, amazing family
Green Hotel in Mysore– an actual palace & you can stay in princess rooms
Indus Valley Ayervedic Center (IVAC)- most famous in all of India
River Kabini Jungle Lodge in Kabini – just outside Mysore, good chance of seeing wild cats
Gorukana in BR Hills – luxury cabins in the jungle, amazing spot
Gundimane near Jog Falls– extremely nice family, cozy rooms, and great food
Shanthi Guesthouse in Hampi– take a room facing the water

I went on a month-long tour sponsored by goMowgli, and suggest that if you want to see all of the above! It was stressfree and easy. Although the tour was sponsored, all opinions here are my own.

The post Complete Guide to Traveling in Karnataka & 9 Hotspots first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Complete Guide to Traveling in Karnataka & 9 Hotspots appeared first on Hippie In Heels.