Coorg: 3 Day Itinerary for a first time traveler

Coorg is a district in Karnataka that rose to fame as a tourist spot in the early 2010. It is a hill station situated in the Wester Ghats of India, the birthplace of the sacred river Cauvery. Since this place has seen tourism only recently, the people of Coorg are still not used to seeing outsiders.The place itself isn't very tourist friendly as there are no extraordinary cafes, restaurants or sites that are known by tourists. Yes of course one can go to places listed on the internet such as Raja Seat, Abby Falls or Omrashwara temple but if you are a traveler like me who likes to enjoy the rawness of nature and is a sucker for intense experiences, these places will most likely disappoint you to a whole new level. 

I have decided to make this video to share my personal favourite spots and resources that will help you make your trip an unforgettable experience.

Before we begin, let me give you a background on myself. Hi I am Sristy, a filmmaker and a dedicated dog mom.  I moved to Coorg one year ago with my best friend Saumya and we brought two of our dogs along with us. We traveled by road all the way from Delhi to Coorg, for most part Saumya was the one doing the driving while I was incharge of the navigation. This was going to be our year living in nature, away from the city noises and pollution. We wanted to experience a life of solitude and peace. We wanted to get away from the materialistic society that often pushes us off the edge. With that aim, we reached Coorg in February 2021. 

The last year has been nothing less than military training for both of us. As pampered as we were in the city, having the luxury to order food and groceries at our doorstep, we learnt it the hard way that life in rural India was full of challenges. From having to drive 15 kms to simply get groceries to dealing with no electricity for a week during the monsoons, this was not going to be the cake walk we imagined it to be. But when the night fell, and the forest around us quietened down, the smell of night flowers diffused in the soft breeze, making us feel oh so alive.We could almost hear the sound of our hearts beating. 

Throughout the year we met many interesting people and explored the entire place like true locals. We were able to discover all the hidden places of Coorg, pretty sure about the fact that the weekend tourists would never even know of them. 

In an attempt to help other traveler, I am sharing my experiences with you. Shall we begin? 

What is the best time to travel in Coorg? 

If you are planning to come to Coorg, you can plan your travels in most parts of the year except during the monsoon. Even though it starts to rain here in the month of April, the intense downpours can be experienced during May, June, July and August. So I personally would advise people from not visiting during these four months, there are a lot of risks such as landslides, floods as well as branches and trees falling off. Not to mentions the condition of roads are pretty bad during that time too. So it is better to be safe than sorry. 

The best months to visit Coorg are after the rains have subsided, when the weather is cool and the atmosphere is absolutely fresh. My most favourite months are September, October, November, December and January. After these months, the weather in Coorg is very hot, especially during the day. A lot of people who visit Coorg during the summer season regret it instantaneously. Unlike other hill stations in North India, Coorg tends to be very hot during the day. That being said early mornings and evenings are still very pleasant. 

How many days do you need for Coorg? 

Coorg is bigger than we think it is. It is full of hidden wonders. Ideally one needs at least three days to see a glimpse of what Coorg is all about. If you are a trekking enthusiast or you like to take things a bit slow, you can give yourself a week to experience the best of Kodagu. 

What are the things you can do in Coorg?

Day 1: Number 1

Since a lot of people come to Coorg to experience its natural beauty, the first thing to do would be to go explore offbeat sites. To see the beauty of rolling hills and terrific lakes and waterfalls. I am going to show you my favourite place to go to just to catch one of the most exquisite sunrise. 

The place is called Kotte Betta. It is situated an hour away from Madikeri. It is best to get a local guide who can take you there. The place is quite interior and there won't be people to give directions. So it is must to go with a local person. You can either trek up all the way or go by jeep. If you have a city car, it won't make it there. 

Trekking will take about 1.5 hours each way. You will pass by some beautiful brooks, forests and waterbodies to eventually get to the top, and once you are up there, you can simply admire the beauty of western ghats as it spreads across the horizon. 

If you wanna catch the sunrise, you may have to leave from your hotel pretty early to get there. Please remember Coorg is full of wild animals, so when it is dark it is advisable to go with people and be inside a vehicle. 

Here is what I did. 

Number 2 

Go check out a coffee plantation and learn where your coffee comes from. Coorg is the biggest producer of coffee in India and you may want to meet a planter and see the process of coffee from bean to cup. If you are lucky you can see how the plantations workers pick coffee, if you are luckier then you can experience the coffee blossoms, and let me tell you how it smells absolutely divine. 

While you are in Coorg, you can also try different kinds of coffee such as Arabica, Robusta and let's not forget the very expensive Civet Coffee. For those of you who don't know, Civet Coffee comes from an animal's poop. Yes you heard it right, it comes from animal shit. The civet cat feasts on the best coffee beans and excretes it only to give us the most amazing coffee in the world. The coffee beans get fermented in the civet cat's stomach, which owes to its awesome taste, 

I will be totally honest with you, I couldn't bring myself to drink it. But it is very sought out in the west. 1 kg of covet coffee costs around 9000 rupees. Would you try it? 

Even though Coorg is known for its coffee, there aren't as many cafes as one would expect. One decent coffee shop in Coorg is the Big Cup. It is situated on the highway towards Madikeri and even though the service is quite slow, the vibe is good. The other coffee shop worth going to is Levista in Kushalnagar, their staff is friendly and service is quick. 

After you have tried some good coffee, you can check out the beautiful backwaters of Coorg. When the water level goes down, you can also ride a bicycle on the beach. It is magical for the senses. 

Number 3:

Check out Bylakuppe. A beautiful Tibetan Settlement that rests very close to Kushalnagar, it is full of monasteries, stupas and amazing food. You can buy Tibetan art and handicraft at the local market, sightsee the temples and then indulge in some momo and thukpa. I found this amazing street food there called Laping, it is sort of like noodles but extremely spicy. Let me show you my experience going to the Losar festival that was celebrated in Bylakuppe on 18th March 2022. I went to the Golden Temple and witness a spectacular function. 

While there are many other things you can do and see in Coorg, I think if you are here for a short while and want to make the most out of your trip, you should stick to the ones I mentioned in my video. I am going to put link of resources to help you with your travels, I am going to mention where you can find bicycles to rent and a trustworthy guide to hire. Apart from that I will mention the names of my favourite restaurants in Bylakuppe to visit. 

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