Honestly if there was a place in India that I have always dreamt of visiting, it would definitely be Madikeri. Although I was bummed out and because of the time I visited, it was still such an amazing place to just be in (Ideally, I would have enjoyed visiting during the rainy season – because that’s the image I’ve always had in mind). And what better time to reminisce the times we could travel than now!
So, without a further ado, let me share my three-day adventure!
Day 1
We left Mysore, which is approximately 118kms from Madikeri around 1pm. Of course, as it was an all ladies trip, we ended up leaving a few hours later than expected (we have a lot of things okay!). We checked into the hotel we stayed at (Lali Petals – the service was everything!), and got ready for the day ahead. Technically our first stop was this amazing restaurant where we devoured food- the journey was long!
First Stop: Abbey Falls
I have always had this obsession with waterfalls, and Abbey Falls kind of just pushed me deeper into that. It’s not your typical high waterfalls, but short and long. The walk down to the falls was quick, but man, we really struggled getting back up.
Note to self: Add cardio to morning routine.
Next Stop: Raja’s Tomb
This place was kind of confusing to get to, and I do believe we drove around for a good 20 minutes before even being on the right track (Our driver hated me for that). This place was super aesthetic and let’s just say, I had a lot of model moments where I forced my aunt to take 100s of pictures of me (sorry aunty!). Because of this, I didn’t read about the history of the place. But hey, at least I have some amazing photos?
Also second pic: I found this super cute cottage at the back and I absolutely could not resist the urge to take a picture there because of how ADORABLE it looks! (But you have to look down a bit because its kind of hidden)
Last Stop for the day: Omkareshwara Temple
By the time we got to this place I was super tired of all the travelling and wanted to return to the hotel and collapse. It was really dark when we got here, so I didn’t bother taking pictures. Nonetheless it was very adorable, and we were given a handful of flat rice to feed to the fishes in the water.
Heres some images (that I did not take but for reference)
Day 2
The second day was also jam-packed with a tonne of sight-seeing adventures! We started our day by touring a beautiful coffee plantation, a few kilometres from the town. If there’s one thing in this world that you wouldn’t be able to taste anywhere else, it’s their delicious coffees! We were also given a traditional Coorg breakfast, which was oh-so-mouth-watering! (Yeah also forgot to photograph it).
Here's the only image I have from the route :)
Yeah it was pretty much just the ride. But you get the picture.
And the drive was amazing!
First Stop: Namdroling Monastery
This place was so beautiful and enchanting. It is a Tibetan Buddhist temple, and the interiors were so vibrant and gorgeous. There were three large Buddha statues at the front and fine details in everything from floor to roof.
And how cute is this little guy that I found! Argh!
Second Stop: Dubare Elephant Camp
I LIVED for this place! We did end up hiking across the rocks in the river (yeah HI we are Indians, we would never pay 20 rupees to take a boat across to the other side) but not going to lie it was extremely FUN and dare I say built trust between me and my family, what with all the hand-holding-slippery-rock-crossing ventures we were embarking on.
But oh my god what was waiting for me on the other side? ADORABLE ELEPHANTS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. I DIED over the baby elephants, which were almost the size of me if not bigger. So that’s that. We got to feed them their lunch(?) which was adorable just seeing them snatch it out of my hand.
Fun fact: Arjun, the Mysore Dasara elephant lives here!
Last Stop: ??
Okay I really don’t know the name of this place but it was SO beautiful because we went there during sunset hours. You can seriously never go wrong with that. I mean, just look at the pictures. If you know the name of this place PLEASE let me know!
Can we just appreciate the fact that I literally did not edit this picture. At. All.
Last Day!
Hands down this was the saddest day. I really did not want to leave.
Stop One: Rajas Seat
So for me and my aunt, this would be our first stop. Our obsession to go for a morning walk and catch the sunrise was unreal and we inevitably ended up going there, which was the best decision we could've made, because the scenery was that amazing. We were faced with a little problem with not seeing the sunrise though, which was unfortunate. But that did not make what we saw any less than perfect.
I really wish I had an image of how it looks after 7am, just to convince you that it really is so surreal if you go in the early morning. It saves you money too!
Second Stop: Talacauvery
So, in true Srujala fashion, what did I forget to do? Say it loud and clear with me: I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES. But enjoy the one picture I was coincidentally sent today by my aunt, which I may as well include in here! We also dunked ourselves in the holy water, which was...an adventure, to say the least. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I do it again? Hard pass.
Yeah I really did try catching a butterfly.
We also went to Sri Bhagandeshwara Temple, however we were not allowed any photography inside the temple (not an excuse I swear). But this was also a beautiful, sweet little temple, with different alters for different gods!
So that was my amazing three day trip in Madikeri, Coorg. I wish I was able to visit more places in the surroundings, such as Mandalpete, Brahmagiri, Kote Betta, etc. But thats something I'll definitely be saving for my next trip there!
Travel tips:
- Visit Raja Seat before 7am, the views are perfect and you won’t have to pay for it! (After 8am its 10 rupees, so hey that’s money saved! + perfect for the Coorg coffee being sold right outside the gates during that time!)
- TAKE PICTURES!! I mean it’s so obvious but it was so hard for me to pick up the camera when I was soaking in the beauty around me. Don’t forget!
- Book a homestay rather than hotel, because 1. AESTHETIC and 2. It just gives you a homelier vibe. Like you never want to leave.
- Dumb tip: Don’t straighten your hair if you plan to get dunked into the water at the Talacauvery. Just don’t. Do it the first few days.