Date: October 2008
This is actually a continuation of a travelogue in which we had first stopped at Bylakuppe. Post-lunch, we then drove to Coorg district and straight to our homestay at the foot of Thadiyandamol, the highest peak in Coorg. This place took some finding but once we eventually did, Ramesh struggled a bit to get his car in. It had rained earlier that day, so the soil was moist and muddy, making the car’s wheels to spin as Ramesh tried to get some grip.
The number of attempts Ramesh took (Photograph by Ramesh)
This was in 2008, I don't know if the condition of this path is the same even to this day
The car eventually got in
The homestay we were staying at was called Palace Estate
Our room was in that portion of the house with the yellow wall
The views were nice
A friend had recommended Palace Estate as she had stayed there, saying the host was very nice and if we wanted a relaxing environment away from the hustle and bustle, you couldn’t ask for a better place. Palace Estate is located at the foot of Thadiyandamol hill, which at 5700 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in Coorg. They had a good website, the rates seemed reasonable and we booked in advance.
Our rooms were simple yet cozy, and pretty basic. Palace Estates has posher and bigger rooms on the upper floor, but we didn’t require any of the ‘comforts’ since we were only spending two nights here. Before settling in, we decided to walk downhill and check out the Nalknad Palace at the recommendation of our host.
Nalknad Palace is a short walk from the homestay
This was a summer palace built during 1780-1789 by the then Coorg King Linga Raja
It's not a big structure worthy of being called a 'palace'
It was past 6pm and getting dark
Back in our room, we freshened up and had some vodka that we had carried with us. The family doesn’t sell any liquor so they insist you bring your own, and would really appreciate it if we didn’t make too much noise as drinking isn’t something they want to encourage so as not to attract the wrong kind of tourists. We assured our host that would be no problem. None of us were heavy drinkers and we only needed something to warm us up in the cold. Because it did get quite chilly at night. Being a homestay, you get dinner, although you have to pay extra for it. Most guests opt to eat from the homestay itself… because you have no other choice. There’s practically scant civilization in the area. It’s 38kms from Madikeri town, the heart of Coorg district.
The next morning, I forced myself to wake up at dawn, as I wanted to see what the views would be like from up here. I tried waking up the other two, but neither got up from their slumber.
It was worth it
You really do feel you are at quite an elevation
The morning mist and the clouds were amazing to look at
It was also freakin' cold!
So I went back in to cuddle up in bed.
I woke up again at 9am
After breakfast, our host drew us a map to Talacauvery, the supposed source of the river Kaveri. We drove to Bhagamandala, parked our car at the footsteps of the temple at Brahmagiri hill.
From here on, it's all climbing
The temple with its 'holy' water
Past the temple, you climb over 300 steps to the top of hill
Waited for the mist to clear
And although these photos may not do it justice, the views from up here are quite grand
Imagine life amidst such beauty
The clouds would give the hills their moment in the sun
How the heck did you guys get up here?
We left the peak and walked back town
We left the place by 1pm
Post lunch, we drove to Madikeri town in search of Abbey Falls.
It's a popular attraction in Coorg
We didn't hang around for long
We have seen bigger waterfalls
We drove back to Thadiyandamol
It rained at night
Yesterday for dinner, they only had chicken and I asked our host if he could provide us pork tonight without fail. Coming to Coorg and not having their traditional peppery pork dish is a huge miss. Tonight’s dinner, he gladly added pork to the menu and I served myself an unhealthy plate full of fat. We took our dinner to our rooms so we could eat it while we had some drinks.
The next morning, I woke up to take some more photos of the early morning mist
I took this from balcony
This was taken at 6:30am
This was our last day here. We had breakfast, settled our bills and left the homestay.
We drove higher up Thadiyandamol hill
It was still wet
When the tarmac ended, we went on foot
We saw a few boys walk to school, which we imagine is quite far away. I can't imagine what daily life must be like out here.
Thadiyandamol is a popular trekking spot
If we wore proper gear, and had the time (and prepared), I would have loved to have trekked to the highest peak
But we walked back to the car instead
Despite no trekking, this was still a good trip
Also check out: Photos from my Bylakuppe trips (and Nisargadhama Wildlife Reserve)
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Tags: abbey falls, canon 450d, coorg, hills, homestay, India, karnataka, kodagu, long drive, palace estate, talacauvery, talakaveri, thadiyandamol
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
March 30th, 2013 at 1:04 AM
Thanks Avik
[Reply]