Coorg is one of the most beautiful regions of India and a popular destination for travelers, who come to enjoy the area’s lush green hills, teak forests and waterfalls. Located south-west of Bangalore, Coorg is an easily accessible destination for Leave UR Mark interns and makes for a pleasant weekend trip out of town.
The best way to get to Coorg from Bangalore is by bus or car. There are buses that travel to the region, but in general, having a car in Coorg makes life easier. There is no one main city to see and everything is spread out in the region. We hired a car and driver and this gave us the freedom to move around as we pleased and do things on our schedule.
In terms of accommodation, there are various options ranging from luxurious hotels to basic guesthouses. A very popular option is a plantation homestay, where you can live in the midst of nature within a coffee or spice plantation. These are also usually the most affordable accommodations, and because our group was looking for a relaxing break away from city life, we went with this option. They can cost anywhere from $15-$30 per night.
There are many homestays to choose from and sometimes just reserving accommodation can be a little bit overwhelming because of the number of choices. Luckily, everyone in our group absolutely loved the one we finally booked – Honeyvalley Homestay. Tucked away high up in the hills in a remote part of Coorg, this homestay is ideal for nature lovers. It took us about 6 hours to reach the place from Bangalore. Upon arrival, we parked our car at the bottom of the hill and were taken by a 4-wheel jeep up the bumpy road to the actual guesthouse, which was quite an adventure in itself!
With cute dorm rooms and very basic amenities, Honeyvalley Homestay caters to a backpacker crowd of Indians and foreigners. Once up on the hill, there is little access to the outside world but all of us quickly realized that this didn’t present any problems – the homestay prepared hearty Coorgi food for us and the surrounding hills provided several opportunities for hiking and trekking.
For two days, we lost ourselves in the beautiful nature around us, and spent our time hiking, meditating, chatting to other travelers or curling up with a book from the homestay’s library. Although there are many other sites to see in Coorg, we decided to stick close to the outdoor activities and delicious food offered by Honeyvalley Homestay. For those looking to move around and see more in the region, there is an elephant training camp in Dubare, several waterfalls and scenic viewpoints as well as the largest Tibetan community in exile in Bylakuppe. Being a Leave UR Mark intern in Bangalore can be quite a chaotic and tiring experience with the rush, traffic, noise, and pollution that comes from being in an urban area. Coorg is the perfect refresher with fresh air and nature all around.
For us, the beautiful scenery, relaxing vibe and friendly crowd made this a laid-back, tranquil getaway. We would recommend a weekend trip to Coorg to those Leave UR Mark interns looking for a completely chilled out experience.
