Coorg and a Glimpse of Waynad

Date: 25-Dec-15 to 27-Dec-15

What a spectacular year 2015 had been !! The year gave us countless memorable experiences and wonderful moments that we will cherish for a long time. We wanted to conclude the year with one more memorable journey.

Unfortunately, neither of us had a week-long holiday. We only had a three-day break, including the weekend, and decided to make the most of it by visiting Coorg and touching Wayanad along the way. Coorg, also known as Kodagu, is one of Karnataka’s most popular tourist destinations. Although both of us had visited Coorg individually before, we had never explored this beautiful and romantic hill district together. It felt like the perfect destination to end the year.

During my previous visit to Coorg, it rained heavily throughout the trip, limiting visibility of many landscapes. This time, we planned our visit during winter and were hopeful of experiencing clear skies, pleasant weather, and uninterrupted views of Coorg’s famous scenery.

Choosing our stay

After some research, we booked our accommodation at Coorg Guest House. The property was located away from the main tourist hubs of Coorg and was situated close to the Karnataka – Kerala border, not far from Wayanad.

Initially, we felt that choosing a stay so far from the major attractions might have been a mistake. However, as our planning progressed, the location turned out to be an advantage. Since the guest house was relatively close to Wayanad, we decided to include two attractions in Kerala on the final day of our trip: Thirunelli Temple and Banasura Sagar Dam.

Planning the route

Since Coorg was already familiar territory for us, we did not have to spend much time researching routes. For the onward journey, we chose the Hassan route because it allowed us to visit two interesting places along the way: Shettihalli Church and Gorur Dam.

For the return journey, we decided to take the more commonly used Mysore route. Detailed route information is included in the day-wise travel journals.

The plan

After considerable research, we shortlisted the attractions that would offer the best experience within three days and prepared the following itinerary:

• Day 1:
  • Start from Bangalore at 4 AM.
  • Visit Shettihalli Church and Gorur Dam before breakfast.
  • Have breakfast at Konanur.
  • After breakfast, proceed towards Kushal Nagar (Coorg). Visit Kaveri Nisargadhama and Bylekuppe Golden Temple.
  • Post lunch, go to Abbi Falls and Madikeri Fort.
  • Reach our guest house in the evening.
• Day 2:
  • Have breakfast at the guest house and start sightseeing at around 8 AM.
  • Visit Chelavara falls, Nalknad palace, and Igguthappa temple.
  • Proceed to Bhagamandala.
  • Post lunch, visit Talakaveri.
  • Continue towards Madikeri to visit Raja Seat and Omkareshwara Temple. Reach Raja Seat before 5.30 PM to catch the sunset.
• Day 3:
  • Have breakfast at the guest house.
  • Check out, and start the trip at around 8 AM.
  • Visit Iruppu Falls.
  • Visit Thirunelli temple in Waynad.
  • Proceed towards Banasura Sagar dam (approximately a 2 hr drive).
  • Post lunch, visit the dam.
  • Start the return journey towards Bangalore via Mysore. If time permits, visit Nanjanagudu temple.
  • Have dinner on the way and reach home before midnight.

As with many of our trips, this itinerary was tightly packed. The distances between attractions, winding roads across Coorg, and uncertainty about road conditions inside smaller towns made the schedule quite ambitious. Another concern was the year-end holiday rush. We expected heavy tourist traffic, crowded attractions, and slower travel times.

Keeping these factors in mind, we mentally prepared ourselves to skip one or two places if required. However, we were excited about the journey and eager to see how much of the plan we could successfully execute.

Travel snapshot

• Onward route: BTM Layout > Yashwanthpur > Channarayapattana > Devihalli > Shettihalli Church > Gorur > Kushal Nagara > Madikeri > Virajpet > Gonikoppal > Coorg Guest House
  Return route: Coorg Guest House > Iruppu Falls > Thirunelli Temple > Banasura Sagar Dam > Sultan Batheri > Gundlupet > Mysore > Mandya > BTM Layout (via Mysore Road)
• Total distance (To & Fro): 1100 km
• Mileage (Car): 22 km/l
• Fuel expense: 3145 Rs
• Total expense: 7103 Rs

The complete day-wise travel experiences of our trip can be found in the following posts:

• Day 1 – On the Way to Coorg
• Day 2 – A Well-Spent Day in Coorg
• Day 3 – Touching Waynad