This time the destination was the hills of Mullayyanagiri bordering the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. It was going to be an inactive holiday – no intensive travel, no exploring, no photography. No activity, that’s all!

A file photo of a road near Mullayyanagiri

We had left Bangalore on a rainy afternoon and arrived at Chikmagalur at 11pm – a little later than we would have liked to. It was still drizzling as we got into the rugged jeep that took us deeper into the hills. We drove on a wet and misty road towards the hills of Mullayyanagiri with no thoughts in the mind but to quickly reach the destination and retire for the day. I would have liked it if we were on this road during the day, when one could see the lush grass on the slopes, and when weather permits, rolling hills or the plains of Chikmagalur. But not to feel bad, we were to spend two days in a coffee estate nestled in the depth of these hills.

With us in the jeep was Prasad, the cheerful driver and the estate manager Cariappa. Cariappa kept to himself first but quickly got talking when Prasad started a conversation.

‘I have been managing the plantations here for 33 years now. There are multiple estates spread in different locations around Chikmagalur…

‘I am from Ammathi at Coorg. I would like to go back to Coorg now but they would not let me..’

‘We always used to spot some or the other wild animals on the way to the estate. There was nothing today, not even a deer or boar..’

We reached the estate exactly at midnight. Having arrived in the dark, I had no clue about the location and setting of the estate. It wasn’t much different next morning either, when I woke up to see a thick fog blocking my views. But with whatever little I could see through the fog once in a while, it did seem like a beautiful place. Occasional holes in the blanket of moving fog revealed me a hill covered with thick tropical vegetation at its base and a silver-oak plantation near its grassy ridge. It seemed like there was a valley far below hidden in the fog that I would never get to see in the days I was to spend there.

A file photo of hills near Mullayyanagiri

Within my views were the coffee plants spread on the slopes, a few buildings within the coffee estate and the dirt roads that crisscrossed the area. A silhouette of tall Silver Oaks stood parallel to each other in the fog. The trees in the estate looked wet, fresh and green, washed by three months of monsoons. The place looked mysteriously beautiful in the foggy weather, but left me in anticipation of seeing the landscape behind the depth of the fog.

Sitting back on my chair in the balcony with a book in my hand that morning, I watched the wind carry the clouds away and bringing in a fresh lot every now and then.  The day was just unfolding for me, and also for the birds in the forest. I excitedly watched a barbet land on a tree very close to where I sat. A grey wagtail came closer and landed on the roof before it saw me and flew away. Malabar Parakeets made long distance flights between gaps in the canopy, squeaking loudly in flight. Red Whiskered Bulbuls inspected the nearby bushes, probably in search of worms. I watched them all, drowning cup after cup of hot filter coffee that compensated for the cold mountain breeze, occasionally glancing at my book when the outside world fell silent.

File photo of a Malabar Parakeet in Bhadra Wilderness

On a long walk past the estate later in the day, the magic of the monsoon unfolded in the slopes of the coffee country. I saw along my way, a bell-shaped purple flower with tiny water droplets on its petals that kept it fresh and beautiful. As I bent down to take a closer look, a tiny insect walked out from the heart of the flower, having had a stomach full of nectar. I peeped in closer to see two more of its kins busy feeding. A little later, I found a bee-like insect hovering over small yellow flowers, sucking the juice with ease with its long and sharp suction pipe located on its nose, which allowed it to easily delve deeper into the flower. Big butterflies of all colours hovered on the blooming flowers – one with a greenish wing with a strip of bright white, another with dark wings with a sparkling blue patch and another one bight yellow.

Up on the trees with their barks crowded with lichens, birds fluttered and sang happily. I saw a scarlet minivet that stood out in the greenery with its crimson plumage, a bunch of babblers, a flock of white-eyes and a large number of bulbuls. A hawk cuckoo sat graciously on a branch and inspected its surroundings. On a sharp curve along a steep slope where the trees were spread thinly to keep the coffee in shade, the mid-day symphony of the cicadas amplified into an almost ear-piercing clamour. Streams emerged from the slopes, appearing pristine but probably laden with pesticides from the coffee plantations sprayed before the monsoons. Fog disappeared slowly with progress of the day, revealing smooth grass laden slopes above the treeline.

A let up in the fog reveled the valley of Bhadra later in the day. In the view was thick uninterrupted greenery covered the wide basin of the valley, with hills rising again at the far end. Reflection from the waters of Bhadra Reservoir sparkled brightly near the horizon. Fog played with the scenery like a curtain raising and falling, sometimes letting in just a glimpse of the wide expanse of the vista.

File photo – A foggy day near Mullayyanagiri

Later in the day, I spoke to Aravaind, the estate owner and former forest ranger, about the conservation efforts in Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. The reserve makes a good examples of rehabilitating people who once lived in the park and depended partially on the forest for livelihood. When the sanctuary was notified, the villagers in the forest were efficiently rehabilitated and every family was given arable land elsewhere in the district.

‘Some villages were deep in the forest. They had to walk for two hours to get to the nearest shop,’ Aravind told me, ’so if they want to have some chicken for dinner, it would have been easy to go search for some fowl in the jungle than walk for four long hours.’

I have seen some results of the rehabilitation myself. In places where they had paddy fields before people moved out, you now see a bunch of bisons carelessly feasting on wild grass. Spread across an area of nearly 2,000 km², Bhadra is a tiger reserve with thick tropical forest and a population of more than 30 tigers (according 1997 census. See project tiger website). The trees here are tall and the canopy so thick, once traversing in this forest, I heard bird calls all along the way from the treetop, but never once managing to spot the origin of these sounds.

Spending another day in the foggy but pleasing weather, we drove back to Chikmagalur next day, again in darkness, again wishing that we had driven during the day.

At the moment, I am sitting in a small town in Malnad region, enjoying the experiences of the rain. I might as well write a bit about what is happening in front of me.

File photo of paddy fields in the monsoons

It is cloudy here through the day, and rarely does the sun come out to say a quick hello before he disappears. There is a gentle breeze blowing most of the time keeping the air fresh and the weather pleasant. The temperature is just perfect, slightly on the colder side but not cold enough to take out warm clothes from the closet. I am sitting on an easy-chair on the veranda, sometimes reading something, munching something nice and hot, answering phones or trying to write this post. Distractions are many, when you are not too keen to write. And I am not in a hurry either.

After some letup for the first two days I was here, it poured well this afternoon. Rain excites me and makes me feel good, and I can just go on staring at the world. As I watched from the porch, a Magpie Robin flew in and rested on the grill, its whole body wet. Water drops dripped from its wings. It did not look like a happy bird as it shivered a bit, shook its body vigourously and tried to get the water out. They say someone’s misery can be another’s happiness: it was my turn to feel happy as I silently sat in my chair snugly, watching the Magpie.

Birds have been entertaining me well here, even when rains were absent for last two days. I was walking past a paddy field yesterday, through young and lush plants half immersed in water and telling myself that I had not done this paddy field walk in a long time. Getting close to a tree, I stopped, seeing a spotted owlet with its back towards me. It preened for nearly 10 minutes as I watched, and when eventually satisfied with its just-out-of-the-beauty-parlour look, decided to look around and see if the world is ready to receive it. And then having seen me watching him/her, its instincts kicked in suddenly, it’s neck elongated with added alertness. It flew away the next moment.

Along the paddy field was a meadow where many birds went on living their every day life. Some lapwings walked back and forth looking for food and calling their counterparts with a shrill voice when they found something. Bea Eaters sat on power lines and inspected the insects in their periphery. Scaly Breasted Munias hung around in small groups, again on the power lines. The lines seem to be favourite of every one: they hosted magpies, red whiskered bulbuls, mynahs and occasionally even treepies. Larks and lapwings were an exception – they preferred the meadow. And parakeets sat only on the guava tree in the garden, searching for ripe fruits. When they did not find anything of intrest, they let out a quick squeak and flew away, without wasting any time to sniff around and search thoroughly. Sparrows did not seem to have a taste about perches. They shifted location between power lines, meadows and anything else they could think of. Sometime they chirped continuously, sitting on window grills not very far from the porch where I sit and watch the rain from. When it rained, some of them disappeared and went into hiding somewhere. But thick skinned crows did not seem to care much and continued doing their work.

Buffaloes seemed equally thick skinned. After a passing rain, they sat on the small puddles formed in the meadow, trying to be as inert as possible. They barely moved an inch, staying perfectly still until a crow or a pond heron flew in to disturb one of them. A quick shake of head and the birds would fly away, allowing the buffaloes to return to their meditation. It must be a good life, being a buffalo.

File photo of buffaloes emerging from water

I am probably not being a great deal different from the buffaloes. My hands are typing something, and sometimes I talk, listen or munch, but rest of my body is doing little else. It is last day of idling for me, until I return to the city and continue the not-so-busy life I lead. But the buffaloes have time to while away till the monsoon recedes.

I am, of course making my monsoon travel plans, and thinking of place I want to visit this season. If you are thinking in similar lines, here is a list of places to consider.

	Chikmaglur. Visit the hills of Bababudangiri, Mullayyanagiri and Kemmanngundi the remain covered in mist for three months. See Ayyanakere, a large lake just outside the town at the base of the tallest hill in Karnataka. Feel the wet weather of Malnad region, see its foggy hills, gushing streams the green vistas. Chikmaglur travelogue.
	Jog Falls. India’s tallest waterfall is best seen in the monsoon. Fog and rains play with the views of the waterfall, making it disappear and re-appear every few minutes. The waterfall is reduced to a trickle for most of the year, but if there are some good rains, return to its glory in the monsoons. Jog Falls travelogue.
	Monsoons in Coorg. When I called up a home-stay at Coorg in the middle of monsoons two years ago, the hosts politely said that it is not a good season. It was raining heavily. But it rains that we wanted to see. Two days drinking coffee, eating heavy and delicious food and sitting in the the balcony with a book watching the rains come down. One of those things called perfect holiday! Coorg in monsoon travelogue.
	Ladakh. Ladakh is a monsoon destination for wrong reasons – it doesn’t rain there while most of India is wet. The arid mountain regions of Ladakh are a unique landscape not seen anywhere else in India. Friendly people, thousand year old Buddhist monasteries, highland pastures, amazing scenery,.. There is lot to see and do in Ladakh, I spent two months there last season and came back wanting for more. I have just begin a long travelogue on Ladakh.
	Cherrapunjee or Sohra. It was once the place that held the world record for highest annual precipitation. The record was taken away by another place not far away, but the charm remains. Like Coorg, this is another place where you go to see the rains. Cherrapunjee travelogue.
	Shivanasasmudra. The twin waterfalls, probably largest in the region in terms of volume of water that goes through them, gain strength with the progress of the monsoons. Shivanasamudra images and information.
	Lahaul and Spiti. A neighbour of Ladakh. This is another area where it doesn’t rain when rest of India is witnessing monsoons. The region has some of the most beautiful mountain ranges that India can boast of. Lahaul and Spiti Travelogue.

* Chikmagalur – Charmadi and Mullayyanagiri in the rains
* Driving to Coorg in the monsoons
* Driving in the rains to Jog and karwar
* Riverside picnic places around Bangalore
* Trekking on the tracks to Yedakumeri
* Hiking Brahmagiri Peak in Coorg
* Muthyala Madu
* Tubing in Kaveri
* Cherrapunjee
* An FAQ on monsoons
* Book Review – Chasing the Monsoon
* Monsoon image gallery

Come monsoon, many waterfalls come alive in the hilly regions of South India – in the Sahyadris and Nilgiris. Drive around these hills, and you encounter streams running down hurriedly every few minutes, each one looking prettier than the next. Here is a compilation of a small number of them – some of them very well known and some nondescript.

Jog Falls is the highest waterfall in India. A series of dams constructed upstream have now rendered this fall to only a trickle of water most of the year. Last year, good rains opened up the gates and the fall was in its full glory after good two decades!

Hogenakkal is one of the beautiful waterfalls on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Irpu Waterfall in Coorg is beautiful in itself, and is in a pretty location at the base of Brahmagiri Hills in Coorg.

Abbi falls is another waterfall in Coorg close to Madikeri, and is a popular tourist destination

A small waterfall on Ooty-Gudalur road

Muthyala Madu is just outside Bangalore, near Anekal town.

An unknown waterfall on near Chikmagalur on Charmadi Ghat

The stream fed by the waterfall above.

Thanks to a comment by Sanjay, I was reminded of gushing waters of Kaveri upstream of Mekedatu. Many small to big waterfalls occur before Kaveri slides through a small channel at Mekedatu, and this is one of them.

This is a waterfall near Agumbe, which requires a thirty minute walk in a leech ridden path. But the beauty of the waterfall amidst the dense forest is worth all the effort.

Missing here is the image of two waterfalls at Shivanasamudra – Gaganachukki and Bharachukki where Kaveri falls down from a good height. Unfortunately I never happened to carry the camera each time I was there.

The monsoons have hit Kerala, and moving upwards in their usual place, now touching Karnataka. This is a season every one us look forward, to see the hot days end, to see the green and beautiful earth all around us and enjoy the fresh breeze after the rains. For me arrival of the monsoons means the end of tourist season which means that there is no need to worry about crowds everywhere; it is time to travel!

It is all green and pretty when it rains

Although I keep hoping to travel more in the monsoons every year, I never do as much as I wish to. Monsoons are indeed a great time to be with, and feel the beauty of nature. For those living around Bangalore, below is a list trip reports during the monsoons, and other monsoon related content on India Travel Blog.

Beautiful, green, foggy and misty roads during the monsoons

* Chikmagalue – Charmadi and Mullayyanagiri in the rains
* Driving to Coorg in the monsoons
* Driving in the rains to Jog and karwar
* Riverside picnic places around Bangalore
* Trekking on the tracks to Yedakumeri
* Hiking Brahmagiri Peak in Coorg
* Muthyala Madu
* Tubing in Kaveri
* An FAQ on monsoons
* Book Review – Chasing the Monsoon
* Monsoon image gallery

It is so beautiful, it hurts to stay indoors

A wet morning near Bangalore

Author: Alexander Frater
Publishers: Penguin Books
Pages: 273

‘Chasing the monsoon’ is a book on Alexander Fraters journey through India, along with the monsoon clouds. He starts right at the bottom – Trivendrum when the monsoon clouds arrive in June and travels all the way north to Delhi with the progress of monsoon. He is there in Kovalam beach when people dance and rejoice at the sight of first rains. He moves northwards via Cochin to Goa and sees people welcoming the monsoons all the way. On his way, he does some research by meeting people at the meteorological department, learns the science behind these seasonal clouds that brings rain into India, and all about predicting the monsoons. He learns how important monsoon is for the Indian farmer and also to all those people who are looking for relief from the rains.

Set in the seventies, his journeys and many other experiences of those days feel a little outdated, but the facts and narration on monsoon do not change with time. In those days when he travelled, he had to find someone’s influence even to get an air ticket on board of Indian Airlines. He had to spend several months and go from door to door begging all the bureaucrats just to get permits to visit Cherrapunjee – a place that is open for all to visit now.

Besides being a wonderful narration of monsoons and making a good learning of everything that monsoons is, this is a well written travel story that gives a glimpse of the way of things in India’s the seventies. Sometimes the scientific facts seem overwhelming though. It is a worthy book to read for any one interested in travelling in India, and a must read for the fans of monsoon.

On the way to Thadiyandamol

We left on an overnight bus to Virajpet and changed over to a bus that took us to Kakkabe. A short walk towards Thadiyandamol from the bus-stop took us to King’s Cottage – a home stay where we freshened up and had breakfast. Nearly half the way up Thadiyandamol takes us through habitation. The jeep track passes through coffee estates interspersed with forests, and small streams running across the road. Enabled by the genius brains of some pig headed officers, part of this hardly used road has even been blessed with tarmac. Get higher than the habitation and we are suddenly greeted by bliss – unspoiled hills, thick shola forest and green mountain grass as far as the eyes can see. It is difficult find fault in this world encompassing a few rocks here and there, a few flowers breaking the dominance of the green grass and a stream running down from the sholas. Just how I would like it!

On the way up…

The trek looked easy till we reach a small plateau above the coffee estates. Views are awesome with many a layers of hill after hill forming waves of ridges somewhere in the distance. The stream above the plateau and a few big boulders offered a good place to rest and fill water for rest of the journey. The next two kilometers was not all the simple and it took some time and effort. It gets steep and tiring but the views and the surroundings makes the walk a pleasure. Last stretch goes through a shola that I would call ‘real’ forest. Another quick steep ascent and we are already at the top. It takes no more than three hours to make the journey, give or take an hour based on your fitness levels. And once on top, there is nothing else you would desire in life.

Views of the surroundings…

A lunch, some rest, some sleep and some explorations kept the time moving. We started back around 4pm. The steep descent is as much a pain as the ascent, but is at least faster. We camped for the night near the stream in the wilderness. Weather was much clear next morning and we did get better views of the place.

Clouds raising up the hills in the morning…

When we were back at the bus-stop, it was still morning hours and we had time to kill till evening. We headed to Bylakuppe, the Tibetan settlement near Kushalnagar. It is said to be one of the largest Tibetan settlements in the world. We walked around, explored the Golden Temple and a spent a few hours in the Tibetan village before returning to Bangalore in the night.

Inside the Golden Temple at Bylakuppe

The next time we went up the hill was in late October. We encountered residual rains that dripped now and then. And it was much more cloudy. Leeches on the way were bolder this time and hunted us even on the jeep tracks and grasslands. We returned back the same day and stayed in Madikeri for the night. As before, we had another day to kill before returning to Bangalore.

Rain drops on Bamboo

Aimless and plan less next morning, we toyed around with our options and decided to visit Dubare and Harangi dam. Harangi dam is built against a small stream in the forest. It was quiet, devoid of any people or noise – there were only a handful of tourists wandering in the place. The backwaters looked pretty, with some small islands here and there and thick forest on its banks. We drove to Dubare elephant camp from here, where we crossed the river in a motor boat, watched some elephants walking around freely in the camp, and walked a bit along the Kaveri. We did not stay here for long and drove back Bangalore, reaching late in the evening.

Harangi Dam

River Kaveri near Dubare forest

Our third visit to Kakkabe was in peak rainy days and was equal fun. Though we were determined to climb Thadi again, decided otherwise once we arrived and instead settled down cozily in a coffee estate home stay. Extract from the trip report on this visit:

We reached Kakkabe village at the base of Thadiyandamol at around nine in the morning. One look at the cold and cloudy weather and we decided against climbing the mountain and check-in to the cozy and comfortable home-stay resort run by Poovannas on the way. To tell you the truth, even when we started from Bangalore, I secretly dreamt of sitting and relaxing in the lobby of a warm Coorgi house, though I put up a brave face and made claims of climbing up Thadiyandamol. To my delight, I realized that my fellow travellers were no different and had the same thing in mind! And the fact that I had already climbed up Thadiyandamol twice earlier helped making the decisions. But end of the day, that‘s just an excuse, and we were just being lazy and looking forward to indulge in good things that came with the rains!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The trek up the Thadiyandamol starts from Kakkabe village, which can be reached from Madikeri or Virajpet by bus or car. It can be done as a day trek though it would be nice to camp for a night. It is probably a hike of an 8km or less one way. The best season to get the views may be winter, though my experience is limited to rainy days. For more information on reaching Kakkabe and nearby places to visit, see my earlier trip report to Kakkabe.

Also see other stories about Coorg on India Travel Blog

* Driving and sightseeing in Coorg
* Climbing up the Brahmagiri

Kushalnagar is the nearest town to Dubare forest and Harangi Dam. You can take ksrtc bus to Kushalnagar and then hire an auto-rickshaw to reach Dubare or Harangi. If you are driving, you need to continue on the road to Madikeri and take a left turn to Dubare after driving for 10 minutes, and right turn to Harangi Dam after similar distance. Ask for directions when you are in Kushalnagar.

As we drove up the hills beyond Kushalnagar early in the morning, the ubiquitous fog announced the arrival of the town of Madikeri. On a wet, cold and foggy Saturday morning, with visibility reduced to near nothingness and no soul seen on the roads, we arrived at Madikeri on our way to Kakkabe in Coorg. I first drove to Raja Seat – a garden where the king of Kodagu once used to sit and relax against a picturesque valley, but was predictably rebuffed by endless fog blocking the views, and the incessant drizzle of the cold morning. Despite the fog and the drizzle, it was beautiful, comforting and elating. A plate of steaming Idlis and hot coffee later, we were quickly on our way to Kakkabe.

More about Coorg on paintedstork.com
* Hiking up the Brahmagiri
* Driving to Coorg

On the few occasions when the rains did not lash the car‘s windscreen, a constant drizzle still kept the wipers busy. Every inch of the road was wet and every bit of earth was green. Distant hills were covered with clouds indicating many more rainy sessions ahead in the day. We were on our way to climbing Thadiyandamol, the tallest peak in Kodagu or its more popular anglicized name – Coorg.

Views of the distant hills from the place where we stayed

We reached Kakkabe village at the base of Thadiyandamol at around nine in the morning. One look at the cold and cloudy weather and we decided against climbing the mountain and check-in to the cozy and comfortable home-stay resort run by Poovannas on the way. To tell you the truth, even when we started from Bangalore, I secretly dreamt of sitting and relaxing in the lobby of a warm Coorgi house, though I put up a brave face and made claims of climbing up Thadiyandamol. To my delight, I realized that my fellow travellers were no different and had the same thing in mind! And the fact that I had already climbed up Thadiyandamol twice earlier helped making the decisions. But end of the day, that‘s just an excuse, and we were just being lazy and looking forward to indulge in good things that came with the rains!

The estate of Poovannas is at a picturesque location

We settled down to the warm hospitality of Poovannas and hot fresh coffee made from homegrown beans. We did not need much to do beyond sitting on the lobby and relax with a book or a cup of coffee while we watched the raindrops come down. In fact when I called the Poovannas previous evening telling that we shall be arriving tomorrow, the lady of the house said – “It‘s raining heavily here, are you sure you want to come?” And we had smiled, since it is the rain that we wanted to experience.

There is water and greenery where-ever you see

After we settled down, Prasad, the younger one of the Poovannas directed us to a waterfall close by. It turned out that the fiercely roaring waterfall was just five minutes walk behind the house and right inside their coffee estate.

Waterfall at the estate

I wonder how does it feel to live in a coffee estate with plenty of greenery and a private waterfall at your expense! We definitely relished the experience as we walked into the stream that flowed with full vigour. We stood in front of the fall, with its droplets lashing us as the wind blew into us, making us all wet, but completely amused. But for the cold weather, it was tempting to walk right into the falling water and get a back-massage from the pouring water – something I always look forward to when I am at a waterfall.

The stream is beautiful and was full of water when we were there

When we were not visiting the waterfall, watching the heavens bless the earth with raindrops or not indulging in the coffee, we spend our time talking to the Poovannas. By their own admission, they seemed to live a happy life with little to worry about. They spent a good part of their time looking after the coffee estate or setting little things right, like fixing the small leak in the roof or worrying about the slippery ground on the rainy days.

Coffee estate

But not everything was that simple. Being a little far from town, they had a hard time trying to get a mechanic to come all the way to where they live and see what‘s wrong with their new Maruti Omni. And then they spoke about all the good time they had entertaining eccentric foreign guests like the one who loved climbing tree after tree or the one who walked and walked and ate coconuts and nothing else!

The estate is a quiet place to relax and rejuvenate

Wind, rain and good views were always there

Another thing that we looked up to was food. The good thing that comes with a home stay is sharing the meal with the family and enjoying good local food cooked with love. You don‘t need bother to tackle professional waiters with a fake smile sticking on their face or run through obscure menus only to find nothing worth eating. Instead, sit with the hosts in the dining hall and serve yourself with all the delicious home cooked food piled on to you over an interesting conversation. Kodava food is delicious and especially worth remembering is the Kadambuttu with great chutney, ghee and honey to go with!

The Nalknad palace

View of the hills from the palace

The next morning we walked down to Nalknad palace that is just five minutes walk from the estate. The palace, built nearly 250 years ago was a retreat of then king of Kodagu – Doddaveera Rajendra. It looks hardly palatial but is pretty and is an ideal retreat. Anand, the resident in-charge who was looking after the palace showed us around and explained us of the courtyards, darbar hall, living room, escape routes for the king etc. It is built using plenty of teak pillars with carvings of designs and pictures of reptiles. Some faded paintings of animals and images of king‘s court on the wall are now being restored.

Darbar hall of the palace

Courtyard of the palace

After returning from the palace, I decided to sit quietly and listen to the sounds of the forest. Having missed my usual bird-watching sessions due to incessant rains, I decided to listen to them instead. The most raucous of the forest dwellers are the cicadas that never seem to get tired. Occasionally a bird or two was heard close to us somewhere in the bushes of the estate or in the forest near the waterfall. A pair of magpie robins and a few red whiskered bulbuls that I spotted moving around were the most prominent. Sunbirds and flower peckers came and went occasionally. Not to be seen, but heard often were woodpeckers and an army of malabar parakeets. The loudest of the lot was the unmistakable call of greater coucals. There was so much life in the estate and the surrounding forest, but it needed some careful listening to realize them. Unlike us human beings who always look for a shelter, they seem to go on with their life, come rain or come shine!

Along with coffee, they grow many other things in
the palace, including oranges

As the sun moved up(which we never actually got to see, thanks for the ever-present cloud cover) it was time for us to move on. We thanked the Poovannas for their wonderful hospitality and the great time they gave us. It was a pleasant journey back on the curved and inclined roads of Kodagu that gave way to the plains of Mysore and then Bangalore, with Dr.Rajkumar‘s melodies running on the tape. And as I write this, it is raining outside and I am still thinking of delicious Kadambuttu, the non-stop rains and the call of the cicadas.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The home-stay resort of Poovannas, called Palace Estate is located in the village of Kakkabe, around 40km from Madikeri and approximately 250km from Bangalore. The trek to Coorg‘s tallest peak Thadiyandamol starts from here. Other nearby attraction includes the Nalknad palace, which is just 5 minutes walk from the estate, a seasonal waterfall within the estate and the well-known Iguthappa temple that is a 10-minute drive.

To reach Palace Estate from Bangalore, drive on the Mysore road. Turn right 2km after Srirangapatna and continue till Madikeri. From Madikeri, take Bhagamandala road and ask for directions to Kakkabe. Once you are in Kakkabe village, it is another 10 minutes drive to Palace Estate. There are also state government buses to Madikeri and Virajpet from Bangalore, and Kakkabe is well connected by buses from both the towns.

For more on things to do and places to see, see my previous post on Coorg.

And if you are in Bangalore and planning to head out on a weekend, here are some trip reports and pictures from the past monsoon journyes I have made.

1. Driving to Chikkamagalur
2. Hiking up the Brahmagiri peak
3. Trek on the railway track to Yedakumeri
4. Driving to Karwar and Kali river region
5. Riverside picninc – places around Bangalore no the bank of Kaveri

So this monsoon, enjoy the blissful rain, and have a nice journey.