How to reach Coorg?

If you are planning a trip to Coorg you probably now would want to know how to reach Coorg.

Coorg now called Kodagu, is easily accessible from all other parts of the country by road, trains and flights. Being on the hills, it has no railway station or airport of its own. So there are actually no trains to Coorg or flights to Coorg as such. One has to travel to a near by place and from their they can get buses to Coorg, cab to Coorg or can take their personal vehicles if living in the nearby areas.

As seen in this Coorg map, one can reach Coorg from Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Hassan, Chennai and Kozhikode(Calicut). However, the best way to reach Coorg is to reach Bangalore or Mangalore(which ever is convenient) and take taxi or bus from there.

 

The nearest airport to Coorg is Mangalore(domestic) and the nearest international airport is Bangalore. But Bengaluru being the capital of the state receives most of the traffic coming here.

If you plan to travel by train then you would need to board trains to Bangalore, Mysore or Mangalore. After reaching these places one has to take a bus to Coorg or can book taxi for Coorg.

 

The approx. distance from some important places is as follows:
Bangalore = 250 kms
Mysore =110 kms
Mangalore = 130 kms
Hassan = 110 kms

Chennai = 570 Kms
Hyderabad = 830 kms
Kochi = 350 kms
Delhi = 2400 kms

 

How to go to Coorg from Bangalore or Mysore by Road?

Bangalore is around 250 kms from Madikeri. The highways are pretty good and one can drive up to Madikeri easily from there.

Bangalore to Mysore which is around 140 kms is connected by SH17 and from Mysore to Coorg it is SH88. The total travel time for driving from Bangalore to Madikeri is around 6 hrs.

 

The route you may take from Bengaluru is:
Bengaluru - Bidadi - Ramanagaram - Chennapatna - Maddur - Mandya - Srirangapatna. From Srirangapatna you can opt to take the Mysore bypass road and save your travel time. It would take you directly to Yelwal.

And if you are going to Coorg from Mysore, your journey begins here. Continue on Yelwal - Hunsur - Piriyapatna road. From Piriyapatna you can either opt for Kushalnagar - Suntikoppa - Madikeri or you can choose Piriyapatna - Siddapura - Chettalli - Madikeri.

 

If you dont want to go to Madikeri in particular and want to reach  Southern part of Kodagu you can take the route via Gonikoppal for Iruppu falls, Wayanad & Nagarhole.

 

You can take your personal vehicle or you can go by bus. Again it would be a 6 hr journey by bus. You'll find many buses from Bangalore to Coorg. KSRTC buses a/c and non a/c run frequently for Madikeri, Gonikoppal, Polibetta, Virajpet etc. You can opt to go by a Volvo bus for a comfortable journey.

 

 

Booking Homestays in Coorg

Homestays in Coorg are one of the star attractions after the Natural scenic beauty. It can also be called the homestay capital for tourists.

Coorg being on the Western Ghats is a mountainous region covered by forests mainly. The rest is mostly a plantation area where cash crops are grown. Essentially spread in Coorg are the beautiful coffee estates and paddy fields. Pepper, Vanilla, Cardamom and other spices are also grown in the region.

Among these are a no. of small towns which are usually referred by the outside world as 'Coorg'.
Its distinct culture, martial tradition, food, language and hospitality, all these things make Coorg a unique place.

Concept of homestays in Coorg

The most talked about accommodation in Coorg are its unique homestays. Homestays in Kodagu are large spacious homes owned by the local people, managed by the household themselves which are open for tourist accommodations also. Some of the homestays are outhouses or cottages in the estates most coffee plantations and some are large traditional houses in the town.

Since they are managed by the house owners themselves like a normal household they are neither like a hotel nor a resort. It is like staying at some of your friend or relative's place. So you may not get the comforts of the hotel in a homestay but definitely you'll get an opportunity to live the local life out there, go for morning walk in the estate with a new friend(your host), enjoy the lip smacking Kodava dishes from breakfast to dinner and enjoy their amazing hospitality.

Picture of Casa Homestay
Image courtesy: http://casacoorghomestay.in/

Typically the houses in Coorg are large & spacious having large varendahs and courtyards. One characterstic feature of houses here are the tiled angled roof made of terra cotta. Thus, in a homestay setup the owner themselves would be staying in the main/ primary house and the tourists would be provided with separate cottage setups around the main house. 

How to book homestays in Coorg?

Based on your preference in terms of location, budget, approachability, interest and group size one should book homestays. There are hundreds of homestays spread across the Coorg region some in the main towns like Madikeri, Gonikoppal, Ponnampet, Virajpet etc and some in the countryside. Choose the one that best suits your taste.

One can easily book a homestay in Coorg. There are many websites which provides information as well as booking facilities for the same. Even there are specific websites by the homestays owners themselves which provides with complete information about the homestay and the booking procedure too.  However, there is one thing visitors should keep in mind while planning a trip to Kodagu, that as these homestays provide only limited accommodations unlike hotels in Coorg which have plenty rooms for booking. So they should plan and book homestays in Coorg several weeks in advance to avoid last moment disappointments.

Hope this article proves to be useful for people booking homestays in Coorg and specially for those who are not aware of the homestay concept. Hope you enjoy your stay in Coorg!
 

Coorgi chicken fry or Koli bhartad recipe

Coorgi chicken fry is one of the most relished dishes both among the Kodavas and the non kodavas visiting Coorg. It is called Koli barthad(ಕೊಳಿ ಬರ್ಥದ್) in Coorg. As the name specifies the main ingredient is koLi i.e chicken. A special type of masala mainly called the Coorgi garam masala is used in its preparation. This masala is widely available in markets but is best when its home made. So lets first see how to make this Coorgi garam masala at home.

You would need the following ingredients for the Coorgi garam masala:-

• 1 tbsp Coriander seeds


• 1 tsp Cumin seeds


• 1 inch Cinnamon stick


• 10- 15 Black peppercorns


• 1 tsp Mustard seeds


• 5 - 8 Cloves

Roast all these ingredients till they turn brownish in color. Do not burn them. Now grind them to a fine powder.
This particular combination of spices makes the special Coorgi garam masala. You can either make it fresh everytime or can make it in a little larger quantity and store it in a air tight container for later use.

Recipe for Coorgi chicken fry/ Koli barthad



Coorgi chicken fry / Koli bhartad

Following ingredients are further required for making the delicious Coorgi style chicken fry:

• 500g boneless chicken


• 3 medium sized onions chopped


• 5 - 7 pods of garlic chopped


• 2 tsp Coorgi garam masala


• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder


• 1 tsp red chilli powder


• Kachampuli/ Coorgi vinegar


• 2 tbsp oil


• Salt to taste

Cooking method:

1. Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp coorgi garam masala and salt for around 1 hour.


2. Heat a oil in a pan and add chopped onions and garlic and let it saute till the onions become golden.


3. Add 1 tsp garam masala, turmeric and red chilli powder and mix it well.


4. Add marinated chicken to this and let it fry till the chicken is 3/4th cooked.


5. Now add less than 1/4th tsp kachampulli. However, note I put less kachampuli because it is too sour. You can always increase the quantity as per your taste. If you dont have kachampuli, you can also add normal vinegar.Keep cooking the chicken till it is totally cooked.


6. Garnish with corriander leaves if you want.


7. Your koli barthad is now ready to be served hot with onions or salad. It can also be eaten with rice or roti or the Coorgi favourite akki roti.