Plan your weekend: Scotland of India surprises tourists with exotic scenery

Lying serenely amid high mountains, Coorg’s landscape stays misty throughout the year. It also stands as a popular destination because of its culture and people. The Kodavas, a local clan specialising in martial arts, are especially notable for their keen hospitality.

The best time to visit Kodagu is between October to May and the peak season for this hill station is within February to May. Kodagu is the largest producer of coffee in India. On top of every shopper’s list for Coorg is the world famous variety of coffee — Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta, which are grown here.

Also, it is one of the places with the highest rainfall across the nation. Undulating hills covered in lush green forests and a landscape dotted with coffee plantations, tea gardens and orange groves, this hill station has breathtakingly stunning scenic beauty.

Namdroling Monastery, Golden Temple, Iruppu Falls, Abbey Falls, Nagarhole National Park and Nisargadhama Forest are major attractions for the tourists.

In Coorg, you can do activities like microlight flying, river rafting in Barapole, rafting in Dubare, trek to Tadiandamol and explore the awesome Chelavara Falls.

Unfortunately, Coorg is not a shopaholic’s paradise, but it is famous for its organic farming and organic products. Signature spices like pepper, cardamom, cumin, mint, oregano, sage, basil, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and rosemary is found here in bulk.

The closest airport to Madikeri is Kannur International Airport in Kannur district of Kerala which is at a distance of 90 km from Madikeri town and 60 km from Virajpet.

Location: Karnataka

Distance from Chennai: 570 km

Interesting fact: Coorg was named as the ‘Scotland of India’ during the time of the British. The beauty of this region is well-preserved albeit the surge of urbanisation. The place also has a small river island resort in the outskirts of Kushalnagar. Here, the river Kaveri flows in all her glory. It is a government-run resort where you can also get cottages overlooking the river.