Amazing Coorg

Come February and the air in Coorg is filled with the heavy Jasmine-like fragrance of snow white Coffee blossoms, heralding the onset of the Coffee season...

A thing of beauty, shrouded in the mists of time and legend, Coorg is a land that fascinates and provokes strong emotions. Desirable yet elusive, it has stoked the passions and curiosity of philosophers, poets and kings: it has warmly welcomed guests, and handily repelled invaders with equal aplomb. The handsome and hardy Coorgs, with their unique socio-cultural habits are as renowned hosts as they are warriors. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself listening to tales of the land over a convivial cup of coffee with someone you’ve just met, in one of the sprawling plantation homesteads that dot these picture postcard hills.

Coorg or Kodagu (originally called Kodaimalenadu) means 'dense forest on a steep hill' and is situated between 900 and 1525 m above sea level on the hilly Western Ghats, with the highest peaks rising almost 1750 m above sea level. Set amidst verdant valleys, imposing mountains, acres and acres of coffee and oranges, and bounteous hardwood forests with the subtle fragrance of cloves, pepper and cardamom wafting across, Coorg is one of the last remaining bastions of an age bygone.

Coorg has a unique and traditional system of conservation. Devarkadus or sacred forests, a few acres large, surround many temples. These little patches of forests, where no hunting or chopping trees are allowed, enhance the ecology of the estate zones and provide safe haven to small animals like wild boar and deer.