Travel Tips

Travel

1. The best time to travel to Coorg is from October to May. Average day temperature ranges from 16 degrees Celsius - 26 degrees Celsius. There is a drop during nights  to 10 degrees or less in some areas during November to January. Hence, it is better to carry warm clothing.
2. Madikeri Town -  It is misty after 3pm during winter and some times visibility becomes difficult, especially for outsiders driving themselves. Take causation and use fog lamps which are must in Coorg, or for that matter in any other hill station.
3. June to September – Rainy reasons are good for adventure seeking travellers during monsoon time, it is romantic and haven for honeymooners. Highest rainfall is experienced during July & August.
4. Take extra care, especially if you are driving yourself. Pack medical kit with extra medications (do not depend on showroom provided first aid box which hardly helps), torch, umbrella, water, packed food, fruits, etc., Sometimes, it is difficult to get basic medication on the road side within Coorg. 
5. How to reach Madikeri, Coorg - You can reach Madikeri from Mysore, Mangalore, Bangalore and Thalassery. These are entry points to Coorg, well connected by all modes of travel.
6. Kannur International  Airport is going to be the nearest airport once it opens for commercial flight operations.
7. Konkan Rail is the best way to travel to Mangalore if you are travelling by train from Mumbai or other Western regions.
8. Bangalore Airport is the Gateway to Coorg if you are travelling from other areas.
9. Mysore  Railway station is easy to reach from Chennai and other South Indian cities. Chennai Express and Shatabdhi Express are the 2 fastest trains to reach Mysore.
10. The best way to travel to Coorg is to hire a private vehicle from Bangalore, Mysore or Mangalore and return.
11. Rarely do you get vehicles for local travel, especially during long weekends and during peak season.
12. Respect locals, local traditions, do not drive with load music in your vehicle which might disturb others.  
13. Drive carefully, especially if you are driving during the evenings.
14. Do not travel in remote areas during night time, roads are narrow and look similar and you might get lost.
15. Do not throw any waste/garbage anywhere in Coorg. Usage of plastic bags or bringing them to Coorg is strictly prohibited.
16. Smoking is not allowed in public in Coorg. 
17. Do not talk loud if you are in any public area. Kodavas are known for discipline and they will not tolerate any kind of nonsense. They will be straightforward to tell you (if any) and it is better for you to respect and leave the place than getting into any kind of argument.
18. Few ATMs and Banks are in Madikeri and other towns. It’s better to carry cash for food expenses. Most of the time, telephones are down, even mobile network does not work properly, especially during monsoons. You may not able to withdraw money in an ATM nor pay by Credit or Debit Cards. Hence, it is always better to pre-pay, confirm and come to Coorg for accommodation and transport.
19. Rafting activity (Subject to availability) is available during monsoon only., ie., from June to September. 
20. Most tourists wish to go for safari in Nagarahole from Coorg. We strongly advise you do go for this tour if you are staying for 4 or 5 days only. Northern part of Nagarahole where the Forest Department conducts safari is far from Madikeri town.  [Safari time: Morning 0630 to 0830 and Evening 1530 to 1730hrs. Charges Rs.300/- per person by mini bus]. You need to reach half an hour early to buy tickets and safari is for 1 hour. We advise you to stay in the Southern part for a night in Nagarahole or Bandipur to experience a real forest safari. It is definitely worth it even though it is bit expensive.
21. Dubare Elephant Camp activity is from morning 0830 to 1130hrs only.  It takes 30 to 45 minutes from Madikeri to reach there. 

Accommodation

A) Home Stays

There are more than 400 home stays in Coorg to choose.   Take caution and local advice before booking any home stay for your holiday. Home stays are to be booked for families only.  Do not book home stay if you are going with your friends or as bachelors.  You have many hotels and resorts in Coorg to choose! We have 15 plus home stays carefully selected by our team to book. 

1. Home stays are plenty in numbers spread over Coorg. Take caution before booking any home stay. Speak to the owners and take their contact numbers and note down their name.
2. Do not book any home stay where owners do not stay in the property.
3. Do not book home stays in remote areas if you plan to visit all sightseeing attractions.
4. Book any home stay in and around Madikeri town.
5. Make it a point to reach your home stay during day time, before lunch time, so that you plenty of time to change if you are not happy with the place.   

B) Hotel

Madikeri town is the place to stay in a hotel in Coorg.  40 plus hotels are available here for you to book. We listed 15 plus hotels carefully selected by our team for your stay. 

1. Coorg has many hotels located in Madikeri town which is its headquarters.
2. Coorg does not have any  star rated  / classified hotel yet.  Take cautions before booking any hotel, especially online. It is better take local advise and know many before booking any hotels.  
3. We get customers who ask for transport service.  Some of them do not know the hotel’s name they booked!! 
4. Book and stay in decent places to avoid trouble.

​C) Resort 

50 plus resorts are available in Coorg and nearly 20 are around Madikeri Town.  Remaining are spread over radius distance of 50 Kms from Madikeri town.  Resorts price starts from Rs5000/- to Rs.30000/- per night. We listed 15 plus  resorts  carefully selected by our team for your stay. 

1. Choose a resort carefully, there are properties calling themselves resorts with 4 or 5 rooms,  hardly offering  any facilities.   Please check their website, reviews before booking  them.
2. Ensure to collect contact number, address, talk to Manager if possible, call them on their land line numbers to ensure that property exist.
3. Book resorts if they are away from town with breakfast and dinner plan only.
4. We beat any price with any portal online when it comes to booking resorts either with our package or just resort booking.  

Food

Kadambuttu (Rice Dumplings), Pandi curry (Pork Curry), Noolputtu (Rice Noodles), Koli Curry (Chicken Curry), Votti (Rice Rotti), Baimbale Curry (Bamboo Shoot Curry) are special dishes available.  Coorg is known for meat dishes. Few vegetarian restaurants are available in Madikeri, Suntikoppa, Kushalnagar and Virajpet town.

Shopping

Coorg is famous for Coffee, Cardamom, Pepper, Orange, Honey, Vanilla and Coorg Wine. The Friday Market in Madikeri is an excellent place to buy local spices like pepper, nutmeg, cardamom and star anise, besides a wide variety of coffees, fruits and vegetables.  Take caution before shopping.  “Buyer Beware”

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