Kodagu Winter Ride .. #Day1 #Mandalpatti

Many of us have visited Coorg, read about Coorg but if you ask what is there in Coorg, you would rarely hear anything else than Thalacavery , Dhubara elephant Camp or The Tibetian Monestary or Abbey Falls . How many of us even could imagine Coorg is much larger and diverse than what we know about it.There's something emotionally satisfying about a bike trip. You don't observe nature as you would a distant beast, like an animal in a zoo. On a bike, you are part of it. Mandalpatti : Will bring the beast inside you !!

              Mandalpatti : At a distance of about 35 kms from Madekeri town, Mandalpatti viewpoint provides breath taking view of the nearby hills. The route from Madikeri is a great ride through coffee plantains. The view point is about 1600 meters above sea-level . To know more . Lets photos do all the talking :) 

Although its name is Pushpagiri wildlife sanctuary but you will not find any animals as they all are in their hiding places. Just visited this place to enjoy the ride . The view from the top is just amazing. It has the second highest peak of coorg. Post monsoon is the best time to visit mandalpatti .

When we reached almost top nothing we could see apart from mighty mist..everywhere..everywhere ..everywhere .. !!!!!!!!!!

The road will test how strong your heart and bones are. You will feel all the bones and joints in your body during the drive. View will compensate for the discomfort. In some patches there are only gravels . A good 9-10 km walk for those interested in trekking while capturing the beautiful green valleys. Recommended time of visit is early morning (sunrise) or evening (sunset). Once you reach you face strong wind and beautiful 360 view of green valleys.

With abundance of greenery, Adventorous biking is definitely one of the things to do in Coorg. And Mandalpatti is one of the best tourist spots to indulge in the adventurous activity. Climb up towards the Mandalpatti View Point via the scenic Makkandur route but be sure to pack some water for the way! A ride you will never forget on stone road !!

Entry to mandalpatti is closed by 5 PM . From Mandalpatti we reached Madikeri around 7:30 PM . Always Remember , Trip to Coorg will always be incomplete without a trip to Mandalpatti ! :)

Transportation:
Up to the starting of view point you can take your car or vehicle, but the road is narrow one. Jeep drivers will drive like race cars there, so be careful while driving. After reaching the start of view point your car can't travel in that road so you can rent jeep from there, no need to take from abbey falls junction. Jeep is safer one. You can take your Bike at your own risk and if you’re good at driving bike in slopes and rocks. The road is damaged but the views around you will make you forget about the road condition . Once you reached the start point after that there is no road at all, only mud, rocks and stones all the way up to the top, which makes the trip adventurous.

 
The land of the Kodava warriors, Coorg is a true window into what the natural blessings of the Western Ghats have to offer! The undulating terrains, thickly wooded slopes and misty valleys have enticed travellers from all walks of life for many years. It is here that you can see the scenic Western Ghats and their vegetation come alive in all its glory ..Along with the rain & the story continues in these thread  ...

Kodagu Winter Ride .. #Day1 #Ontheway

Coorg .. !!
                               I have been to Coorg many times and in different seasons, This is the place I love second most in karnataka just next to Chikmagalur , what an amazing place. where standing in same place in different seasons gives you different feelings .

Thanks to two days weekend off ! Started thinking about planning a ride somewhere .I had to dedicate a considerable amount of time understanding the thing I was about to jump into. Overseeing the climate , I had to make a quick decision as to what direction I would be headed and the overall strategy. Without wasting a moment, I started thinking of a new route where I could connect with a lot of inspiring people as well as a place which would offer nature in its virgin beauty. Secondly, it should be closer to bangalore so that i can return back in two days . First suggestion came to avoid kodugu since it's raining heavily ! Ofcourse that suggestion made us to choose kodugu as our destination , Oh ! yes its going to be a ride on rain !!!
                           

                             
      Kodagu is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. Before 1956 it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State. It occupies an area of 4,102 square kilometres (1,584 sq mi) in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. In 2001 its population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least populous of the 30 districts in Karnataka. The district is bordered by Dakshina Kannada district to the northwest, Kasargod district of Kerala to the west, Hassan district to the north, Mysore district to the east, Kannur district of Kerala to the southwest, and the Wayanad district of Kerala to the south .

We started from Bangalore around 5:30 AM on saturday morning , We took NH75 via Nelamangala . It was all alone morning ride , we stopped for breakfast around 8 . The sky with designer white clouds, colorful mountains, green patches of grass on background in early spring , winter is most beautiful if you have guts to brave the dipping mercury.  It was almost 2 years now I took this trip but it is still so vivid in my memory!! Coming back to breakfast , Can't miss Onion dosa on this route !! #Worth .

Agriculture is the most important factor that upholds the economy of Kodagu and the main crops cultivated in this region are rice and coffee. Coorg is rich in natural resources which included timber and spices. Madikeri is the headquarters of Kodagu district .

                  It is hard to digest the fact that with every passing day acres of forests are being converted into farmlands. People are encroaching into the protected forest and turning them into Coffee plantations...This is one view of Coorg which may not be the same in the next 5 years... :-( Coffee exports from India have touched 3.26 lakh tonne so far in the current crop year compared to 2.37 lakh tonne shipped in the same period a year ago. With this, the country achieved exports higher than the production in the current crop year.

                           Abbey falls is one of the most amazing attractions in the Coorg . The picturesque view of the fall will surely take your breath away and also provide you with quite a few Kodak moments. The waterfall comes down from a height of 70 feet and provides a superb vista. You will also find a hanging bridge across the gorge from which an exceptional view of this waterfall is a sight to remember.

                      We reached Abbey around 2:00 PM . Along with the rain & the story continues in thread ..  #Rainadventurebegins ... !!