Yay! Travellogue time again ð
Yea, so I “tripped” again. This time, not with the husband / family, but with colleagues! After joining this company, there were two trips planned, both of which I backed out of — them both being weekend trips, and it being impossible for me to sleep without my daily night quota of the husband’s hugs and kisses ð
This time, however, when the trip was planned itself, I was told that the previous trips were cancelled because I backed out at the last minute, causing a chain of backing-out! ð So, after much confusion and tantrums (me saying ‘don’t wanna go’, husband saying ‘go, have fun’), I gave in and said OK. I had no clue what I bargained for!
Anyway, after work on a Friday night, 14 of us set off to Chikmagalur, a hill station in south-west Karnataka. We left by about 12 am and reached Coffeegudda, the homestay we book for ourselves, by about 7.30 – 8.00 am.
And was the place awesome! After all the speculations of the place’s existence, we were all mighty pleased. And I say this, because when we Googled “Coffeegudda”, nothing turned up!! And of course, if it’s not on Google, it just does not exist, right? ð
But well, it did exist, actually! Tucked away peacefully, even beyond Google’s reach!
Well, the place is rather new, and the guys are yet to make a website of their own. All they have now are a few pages of CoffeeGudda hosted on wix.com, a free website builder ð So, I suppose this post of mine would be CoffeeGudda’s first official mention on any website! Yay! ð
CoffeeGudda: 16 acres of one of the most well maintained coffee and betel nut estates in Chikmagalur! A pretty homestay, mouth-watering food, fantastic hospitality, warm people, awesome surroundings, a gentle stream that meanders by and a waterfall of its own!! How much more can one ask for!?
Yes, you read that right! A huge, amazing, natural private waterfall!
An awesome suspension bridge takes one from the road to the homestay, over a serene, delightfully lovely stream that gurgles along happily beneath. The mood-setter for the vacationer ð I swear it’ll set your mood. We were all wide awake from our seconds-ago groggy state the minute we saw the stream ð The bridge ends where the gate is and a pathway starts. Lined on both sides by majestically tall betel nut trees, the pathway keeps you in its mysterious clutches for quite a while before it hands you over to the homestay.
Day 1 began with all of us freshening up and heading for some breakfast to the lil’ thatched shed. ð Hot idlis with some real yummy sambar and coconut chutney. Anyone who can make a sambar that yummm can make any damn food the most tastiest way! ð Oh and some very nice kesari too ð
And then, we set off to the “private” waterfall. I asked them how high it is, but they weren’t sure! Imagine having one’s own waterfall and not even bothering to know its height. Sigh! Life is very partial to some ð
We trekked up to the water fall from below — and it was a tough job! We had to climb up huge boulders, duck under fallen trees at places, cling on to ropes and pull ourselves up at others, get bruised and grazed on the shrubbery around…but when we did reach up, it was worth all the effort!
It was magical. There was just the water, greens, birds and us. It was truly magical! And standing there under all that force was awesome. It gave a lovely massage — water therapy — that washed away all our weariness, all the strained muscles, all the tiredness. It was just splendid. And I guess the BEST part of it all was its being exclusive to us. There were no mad crowds, no litter, no lack of cleanliness. The place was spotlessly clean ð
After spending about 2-3 hours there, we were on our way back. the trek down was tougher. We had to almost slip down the slops on the sides of the boulders, hanging on to just one rope for support! ð It was sexy! ð
We were all tired and again went for our baths and freshening up. Lunch waited. A real spread that was. Chappathis, two kids of chicken curry, egg roast, rice, sambar, rasam, beetroot subzi, cabbage sabzi, curds, pickles…and all of that in ABUNDANCE! We all ate to our tummies’ fill and praised the cook to no end! ð In fact, we were all surprised they served so much; we only expected a humble meal!
After lunch, while some of them went off to snore, a few of us sensible ones set off to chill by the stream. I swear! I haven’t done anything that “wow” in quite sometime. The time we spent at the stream was so amazing, we yearned to extend the trip and stay on for another day ð I personally wished I could just stay there forever, and tell the husband and parents and Pumbaa to come over with all the clothes and furniture ð
By about 6.30, we headed back to our rooms, freshened up (again!!) and sat around a campfire to enjoy the clear night! The temperature had dipped, and  the fire began dying out, one of us would rush to get more firewood! ð
After anthaksharis and ghost stories and dappankuths and more dancing, we had some yummy dinner. After which, we all split into groups, each doing their own thing. Some sat by and drank; some had pep talks, we played rummy ð I had sprained my neck as we trekked down the falls, and by night, it was horrid. I could barely move my neck ðŠ There was another trekking planned the next day, and i was almost sure i wouldn’t make it. And that added to the pain ðŠ ðŠ ðŠ
Came morning, and I woke up hoping I was alright. but no. Could still barely move the neck. There was game of badminton in progress, and while i badly wanted to join in, I was in no state to play.
A few concerned ones said I better stay back…but well, even if I didn’t trek, the neck wasn’t fine. Might as well trek, I said. And off we went. How can I ever say no to trekking? And well, it was just in a tea estate (or so we thought!). Now how bad can that get!? So, once again, while a few losers slept, 9 of us set off. A bus took us halfway, and then we were to get on to one of those open jeeps that resembles the ones that carry cattle ð
We were in for a major surprise. Turned out we were not actually headed to a tea estate, but was going to trek down an insane mountain range and trek up another!! We were headed to Horanadu and beyond!
The cattle jeep took us cattle, crossing little jungles and streams and coming out on to rough roads with the sun above us, scorching!
With us almost dangling all over the jeep. My neck was becoming worse that I ever imagined it would…but the scenery was soo good, I was clicking away like crazy ð [reached home to find the ugliest bruise I got from all that banging onto the jeep railings! sigh. Lesson: never click way while on an open jeep on bad roads! :D] And when I almost started wondering if I made a stupid mistake, deciding to come, we left the rough roads to reach the zenith of the mountain!
And the views took our breaths away!
This has been by far my toughest trekking experience! Mainly because of the incline. It was almost an 80 degree slope downwards — with NOTHING to support you climb down: no boulders, no sturdy rocks, no plants, nothing! In fact, to add to all the scariness, here was a lot of loose gravel! And nothing to even break a fall if one of us were to go tumbling down!
Except three of us, the rest were all plain scared to move an inch down. But the fact that our jeep had left us there and had gone all the way to the top of another mountain where it would meet us again, left us all with no choice but to trudge down. There was a guide who helped three guys. And two other guys and I helped down the other three girls. The scariest part was that if the person we were supporting were to lose footing, she’d take us along too!
And let me tell you, the slope isn’t as easy as it looks on the pics!
And that, is when I, for the first time in front of the colleagues, loudly and clearly yelled “F***!” ð I and the girl I was helping down had made headway and reached what looked like the bottom first. I turned around, clicked a pic and was just putting back the lens cover when I heard a shout from above. We both looked back to see a rock tumbling down right at us! My greatest fear was that it’d bring along more loose rocks and gravel. if that happened, we both would surely have reached the foot of the mountain in no time! As the rock passed us by in mere inches, I looked up sheepishly to yell out a “Sorry”! ð They pulled my leg all day for that! ð
As we trekked further down and finally did reach the foot, we heard a lovely gurgling sound. “Water!! Waterfall, more like it”, we all yelled and rushed forward to find this little beauty nestled among some rocks and dense green!
No. It just looks small. When we got under it, it was almost double our size. yet, the water came down with such force, that when we leaned against the rocks and went completely into the water, it was like we were deep under the sea! Awesome, splendid and fantastic it was!
We spent about half an hour frolicking there. The water was icy cold and getting people in was a huge challenge ð But with the effort of our official “water splasher”, we all were in, finally! Had a fab time. Though we wished to remain in for longer, we had to leave back to Bangalore by 1.30…and it was already 11. we had just another hour to climb back, another to reach the homestay and a half more to have lunch, pack up and leave!
Heaving, panting and almost dying, we trekked back. trekking in wet clothes, that too UP a mountain, is not a good idea at all ð Yet, we did it, every now turning around to catch the wonderful painting Nature painted. When we finally caught a glimpse of the jeep, extra adrenaline pumped and we all almost ran up! And we were on our way back to CoffeeGudda ð
While this trip definitely gets NO points for being a fab one by all respects, CoffeeGudda definitely gets it for being a real ‘getaway’, for yummy food, for a private waterfall (I still can’t believe the awesome luck of those ppl!) and the best trekking I ever did!
We bade goodbye to the homestay owners and left content, loaded with packs of CoffeeGudda-Chikmagalur coffee powder! ð
CoffeeGudda rocks! ð
ETA: Here is the link of CoffeeGudda’s very own website ð
Wow! from the wonderful pictures and the enthusiasm in your words I can imagine it well how much fun you guys had ð ð
It’s great your colleagues didn’t let you back out this time and you got to visit and experience this magical place ð
Loved the campfire shot the most ð
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ð Thanks CB!
Yea, the place truly rocked! ð
Thanks!
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Nice Tavellogue priya..Even the pics are soo tempting…The waterfall were just awesome…
Loved your trecking part that too with the sprained neck..
Any way attitude rocks..
Keep going n keep writing ð
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Thanks diii…
it truly was awesome!!
Thanks again ð I will.
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OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD time here
i shud not be saying the word hate but I am so jealous.. I want to go toooooooo
beautiful picutres, loeved eahc one of them simple beautiful.. One day ONE DAY God you listeninggggg ..
and you have desrcibed it all so well…excellent you had fun then ok ok heres wishing you keep travelling and visiting such beautiful places and having a great time and enjoying and we get to see all these beautiful places ð
Bikram’s
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Hahahaha…i think you’re the one who makes me feel the best after i publish a travelogue! LOL.
Thanks! I hope to keep travelling, take more pics and post it all up ð
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Beautiful pictures and loved your enthusiasm ð
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Welcome to AlphabetWorld! ð
Thanks ð I so enjoy travelling ð
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love the pics theyve given me wanderlust!
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Welcome to AlphabetWorld!
Thanks ð
And well, I canât do Sudoku either! Not even the kids ones! ð
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Gaaligudda is looking so tempting for adventures!!
Maybe I’l be there sometime soon… ð
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Go, go go! ð
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Wow… All the pics are awesome but the water fall is the show stealer and I even love that tree’s pic….
Thank god you went for the trip or else even we would have not come to know of coffeegudda…. ð
By the way you can actually charge those coffeegudda guys for their publicity… ð ð
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Thanks!
Yea, I’m a total water person, so you can imagine my glee at having found two instead of the one we knew there was!! ð
Hahahaha…true.
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Awesome pics, lovely trip !!! Just love them all….the greenery, the mountains, the stream, the waterfall – so much synced to perfection. ð Am glad u went on this trip. ð ð
So, hows ur neck now ???? Hope u are all fine now….take care. ð
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Thanks!
Yes, “synced to perfection” is right!!
Oooh…forgot to mention that in the post. Neck was perfect the moment we started the trek down ð
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Gaaligudda looks beautiful and so does that tree ð
Chikmagalur is one of my most favvv locations ð
Glad u hd a nice time and hope u got all that share of hugs and kisses that u hd missed ð ð
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Thanks!
Mine still remains Wayanad ð
Yea, the dear husband was wide awake till 2 am!! that’s when we reached back on a sunday!! early monday, actually!
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Lovely!! Glad you had such a fun trip ð
Awesome pics..esp loved the tree, the campfire and Gaaligudda!!
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Thanks. The trip wasnt all that fun, but the adventure was ð
Thanks!
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I wholeheartedly agree…. CoffeeGudda rocks!! For being a remote location where you just chill, enjoy scenic beauty and do things like trekking and walking and bathing in the waterfall…..stuff that is far from the madding crowd (and internet n mobile phones and pagers and all that)….and for the natural goodness of the place if u know what I mean…
LOL! I actually searched for this place on Google. Not too many hits…but I did find some pics on it separately though! IF they commercialised it they’d make a killing! People wud be scrambling to get there…
Hmm so I’m adding this to my list of destinations to travel to! ð
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Oh…and hope ur neck is better now. One of those trips where u nearly broke ur neck… ð
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Neck was perfect when i began trekking down. ð
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Oh yea! Totally. And i also forgot to add. Only BSNL was expected to have range, but even that didnt. Vodafone did, thought. So in general, none of us spent much time on the phone ð ð
They’re gonna bring out a proper website soon enough, apparently.
Don’t just add. Go too!
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What terrific pictures! I haven’t seen such tall trees in a while. Gorgeous snaps! ð
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Thanks! ð
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lovely… ð awesome pictures.. reminds me of coorg somehow.. espc the homestay!hope ur neck is better..and I m so J of u :P.. you so easily mange to post ur travelogues.. while i jus sit and sit on them and then post them after the whole enthu has died down! ðŠ
btw.. loved the pic of the tree… its so boootiiifulll ð
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Hehe…yea…homestays all look alike, dont they!
neck was perfect after we began the trek ð
hahaha…if i’m not travelling, looks like i hav nothing to post abt! ð
thaaaaaanks! i loved it too!
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Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhsum ! ð Loved the write-up and the pics ð ð
Tht tree pic is deadly :)..how do u manage to click such pics ya??
I want moreee!
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Thanks ð
Well, it was so beautiful…and i had to capture for future memories ð and taking pics while on an open jeep is such a bad idea! i have a huge now black-n-blue bruise on my arm ðŠ
There’s only this much. no parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 ð
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lovely lovely pictures !!!
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Thanks!
And welcome to AlphabetWorld! ð
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Sigh. I have told you this before, haven’t I? your travelogues need to be banned. They’re too good! And they invoke in me insane levels of jealousy!
And man, what photography!
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Hahahaha…Its surprising how you turn up everytime i posta travellogue ð ð
Next time i travel, i’ll remember to write about it, but block you from reading it ð ð
Thanks!!!
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Wow. Wow. Wow!!
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Thanks! ð Thanks! ð Thanks! ð
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Nice travelogue and beautiful pictures.. never heard of coffeegudda.. but am really tempted to visit that place after reading your post and looking at those beautiful sceneries.. I especially loved the view from that hill Gaaligudda ð The stream and falls.. wow.. want to visit it sometime ð
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Thanks!
Neither had we! But the place exists and is awesome.
Do visit sometime ð
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Wow!! very ‘scenic’ pictures….Apart from being a great writer you are a tremendous photographer tooooo ð
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Thanks ð I’m flattered ð
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Amazing place and awesome pics esp. the one of the tree and those little red flowers. I read about Pumba. We have a cute little dog in our wing and we have named it Cookie. She even has a Facebook page and has befriended our entire hostel. ð
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Welcome to AlphabetWorld! ð
Yes, amazing place indeed. Thanks ð
Cookie’s a cute name. What dog is she? And an FB page? Hahahaha…that’s so cool!
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Wah Wah…Never heard of this place…Such unspoilt nature!! Lovely pictures Priya..they are very inviting!! I would love to visit this kind of place…Have always wanted to visit chikmagalur!!
Thanks for bringing your adventure live through your lens!!
Glad to know you enjoyed there!!
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Yup. Unspoilt is the word! And i must say, they’ve kept it up soooo well. No plastics strewn around, no litter….just beauty!
Thanks!
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Nice travelogue! I’ve been planning on a Chikkamagalur trip and reading this post of yours has definitely got me totally excited about it. If you don’t mind, could you please pass on CoffeeGudda’s phone number? Need to make a good concrete plan this time ð
And before I forget, AWWWSOME PICS!! ð
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Welcome to AlphabetWorld, Rohit! ð
Thanks a load. If this post inspired you to go there, I think my travellogue achieved something ð
All the tariff and contact details are here: http://www.wix.com/coffeegudda1/homestay#!tariff
You can talk to either Ravi +91-9448890009 (he’s the owner) or Manjunath +91-9741521777. Do tell him you got to know about them from a bunch of IBMers who went there on 4th and 5th of March ð ð That’ll make them feel good too…hehe!
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The pics are really nice..
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Welcome to AlphabetWorld! ð
Thanks!
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We are going there this Saturday morning.. Pretty exited.. ð
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Welcome to AlphabetWorld! ð
Wow! That’s great. Have loads of fun…and share pics ð
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During one of my visits to bangalore I am definitely going to this place. Great photos memsaab and passionately written !!!! Unknown homestays springs up a surprise or two. The stream resembles achenkovil near to Punalur in Kerala though Some photos are here
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Good to have you in this blog ð
Please do go! It’s awesome, and I can barely stop myself from continuously saying that ð
Checked out that link: one word — beautiful! You’re totally right about the stream. I’m definitely going there sometime too ð
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great travelogue!! it will be on my to visit list once I have moved to Bangalore.
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Do, do , do visit! ð
And when are you reaching Blore??
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Very nice blog and pics. Chikmagalur is one of my fav destination…I also have small blog and jotted down about Chikmagalur
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Welcome to my blog ð
It’s a fab place!
Heading to your blog now ð
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Nice writeup…Enjoyed it…Infact booked for the 1st weekend of June at Coffee Gudda…thanks for the links too…
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Welcome to my blog ð
Thanks! Let me know how you like it ð
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Great blog and fantastic pictures. I dearly missed this homestay in my database. I think this homestay seriously need much online presence. certainly i will add this in my database.
Thanks for such a wonderful blog
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Thanks! ð
Yes, it really needs more publicity ð
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Hey..
Cool stuff.. Planned a trip there for this weekend… hope to enjoy ð
btw the links changed to http://coffeegudda.com/
Thanks for your info.
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Thanks ð
So, did you enjoy??
And thanks for the info, I’ll update the link ð
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Hey u did a very good job here…..explained each n everything very well ……n thanks for the vast info about this place ..we r going to this place this weekend n am sure ur blog will gonna help us alot
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Welcome to my blog ð Thanks ð
I hope you enjoy much more than I did ð
DO let me know how you like it there ð
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hi r u an ibmer. if so plz give your offical id.. we are planning for a team outing we heard abt this place and googled got ur blog. we need to know some details , plans resort and everyhting
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Welcome to my blog ð
I was an ibmer, not anymore.
Feel free to mail to my gmail id… ð Well, all I know, is already in the blog…and their rates and everything is up on their site. Will be glad to be of help, though, if you need to know anything in particular from a visitor’s point of view ð
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All this does have an online presence. But they dont want to promote it coz they dont want too many people at a time and they are scared that anybody who comes might litter and this place could become just another yanna! By the way here is the url for each of the places – http://www.escape2ghats.com – the group that will help you out with all the adventure activities. http://www.ghatikallu.com, http://www.coffeegudda.com and http://www.theeraa.com – all these places open up the best of Western Ghats for you, be it adventure sports, trekking, kayaking and what not… You can also visit them on http://www.facebook.com/escape2ghats
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Sir, It was a great tracking experience. A journey to Galli gudda was thrilling and exciting experience of drive by jeep in mud road of steep and narrow cutting edges leading way to the hill top. All we were 30 members from Bangalore, enthrolled with the seanic beauty of our rich Western Ghats. We had lot of fun and games at water falls. Claiming / Treaking to water fall was almost a unique experience. Really it was a refreshing and relaxing session at the Guest Rooms. Thanks to all the members of Coffee Gudda.
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Hi, I’m not part of the CoffeeGudda team. I was also just a visitor like you, and i just penned down my thoughts here on my blog. Please do give your feedback on their site. Thanks ð
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Thanks for sharing your coffeegudda – homestay in chikmagalur.
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Nice ! CoffeeGudda Amazing!
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Nice pics………
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Hey, thanks a lot for the information you have shared here. I am planning to go sometime in April this year. Do you think its a good time to go? Or will it be too hot? From the pics i guess you went during summers too. Which month did you go?
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