The best places to visit in Coorg (that are not tourist traps)

The Barapole River offers some of the best river rafting in the region, a stretch of white water with grade 4 rapids flowing along coffee and tea estates and tropical deciduous forest. Sign up for a rafting experience with seasoned guides and navigators who have worked the rapids in Rishikesh for a thrilling adventure. The Barapole circuit starts at the Kakkatt Kith River or KKR, a dramatic 4.5km stretch with five grade 3 and 4 rapids and thick foliage and vines along the riverbank. If conditions permit, guides sometimes let you swim some stretches of the river. Bose Madappa and naturalist Somanna specialise in rafting the Barapole stretch, and have partnered with two other Kodava rafting companies to manage bookings, maintenance of changing areas, rafts, and ticketing. Rafting is a seasonal activity.
Contact Somanna (9845567831), Bose Madappa (9448582412); IG: @coorgriverrafting

Forest trails for nighttime photography and herping

Sitara Cariappa

South Indian ScorpionSomanna Chettangada

Coorg’s forests are most exciting after dark. Photographer Vipin Baliga and herpetologist Somanna are among the few macro photographers and professionals who conduct guided night walks, introducing nature nerds and photographers to a host of nocturnal species like frogs, insects, snakes and spiders.

Malabar Torrent ToadSomanna Chettangada

With prior permissions from plantation owners, the walks are usually conducted within the property where the guest stays or in the hilly plantations of Madikeri, Kakkabe and Birunani. These are coffee plantations and cardamom plantations interspread with tropical evergreen forest patches where you can expect well-worn jeep trails or narrow paths. Keep an eye out for dragonflies, damselflies, praying mantis, stick insects, fireflies, beetles, wolf spiders, huntsman spiders, orb weavers, jumping spiders, tree frogs, bush frogs, cricket frogs, wrinkled frogs. At times, you may encounter snakes like the Malabar vine snake, cat snakes, Malabar pit viper and keelbacks. Start at sundown, armed with flashlights, headlamps and magnifying glasses. Trails last for two to four hours, filled with surprising stories about the nightlife of the animal kingdom.
7pm onwards; Rates start at Rs1,000 per person; Contact Vipin Baliga (9980672934; IG: @vipinbaliga); Somanna (98455 67831; IG: @somanna_chipps)

Madikeri and Virajpet for history and shopping

Most visitors to Coorg base themselves in the towns of Madikeri or Virajpet, Coorg’s most populous areas. Significant historical landmarks dot both towns. In Madikeri or Mercara, visit Fort Mercara, Raja’s Tomb, and tributes to key military figures such as General Thimmaiah Museum at his Sunny Side residence. In Virajpet, the Gothic-style St. Anne’s Church dates back to 1792 and the century-old Clock Tower, built in 1911 to commemorate the coronation of George the Vth at the Delhi Durbar, still stands in the heart of town. The streets within town are dotted with pretty homes and gardens set against a mountain backdrop. Shop for local products like wines, pickles or honey at Beena Diary or Food Banq, buy local Coorg honey from the Honey Society in town, followed by a traditional Coorg lunch at Thaliya or Church Side in Madikeri and Papera Gonnikopal or Umbala Mane in Virajpet.

Kasturi Estate for a bee-keeping tour with an apiculturist

Bee box with a plate of HoneycombsSitara Cariappa

Frame with a CombSitara Cariappa

Coorg honey is one of the most popular products in Kodagu after coffee, cardamom and pepper. Bee keeping is a traditionally practiced activity on Coorg’s coffee estates and harvested honey was mostly for personal consumption. Kushi Bhimaya, who grew up learning to fish, catch small field crabs, and how to keep bees, wanted to preserve her farmlands to teach her children what her father taught her. In Kasturi estate in Engilgere, she created a small farm called The Giving Tree to retain the traditional practices of Kodava land. Here you will find butterfly and bee-friendly trees and plants, like Lantana, Coatbuttons, Passion Fruit, Soapnut and Avocado. Bee boxes dot the estate, and there’s a mini museum houses traditional tools and equipment used in bee keeping. Join her on a guided walk that will educate you on pollination, pond ecosystems, and biodiversity, as well as the basics of beekeeping. You’ll sample delicious Coorg honey, learn to identify the difference between pure honey and impure variants, and end with a picnic on the estate. Plus, one of the best souvenirs to take back from Coorg is a bottle of seasonal honey.
Rates from Rs800; 10am onwards; Contact Kushi Bhimaya (IG: @tgt_kasturiestate)