While catching up with some college friends over lunch, I casually mentioned Coorg to them.  It got them all excited and before I knew it, they enthusiastically named places and things one could do there. One insisted that I make a trip to Talacauvery and visit the temple, while the other was gung-ho about Dubare, the elephant camp. But the comment that caught my attention the most was that which concerned a place called Cauvery Nisargadhama.

When I returned home, I suggested making a trip to Nisargadhama to a friend. Though we were a bit sceptical, we hit the road to Coorg, driving down to Kushal Nagar, and looking forward to touring the Tibetan Monastery at Bylakuppe. As we got on the road back toward Madikeri, we decided to stop by and ask a few locals for directions to our destination. Three kilometres from Kushal Nagar and about thirty kilometres from Madikeri, Nisargadhama is the perfect place to unwind.

River Cauvery

Lush foliage of thick trees, bamboos, sandalwood and teak greeted us at the destination, surrounded by the beautiful river Cauvery. It was an interesting journey getting to the island, as we had to walk across a hanging rope bridge; it was exciting as we could feel the Cauvery flowing beneath us. Spread across 25 acres, Nisargadhama feels like paradise. For those wishing to stay overnight at this haven, there are a few beautiful treetop cottages, guaranteed to make your stay more enjoyable.

Treetop cottage

Elephant and boat rides await adventure seekers, whereas families with children have treats such as the Deer park and a play area for children in store for them. Much to our surprise, we saw a few adorable rabbits playfully scurrying about. If you glance around, you might even be lucky enough to sight a few peacocks basking in the sun. We spotted these beautiful birds towards sunset, sadly when it was time for us to head back to our resort.

Deer park

Aarti

Aarti, based out of Chennai is passionate about books, music and travel. Having shifted gears from HR, she is now a freelance writer, creating content on a wide gamut of subjects.