Attractions in Coorg (Madikeri)

3 places to see, with what each one is and how long it takes.

Abbey Falls

Attraction

About seventy feet, dropping through a private coffee estate and seen from a suspension bridge rather than from the base. Full in the monsoon and a trickle by March.

Bylakuppe Namdroling Monastery

Attraction

Namdroling, the largest Nyingma centre outside Tibet, with three gilded figures about sixty feet tall in the main hall. Foreign nationals need a protected-area permit for Bylakuppe, which catches people out.

Raja's Seat

Viewpoint

A small pavilion in a public garden where the Kodagu rajas came to watch the sun go down, and the view west over the valleys is still the reason. Crowded at dusk, with a musical fountain you may or may not want.

Elsewhere in Karnataka

Not in Coorg (Madikeri) — these are in other towns across the state.

Chennakeshava Temple (Belur)

Attraction

Belur & Halebidu

Hoysala work from 1117, cut in soapstone, which holds detail granite will not. The forty-two bracket figures under the eaves are what people come for. Still a working temple, so shoes off, and expect a queue at festival times.

Kodachadri Peak

Viewpoint

Kodachadri

The grassland summit with the Sarvajna Peetha shrine and panoramic cloud-sea sunrise views.

Om Beach

Attraction

Gokarna

The famous natural golden sand beach shaped exactly like the sacred spiritual symbol Om, popular for water sports and independent cafes.

Vittala Temple Complex

Attraction

Hampi

The stone chariot is a Garuda shrine rather than a vehicle, and its wheels once turned. The musical pillars in the hall are now roped off — too many people struck them. Come at opening; this is the most visited thing in Hampi.