Coorg — officially known as Kodagu — is a hilly district in southwestern Karnataka, draped in coffee plantations and spice estates. It sits in the Western Ghats at elevations between 900 and 1800 metres, which gives it a cool, misty climate that comes as a relief after the heat of the Indian plains.
The district has no single city to speak of — Madikeri is the administrative centre, but Coorg is better understood as a landscape: winding roads through shade-grown arabica, rushing rivers, and forested ridges that shelter elephants and leopards. The Kodava people, the indigenous community here, have a distinct culture, language, and culinary tradition quite different from the rest of Karnataka.
A short drive from Madikeri brings you to the Namdroling Monastery at Kushalnagar, also called the Golden Temple — a large Tibetan Buddhist complex with golden-roofed prayer halls that feels entirely incongruous with its surroundings, and all the more striking for it. Abbey Falls and the viewpoint at Raja's Seat are pleasant stops for those who want to stretch their legs without committing to a full trek. More serious walkers head to Tadiandamol, Coorg's highest peak, or explore the edges of Nagarhole National Park to the east. Talakaveri, the source of the Kaveri river, and the elephants of the Dubare camp round out the standard Coorg circuit.