The Namdroling Monastery, popularly referred to as ‘The Golden Temple’ is one of the largest Tibetan settlements in India. Located in Bylakuppe, about 5 kms from Kushalanagara in Kodagu district, The Golden Temple complex is home to about 16000 refugees and 600 monks . Namdroling Monastery’s main entrance is an attractive four story tower with a wheel portraying symbols of Buddhism. The main attractions inside the temple are the statues of Lord Buddha in the centre with statues of Lord Amitayus and Lord Padmasambhava on either sides. Visitors can pray, meditate, give their offerings and rotate the mani prayer drums. Rotating these prayer drums is believed to give the same benefit as chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum”, the Buddhist prayer. Golden Temple visiting time: The Temple is open for visitors from 9 AM till 6 PM.
Bylakuppe is an area in Karnataka which is home to the Indian town Bylakuppe and several Tibetan settlements, established by Lugsum Samdupling (in 1961) and Dickyi Larsoe (in 1969). Bylakuppe is the largest Tibetan settlement in the world outside Tibet. It is located to the west of Mysore district in the Indian state of Karnataka which is roughly 80 km from Mysore city.
The Dubare Elephant Camp is a must-experience for the elephant lover in you. Karnataka’s history with elephants, goes a long way back and currently the state’s Forest Department has about 150 elephants in various camps. But in the recent past, after logging operations were ceased, there was a situation of freshly unemployed elephants.The Dubare Camp, where elephants were trained for the famous Mysore Dasara, found a brand new calling. Today, it’s a place where hundreds of tourists get one-on-one with their biggest (quite literally) dream.
The Dubare Elephant Camp is a chance to get to know these giant, enchanting creatures better. With a host of activities built around this, many a guest has left the camp with a sense of responsibility to do their bit towards protecting elephants. A trained naturalist takes our guests through the complexities of elephant history, ecology and biology. Roll up your sleeves and pitch in for an elephant grooming session – watching elephants being given a scrub-bath in the river, with rituals like oil being applied to their forehead, tusks and the other aspects of elephant grooming will change your idea of pet maintenance.Once the bath is done, learn how elephant food is prepared and how they’re fed. Mahouts will also demonstrate how elephants obey commands and how they functioned during their earlier role in logging operations.
Abbey Falls (also spelled Abbi Falls and Abbe Falls) is a waterfall in Kodagu, in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. It is located 8 km from the Madikeri, 122 km from Mysore, 144 km from Mangalore and 268 km from Bangalore.The waterfall is on the early reaches of the river Kaveri, located between private coffee plantations with stocky coffee bushes and spice estates and trees entwined with pepper vines. There is a hanging bridge constructed just opposite the falls. Flow is much higher during the monsoon season.The falls was earlier called Jessi Falls, named after a British officer's wife. However, the place was a thick jungle back then. Years later, the waterfall was discovered by Mr. Neravanda B. Nanaiah who bought the place from the government and converted it into a coffee and spice plantation, which still surrounds the waterfall today.
Mercara Gold Estate is a 25 year old coffee and spice farm 8 KM from Madikeri, Coorg. The farm is unique as all the spices are grown and well organized. There is also coffee processing and roasting at the estate itself. The estate offers a guided tour of the farm and visitors are introduced to all the different crops as well as roasting process. The tour takes about a hour and coffee is served at the end of it. Visitors also can buy some farm fresh products. Starting 19th September 2023 we add a new attraction to the visitors - The Mercara Gold Estate - World Coffee Museum! Themed to trace the journey of coffee from birth to present day both by era and geography, the Mercara Gold Estate - World Coffee Museum shall give visitors the most immersive coffee experience ever! We charge INR 300 per adult for the visit which includes a cup of estate fresh filter coffee at the end of the tour.
Raja's Seat (Seat of the King) is a culturally significant site and tourist attraction in Madikeri of Coorg District. It is 270km away from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka.Raja's Seat is located in the middle of a garden called as Gandhi Mantap. It is a structure made of brick and mortar and consists of four pillars that are bridged by arches. This place was used by the Kings and the Queens of Kodagu who were the rulers of Karnataka for over 200 years from 1600 to 1834 CE The garden is known for its scenery, and was a favourite place of recreation for the Rajas, and hence was permanently associated with them. It is built on a high level ground overlooking the cliffs and valleys to the west.