The Mandalpatti Hills of Coorg, Karnataka

The land of India is filled with beautiful and exotic scenery that can please even the pickiest of adventurers. However, most people are only familiar with the big cities of India, such as Mumbai, Calcutta, and, of course, New Delhi, but, in fact, this country has so much more to offer.

Take, for instance, the Mandalpatti hills, which are located in the administrative district of Coorg, also known as Karnataka. This region occupies a large area of 4,102 square kilometers in SW Karnataka and has a population of almost 550,000, most of them living in the rural parts with less than a quarter residing in the urban centers of the district. This makes Coorg the least populated district out of all 30 in Karnataka.

How to Reach Mandalpatti Hills

The Mandalpatti hills themselves are one of the prime tourist attractions in Coorg, India, located around 25 kilometers from the town of Madikeri, en route to Abbey Falls. In order to reach Mandalpatti hills, you will need to take a right-deviating road some four kilometers before the Abbey falls and that will lead you to the Mandalpatti hills. A little warning, though, since there is no bus service coming to or from Mandalpatti Hills, there are only two options; either a local cab or your own car. There are, of course, pros and cons to both of these, so the choice is yours. If you are unsure as to how best to get to the hills, I would recommend you take a cab from Madikeri as most cab drivers there will know the route very well. On the other hand, if you feel confident in your driving skills, map reading, or your newest GPS system, you can take the wheels yourself and drive there. But before you do that, don’t forget about renewing your driver's license as you never know if you’ll need to show it or not. Trust me, there are plenty of places from Madikeri to Mandalpatti Hills where you might be asked to show your driving license.

Test Your Adventuring Spirit or Have a Nice Picnic in Mandalpatti Hills.

Start your vehicle and enjoy the ride or, have a peaceful picnic while enjoying the scenery. You will love the mesmerizing sunrise at Mandalpatti Hills if you arrive early, by 6 am. A pass is required from the local authorities. Don’t forget to obtain and take the entrance ticket with you. The tickets to Mandalpatti Hills are only available near the hills. There is one shelter where your vehicle stops and this is the only place to purchase the ticket. From this point, you are free to walk around or explore the beauty of hills in your vehicle.

Mandalpatti hills are at the same time serene and calm on one side, but on the other, they call your more adventurous side and invite you to sit behind the wheels of your Wrangler and start driving. Once you finally get tired of driving, you can simply stop somewhere off-road and have a nice picnic with your family while enjoying the cool breeze and view of green hills stretching for kilometers in front of you. A wonderful way to spend a day in Coorg, India.

Author bio: Pamela Hardy is a model by day and a bookworm by night. She loves all things quirky and exotic. Writing has always been her favorite outlet - she will write about anything! Travel, Health, Technology – you name it! She loves traveling.