The Coorg region is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots, not in India alone, but in the world as well. Sequestered in the gorgeous environs of the Western Ghats, it is totally a nature lover’s paradise on earth.
Coffee was first introduced in India in the Chikmagalur hills by a visiting Sufi saint from Yemen, from across the Arabian Sea. On a small patch of land, where he made himself a home, he scattered some of the coffee beans he had brought with him, and they quite liked their new home. The British planters eventually discovered his little garden of coffee in the Baba Budangiri Hills and after that, there was no stopping its spread to other parts of this countryside. As they say, the rest is history.
This refreshing biking route meanders through scenic coffee plantations in the shadow of a fabled mountain range and provides on-road challenges as well as off-road diversions that make for a memorable day.
The ride kicks off from a little border town and has us pedalling through pretty back roads to a charming river valley. From thereon we find a smooth undulating road passing through a line-up of plantations and paddy fields before we stop by a beautiful spot by a river. Having cooled off in the pristine waters, we head out to ride on long inclines as the road reaches out to embrace the picturesque mountains. The hard miles will be rewarded by the glimpses of hills and deep valleys through the dense foliage. The road then sneaks deep into a remote valley where forest, plantation, meadows and a clear flowing brook conspire to create a perfect setting for ending a challenging day’s ride.