Team-BHP - Destination Coorg and More: 3 Weeks' Holiday. Edit: Doing a GQ (almost)

All right, folks... I'm headed south in the summer. By road. And I'm feeling too lazy to do my own route planning, finding good places to stay over at, and doing all my own research. So your inputs would go a long way to help me decide and finalise.

Broadly, here's what I am planning (not necessarily in that order):

3 weeks of driving holiday (maximum).
June 15 - 17: I need to be in Coorg for a convention - would like to spend a few more days there.
Stopover: Mumbai. 2-3 nights. Visiting my aunt & cousin.
Stopover: Goa. 3 nights. Been there 15 years ago, never explored properly.
Stopover: Manipal. 3 nights. Visiting BIL.
Stopover: Mahabaleshwar. 2 nights. Supposed to be beautiful in the rains.
Stopover: Ajanta-Ellora. Probably.
Wherever else between Delhi and Coorg. Criteria: Mountains, beaches and nature, but history and religion in small slices only. Be glad to totally ignore RJ and GJ - to be transited only. Have travelled enough there, and wouldn't want to step out of air-conditioning there in June. MH and KA are unexplored road-travel territories for me, and that's what I plan to do.
Rains: not an issue, unless floods occur somewhere.

Looking forward to all your inputs, and hopefully, meeting some of you out there too.

While travelling on the NH17 from Pune, you want to explore the Konkan beaches. Apart from that you can also check out the Gokarna beaches. There is also Marvanthe further down the highway wherein the road basically travels between the sea on one side and river/stream on another. There is a Turtle Bay Beach Resort in Marvanthe as well.

And if you are a foodie then don't miss Malvan cuisine on the Konkan stretch, Breakfast at Infantria in Calangute, Goa and last but not the least, Ghee Chicken Roast at Shetty's Lunch Home in Kundapur

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 1699996)

Onward Journey:
Delhi-Jaipur-Ahmedabad-Vapi
Vapi-Bombay-Pune-Kolhapur-Harihar-Shimoga-Hassan-Coorg

South Circuit:
Coorg-Wayanad-Ooty-Bandipur-Mysore-Bangalore-Hassan-Mangalore-Udupi/Manipal
Manipal-Ankola-Karwar-Goa
Goa-Kolhapur-Ahmednagar-Aurangabad-Ajanta

Return Journey:
Aurangabad-Ajanta/Ellora-Jalgaon-Khandwa-Indore
Indore-Gwalior-Agra-Delhi

Thank you.

Delhi-Mumbai is doable in 20 hours or so, as I found out last year (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1316549-post12.html). We'd like to stop at Mumbai for 2-3 nights on the way out. So my estimate is, we leave Delhi around 10th June, be in Mumbai by 11th, and leave for Coorg on 13th.
The other option is to leave by 5th June, and cover Mumbai, Goa and Manipal on the way out.
15-17 June is at Coorg to attend a convention at the Club Mahindra Resort.
Wayanad, Ooty and Bandipur have been on my wishlist. Bangalore we might like to miss out on, since we have been there a few times earlier.
Is the Indore-Gwalior section of NH3 good?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MileCruncher (Post 1700063)

While travelling on the NH17 from Pune, you want to explore the Konkan beaches. Apart from that you can also check out the Gokarna beaches. There is also Marvanthe further down the highway wherein the road basically travels between the sea on one side and river/stream on another. There is a Turtle Bay Beach Resort in Marvanthe as well.

And if you are a foodie then don't miss Malvan cuisine on the Konkan stretch, Breakfast at Infantria in Calangute, Goa and last but not the least, Ghee Chicken Roast at Shetty's Lunch Home in Kundapur

Yes, that was also what I was looking for - thanks MC. Any more suggestions apart from Turtle Bay Beach Resort, at other places?

As to being a foodie, yes, it's a big area to explore. Please pour in with all the good places for seafood too.

One shouldn't say much, once The HVK has spoken, but you may also want to try Yallapur - Dandeli on your way south from Kolhapur - amazing forest and bird sactuary. You can try staying at the Banana County Resort or the Kali River Resort - I know a chap there, let me know if you'd like to make reservations. You get to stay in quasi-tent acco on the riverside, and boat rides on the river Kali.

Ok, I'll focus on areas I know.

It is good you don't mind the rain, because there will be rain after June 15th. And it will be very hard, enough to scare most inland (non-coastal) people. But I don't expect any floods, that is pretty rare. It happened in 2009 monsoon after many years. So this year should be safe.

But here is the advantage of rain, your photos will be great, everything will look fresh and clean and green.

But beaches will be out-of-bounds in rain. The wind will be very fierce. You'll see a very different beach. The beach will be mostly claimed by the water.

Example:

Hardly any sand area left in this popular beach. Yes, the sky will be grey like that for weeks some time.

Destination Coorg and More: 3 Weeks' Holiday. Edit: Doing a GQ (almost)-_7163429.jpg

See the coconut tree fronds to understand the winds near the beach.

Destination Coorg and More: 3 Weeks' Holiday. Edit: Doing a GQ (almost)-_7163424.jpg

This is the time when all the beach resorts close for yearly renovation.

I'll add more later...

@ all: Thank you for your inputs. More details required as the plan gets fleshed out. I understand June would be off-season for the beaches and forests in that area, but peak season for the hill stations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 1700972)

This is the time when all the beach resorts close for yearly renovation.

Of the beach resorts, what can be expected to be in operation during the period, say, 7th to 20th June? Any suggestions? Non-resort hotels would also do.

@ roadie_swift: Banana County/Kali River Resorts sound interesting. Never considered Dandeli as a destination. Let's see if it can be built into the itinerary.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller (Post 1701091)

Of the beach resorts, what can be expected to be in operation during the period, say, 7th to 20th June? Any suggestions? Non-resort hotels would also do.

Just food, nothing else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller (Post 1701091)

@ roadie_swift: Banana County/Kali River Resorts sound interesting. Never considered Dandeli as a destination. Let's see if it can be built into the itinerary.

White water rafting will be available 30 minutes away from Manipal: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-page-2-a.html

But you may be little too early for that. If there is early monsoon, it could happen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman (Post 1701216)

Why not Chitrakote waterfalls in the return trip?!

:confused: You mean the one in CG, isn't it? ...are you suggesting an all-India tour?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 1701238)

White water rafting near Manipal... sounds interesting. Let's see if the family agrees... :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller (Post 1703075)

One quick query: What are the must see/do stuff in Coorg apart from what I might glean out of travel guide books?

Tala Cauvery (Birth place of river Cauvery)
Bhagamandala
Madikeri (Raja's seat, Fort, Omkareshwara Temple, Raja's Tomb)
Abbi Falls
Dubare Elephant Camp
Nisargadhama
Tibetian Village and Monastery

Must Do:
------------
Coffee Estate and Plantation stay

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarVegabond (Post 1704711)

Add to that Nalknad Palace, Padi Iguthappa temple, Irpu falls, Mandalpatti, etc