Team-BHP - Team Outing - Suggestions please

Scenario:

- A team of 15-16 based in Bangalore
- A budget of INR 1500/- per head can be stretched by another 250 - 300 per head
- Plan to travel during a weekend - Leaving Bangy on Saturday morning and reach back on Sunday evening
- Destination options - South Coorg, Wayanad

Does any one know of a reliable travel company that can give us a good bargain for tranportation?
We have been exploring some accommodation options - any suggestions based on previous experience? We are game for Tent / Dormitory accommodation also. The place should give us some adventure opportunities like trekking / rafting etc. Accommodation tariff should include food.

you could consider Bandipur/ Mudumalai - but strictly no alcohol/no smoking.

assume the budget is 1800 per head or so on per day basis excluding travel?

If so, Coorg is not a bad idea at all. Accommodation in South Coorg can be pretty limited at this budget. North Coorg / Madikeri area may be able to offer you more options at this budget simply because in North Coorg there are more options since more people tend to go to Madikeri to visit.

Wynaad could be a bit rainy and muggy and there will be lots of leeches around this time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnaganathan (Post 2080838)

We had a similar budget and head count for our Team Coorg trip some time back.

For Travel recommendation:
SRS travels -- ::Welcome to SRS Travels..

For Acommadation recommendation:
Capitol Village Resort
5 KM from Madikeri, Sidapur Road
Coorg, India - 571201
Phone: (91)8272-225975

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnaganathan (Post 2080838)

- Plan to travel during a weekend - Leaving Bangy on Saturday morning and reach back on Sunday evening
- Destination options - South Coorg, Wayanad

If you plan to leave on a saturday morning from bangalore and returning on sunday evening, you hardly get little over 1 day for any activities and there will be more travel time on road.

I would not recommend South coorg or wayanad, as it would be worth spending more time there instead of just 1 day. It would defeat the purpose of traveling that long distance (about 270 to 250 kms) and staying for a short time.

Mudumalai/Bandipur (or) nagarhole/kabini may be doable within the time you have, but the accommodation & stay are expensive there. You need prior booking as well.

Have you looked at Bheemeshwari resort option? You can do trekking/boating and other things within the budget. Also, the travel time is less. You can reach there in 2 to 3 hrs from bangalore. I hope you are not keen on traveling longer distance. Are you?

-Ravi

@Shankar - Thanks. But budget is a constraint. Company is providing only 1500 per person and we are already planning to pitch in 250-300 each - we have to take care of travel food and stay within that. So no question of extending it further.
@Kites - Thanks for the inputs we found a less expensive alternate to SRS - someone known to one of our colleagues is willing to do it at a slightly lesser cost. Hope we are not compromising on vehicle quality.
@MS - Thanks for the note. I have asked my team to reconsider - I am averse to leeches and so are some of the other team members. Is it so bad that we can't visit even the common spots like Kuruva dweep and Soochipara without the worry of leeches?
@ravib - Agree. unfortunately most of the team wants Wayanad - I was for North Coorg.

Thanks Rehaan.

The plan has been made - my team was adamant about Wayanad. Accommodation has been arranged at Ente Veedu where we are getting the entire villa to ourselves. Plan as of now looks like this:

02 Oct - Departure Bangalore - 5.30 AM; Breakfast at Mysore. Visit Kuruva Dweep island on the way and reach Homestay by 4.00 PM. Spend evening with Campfire.
03 Oct - Departure Homestay - 10.00 AM; Visit Pookote lake and Soochipara Falls and return to Bangalore.

Let me see how it goes. Since one team member and I are at Chennai, we will be driving down to Bangy on Friday night to join the rest of the team. I am looking forward to this trip so that I can put my new A 330 to good use. And may be this time I will write a proper Travelogue too:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnaganathan (Post 2085166)

02 Oct - Departure Bangalore - 5.30 AM; Breakfast at Mysore. Visit Kuruva Dweep island on the way and reach Homestay by 4.00 PM. Spend evening with Campfire.
03 Oct - Departure Homestay - 10.00 AM; Visit Pookote lake and Soochipara Falls and return to Bangalore.

Your 2nd Oct plan looks doable.
On 3rd oct, I want tol caution about two things. Soochipara falls and Pookote lake are in little different directions.
At pookote lake, If you go for boating that will take couple of hours.
At soochipara falls, you need to walk for 2+ kms one way (4+ kms both ways) in a steep path, from the place you park your vehicle. It will be time consuming and bit tiring. If you leave at 10 am, lunch will definitely be a problem.

Carry sufficient water bottles and plan for lunch well. And expect to reach bangalore very late in the mid night. Remember the Mysore-Bangalore traffic on a sunday evening is extremely high.

-Ravi

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravib (Post 2085519)

At soochipara falls, you need to walk for 2+ kms one way (4+ kms both ways) in a steep path, from the place you park your vehicle. It will be time consuming and bit tiring. If you leave at 10 am, lunch will definitely be a problem.
....... Remember the Mysore-Bangalore traffic on a sunday evening is extremely high.

-Ravi

I think what you are referring to is Meenmutty. Soochipara also known as Sentinel Rock waterfalls is close to Meppadi on the Vythiri - Ooty road. Here you can drive up close to the falls. You need to walk hardly a few hundred metres to get to the falls. But the climb down to the water needs some carefull scaling down among rocks.

And thanks for that note on Friday evening traffic - will keep it in my while planning the return journey.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnaganathan (Post 2085740)

I think what you are referring to is Meenmutty.

No naganathan. I did mean Soochipara, not the meenmutty falls. It does take good amount of driving time to reach soochipara falls and also the walking distance in a steep path makes people tired, especially while returning back from falls.

You can read the below post which will give more details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post2043800

As suggested in above post, please check with your hotel helpdesk before going there.

-Ravi

If you are looking for wayanad, check these sites www.streamvalleycottages.com , www.greengatehotel.com and www.coirvillage.com. If you are looking for coorg as destination you can visit honeyvalley resort, which works out in your budget and nature is at itsbest, they have a private falls in their estate.