[princezahed]

Hi Everyone.For those who do not know me,let me introduce myself.Iam Zahed,a 25yr old engineer/MBA from bangalore.A few of the members like mclaren1885,psycho,wolf etc know me from the days when i used to hang around until i got busy with other things.My technical knowledge of engines is limited so i keep to just reading and driving and post very less.

The reason for this thread is as stated above.Iam starting a Homestay/resort in coorg so i thought the best place to get suggestions is from our very own tbhp community.

The place is located exactly 5kms from madikeri town in a small coffee plantation.It is a silent place with not much of noise or disturbances.It also has a small perennial water stream flowing across it just to make things that much more nice and romantic.Work is going on as we speak.Since a lot of our members frequent coorg, i thought it would be best to know from everyone what they expect from a homestay in terms of luxury,comfort,pricing,food etc.

Anyone who would like to give feedback or suggestions is really welcome and all suggestions would be highly appreciated.We also need a name for it and for now the only name I can think of is SILENT VALLEY. If anyone can think of some good names and my family likes it then we would name the place after that name.

One thing for sure is I would like to make this homestay different from the hundreds of other homestays in coorg.If anyone would like to share information about other homestays in terms of the facilities,cost etc of those places too it would be helpful to me.

Iam looking forward to suggestions from our members and I know that I can expect good response because at the end of it all the place would be a part of the tbhp community.Since Iam in coorg most of the time now,I may not reply on time but I will try my best to keep everyone updated.

Iam on the verge of buying a 96 model MM540DP in coorg.its a single owner jeep in good running condition.How much can i pay for it?the owner is quoting about 1.6lakhs.

I also need help from our members to get a website for the same up and running once the name has been decided.Any help would be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Zahed

[akroy]

I stayed in a Resort called Capitol Village, 5 km from Madikeri on Siddapur Road and I liked the place a lot. WHere is Silent Valley located?

Few params which customers prefer:
1) Excellent food (homely kind, local coffee/tea)
2) Clean Ambience
3) Pricing (people should say "I dont mind paying it" rather than "It was damn expensive")

Thats what I can think of as of now. Pls PM me your resort link / phone numbers so that we can try this out in the next trip.

Abhi

[santhosh_kumard]

Hey Zahed,
Amazing to hear about your venture and all the best for it.
If I am to visit alongwith my family , I would look for
- Accessibility by a car ( I should not need a 4X4 to reach the place / parking lot atleast ).
- Cleanliness
- Peace
- Good clean food of both variety ( N-Veg / Veg ).
- A good bathroom/restroom.
- Courteous staff who can speak one of hindi/english would be excellent, so that they can help me with my sight-seeing trips and add recommendations. They should not be intrusive too.
- If I am to visit Coorg, a hot shower would rate above provision to watch TV ( its a personal taste ).
- Some books to read / some games to play ( chess/scrabble/ludo ) so that I can laze around and play with my family.
- Availabilty of good , fresh COFFEEE in the morning.
These I guess would be my list of requirements. Hope this doesnt put you in exhaustion. What would be the price range my friend and when are you planning to open it up?.

One more suggestion:
- Discount to T-BHP-ians ??. LOL

[khan_sultan]

Congrats & best of luck Zahed on your venture. Do keep all of us posted and I would for sure make use of your home stay on my next visit to Coorg.

Apart from the above I would add the following:

• The place should designed to give a sense of space & privacy. It should NOT be claustrophobic. (I know space is not an issue in Coorg estates).

• Small and comfortable places/rooms in clusters, spread apart by some space would be ideal.

• Since the home stay would usually be far off from the town, facility to buy some regular stuff should there -- such as Cigarettes, (even drinks :-)) etc.

• Pets. If you plan on keeping Dogs/Cats (or other pets) at the home stay, please be sensitive to the guests preferences. Not everyone would want even the most beautiful dog literally licking their clothes etc

That's it for now

Cheers,

[princezahed]

Originally Posted by santhosh_kumard

Hey Zahed,
Amazing to hear about your venture and all the best for it.
If I am to visit alongwith my family , I would look for
- Accessibility by a car ( I should not need a 4X4 to reach the place / parking lot atleast ).
- Cleanliness
- Peace
- Good clean food of both variety ( N-Veg / Veg ).
- A good bathroom/restroom.
- Courteous staff who can speak one of hindi/english would be excellent, so that they can help me with my sight-seeing trips and add recommendations. They should not be intrusive too.
- If I am to visit Coorg, a hot shower would rate above provision to watch TV ( its a personal taste ).
- Some books to read / some games to play ( chess/scrabble/ludo ) so that I can laze around and play with my family.
- Availabilty of good , fresh COFFEEE in the morning.
These I guess would be my list of requirements. Hope this doesnt put you in exhaustion. What would be the price range my friend and when are you planning to open it up?.

One more suggestion:
- Discount to T-BHP-ians ??. LOL

Hi Santhosh,thanks for the reply.
-As of now the road is motorable only in a 4x4 thanks to the heavy rains and trucks plying with load but once the place has been completed we will be doing something about the road to make sure that even in monsoon a normal car can travel.during summers its not a problem since i have even taken my alto there.
-The place will be kept clean for sure because that is one thing everyone looks for.
-It is a silent place with no noises except the sound of a tiller in a paddy field far away once in a while.
- Planning to have authentic Coorgi food along with our regular food.Hope i can find a good cook for that.
- Each bathroom would have a western toilet with provisions for hot water in the form of a geyser.
- Iam planning to manage the place myself atleast initially so that guests dont have a problem with the language.Later on staff will be chosen so that they are courteous and can speak english/hindi.
- I had already thought of the games to play part and will surely have some ludo/chess/carromboard/scrabble.Not sure if i can have books though.
Apart from this iam also planning to take up an internet connection so that despite being far away guests are still in touch with the outside world.
- Coffee/tea would be provided for sure complimentary.we havent decided about the breakfast/lunch/dinner options yet whether to keep it separate or have it included.
- We will also have provisions to provide body massage by a professional in the comfort of the room.

Construction work is going on as of now and will be done in 2phases.The first phase will be a 3bedroom house with hall,kitchen,dining which should be ready within a month or so. Phase 2 will have 2 cottages of 2 rooms each of which 1 will have a bath tub and the other a shower cubicle and shower panel. That should be done by september or october.
-Price range hasnt been fixed as yet but would be less.I dont want to get the pricing wrong atleast initially.

At the end of the day,I dont want to make a customer,but I want to build a relationship that will be long lasting.

Originally Posted by akroy

I stayed in a Resort called Capitol Village, 5 km from Madikeri on Siddapur Road and I liked the place a lot. WHere is Silent Valley located?

Few params which customers prefer:
1) Excellent food (homely kind, local coffee/tea)
2) Clean Ambience
3) Pricing (people should say "I dont mind paying it" rather than "It was damn expensive")

Thats what I can think of as of now. Pls PM me your resort link / phone numbers so that we can try this out in the next trip.

Abhi

Hi Abhi.We havent yet decided on the name.Silent Vally is just a tentative name.If you or any other tbhpian can come up with a better name then the place would be name after that.It is on the madikeri-virajpet road,exactly 5kms from cariappa circle.I have mentioned a few points in the above quote regarding the issues that you came up with. Once the place is up and running i will surely inform everyone on tbhp of it and provide contact details.

[princezahed]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Congrats & best of luck Zahed on your venture. Do keep all of us posted and I would for sure make use of your home stay on my next visit to Coorg.

Apart from the above I would add the following:

• The place should designed to give a sense of space & privacy. It should NOT be claustrophobic. (I know space is not an issue in Coorg estates).

• Small and comfortable places/rooms in clusters, spread apart by some space would be ideal.

• Since the home stay would usually be far off from the town, facility to buy some regular stuff should there -- such as Cigarettes, (even drinks :-)) etc.

• Pets. If you plan on keeping Dogs/Cats (or other pets) at the home stay, please be sensitive to the guests preferences. Not everyone would want even the most beautiful dog literally licking their clothes etc

That's it for now

Cheers,

Hi Shahnawaz.Thanks for the suggestions.One thing for sure the place would give enough space and privacy.Infact there are 1-2 areas of the estate where you could spend time alone or with your partner and unless someone comes up to you no one would know about your existence there.

-There will be 7rooms totally in the estate of which 3 would be in a house that existed when i bought the place(being renovated though) and 2 new cottages of 2 rooms each would be built amongst the coffee bushes to give the feeling of staying in an estate.

-The estate is just 5kms from town.I may be able to provide regular stuff like cigarettes but not sure if i would sell liquor because of religious reasons.However i cant stop guests from drinking though

-As for me keeping pets, i would not let guests feel uncomfortable with the animals moving around or scaring them.I would build a kennel if needed.

Please read my reply to Santhosh where i have mentioned most of the things that we had thought of till now for the homestay.Will surely keep everyone posted. In the meantime do you think paying 1.6lakhs is worth for the jeep i have mentioned above?

[dicorex4x4]

My views:

1. A local name would sound better. Silent Valley and similar names are so cliched.

2. The access road should not be too easy. If you can design it in such a way that the normal car will get through, but with some difficulty, that will keep a lot of the crowd away - which is a good thing.

3. More local than global cuisine - I wouldn't want to come to an exotic place like yours and see the standard fare on the menu. Alcohol and tobacco stock only if you think so. Even otherwise, see 6 below. BYOB from the local.

4. Don't have a website with online bookings. However, make sure your name and number get published in travel magazines (if you like) with the remark - "you cannot book online. Call the owner Zahed at xxxx to reserve your homestay" This makes it more attractive.

5. No internet access please - at least not a dedicated room or a PC.

6. Something to do during the day - a walking tour of the estate by you or your staff. Accompanying the staff to the local market to buy groceries. Activities like these give you the flavour of a homestay.

More as I think of them. Hope this helps.

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by princezahed

In the meantime do you think paying 1.6lakhs is worth for the jeep i have mentioned above?

Don't know man Too many variables involved. How much driven, condition, 2WD/4WD etc. If everything is ok and is they way it seems and NO work is required, then 1.6 may be a good price. However; I am no expert on MM5XX prices

Originally Posted by dicorex4x4

...

1. A local name would sound better. Silent Valley and similar names are so cliched.

It should be a mix of traditional + easy to recall name.

[princezahed]

Originally Posted by dicorex4x4

My views:

1. A local name would sound better. Silent Valley and similar names are so cliched.

2. The access road should not be too easy. If you can design it in such a way that the normal car will get through, but with some difficulty, that will keep a lot of the crowd away - which is a good thing.

3. More local than global cuisine - I wouldn't want to come to an exotic place like yours and see the standard fare on the menu. Alcohol and tobacco stock only if you think so. Even otherwise, see 6 below. BYOB from the local.

4. Don't have a website with online bookings. However, make sure your name and number get published in travel magazines (if you like) with the remark - "you cannot book online. Call the owner Zahed at xxxx to reserve your homestay" This makes it more attractive.

5. No internet access please - at least not a dedicated room or a PC.

6. Something to do during the day - a walking tour of the estate by you or your staff. Accompanying the staff to the local market to buy groceries. Activities like these give you the flavour of a homestay.

More as I think of them. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply DicorEx4x4.
1. Any name suggestions??

2. The access road passes through a village surrounded by coffee estates and houses and the final approach to the estate is through a mud road surrounded by forest greenery.It is nestled away from prying eyes.

3. No plans of keeping the endless menu like those in a restaurtant. More emphasis would be on local coorgi food and some other common things just incase guests dont want the local food.Regarding alcohol and tobacco,iam not sure if we would stock it because most of the people usually carry their own.for emergency sake maybe some tobacco but no alcohol storage for sure.

4.Maybe not online booking but will surely have a website with contact details so anyone could call/email to book.Regarding publishing in travel books,i would need help on that because i dont know anyone who could help me do that.

5. No dedicated internet room like a cyber cafe.Just my own personal pc/laptop being provided to check mails or maybe guests could connect via WiFi with their own laptops.(Thats if i can manage to get a net connection there)

6. The estate is very small.would not even take an hour to cover it.What guests can do during the day is play in the water stream flowing through the estate,spend some time sitting just taking in nature or go for a walk through the village.the more adventurous one could take a trek right upto town which may take about an hour or so. I like the idea of guests accompanying staff to the town to buy groceries.

Liked your suggestions a lot,Thanks for them

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

Don't know man Too many variables involved. How much driven, condition, 2WD/4WD etc. If everything is ok and is they way it seems and NO work is required, then 1.6 may be a good price. However; I am no expert on MM5XX prices




It should be a mix of traditional + easy to recall name.

Its a 4wd and is in good running condition.most of the people around,including mechanics speak well of the jeep since they have seen it day in and day out.

[tsk1979]

Silent valley resort already exists in KA. I suggest you think of a different name.

[princezahed]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Silent valley resort already exists in KA. I suggest you think of a different name.

I just checked.there is one in kudemukh.any name suggestions??

@ everyone:I guess silent valley is out of the question since it already exists.if anyone can help come up with a nice name it would be appreciated.

[Zappo]

How about Coorgi?

[maddy42]

Hey prince i loved your idea. Will be competing with you soon thoughcheers:

Well so you got a homestay which is away from the city and you want some name. So let me suggest something with the local touch of coorg here.

Malenad- Land of the rain
Kaadmane- house in the forest
Pulimara- Well this is not exactly for a house but means a lime tree
Polle kere- Well this is a bank of a river.

Well i am running out of ideas so it would be nice if you give me some words in english and i will help you get a name for it.

About the jeep 1.6 is on the higher side for it. I had people askin 1.2 max for my 540 xd3p made in 96. So bargain for this deal.

@Zappo coorgi is an anglicised term and is not prefered being called kodava

[iceman91]

Hye,
Please check with the taxes and local rules.
I have a few homestay/resort owner friends and they are facing trouble with the law.
Since it is a resort it requires all licenses and permits as per a hotel.
else you have to stay at the property and let it out as a bed and breakfast. This way no licesinsing and taxing problems.
check with local owners, since 4 of my friends just got fined.

[NIP]

name suggestions:

1. Mystic Valley
2. Coffee Creek
3. Misty Creek
4. Inn the Woods
5. Green Peace
6. Unwind Creek

Don't forget the discount if you choose one of my names