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Old 21st January 2010, 19:13   #1
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Nirvana

This was a trip that we made in April 2009.

Chikkamagaluru – which means younger daughter’s town in Kannada – is situated about 250 km from Bangalore. The town was a king’s dowry to/for his younger daughter. Boy! If daddy had to give away an entire town to get someone to marry her, she may not have been the brightest bulb in the chandelier.

My brother convinced a few friends to spend the Easter weekend on a trip to the Nature Nirvana Resort. He had been to this place several times and it is only after seeing the place that we understood why he returns to this place. At the break of dawn on Good Friday, we bundled our baggage and kids into two cars and headed out. It took us over 6 hours to reach the place. The last stretch of about 30 Kms is pretty bad and it gets horrible towards the end. Small cars get their bellies tickled till it hurts – more the owner than the car! The shaking that we got from the road was forgotten as soon as we saw the place. Nestled among the Baba Budangiri hills sits the 150 acre coffee plantation - Nature Nirvana. Here is an attempt to describe several things that set this place apart from other resorts or home stays. Name:  resort.gif
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The Stream
For those whose idea of a holiday is incomplete without the presence of a water body, there is no disappointment at Nature Nirvana. A stream winds its way from the hills and through the estate. The water is crystal clear and cold! You can find rock crabs beneath the huge boulders that litter the stream throughout its course. It is very relaxing to just sit on the rocks and allow the water try its best to carry your feet along. Enjoy this till someone gets the idea to splash water around!
Nirvana-stream.jpg

The Gorge
One of the first places we visited was a huge gorge carved out naturally into the rock by the water. The gorge is situated a small trek away from the base camp. The path was steep and we were so enchanted by all the beauty around that a couple of us didn’t see or feel the leeches latch on along the way. They were quickly dismissed using table salt we had carried along for this purpose. The climb back up was truly breath taking – by the time we climbed back, we didn’t have any breath left!
Nirvana-creek.jpg

The Lake
The stream that flows down the hill is partly diverted to feed a man made lake inside the estate. Those with patience can try their luck trying to catch fish. Though you can see them, none of us succeeded in adding fish to the menu during our stay there. We could have sworn we saw the fish swimming around with a ‘catch me if you can’ sticker! One of us finally placed the other end of the ‘fishing rod’ on the bank, piled a few stones on it and left it there saying, “Sometime…. Somewhere….Somehow…!”

A small boat can be rowed across the lake. One of the first lessons learnt: If you are the heavy bone density type (read overweight), do not be the first one to get into the boat!
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Food!
We were pampered by Kutty (the caretaker) and his team and the food at Nature Nirvana was not just homely and sumptuous but fulfilling as well. The nights were warmed with a bonfire and a barbeque delighted us with a continuous flow of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. Dumb charades during this time saw us making friends with the other inmates.

Cascades
Another small trek took us to a delightful little waterfall. It took some time to get accustomed to the cold water. It took some more time finding the path of highest resistance, considering that most of the rocks were covered by a thin layer of algae and very slippery. Once you befriend the cold water, a therapeutic massage awaits you for as long as you can stand under the fall.

On the top of the world
A 90-minute trek will take you to one of the highest points in Chikkamagaluru. It is best to do the trek early in the morning, as watching the sun rise from the peak is awesome. Kutty said that over 40 types of birds could be sighted in the area. An occasional sighting of deer, wild boars and even leopards were also reported. The view offered from the top is magnificent.Nirvana-view-top.jpg

Other mercies
You can play games like badminton, basketball, volleyball, and cricket or simply lie on one of the hammocks and swing yourself to sleep. There are also bicycles of different sizes for those keen on exploring the area on wheels. The kids were excited to see/touch rabbits kept in a cage.
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And when the rabbits bored them, there were always the puppies! The estate’s Daschund had eloped with a mongrel, didn’t practice safe sex and had just littered 3 puppies! They had not even opened their eyes and were adorable.

As we were 7 adults, we stayed in the dormitory. The dorm was clean and roomy. People suffering from OCD can be reassured that the bathrooms were spotless! Depending on the season, the demand, the type of room and your bargaining power, you can get deals from Rs. 1000 to Rs 2000 per head. This includes food and accommodation.

Except for BSNL, there is no cellular network at Nature Nirvana. The landline was out of order and Kutty allowed us to use his BSNL mobile to give missed calls to the outside world! He and his team can surely teach a thing or two to the hospitality industry.

One of the comments we made in the guest register reads: It was one of the most un-spoilt places we have ever seen – almost heavenly – except to reach this place – you need to go through roads from hell!

Last edited by triedeverything : 21st January 2010 at 19:28.
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Old 21st January 2010, 19:24   #2
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No wonder you won a prize for this travelogue. Simple, but enchanting travelogue. Congrats triedeverything and thanks for sharing it with us.
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Old 21st January 2010, 19:33   #3
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@ triedeverything :- Kindly post the route direction or if possible a route map. this will be a great help to others who want to go there.

congrats man, a Great holyday.
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Old 21st January 2010, 19:52   #4
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Since my brother has visited this place many times, I just followed his car There is more information on their website at NATURE NIRVANA PLANTATION HOMESTAY, CHIKMAGALUR, INDIA - CONTACT.
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