@vikram-hegde
Coastal Karnataka at heart. Planner of group trips.
Coonoor
Everything I wanted from Ooty, without the crowds. Tea estates, a misty viewpoint, and the toy train chugging past. Take the Nilgiri Mountain Railway one way. Stay in a tea-estate bungalow, not in town.
Blue Ginger, Taj West End
Vietnamese food in a pavilion over a lily pond, under trees that are older than the city's flyovers. Go for dinner when the lamps are lit. Book a table by the water.
BR Hills
A quiet forest on the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border with a hilltop temple and morning safaris. Stay at the Jungle Lodges camp, and do the morning safari. It's only four hours from Bangalore.
Gokarna
The beach trek from Kudle to Om to Half Moon to Paradise, with a swim and a fish thali at every stop. Take the overnight bus or train. Skip the monsoon; the beaches are rough and the shacks are shut.
Kudremukh
Rolling shola grasslands as far as you can see, the road weaving through the national park. Feels like a different country. Ride via Kalasa and stay overnight; the forest roads close in the evening.
Dandeli
White-water rafting on the Kali river, then hornbills flying over the camp at dusk. Go between October and May for rafting. Book a riverside camp with meals included.
Parva by S. L. Bhyrappa
The Mahabharata retold without the gods, as messy human politics. It changed how I think about the epic. It's long. Read it slowly over a month; it isn't a weekend book.
Bengaluru Oota Company
Gowda and Mangalorean home food, served in a house in Halasuru. The host explained where every dish came from. Reservation only, at least a day ahead, over WhatsApp. Go hungry; the courses keep coming.
Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014)
One murder in Malpe, told by five people who each saw a different piece. The coastal setting is gorgeous. Watch it twice. The second time, all the little details click.
Karavalli, Taj MG Road
The closest you'll get to coastal Karnataka without driving to Mangalore. The fish curry tasted like my grandmother's. Ask for a table in the garden, and order the appam to mop up everything.
