For readers who’ve known this magazine for a while, you’ll know that I was based in Bangalore for about 2 years. Two years during which I travelled frequently and explore the area in full. Bangalore is a gem, with many a place around to head out to for a long weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. For the last 4 years or so, I’ve been stationed in Bombay, which is home for me. I can comfortably say I’ve missed my days of travel around Bangalore. Not that I haven’t travelled around Bombay. But the Nilgiris have a special place in my heart.

Sprawled across 38 districts spanning Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Nilgiris are an ecosystem in themselves. With mountains ranging upto 2600m in height, these hills tower above the adjacent landscape. Oak and Rosewood trees dot the landscape, with coffee growing in their shadow.

It’s a fantastic driving landscape too. Thousands of kilometres of smoothly paved roads, draped on a mountain, just like spaghetti. These roads were on my mind when I flew into Bangalore on a 6am flight. Picked up a self drive car rental and headed out to Chikmagalur. Bangalore to Chikmagalur is about a 250km drive. It takes roughly 5hours from point to point. The drive is largely uneventful, and I’m driving into Chikmagalur by mid-day.

I’ll be staying at The Serai, one of the best hotels in the area, aptly named too. Googling the word Serai tells me it’s an inn meant for traveller. And The Serai is a lavish, luxurious inn to say the least. It’s a world within itself. An oasis within the Nilgiris. I’m greeted by a dense forest as I enter the hotels compound. There are the usual Oak and Rosewood trees. But there are also litchi and cherry trees, Eucalyptus, mangoes, pepper and 50ft tall bamboos. There’s a sense that you’re part of a wild forest. But these trees have been cultivated. This is a man made forest, but it has been around for hundreds of years. But why would one grow a forest from scratch. The answer lies in what Chikmagalur is famous for, its coffee. You see, the trees are all grown to provide shade to the coffee plants that grow closer to the ground. Best grown in about 70% shade, the tree canopy provides just the right cover from the sun for the coffee to thrive.

It’s a cloudy day, and as I enter the lobby area situated past the forest, I’m greeted by a friendly face. I sit in the lobby, and am served freshly brewed coffee and homemade cookies. Mr. Piyush is here to introduce me to The resort. The man has so much to offer in terms of the area’s heritage, insights into how the hotel industry operates as well as tips on what we should explore over the next 3 days. Our stay was enhanced significantly by his input. Great conversation always does!

It’s when I’m heading to my villa that I realise the massive scale at which The Serai has been made. Owned by the Coffee Day group, The forest and plantation in Chikmagalur are spanned across 70 acres. Only about 6 acres has been used for the bulk up area, with the rest reserved for greens. It’s truly massive and grand. For as far as the eye can see, you have a sea of green. There are 29 villas on offer, each with its own private pool, some with a jacuzzi too. There’s even a flagship residence on offer, with 2 bedrooms, to accommodate the entire family. Such is the scale of the property, that we’re driven to our room in a golf cart. Past the teal blue waters of the swimming pool, the immaculately manicured lawns, we’re shown to Villa Number 2. Each villa is private unto itself – shielded from the rest of the hotel. The private swimming pool and gazebo welcomes you first. The sliding doors are made of solid wood, and what greets you next is a truly unique room. The highlight is most definitely the centrally placed bed, with the bathroom behind it.  There’s a shower area, WC, bath tub, and even an outdoor shower.

There’s a lot to do at the property, and we will explore it in due course. But it’s time to head out for a drive. There’s a lake closely, going by the name of Hirekolale. It’s a 30min drive from The Serai, and it’s pretty. I particularly enjoyed the drive to the lake. It runs through a densely forested area, with spectacular views of the Nilgiris. The lake itself is fairly small, but pretty. We went there early evening. I would recommend possibly heading there in the evening, and catching the sunset.

The rest of the first day was sent exploring the hotel. A special dinner was organised in the cabin in the woods. A traditional south Indian meal served on a banana leaf. The flavours were exquisite. The kind of flavours you don’t experience in Bombay. The cherry on the top was the dessert – Kayi Holige – kind of ike a coconut flavoured Puran Polo, served with a ghee on the side. The perfect end to a long, but exciting day!

The second day at The Serai was even more special than the first. Morning came, and with it came the chirping of birds from the forest. We’d signed up for a cycle rife through the nearby village. Pradeepji was around to show us the place, and it turned out be one of the most fun things I did throughout. We rode on our cycles through the villages of Dambdalli and Mathavara, located about 2-3km away from the hotel. It was a leisurely bike ride, running alongside a small stream. There was a slight chill in the air in the morning, and the clouds had cleared up. We carried a bunch of binoculars along with us, and spotted many an exotic birds – kingfishers, woodpeckers, owls and sparrows among others. The cycle ride turned out to be a good workout, and a truly pleasant morning.

We got back, and had a sumptuous breakfast – an elaborate buffet with lots to pick and choose from. There were multiple options available – South Indian, North Indian and Continental. Live stations too, for your omelettes, and a desert bar to close things up.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing. We spent sometime in the pool, and sometime lounging on the gazebo. In the evening, we saw a beautiful sunset from the lounge on the 1st floor. In the evening, we were treated to one of the best meals I’ve had. A slow cooked North Indian meal. It takes half a day to prepare, but expectedly so. It was an extremely rich meal – paneer tikkas stuffed with dry fruits and cheese. Dal Makhani, slow cooked with butter for about 8 hours. But the highlight here was the extremely delightful and delicious Shyam Savera Paneer. Quite possibly the best paneer I’ve ever had.Chef Surender and Chef Negi really outdid themselves with this meal. What a culinary experience!

The next morning, we headed off to Mullayanagiri to make the most of the monsoons. Stadnign at 1930m, Mullayanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka. You can drive up to about midway, and then follow a well laid out trail to get to the peak. The last 200 feet or so are steps, and that can be climbed up. The views from the top are absolutely gorgeous. Bright green pastures, with the rain clouds streaming in. There were parts where we were engulfed in the clouds. Felt like we were well and truly in the grip of the monsoons! I would highly recommend doing the Mullayanagiri trek when you’re in Chikmagalur. 

On our last evening in Chikmagalur, we went for a nature walk with Pradeepji – about a 1-2km walk through the coffee plantation within the resort. We spotted a litchi tree, a cherry tree, mango tree and many more. There’s even a 120+ year old Banyan on the compound that looks supremely grand. Pradeepji also gave us a taste of some pepper corns – delicious and spicy.

The Serai was the perfect combination of nature and luxury. A coming together of the two, that you will witness in very few other places. The monsoons made it that much more prettier. I’m definitely returning at some point in the future.