Much awaited & probably the longest wait in my history
of travel - a family trip! Can you believe it, waiting from June 2nd
2006 till Dec 04th 2011!
Either it was health, work, other occasions & all
reasons except finance.
I finally managed to get the dates of everyone & plan this
amazing vacation. After the usual research on Google, froze on Wild Cat Ranch
in Madikeri.
We started at 0600 Hrs by Toyota Innova (driver Manju) &
stopped for breakfast at the Kadamba. After a heavy breakfast, our next stop
was the Golden Temple in Kushalnagar. The rich paintings & statues made us
feel we were in a different world. Golden Temple to Nisargadhama was a short
distance, we walked through the hanging bridge, the forest, Dad fed the fishes
& Kiran fed the deer’s at Nisargadhama.
We had lunch at Kushalnagar & headed out to Madikeri.
Finding the Wild Cat Ranch was easy with the directions given by its owner. The
place was love at first sight – located right in the center of coffee plantation.
Though not a luxurious place with all the amenities, it had the basics in
place& most importantly was very clean & spacious.
In the evening, we set out to Raja Seat, watched the sunset
& enjoyed the toy train ride – a wonderful experience of being together
with family. Skanda was the highlight who made everything bright around him.
Dinner was good authentic coorg vegetarian food & tired
with the journey of joy, we fell asleep in no time. Wake up call was the
chirping of birds & the morning mist. Vidya & Ramya had fun collecting
pepper from the creepers while I & Kiran were busy with photography. After
breakfast the next day morning, we checked out of the ranch & headed to
Talakaveri.
Talakaveri is a must visit for all those who have tasted the
richness of river Kaveri. Nature just gives a glimpse of what appears to be a
small tank – the birth place of Kaveri. The trek to Brahmagiri was challenging
& I must admit, my Dad outbeat a lot of youth who were struggling to climb
the hill. After enjoying the beauty & scenery the hill had to offer, we
descended down.
Had lunch enroute at Madikeri & were back home by night.
This is a memorable journey with my Parents, Wife, Ramya, Kiran & Skanda.
Hope to do more of such getaways as & when we get an
opportunity.
