Coorg Coffee Country Escape

• Overnight travel
• Trek
• Sunset

An overnight drive puts you in Coorg before dawn and on the Mandalpatti ridge soon after. The day moves from waterfall spray to a sunset over the valleys and ends with dinner by the bonfire.

1. 22:00Board the Tempo Traveller (Friday night). First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Banashankari (BDA Complex), RR Nagar and Kengeri on Mysore Road. Keep a warm layer and your walking shoes in your day bag, not the boot.

2. 05:00Reach the homestay and freshen up. A quick wash and a cup of estate coffee while the hills are still dark. Leave your big bag here; you only need a jacket and water for the ridge.

3. 05:45Jeep ride up to Mandalpatti. The last stretch to Mandalpatti is a rough forest track open only to local 4x4 jeeps. Expect a bumpy half hour through shola and grassland; the jeep fare is paid on the spot.On your own

4. 06:30Short hike to the Mandalpatti viewpoint. A brief, steady walk up the grassy spine to the top, around 1,600 m. On clear mornings the valleys fill with cloud below you; in the monsoon it can be misty and windy.

5. 09:00Breakfast at the homestay and check in. A Kodava breakfast, often akki roti or puttu with curry, then time to shower and rest. Rooms are triple or quad sharing.

6. 11:00Abbey Falls. A short walk downhill through coffee and pepper vines to a hanging bridge facing the falls. Fullest from July to October; the path back up is steep, so go slow.On your own

7. 13:00Lunch in Madikeri. Pay-as-you-go. Try pandi curry with kadambuttu, Coorg's steamed rice balls, at a local restaurant in town.On your own

8. 14:30Rest at the homestay. A slow afternoon on the verandah or a nap to make up for the night on the road.

9. 17:15Sunset at Raja Seat. The old royal garden on Madikeri's western edge looks over layered ridges towards the Kerala border. Entry is covered; stay until the valley turns blue.

10. 18:30Wander Madikeri market. Browse for filter coffee powder, cardamom, pepper, homemade wines and chocolate. Carry cash for the smaller stalls.On your own

11. 20:00Dinner and bonfire at the homestay. Dinner together, then stories around the fire under the estate trees. Tomorrow starts early with a walk among the coffee.

12. 22:00Overnight at the coffee estate homestay. Nights are cool and often damp; keep a light jacket and socks handy.

• Estate walk

A morning among the coffee bushes, then the elephants at Harangi and the reservoir's backwaters. We end at Namdroling Monastery before the drive home.

1. 07:00Coffee estate walk. Walk the estate paths under silver oak shade while the birds are loud. Learn how arabica and robusta differ, and how pepper vines climb the shade trees.

2. 08:00Breakfast and check-out. A last estate breakfast and a cup of the homestay's coffee, then bags back into the Tempo Traveller.

3. 10:00Harangi Elephant Camp. The forest department camp near Kushalnagar keeps its elephants by the river. Watch the morning routine of bathing and feeding; any hands-on activity is paid on your own.On your own

4. 11:30Harangi backwaters. A quiet stop by the reservoir behind Harangi dam, where dead trees stand in still water. Good for photos and a stretch before the road.

5. 12:45Namdroling Monastery, Bylakuppe. Three giant gilded statues fill the main temple of this large Tibetan monastery. Dress modestly, walk clockwise and keep your voice low inside.

6. 13:45Lunch in Bylakuppe. Pay-as-you-go. The Tibetan cafes near the monastery serve momos, thukpa and butter tea.On your own

7. 15:00Depart for Bengaluru. We head out via Hunsur and Mysore Road, with a tea stop along the way.

8. 20:30Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drop-offs at Kengeri, RR Nagar, Banashankari and RMZ Ecospace, roughly 20:30 to 22:00 depending on Sunday traffic.