Bethel Homestay – South Coorg

Bethel as the name Implies is the house that belongs to god and so is the Bethel Homestay Situated right on the tip of one of the numerous peaks that form the evergreen Western Ghats . We had not expected much when we stated from Bangalore but the assuring voice of Rakesh, our host guiding us from Bangalore gave us the confidence that this could be one our better outings. We landed in Srimangala – south coorg at 7:30 pm on a Friday evening and the Jeep as promised by Rakesh was waiting for us. We hopped into the Jeep, as the night had crept in we were unable to see the beauty that surrounded us but we knew that we had made the right choice. The jeep driven by Manju did not complain of the steep curves and the rugged road below, soon we were at the Bethel Home Stay. Rakesh was waiting for us and it was good to see a young man or atleast one who looked like a young man greet us ,and rest assured we were confident that Rakesh would take care of us .

We were shown the Bamboo cottage and were happy to have a big place with two bedrooms and a hall for ourselves. Hot water was pleasantly kept ready by our host and after a shower we were ready to take on the night, which we did with great abandon. The campfire was good but even better was the snacks provided to us.

Day two saw us going for a trek led by the never tiring Rakesh , it was not a tiring one but good for the bones which has become lazy after sitting in front of the laptop for several hours each day. The view from the top was amazing, we were glad to see that we were totally surrounded by hills on all sides .Our knowledgeable guide showed us the foot prints of Sambar deer and the jungle fowl. We also happened to see elephant dung and that made it all even more adventurous. We were served lime Juice for all the efforts we had put in, once were back at the Homestay.

 We lazed around around for sometime and when it was noon we were guided to a stream for a open air swim. The water was crystal clear and very chill; we had our foot massaged by the numerous Tiger fishes which haunts the stream. It was a pleasant experience altogether. We made up our mind to jump into the water and Lo and behold it was one of the most refreshing swims I have ever had in my lifetime.

We asked Rakesh to shift us to the Tent house from where the view was amazing and after a nap were ready to visit the tea estate owned by TATA. This time it was Saleem who took us in the Jeep , the ride was good as we were initially surrounded by coffee estates where the coffee berries were ripe and the next instant we were surrounded by acres and acres of tea plants. It was a contrast that we could not forget. Day two ended with Campfire and once again a whole lot of delicious snacks.

We were sorry that we had to leave the next day, but on the whole it was one of the most memorable outings that I can think of. The food was great just the way you want it in the wilderness, the landscape that surrounded the estate was a feast to the eyes and thanks to our host Rakesh all our needs were taken care, being a avid traveler myself this is one of the very few places that I would love to go back.

Thanks a lot Rakesh and hope we get the accommodation next time.

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