Eco Tourism

Get your Mojo working - Deccan Herald, May 26, 2002

ANURAG MALLICK comes upon a couple
living in harmony with Nature without exploiting it - at the Rainforest Retreat in Coorg

Home to the 2nd hottest chilli in the world. The best repository of blues in the country. And an assortment of wild orchids, birds and butterflies spread over 25 acres of lush greenery. Welcome to God's Own Attic. A treasure-trove of natural wonders that's called Rainforest Retreat. Nestled at a height of 1100m in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, this organic spice plantation is perched at the top of the rain-slope in Kodagu's Madikeri region. You can reach it after a picturesque 10km drive from Mercara towards Galibeedu village.
Surrounded by rolling hills for as far as the eye can see and swathed in unimaginable shades of green, this part of Coorg remains an undiscovered paradise for trekkers and naturalists. The Retreat was set up in 1999 by Drs Anurag and Sujata Goel to raise awareness and funds for their environmental NGO, WAPRED. Initially, they were planning to name it Worldwide Association for Restoration and Preservation of Ecological Diversity but soon realized that a name like WARPED would find little credibility. Or sponsors. And so with a little juggling of alphabets they settled for WAPRED Research Foundation in 1996.
Sujata has a Ph.D. from the Dept of Botany, Delhi University and is a walking encyclopedia of natural remedies. Anurag (Doc) has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Toronto. Together, with their 'nature child' Maya, they have accomplished what most people only dream of in their dreams. They quit the rat race of urban drudgery and 9 to 5 careers to pursue a more harmonious existence with nature. After extensive travel through this vast country, they chose to settle in the rainforests of Coorg in the Western Ghats. This region has been internationally recognized as one of the important hotspots of biodiversity that need to be preserved.
Most plantations in Kodagu are abundant with diverse flora and fauna but the heavy use of toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers have posed a serious threat to the biodiversity of this region. The main research project was initiated in 1997 by a grant from the National Geographic Society to test biological forms of pest control. Today, the idea has blossomed into a heady mix of eco-tourism, offbeat adventure travel and the blues. And you don't need to pick cotton to learn about the blues. Cardamom and Coffee will do just fine. The Retreat is the perfect example of how you can live in harmony with nature without necessarily exploiting it.
The Goels use solar panels for their basic power supply. The crops are grown under the shade of rainforest trees. They develop their own biological pest control methods. Locally grown organic produce is used wherever possible. Even the accommodation and cuisine at the Rainforest Retreat are a special experience.
A beautiful guesthouse has been especially designed to meet international standards of style and comfort. It is a unique, elegant brook-side bungalow, perfectly set in a background of bamboo, banana, orange, pineapple and coffee plants. It has 2 bedrooms (with attached western toilets), a spacious living room and beautiful verandahs overlooking a crystal clear stream. A second, more rustic cottage but equally enchanting is the Yin Yang Cottage inside the plantation. The first lesson you learn there - almost by default - is how to make your own fire. There's an ample stockpile of chopped wood that the farmhand Muttu Pandey would have kept ready. The Yin Yang Cottage is available for true nature lovers for half the price, meals included. And if it's the rainy season that kerosene on
The cuisine is a delicious blend of continental and Indian dishes, homemade breads, pastas, cheese, preserves and gourmet organic coffee. The berries are handpicked, hand-processed, and specially roasted to obtain a special blend without using chemicals or chicory. In fact, you could even buy the local produce of Rainforest Retreat like cardamoms, Garcinia (Kokum) - used as a souring agent in curries. And at your own peril, the Habanero Extract, which last heard was deposed as the world's hottest chilli by our 'desi' Nagahari from Tezpur, Assam.
Among the other denizens of Mojo are the 4 dogs - Jupiter, Pigpen (from a character in Animal Farm), Janis (after Janis Joplin) and UB (Ugly Bastard - a deformed puppy who has grown up into a stocky watchdog). On solitary night walks from the main house to the Yin-Yang Cottage, it is these dogs who stand between you and wet pants. It's not exactly spooky but then, jungle walks have never been the same after The Blair Witch Project.
All of Mojo's creatures have been named by little Maya, who handles the Nomenclature Portfolio. Maya Hill & Aki the Calf (Why Aki? Because it's a nice name) were her last assignments. If you will tell her stories and make her laugh, she might introduce you to her imaginary friends, especially MacDuff (Pronounced Mucked Up, but only by her). And if she's finished playing with the ball-beetle and is in a good mood, you might just get to know about Maya's philosophy ("To be or not to be, like UB, that is my philosophy"). Maya sees the world from a kaleidoscope that's entirely of her own making. In her vocabulary, slippers are 'paramecium' and armpits are 'West Bengal'. And when you see her growing up in the lap of nature, and in a poetic sense, living up to her name, you wish you could give your child such an unconventional education. For a moment, that wild impulse will want you to stay in this Eden forever. But reality would intervene with some pending appointment and unfinished job-lists.
The least you can do is see the world through this beautiful little window that Doc and Sujata have created. A chance to unwind, catch up with yourself and experience peace and tranquility that only nature can provide. Doc has designed several escorted road tours that take you to some of the most interesting and beautiful places in this part of the country. And if you have a slightly longer itinerary, excursions to other plantations, the Tibetan Monasteries of Bylakuppe, Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary and the Cauvery River for swimming, mahaseer fishing and elephant camping.
Little wonder that regulars endearingly call the retreat Mojo Plantations. Anurag however, chooses to call it a 'Doc Holiday'. And rightly so, for this is one wild adventure you'll live to recount.
For reservations, mail Doc at wapred.india@vsnl.com or call 91-8272-65636. For more details on the retreat and its activities, log on to http://www.rainforestours.com

I wish your friends success in their venture. The rainforests need every friend they can get.