Coorg or Hyderabad

joeirish

Very different places I know, but if you could only do one, which would you choose for a trip at the end of December? We're wondering about Hampi - Hyderabad - Chennai (we have to go to Chennai). An alternative is to forget Hampi and go from Bangalore to Coorg.

nayan

I would definitely keep hampi.

sabyasachi.mitra

Definitely Hampi should be in. Not only for the ruins, but for the Tungabhadra and the dam as well. Post monsoons it is a treat.

sabyasachi.mitra

My idea is: Do Hampi and Coorg and go to chennai from Bangalore (just 6-7 hours, 360 kms, plenty of luxury buses and O/N trains from Bangalore to Chennai) and drop Hyderabad.

gaurav1441

Well I would prefer the Coffee , Tea Plantations at Coorg

sdsudarsan

My vote is for Coorg and Humpi.

pmvelu

Main Coorg is overly hyped [ It's a Mini Hill Station with nothing much to see . Ofcourse Raja's seat and abbey Falls are there but still ] and Majority of Coorg's Beauty is in South Coorg [ Nagarahole NP , Kutta Planatation town, Iruppu Falls etc] and Hampi would be My choice if it's just a comparision between Hampi and Coorg[ I admit I did not visited Hampi but by many a posts over here and by "Veteran IMer Beach's website www.hampi.in", Hampi is always in my wish-list] !

To add, Coorg will be having nice , pleasant weather in december BTW ! If it's Coorg, Add Tibetan Settlements which is on the way from Mysore to MAdikeri [ Coorg] and "Dubare Elephant Camp" to make it more interesting !

And Again, If it's Coorg, you can get back to Mysore [ 3 Hours travelling time] and Board "Shatabdi Express" and reach chennai in 7 Hours !

Velu

sdsudarsan

I second Velu on Coorg...

snonymous

How much time do you have to spare and where are you starting from? If you dont have that much time then Hampi - Hyderabad - Chennai is atleast in the same direction. Hampi is definitely worth a visit, at least 2 days if you can spare the time.

Coorg is as PM Velu says, over rated unless you go to the sanctuaries further south.

Hyderabad is also nice, I went there many years ago and vividly remember its old world charm, the Golconda fort, the Salah Jung Museum and the yummy food. The Char Minar was quite nice too but I am talking of 1983 and it will undoubtedly be very crowded now.

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capt_mahajan

Hampi for sure.

Hampi and Coorg if you can.

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joeirish

I'm very impressed with all these great replies. This is Nicki, Joe's wife - I've been impersonating Joe this afternoon.

Our main problem is that we have to be in Chennai by 27 Dec. We arrive in Bangalore on 17 Dec. We thought the overnight train from Bangalore to Hospet on 19 Dec and leave Hampi on 22 Dec. I would love to do Coorg but didn't want to go back via Bangalore. I was looking at trains from Hampi to Coorg via the coast, but I think it would take too long. Hence the question about replacing Hampi with Coorg.

Hyderabad might be a more logical route if it's worth visiting. We'll be getting tranquility and countryside in Kerala after the Chennai bit, so will have a balance of town and country.

capt_mahajan

Ideally, four or five days at Hampi.

Since you want a balance of town and country, then maybe four days at Hampi and the rest in Hyderabad?

It will be a balance of country and crazy town.

(Joking, there is a couple of days of sightseeing in Hyderabad, besides a non toutish tourist atmosphere in comparison)

machadinha

I think we're looking at something that I've been noticing more often on the site though: "Coorg" being made synonymous with its main town of Madikeri. (And in many a question, too: "Tell me about Coorg." Well, the question as so often [think of Goa] is, where in Coorg? But I've been noticing it being answered along the same lines too, though.)

Coorg is a region however, there's much more to it than just Madikeri. (And, in my opinion, if you skip the latter's rather hectic but small town center if you don't want to hang out there -- convenient if you have say some shopping to do after a while on the road though, or need to visit a bank or find a bar attractive by now --, it can still be quite pleasant and peaceful. And there's trekking to do out of town, there are a gazillion homestays within and surrounding it, and... I was there just earlier this year, and plan to return this winter; and plan to explore some more of the region, yes. It will indeed have helped I didn't stay right in the town center, but just a very short walk from it -- I guess staying right there, it would be very easy to find it just another dump.)

Hm, yes, that area too I visited earlier this year; a bustling bazaar place, yes, but pleasantly so; and like Capt. said, little if any touting going on in all of Hyderabad. Not necessarily a highlight, as such; but certainly a most pleasant city to (in my case) spend another short week in.

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abracax

1. Book your escape leg from Bangalore to Chennai on the Shatabdi as soon as you arrive or earlier - between Xmas and New Year's is a popular travel time (school leave, etc.).
2. Hyderabad is a cultural gem and well worth a visit.
3. As has been mentioned, Madikeri is not Coorg. I have spent the best part of six months in Coorg over the years, and I've never visited the Raja's seat, only took about 10 minutes to see Abbe Falls and have only gone into Madikeri and other towns occasionally to visit friends and buy fish, chicken, beer and whiskey. Coorg is the only district in peninsular India that still has >90% its forests (that used to apply to Dakshin Kannad, but not anymore). There are no trains, and no towns worth lingering in. If you don't dig the woods, there's no sense in going there.

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