Best time
October to March is the pleasant season, with clear mornings and cool nights. April and May are warm but still green. June to September is the monsoon, when the waterfalls are at their best and the estates sit in mist, though the Mandalpatti road and the treks can close.
- October to February, 14 to 28°C: The best window: clear mornings, full waterfalls after the rains, cold nights. December to mid-January is peak and hotels cost the most.
- March to May, 18 to 32°C: Warm in the valley, still pleasant on the estates. Fewer crowds outside the school-holiday fortnight.
- June to September, 18 to 26°C: The monsoon: mist, heavy rain and waterfalls at full flow. The Mandalpatti track and some treks close; rates are lowest.
What to pack
Cotton by day and a jacket or shawl after dark all year; Madikeri drops to 14°C on winter mornings. Shoes with grip for Abbey Falls and the Mandalpatti jeep track, a rain shell from June to September, and something covering shoulders and knees for the Golden Temple and Talakaveri.
Getting there
Coorg is about 830 km from Hyderabad, an overnight road journey of 13 to 14 hours, which is why the fixed-date group trips leave on Friday night and are back by Monday morning. There is no train into Coorg; Mysuru, 120 km away, is the nearest railhead.
Coorg is about 260 km from Bangalore, five to six hours by road through Mysuru or Hassan, so the group trips leave on Friday night and reach Madikeri for breakfast. Self-drive is easy; there is no railway into Coorg.
Chennai to Coorg is about 600 km, 10 to 11 hours by road. The usual route is the overnight train or bus to Mysuru or Bangalore and the rest by road; a flight to Bangalore or Mangalore turns it into a half-day drive.
