Picture waking up to birds chirping, a glorious sunrise, greens as far as the eyes can see, and the majestic Western Ghats. Sounds wonderful and the kind of vacation that you deserve, given your hectic schedule. We woke up to just that and more when we checked into Kimmane Luxury Golf Resort in Shivamogga. The resort is tucked away in a sprawling green haven that features a golf course with a cycling track around it, a water body for kayaking, and a beautiful lake. The resort has 30 rooms currently (with plans to expand to more) and if you ask us to pick a room that offers all the things we asked you to picture, we recommend the Panorama Suite that is fitted with all the comforts and then some. We spent our mornings watching the sunrise from the balcony plus, you get a majestic view of the mist disappearing from the mountains.
The resort can plan activities for you or you can go about doing nothing — it's all about the slow life here. Nothing is done at a breakneck speed, and there's no hurry. Start your day with a lap around the pool, or just go for a jog around the property and say hello to the ducks and owls who have made a home here.
Tuck into some breakfast at Saa before heading out to visit Sakrebyle Elephant Camp and Tyavarekoppa Tiger & Lion Safari. Which is exactly what we did on our last day. The resort can also arrange for heritage and nature trails to spots such as Shivappa Nayaka Palace and Jog Falls. When you are back, head back to Saa and tuck into some Malnad cuisine for lunch. The restaurant does serve up burgers, naan, and noodles, and the likes, but honestly, when in Shivamogga, which is the gateway to Malnad, this is what you ought to have.
If you don't plan on venturing out, the resort has plenty to do. We, for instance, cycled a bit before kayaking in the evening. Which left us pretty exhausted and wondering if is a relaxing vacation even complete without spa time? So we did just that and headed to Melo — aromatherapy and massage for an ultimate pampering sesh. The highlight of our stay at the property was the picnic by the lake where we munched on some tea and bajjis and watched the sunset.
Before retiring for the night, head up to The Quarter, the in-house bar that serves up some interesting cocktails and bites with a side of contemporary music playing in the background.
