This is sheer relaxation in a heritage bungalow that sits pretty in the middle of coffee plantations in Coorg. The drive to the main house is like a stairway to heaven, as it winds through a coffee estate. The bungalow itself (formerly the estate manager’s residence) has been done up to resemble something straight out of Kodava heritage but with modern amenities. In fact, Thaneerhulla Bungalow is one of six heritages houses that make up their holiday homes at Ama Stays & Trails, formerly TATA Plantation Trails.
Check into one of three heritage suites and live life the luxurious way. Think regal four-poster beds, en suite bathrooms large enough to be rooms themselves, and wooden flooring with soft carpets and ceiling to floor drapes adding that hint of home. There’s even a chaise longue to loll on — bestseller in one hand and piping hot coffee in the other.
Aiming to make it an all-round homestay with that much loved luxe factor, or the separate and more private cottage. We suggest you stay in for meals as they’ll customise it with a smile. Don’t even think of skipping the Pandi (pork) Curry, Koli (chicken) Curry with rice or Akki roti (rice flour roti for the uninitiated). They also do a lovely mutton curry as well as a typical English Sunday Roast — roast chicken, boiled veggies, mash or herb rice instead of Yorkshire pudding, and oodles of gravy, which you can have any day of the week! Finish off with the perfectly wobbly but not runny Caramel Custard.
Once you’re all filled up, follow it up with a snooze on the lawn and then head off on a nature walk great for bird watchers and coffee enthusiasts. The first half of this trek will teach you about Woodpeckers, Wagtails, Herons and Laughing Thrushes among hundreds of others. By the end of the second half, you’ll be able to distinguish your Arabica from your Robusta. Now that is a real bean to cup experience – you’ll even learn how to pick beans, grind them, and see if they’re worth being in someone’s morning cuppa.
