India Awaits: Weekend in Coorg

In following our plan to travel somewhere new once a month while here in India, this weekend was a trip to Coorg. It's a 5+ hour car drive south west of Bangalore. Our main aim on this trip was to wash elephants!! And that we did!!

We stayed at Dubare Jungle Lodges which can only be described as upmarket camping, which was perfect for an adventurous weekend away from the crowded hustle and bustle of Bangalore. When you arrive the lodges are on the other side of the Cauvery River, so you ride in a boat across. What a start to our jungle escape. The lodges are basic but they were fine for our 2 days of fun. The boys thought the hammocks, tyre swings, badminton, jeep safaris and coracle rides were just brilliant.

This was all in the lead up to the morning full of elephant fun. We met some beautiful old and young elephants, gave them a bath, had a ride, fed them ...... it was fantastic. The boys and I couldn't get enough of them. The elephants at Dubare have 110 acres of jungle to roam through in the afternoon and evenings and are then found in the morning to be brought to the river for a bath and feeding. I know the elephants are still in captivity but they seemed to be relaxed and well looked after at Dubare. They are breeding well and they still have the 'wild interaction' that they seem to need.

The jeep safari was not necessarily a highlight for Mike and I - we only saw some wild bison, deers and lots of 'special birds' (one being a willy wagtail !!). However, the boys thought the safari was brilliant and we had to back up on the second day to see it all again. We were a little concerned when the guide blessed the jeep and prayed prior to getting in and taking us into the jungle.

The food was all Indian and VERY spicy but we seem to manage for 2 days. Jack ate a lot of chipattas and Max a lot of rice but they survived !

When we left Dubare we visited the largest Tibetan Monastery in India. Over 6000 monks live there and we got to listen and watch them prayer in the most beautiful temple I have ever seen. So much gold and colour.

After two days in the jungle we then went to a small resort nearby for some more relaxing. The pool and jacuzzi were huge hits and the cold beer was definitely a highlight for Mike. It was sad to leave but we back to school today, so we headed home.

Below are a huge amount of pictures - sorry :)