What to expect
Highlights
- Madikeri Fort — A hilltop fort in the heart of Madikeri, first built in the 17th century by the Haleri rajas and rebuilt in stone by Tipu Sultan and the British, now enclosing government offices, a small museum, a church and views over the town.
- Raja's Seat — A garden viewpoint where the Kodagu kings are said to have watched the sunset over layered Western Ghats valleys — Madikeri’s classic sunrise-and-sunset spot, with a musical fountain and a toy train.
- Abbey Falls — A powerful waterfall about 8 km from Madikeri, set among coffee and spice estates and viewed from a hanging footbridge; fullest and most dramatic during and just after the monsoon.
- Omkareshwara Temple — An 1820 Shiva temple in Madikeri built by Lingarajendra II in an unusual blend of Kerala, Gothic and Islamic styles, with a domed roof, minaret-like towers and a central tank.
- Gaddige Raja's Tomb — The Raja’s Tomb (Gaddige) — domed, Indo-Saracenic mausoleums of the Kodagu kings and a royal priest on a hill above Madikeri, with fine views.
- Mandalpatti — A grassland hilltop viewpoint within the Pushpagiri range, reached by a rough jeep track from near Madikeri, famous for sunrise and sunset over layers of misty Western Ghats hills; often wrapped in cloud in the monsoon.
