Brahmagiri Peak

A private rainforest reserve of about 120 hectares near Brahmagiri in south Kodagu, created to protect Western Ghats forest and wildlife; it offers guided nature walks and eco-stays amid elephants, birds and rich flora.

A 52 m waterfall on the Lakshmana Tirtha in south Kodagu near Srimangala, sacred for its Rameshwara Shiva temple and set at the foot of the Brahmagiri hills; it is the starting point of the Brahmagiri trek and is fullest during and after the monsoon.

The highest peak in Kodagu at about 1,748 m, near Kakkabe, and one of the most popular treks in Coorg — a half-day climb through shola forest and rolling grassland to a summit with sweeping Western Ghats views; the historic Nalknad Palace lies at its base.

The Kodagu side of Nagarhole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park, a tiger reserve of teak and rosewood forest entered from the Kutta and Nanachi gates in south Kodagu; jeep safaris offer elephants, gaur, deer and wild dogs and, with luck, tiger or leopard (the park is shared with Mysuru’s Kabini side).

A 1792 palace of the Kodagu (Haleri) kings tucked among coffee estates at the foot of Tadiandamol near Kakkabe, its wooden halls painted with faded murals; it was the last refuge of the Kodagu royals before the British annexation.

A cascade on a tributary of the Kaveri near Cheyyandane, close to Kakkabe, tumbling over a broad rock face; a short walk from the road (the descent to the base is often restricted), it is best just after the monsoon.

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.

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.

The most important temple of the Kodava people, near Kakkabe, dedicated to Igguthappa (a form of Subramanya/Kartikeya); a Kerala-influenced shrine that is the focus of the community’s Kailpodh and other festivals.

A forest camp on the banks of the Kaveri near Kushalnagar where trained elephants are bathed and fed; reached across the river and known for its elephant interactions and coracle rides.

The Golden Temple at Bylakuppe near Kushalnagar, the largest teaching centre of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism in the world, with gilded 12–18 m Buddha statues, vivid murals and hundreds of resident monks.

A 64-acre river island of bamboo, sandalwood and teak on the Kaveri near Kushalnagar, reached by a hanging bridge, with a deer park, boating, a treehouse and easy forest walks.