Things to Do in Madikeri

There are a lot of places to enjoy camping near Madikeri as it is settled on the super-fertilised western ghats. You can set up a camp amidst green woods or near clear rivers. Your campsite could be overlooking a wonderful waterfall or a peak of the mountain. And the activities could include sunsets, sunrises, trekking, hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing and more.

1. Camping In Madikeri, Coorg at Rs. 1700/-
2. Wild Monsoon Adventure Series Camping at Rs. 3985/-
3. Coorg Camping Experience at Rs. 1650/-
4. Riverside Camping In Coorg, With Rafting at Rs. 2100/-
5. Camping In Coorg with stargazing at Rs. 1820/-

Below mentioned are the adventure activities that can be done in Madikeri:

- Trekking: As the terrains are, they demand trekking to witness the town from its best angles as well as exploring the forests and plantations from the closest possible intimacy which could be attained only by stepping inside the woods.

- Rappelling: The hill town has some amazing vertical rock formations which are perfect for rappelling and hence this activity is quite popular in Madikeri. You can have this adrenaline rush amidst a very great and natural environment.

- Nature Walking: Nature Walking in the most virgin forests is a must. Here you can take a walk amidst aromatic coffee, fragrant spices and waving rice plantation. Or you can even walk in the dense forests where you can seek fruit trees and waterfalls.

- Camping: Trekking is incomplete without camping and the place is foolproof for camping as you can gaze at the stars, lit bonfires to dance and sing around, watch birds and wildlife to capture them in frames and moreover engage in various adventurous activities.

- Safari: Roaming around these mysterious woods in an open jeep would be one of the best things to do in Madikeri. You might undiscover some hidden waterfalls, watch birds and wildlife and more. It is a great activity if you wish to capture nature in frame in its raw form.

- Mountain Biking: Having an abundance of mountains and hilly terrains, you can easily engage in mountain biking where you ride through untravelled routes and reach undiscovered places. This could be a great activity to recharge your mind, soul and body.

Mandalpatti and Mallalli waterfalls are ideal destinations for jeep safaris in Madikeri.

Mallalli Falls: A jeep ride through the tallest water cascade in the area, is an adrenalizing experience. You get to drive past the Kumaradhara River and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mandalpatti: This top view point in Coorg is known for its scenery, its winding roads and foggy skies.

Whitewater rafting in Madikeri is available at Barapole River. Also known as Kaathu Kaathu, this river is ideal for rafting. You can take part in this watersport for 1-2 hours between 9 am to 3 pm. The first stretch of rapids is called Morning Coffee. These lead to class 3-5 rapids, namely Grasshopper, Wicked Witch and Big Bang, before entering Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.

Charges are: Rs. 1099 per person.

The most adventurous places for trekking in Madikeri include Chelavara Falls, Brahmagiri Hills, Pushpagiri Peak, Dubare Elephant Camp, Tadiandamol Peak, Chomakund and Karkette. All these treks rank high on the adventure and nature front and most often culminate in night camps.

The best fishing spot in Madikeri is at Valnur village, whose Cauvery waters are known for  Mahseer fish. Honnamana Kere, is a serene lake which offers good catch. In addition to Valnur,  Doddamakali, Galibore and Bheemeshwari are popular spots. Angling and fishing at Valnur follows the catch and release principle-Every catch has to be returned to the waters as a part of pisci-conservation.

November to April is the best season for angling.

Quad biking is offered at Chelavara, Coorg, in its fresh and salubrious atmosphere. 250 cc machines run in a 3000 m circuit off the beaten path, which meanders through the dense forests. The bikes are automatic and hence quad biking is a pretty lay activity. All you will need is some safety gear.

Quad biking will cost Rs. 900-1000 per head.

1. Mandalpatti:

Part of Pushpagiri Reserve Forest, the hilltop has an altitude of 4,050 ft above sea level. Settled 18 KM from Mandalpatti, the name of the hilltop translates to the ‘Market of Cloud Mist’ in the local language. This ‘market’ is best travelled in an open jee

2. Madikeri Fort:

Madikeri Fort is one of the significant historical landmarks which is adorned the most by the tourists. It shows the architectural style of the 17th century, as it was constructed in that year by Muddu Raja. However, later it has been altered several times as different people captured and ruled it.

3. Kote Betta:

15 KM away from the Madikeri region, it is the third-highest peak in Coorg with an altitude of 1,620 m above sea level. As it gives panoramic views of coffee, spices and jackfruit plantation, the hill is perfect for trekking.

4. Raja's Seat:

Raja’s Seat is a viewpoint which has got one of the best views in the region. The king used to come here to sip in the scenic beauty in his times which gave this place its name which means the ‘Seat of the Kings’. Make sure you don’t go without enjoying the sunset from the spot.

5. Omkareshwara Temple:

Built-in 1820 by King Lingarajendra II, the temple is a result of penance as the king killed a Brahmin to hide his misdoings. But this is not the only reason for it being famous. What attracts the tourists is its unique blend of Gothic and Islamic architectural style and the water tank inside the temple which has a variety of freshwater fish.

6. Abbey Falls:

This roaring Abbey Falls is hidden inside the green dense woods of Madikeri. It is an amalgam of several small water streams which combines into one strong stream flushing out into a pool which slowly flows into the river. If you want to see its beauty on its peak then Monsoon is when you should plan your trip.

- By Bus: It would never be a bad idea to opt for bus as Madikeri is well connected to other major cities of Karnataka via bus. 

- By Train: Though there are no direct trains to Madikeri from major cities but you can still plan and organise your travel via trains. There is no railway station in Madikeri, so Subrahmanya Road Railway Station is the nearest possible option.

- By Flight: Flights are good options considering the 3 possible nearby airports with Mangalore (136 KM) and Calicut (180 KM) and soon after up-gradation of the airport, Mysore airport will become the nearest airport.

Weather is pleasant throughout the year and you can plan your trip to Madikeri anytime. But still, monsoon is the most preferred season of the year to do all the things to do in Madikeri.

- Monsoon: Monsoon months from July to September is the best time to visit Madikeri. During monsoon, the forests, plantations, waterfalls, rivers and climate, everything would be at its peak.

-Winter: You can also consider winter months from December to February but keep in mind that the temperature can fall as low as 14 °C and go as up as 29 °C. 

- Summer: Weather in summers here can protect you against the scorching sun of the northern region.

Ideal duration for a holiday in Madikeri would be one day but if you are considering the whole of Coorg then you should plan for 3-4 days to cover all the places in Coorg. As Coorg is settled on the western ghats it has a lot to offer to you.

Having beautiful monuments, mighty forts, wildlife sanctuaries, dense forests, aromatic coffee and tea plantation, waving paddy fields and great flora and fauna, Coorg can engage your 3-4 days very easily. Being the centre of Coorg, there are a lot of significant places and exciting things to do in Madikeri. Moreover, your trip can include all the nearby places too.

With a lot of things to do in Madikeri, it is a wonderful holiday destination for a family. The town has some historical monuments, serene temple, breathtaking viewpoints, green hills, gushing rivers, roaring waterfalls and much more. All these places amidst pleasant weather would be loved by your kids and it will give a good family bonding time.

Graceful nature and adventurous things to do in Madikeri is what makes it famous. Settled on the western ghats, it possesses coffee, spice and other fruit plantations and overlooks some amazing mountains and rice fields. With that, it also has some historical monuments like Madikeri Fort, Omkareshwara Temple, Raja’s Tomb and Raja’s Seat.

Besides this, it also hides some gems in its woods like beautiful waterfalls, free-flowing rivers, heartstopping viewpoints and more. With that, Madikeri also offers you a great range of adventurous activities like trekking, camping, rappelling, nature walk, safari and mountain biking too. Overall, it is a very good place to plan a trip too.

The best public transport mode to commute around Madikeri are buses from Karnataka State Transport. But they can’t go everywhere you would want to so next good option is to hire a taxi to your destination. But if you find it costly then you can also commute in auto-rickshaws which wouldn’t be as ideal as a taxi would be.

Madikeri offers you to buy a lot of different and unique stuff which you wouldn’t find in other places in the country. Starting from:

- Coffee beans and powde
- Flavoured tea leaves
- Spices
- Honey
- Homemade wines
- Homemade chocolates
- Rare herbs
- Herbal Oils
- Homemade soaps
- Wood Carved Art Pieces
- Coconut shell Art Pieces
- Vegetable Flavoured Papad

There are two best places for shopping in Madikeri where you can buy good, authentic and cheap products. You should remember that you are in India’s highest coffee-producing region so there is no way you are going without buying it. You can buy stuff from:

1. Kushal Nagar Market: This market is held daily and you can buy everything from here. But the market is famous for products like sandalwood oil, homemade wine, timber carvings, and silk saris which you should definitely buy from here.

2. Friday Market: This market is open only on Fridays so it is always very crowded as even the locals wait for it. It offers ethnic jewellery, pepper, nutmeg, cardamom and star anise, coffee products and local fresh fruits at very nominal rates.

Yes, Madikeri is a safe place to travel to. In fact, it is the most visited place in Coorg as everyone who travels to Coorg visits Madikeri. It is pretty much safe for trekking, camping at night, nature walk and many adventurous activities the place has to offer.

Yes, you can do camping in Madikeri during the monsoon. It would be more gratifying trip in monsoon with the beauty of nature at its peak with dense forests and powerful waterfalls accompanied by deepened aroma of coffee and pepper plantations. Other activities to do in Madikeri will become more memorable amidst this beauty.

Madikeri is the heart of Coorg with a distance of 18 KM from Coorg’s city center. People tend to plan Madikeri along with Coorg which is the ideal thing to do too. Settled on western ghats, both the places have incomparable beauty but history is what makes the difference.

There is a range of restaurants that serve the best food in Madikeri. Eat local food whenever you visit some new place. Following are the places where you can find authentic delicacies, traditional recipes, South Indian meals, North Indian food and International cuisines also:

- Taste of Coorg
- Coorg Food
- Qureshi's Biryani Paradise
- Sri Ambica Hotel
- Coorg Leaf Restaurant
- Hotel Udupi Sri Krishna Grand
- Coorg Leaf Restaurant
- Hive Bar

Madikeri’s staple food is rice and you should definitely try Sannakki, an aromatic rice- a speciality of Madikeri. In non-vegetarian food, you can expect a wide range of delicacies made of pork, meat and fish whereas vegetarians can expect organic vegetables.

Folksy Food, Hotel Caveri Comforts, near Janata Bazaar in Madikeri is where you can try arguably the best food in Madikeri. They even serve North Indian and International cuisines along with South Indian food.

There no such activities to do in Madikeri at night but you can still make it a little exciting by doing the following things:

- You can go for a mountain drive at night and enjoy the calmness in the atmosphere.

- You can go to the bars which serve at night too like Hive Bar, The Lost Horizon Bar, Planter’s Club: The Bar.

- Camping is also a very good option to have a good night singing and dances around the bonfire.

- You can simply step out of your resort or get on to the terrace and gaze at the stars in the clear sky.

Before participating in any kind of adventure activities to do in Madikeri, there are a lot of health precautions one should take. Please follow these points:

- Never go alone but at least in a group of 4 people.
- Be self-dependent and ready to help anytime at the same time.
- Have a good leader to lead you.
- Make sure everyone is mentally prepared for the activity.
- Listen to the instructions properly.
- Follow all the guidelines including dressing guidelines.
- Leave the details of your activity with some trusted person who would seek your return,
- Always have a well-planned activity.