This is a new section that we are bringing together with some of our favourite things to do in the places we live/have lived in. We are kicking off with Mysore and will continue updating as we think of new information to share.
We don't do sponsored content and any positive reviews of commercial establishments are really our own, based on our personal interaction with them when we visited. Things sometimes take a turn for the worse unfortunately - businesses change owners, have staff turnover or just a bad day so bear with us if you are not as impressed by a restaurant/hotel tip as we were.
It's been a year since we moved to Mysore and we are still discovering new stuff in this part of the world. Do you still have time after the customary rounds of the Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills, Zoo, Cauvery Emporium, Devaraj Urs Market, KRS Dam and Srirangapatna? Take a look below at some of the places we have enjoyed visiting and see if you fancy one of these.
After you are done with the temple, the Jungle Lodges resort at Bandipur Park offers a reasonable lunch option at around INR 300 per person. Vegetarian and meat-based choices are available - we like the simple food out there and perhaps you will too.
Dzongchoe and Gyundmed Monastery - head out on the Hunsur Road to reach this Tibetan settlement. We were looking to attend a public teaching by HH the Dalai Lama when we went here the first time. Try a local kitchen (ask around or watch where the monks are headed around lunchtime) for some delicious chowmein, thupka and momos. A beautifully green environment (well, at least during monsoon time although it was much browner when we returned in late Jan), Buddhist monks and a very colourful monastery is how we remember the place. More here.
Karighatta Temple - if you are in Srirangapatna and looking for something different, try this temple up a hillock. It offers beautiful views of the surrounding areas and even offers you a chance to check your fitness levels with around 450 steps leading the way up to the temple. For others, a short winding road will take you to the temple's doorstep - only after passing an open and unsightly garbage heap unfortunately. Still, worth a visit. More here.
Melkote - We can't believe that we never visited this beautiful town, off the Mysore-Bangalore highway, on our multiple visits to the Mysore region before. Now that we have, it's our top recommendation for a day's trip. The public bath or 'Kalyani' is a favourite. More here and here.
BR Hills - It just about makes the category for day-trips but we would personally go for an overnight stay the next time we head out to these parts. A Jungle Lodges resort is conveniently located in the heart of the forest. Serves a good lunch if they agree to have you as a walk-in. We recommend that you call ahead to confirm. More here.
Coorg - There's no denying the beauty of this region. Paddy fields, coffee plantations, spice trails and hikes that will whip you back in shape, Coorg has it all. It's our escape from the urban mess and a place we love going back to. It's around a 100 kms from Mysore and will take 2 hours or more to get there. More here and here.
Friends of ours (we started as guests at their B&B) run a neat job at Gowri Nivas in Madikeri if you are looking for overnight accommodation. Head over to the Taj Vivanta Madikeri for a meal and let us know if their lobby doesn't knock your socks off.
Kannur - Would you rather be at the beach? Go to the Malabar coast in Kerala. Before we did that, Pratibha asked our local grocer from Kannur on what's best to eat. 'Biriyani, Kerala Parotha and Fish curry,' he advised. And was he ever right! Around 200 kms and 5 hours or more away. More here.
Bekal - Feel like more sea, sand and fish curry at a different location? Go to Kasaragod which now has some interesting places for overnight stays. This too is around 200 kms and 5 hours or more away. We left early morning, stopping in Madikeri for a long, languid breakfast at Taj Vivanta (it truly is our latest find in the vicinity) before making our way further. More here.
Kabini - It is a man-made lake cum national wildlife park about 1.5 hours south of Mysore. Poorly connected by local transport, you will need a car to get there. But make that effort because you never know what animals you will come across in the jungle! And the one time that Wolfgang came across a tiger here, he was stuck with a camera that did no justice to the majesty of the beast. So sorry, no pictures but yes, you could spot a tiger if you are lucky.
Indra Sweet 'N' Spice - a trip to Mysore is not complete without having eaten the traditional Mysore Dosa. This place on Kalidasa Road is our favourite for a quick breakfast rounded off with a South Indian filter coffee. This will cost you around INR 200. Less if you are willing to stop at a dosa each.
Green Hotel - on a sunny day (which most are out here), there's sometimes little better than lunch at the Green Hotel beside their flowering garden or inside this historic palace building on Hunsur Road. Try their chicken kebabs or go for a malai kofta. Accompanied by hot naans or tandoori rotis, this is great value for a price of around INR 600.
Gupta Sweets - on Kalidasa Road, this street-side eatery is tricky to find since it's open only for a couple of hours in the evenings. Shortly after dusk is a good time to go but when we showed up at 8:30 pm one evening, the place was already closed. Will fix all cravings for hot samosas and jalebis and cost around INR 100. Standing only or go for a takeaway.
Blue Inn - in the Bannimantap region, we like going to this place for a quick lunch of chicken biriyani when both of us are starving and nobody wants to cook. It's not a place for lingering conversations but will, more than adequately, take care of that hunger for around INR 350.
Mayura River View - this is closer to Srirangapatna than to Mysore. Truth be told, we like going here more for the location than for the food although they don't do too bad a job on the cooking front. The enterprise is government run and the spot, right next to the river Cauvery, is fantastic. Head out to the Srirangapatna Garrison Cemetery (more here) while you are in this area.
Royal Orchid Metropole - it's one of the pricier places to eat in Mysore but their offering is also very good. We like their outdoor sitting area underneath trees and the staff are friendly although they could be a wee bit quicker. If you stay off the alcohol, expect to pay around INR 1000.
Shanghai - if you are getting tired of Indian food and wouldn't mind a twist, try its cousin - Indo-Chinese! Located in the bustling area of Shivrampet, it offered us a welcome break from the crowded lanes and relentless traffic of old town Mysore. The place is relatively small, a bit like a quiet alley that happens to be set up with tables. Service is really quick, expect to pay around INR 500.
* Prices listed are approximate, as in 2013/early 2014 (inflation here is no joke), defined by our appetite on the day and quoted for two persons.
We don't do sponsored content and any positive reviews of commercial establishments are really our own, based on our personal interaction with them when we visited. Things sometimes take a turn for the worse unfortunately - businesses change owners, have staff turnover or just a bad day so bear with us if you are not as impressed by a restaurant/hotel tip as we were.
Mysore Region
Day Trips | Short Breaks | Places to EatIt's been a year since we moved to Mysore and we are still discovering new stuff in this part of the world. Do you still have time after the customary rounds of the Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hills, Zoo, Cauvery Emporium, Devaraj Urs Market, KRS Dam and Srirangapatna? Take a look below at some of the places we have enjoyed visiting and see if you fancy one of these.
Day-tripping from Mysore
Temple at Himmagiri Betta - drive out on the Mysore-Ooty road to reach this beautiful area in the midst of jungles. A checkpoint of the forest department will require you to enter all details of your car, driver etc before charging money to issue a pass that allows you to drive up to the temple and back in 90 minutes or so. Stay beyond the allotted time at your own peril ;) More here.
After you are done with the temple, the Jungle Lodges resort at Bandipur Park offers a reasonable lunch option at around INR 300 per person. Vegetarian and meat-based choices are available - we like the simple food out there and perhaps you will too.
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| Krishna (Venugopalswamy) Temple on Himmagiri Betta |
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| Tibetan prayer wheels, coconut and mango trees - that's how diverse Karnataka can be! |
Karighatta Temple - if you are in Srirangapatna and looking for something different, try this temple up a hillock. It offers beautiful views of the surrounding areas and even offers you a chance to check your fitness levels with around 450 steps leading the way up to the temple. For others, a short winding road will take you to the temple's doorstep - only after passing an open and unsightly garbage heap unfortunately. Still, worth a visit. More here.
Melkote - We can't believe that we never visited this beautiful town, off the Mysore-Bangalore highway, on our multiple visits to the Mysore region before. Now that we have, it's our top recommendation for a day's trip. The public bath or 'Kalyani' is a favourite. More here and here.
 |
| Melkote |
BR Hills - It just about makes the category for day-trips but we would personally go for an overnight stay the next time we head out to these parts. A Jungle Lodges resort is conveniently located in the heart of the forest. Serves a good lunch if they agree to have you as a walk-in. We recommend that you call ahead to confirm. More here.
Short breaks from Mysore
Coorg - There's no denying the beauty of this region. Paddy fields, coffee plantations, spice trails and hikes that will whip you back in shape, Coorg has it all. It's our escape from the urban mess and a place we love going back to. It's around a 100 kms from Mysore and will take 2 hours or more to get there. More here and here.
 |
| Hiking in Kabbe, Coorg |
Kannur - Would you rather be at the beach? Go to the Malabar coast in Kerala. Before we did that, Pratibha asked our local grocer from Kannur on what's best to eat. 'Biriyani, Kerala Parotha and Fish curry,' he advised. And was he ever right! Around 200 kms and 5 hours or more away. More here.
Bekal - Feel like more sea, sand and fish curry at a different location? Go to Kasaragod which now has some interesting places for overnight stays. This too is around 200 kms and 5 hours or more away. We left early morning, stopping in Madikeri for a long, languid breakfast at Taj Vivanta (it truly is our latest find in the vicinity) before making our way further. More here.
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| Kappil Beach, Kerala |
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| Kabini Safari |
Places to eat in Mysore*
Indra Sweet 'N' Spice - a trip to Mysore is not complete without having eaten the traditional Mysore Dosa. This place on Kalidasa Road is our favourite for a quick breakfast rounded off with a South Indian filter coffee. This will cost you around INR 200. Less if you are willing to stop at a dosa each.
Green Hotel - on a sunny day (which most are out here), there's sometimes little better than lunch at the Green Hotel beside their flowering garden or inside this historic palace building on Hunsur Road. Try their chicken kebabs or go for a malai kofta. Accompanied by hot naans or tandoori rotis, this is great value for a price of around INR 600.
Gupta Sweets - on Kalidasa Road, this street-side eatery is tricky to find since it's open only for a couple of hours in the evenings. Shortly after dusk is a good time to go but when we showed up at 8:30 pm one evening, the place was already closed. Will fix all cravings for hot samosas and jalebis and cost around INR 100. Standing only or go for a takeaway.
Blue Inn - in the Bannimantap region, we like going to this place for a quick lunch of chicken biriyani when both of us are starving and nobody wants to cook. It's not a place for lingering conversations but will, more than adequately, take care of that hunger for around INR 350.
Mayura River View - this is closer to Srirangapatna than to Mysore. Truth be told, we like going here more for the location than for the food although they don't do too bad a job on the cooking front. The enterprise is government run and the spot, right next to the river Cauvery, is fantastic. Head out to the Srirangapatna Garrison Cemetery (more here) while you are in this area.
Royal Orchid Metropole - it's one of the pricier places to eat in Mysore but their offering is also very good. We like their outdoor sitting area underneath trees and the staff are friendly although they could be a wee bit quicker. If you stay off the alcohol, expect to pay around INR 1000.
Shanghai - if you are getting tired of Indian food and wouldn't mind a twist, try its cousin - Indo-Chinese! Located in the bustling area of Shivrampet, it offered us a welcome break from the crowded lanes and relentless traffic of old town Mysore. The place is relatively small, a bit like a quiet alley that happens to be set up with tables. Service is really quick, expect to pay around INR 500.
* Prices listed are approximate, as in 2013/early 2014 (inflation here is no joke), defined by our appetite on the day and quoted for two persons.
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