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Escaping Bangalore Traffic!
It’s 9 am and we are at war! Literally. Driving through rush hour traffic in Bangalore is nothing short of WWIII. The radio is on and it helps draw our attention away from the maddening crowd near Lalbagh. An ad on air catches our attention as it talks about tea estates and a serene hill station. Nature Resorts has opened a new property in Kotagiri, Tea Nest Nightingale and we immediately decide to get in touch with them. A call is made and we are booked for the coming weekend!
Driving to Coonoor
5:30 am on a Saturday and we are off to Kotagiri. It’s raining heavily as we drive through Mysore road. Soon we have crossed Bandipur and reach Ooty. The scene is quite harrowing. Rivers of sewage water flood the streets in Ooty as the rain pounds heavily all over the Nilgiris. Reminds us of the recent flood situation in the North East and Mumbai.
Suggested Read - A British heritage bungalow that towers over the clouds!
We take a break and have our lunch. Our shoes are completely drenched. It’s 2 pm and we head towards our destination. At this point, we are tired of driving through the rain and waterlogged roads and just want to have a hot cuppa tea. The map shows we have reached our destination. We wind down from the main road onto a small 1-acre property that houses an old British bungalow. The car is parked and we are greeted by Augustine, the manager here.
The Homestay
All though the homestay is next to the road, it’s quite peaceful here. There is a lovely landscaped garden in front of the bungalow with a view of the hills and tea plantations. At a distance, we can see the hills surrounding Mettupalayam.
Lovely view!! We check-in and are taken to our room, The Scarlet Minivet. 4 rooms here, and all are named after bird species. Ours has a king-size bed with an attic and a bed for kids. There is a small sitout area too with a view of the garden.
The room is very plush with all the creature comforts in it. The room is cozy, elegant, and provides for a great recluse from our busy lives. The property is very well maintained and well suited for couples as well as families. Children would love it here since there is plenty of space to play around. There is a small trail that leads to the tea estates and we are sure the kids will love walking through these!
The rain stops and the clouds move away. The hills appear from behind the black clouds and the view is just so amazing! This is exactly what we look for when we travel to such places. We take a table on the lawn and are served piping hot tea. A cool breeze blows towards us making the tea drinking experience even amazing. The next couple of hours are spent taking pictures of the landscape and talking with the staff.
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Some are locals and the chef is from Nepal. We request him to make us some nepali cuisine for dinner and he obliges. They have an elaborate menu with options of Indian, continental and Chinese food with yummy deserts as well.
The Experience
After spending tranquil moments surrounded by tea estates, a couple of meandering clouds, immersing ourselves in the chirping birds and the clicks of camera shutters, we decided to head back inside. The chef informs us that dinner is served and we go out into the dining area. Large antique radio and a few, really old cameras are kept on the fireplace. We strike a conversation with the staff as they explain how these items were collected from all over the years.
Dinner is served and we are glad to see that the chef has made Nepalese chicken and yellow dal. The food is absolute yum and we finish it off in no time. It’s time to hit the sack. We watch an old movie and soon doze off.
6 am and we are up to witness the sunrise. There is a small hillock next to Tea Nest and we see the sun rising from behind the hill. It’s an amazing spectacle and we tried to capture this moment with our cameras. Tea Nest Nightingale offers a lot of activities such a horse riding/training, jeep rides, tea tours, waterfall visits, market tours, etc and one can indulge in these during their stay here. We recommend you come here for at least 2 nights to experience all these activities.
Nature Resorts is the group that manages this and other properties such as Tea Nest, Tea Nest Annexe, and Kurumba Village. We have already fixed dates to visit other properties as we’ve had a lovely experience with Tea Nest Nightingale. Read other reviews of Tea Nest Nightingale here!
Suggested Read - Another Tea Nest property in a tea estate closeby
25 comments
Hey guys thanks for reading
The landscape looks extraordinarily beautiful. Can imagine how’d it feel like to sip tea while looking at the mountains appear and disappear through the clouds. And Nepalese chicken in Coonoor sounds like a great deal!
Haha true.
The place looks just mesmerizing with some amazing Homestay options for sure.. Love the detailing of the blog
Thanks a lot. Glad u liked it
This place looks amazing for the stay purpose. Somehow homestays are always welcoming and provides personalized touch. This homestay looks clean, cozy and welcoming. I will try it out next time when I am that side.
Yeah it’s fairly new and very pretty
The landscape looks extraordinarily beautiful. To stay at this superb location is kind of a bliss for me. I would love to visit south India soon. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful place. Lovely place for a vacation
Loved the beautiful resort… Hope we had such amazing locations n resort near Kolkata
That’s a lovely homestay. Coonoor looks so peaceful and serene. Would love to visit this place, thanks for sharing the details.
Ur welcome. Thanks for reading
Coonoor is our favourite getaway from Bangalore. We find it really enchanting and much better than Ooty which gets crowded.The Homestay that you have stayed looks perfect for a secluded stay in the midst of nature. The best thing abouut it is that seamlessly blends luxury with an earthy homeliness.
U got that absolutely right
I absolutely love Coonoor and I have gone to that place plenty of times. The homestay looks amazing and so beautiful. I will make a note of this homestay so I can stay here the next time I visit Coonoor.
Yeah it’s more serene as compared to ooty
Coonoor is a place on my wishlist… and your article has pushed it to my bucket list :).
Oh that’s good to know. Thanks for reading
Damn, Archana this seems to be a perfect place to detox from the hustle and bustle of the city. I can totally wake up and have my morning tea watching this view daily.
Yeah good for a relaxing time
Such a well articulated experience – it was almost as if I was with you on this journey! To escape city traffic and enter the country side silence is one of the purest feelings ever. I have a certain affinity for Mysore Road – I’ve been only once but the Thatte Idli in Bidadi has my heart!
Oh I miss eating those idlis too
Really wonderful place and good for feeling good with nature .. great article
Thanks a lot Rakesh
This blog post about the best new homestay in Coonoor has me so excited! ?? Has anyone else had the chance to experience it? I’m always on the lookout for cozy and unique accommodations. Any specific features or experiences that stood out during your stay? Share your thoughts! ?? #CoonoorHomestay #TravelTips #HomeAwayFromHome