BHPian Kelly66 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:Coorg Weekend Getaway at Evergreen County – First Hill station drive for Grey Hulk We had booked a 3N/4D stay from 25/10/25 to 28/10/25 at Evergreen County – India’s First Pure Veg Adventure Retreat South of Virajpet around 249 kms from Bangalore. Looking at this initial offer, I was about to sign up with Purple Palms & Spa: After a couple of interactions we got an excellent package deal: Note: Since it was raining on Day 3 and 4, we didn’t take up the Rope activites and got another 10% discount. Since this retreat is in the middle of a coffee Plantation and built in a rustic concept that blends with nature, they informed us that their cottages might have some spiders and lizards. Since we were not keen on that experience, we booked a Stoneage Room and asked them to make sure that we have no such visitors. Day 1: Drive to Evergreen CountyStarted from Bangalore at 7 am and took couple of breaks at McDonalds, Maddur and at Mandya Grey Hulk soaking up the sun near a 520d at Mandya We stopped at Aroha Veg Restaurant for a quick bite Reached Evergreen County at 1.40 pm. Actual drive time was under 5 hours @50.4 kmph At Evergreen County they have around 9 cottages and 10 Stoneage rooms spread across 15 acres. Since it was the weekend after Diwali only 5 other families were booked. Parking is in the open. Our room: Spot for a photo shoot: After a quick buffet lunch (served at the table when occupancy is less) we went for the following water activities since it was sunny. View from room corridor – they took us in this buggy to a nearby pond Coracle ride Kayaking Night Plantation Walk with Lanterns This is a unique experience. We assembled at 6.15 pm and Punith the adventure guide for the walk briefed us about the 1 hour walk through the coffee plantation. It was dark by then and the narrow passage at the initial stage was soggy because of overnight rains. He had a bright torch and led the way while we held on to the diesel lanterns which were of no major use. Fortunately, the path widened after about 20 mins of walking a tightrope. He stopped at select spots and explained the nuances of Arabica, Robusta coffee plantations. These plantations have a life of around 150 years. The coffee seeds were green and they start turning red in December and they are plucked starting January. Coffee plant near our room During the walk, he plucked a leaf and asked us to smell and guess what it is. It smelt like coriander and he confirmed it was a wild coriander which looked nothing like what we use for cooking. We also saw some pepper plantation. Towards the end of the walk he made us turn off the lantern and close our eyes for 10 secs and asked us to open them. He had switched off his torch as well and even though it was completely dark we were still able to see the pathway in the starry sky. He showed us white lichens on trees which were aplenty. We saw some fireflies too. Learnt that the fireflies that fly are male and ones that don’t are female. He picked up a female firefly from the ground and placed it on our palm for a close view. The fluorescent green firefly moving across the palm was treat to watch. There were plenty of trumpet flowers as well. Overall, it was a memorable experience of alignment with nature. We had a lovely veg buffet dinner and went to bed. Continue reading on BHPian Kelly66’s Coorg road trip for BHPian comments, insights and more information.
