The Best of Karnataka

COORG
Karnataka&rsquos charming Kodagu, or Coorg district, offers visitors rich and varied holidaying delights in its balmy environs. Long renowned for its coffee and spice plantations, where one can book a colonial homestay experience, the Coorg region is also rich in wildlife&mdashcome here to meet Malabar squirrels and tigers. In Dubare, look forward to interactions with elephants at the gov&shyernment-run Elephant Training Camp. Go trekking in forest trails along the Ka&shyveri to the Pushpagiri and Brahmagiri sanctuaries. At Madikeri enjoy rambles in Tippu&rsquos fort. At Kakkabe climb Thady&shyendamol Peak and look for rare orchids. The nearest airport is Mangalore Interna&shytional Airport, 160kms away.

BADAMI, PATTADAKAL, AIHOLE
The seventh century site of Badami represents the sophistication of Cha&shylukyan architecture. Of Badami&rsquos four richly carved cave temples, three are Vedic caves, dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, and the fourth, with its idol of Parashwanatha, to Jain deities. Patta&shydakal, with its Virupaksha Temple, is a World Heritage Site. Among the 10 temples in the complex are also the stunning Mallikarjuna and Papanath temples. Erstwhile Chalukyan capital Aihole is home to 100 shrines built be&shytween the 6th and 12th century AD, the star attraction being the Durga Temple, which has a fusion of Dravida with Nagara architectural styles. Use Badami as your base for a day tour of the other two. Accessed from Hubli (115km), which is a six-hour drive north&shywest from the state capital Bangalore.

MYSORE
Central to this erstwhile royal city is the massive sprawl of the Mysore Palace, home of the Wodeyar royals. Rising Phoenix-like from the ashes of a terrible fire, this grand palace is the first stop for visitors in the city&mdashfor the daz&shyzle of its Darbar Hall and Kalyana Man&shytapa. The palace design and aesthetic displays a mix of Hindu, Islamic, Gothic and Rajput styles. A higlight is the dra&shymatic lit-up view after sunset. The 10-day-long Mysore Dasara Festival was a royal initiative, and is celebrated lavishly with the public display of the Golden Howdah even today. Set off on a languid trawl of Mysore&rsquos other ornate palaces, gardens, Chamundi Hill and old markets where you can pick up Mysore silks, sandalwood joss sticks and gar&shylands of fragrant jasmine. Mysore is a 146kms drive from Bengaluru, which takes 2.5 hours.

HAMPI
Its jaw-dropping carved tem&shyples, palaces and other ruins of the Sacred Centre around Hampi Bazaar and the Royal Centre near Kamala&shypuram from the legendary Vijayanaga&shyra Kingdom provide a window into the world of medieval South India and its enormous wealth, noted by many writers of the era. But adventure buffs in the 21st century love it for the great landscape of giant boulders among which the historic site stands. A hand&shyful of rock climbers from abroad dis&shycovered the potential of Hampi as a granite bouldering climbing site. To&shyday, would-be boulderers seek locally available professional help to explore Hampi&rsquos 700 boulder challenges, es&shypecially in November and December. Hampi is accessed from Hospet (13km). The 341kms drive from Bengaluru takes about six hours.

RIVER TERN ISLAND
An all-year re&shytreat, this picturesque island rises off the sparkling waters of the backwaters of the Bhadra river, just 4km from the Bhadra Tiger Reserve. The river shares the secret of this special place with only those who venture into these parts. You can&rsquot stay on the island itself, as it dis&shyappears when the monsoon engorges the backwaters. But before that hap&shypens, it&rsquos the residence of the river terns, who have been using it as a nursery for years. Stay at Jungle Lodges River Tern Lodge here and take a boat ride to watch the chicks come out to take their first swim. Watersports are also on offer by the resort. The island is about 275kms from Bangalore.

SHIMOGA
Sequestered in the verdant upper reaches of the Western Ghats this city lies on the embankments of the Tunga river and is popular as the gate&shyway to Karnataka&rsquos beautiful Malnad re&shygion. Back-to-nature experiences are the heart of a stay here. The Tyava&shyrekoppa Lion and Tiger Reserve, 10km away, gets droves of visitors. The Sakre&shybailu Elephant Camp is just 14km away and birding at Gajanur Dam (12km) is quite popular. So are day trips to Jog Falls (829 ft) with its four cascades, 100km away. Mattur, 8km away, is In&shydia&rsquos famous &lsquoSanskrit village&rsquo. Shimoga railway station is served by trains from both Bangalore (276kms) and Mysore (275kms).

DANDELI
Said to be the oldest declared game reserve in India, Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is where you can spot the elusive black panther. Flying snakes, fly&shying squirrels and flying lizards are other unique denizens of this pristine world, also famed for its rare and colouful hornbills. The white water rafting expe&shyriences, arranged by Kali Wilderness Adventure Camp on the Kali River, at&shytract many adventure buffs. For the less adventurous there are gentle coracle rides on offer. Jungle safaris are ar&shyranged by the Kulgi Nature Camp. Trek&shykers can conquer Shiroli Peak and fur&shyther ahead explore the network of lime&shystone caves at Kavala. The nearest rail&shyway station is Alnavar, 35kms away.