Biddanta Estate – a 20 acre coffee plantation near Siddapura, Kodagu/Coorg district, houses the Homestay. Run by the warm couple Nimmi and Viju Chengappa, the homestay truly lives up to its name as there are herds of elephants on an ‘estate hopping’ mission ever so often in the area.
The homestay section houses five bedrooms, an activity room, an open kitchen and a common outdoor dining area in the landscaped gazebo. The bedrooms in the new wing are pretty and cosy with a common kitchenette. In the old wing, the rooms are fuss-free with basic infrastructure, although the pet-friendly bedroom, in my opinion can be spruced up a little more – linen/blankets can be free of must. However, I would like to add that we spent such a lot of time in the outdoor, that all this hardly mattered.
The stay offers a rejuvenating experience for the senses what with gradients of coffee, silver oak and nandi trees providing a lush green treat, along with clusters of seasonal fruit trees and spices. We woke up to the chirping of birds, ate yummy Kodava and Srilankan food made by host Nimmi (she has her roots in Srilanka – hence the Lankan food), lazed, spent quality time with the family, listened to some very interesting elephant (and other) stories from Viju and fell asleep to the songs of the insects.
