The Orange County Experience

We were looking for a place to relax away from work. After some consultation and research on the web I finally decided to go to a resort in coorg (near Madikeri)....it’s called Orange County.
Orange County is 35 kms from Madikeri city, 245 kms from Bangalore and 100 Kms from Mysore. To reach there from Bangalore take Mysore Highway - Ramnagaram - Maddur - Mandya - Srirangapatna (4 Kms from town turn Right towards Elivala) - Elivala - Hunsur - Periyapatna (1/2 km after town turn left towards Siddapura) - 3 kms before Siddapura town, turn right for Orange County, Coorg. Orange County is bordered by the river Cauvery, this 300 acre working plantation resort which gives you the most luxurious stay in the deep forests and the mystic mountains. It is called “spirit of the land”.
There is an Orange County office in Bangalore on Museum road. I went to enquire about the tariff’s and facilities at the resort. The first step into the office gave me an idea of the treatment we would receive at the resort. The hospitality and care they took all the time I was in the office was appreciable. The unique office space made from bamboo and the ambience did not give me a second chance to think of anything else. I went into the office for a final enquiry, but ended up paying the complete package amount and booking a Private Pool Villa at the resort :-). But I was still bit worried about the treatment and value for money we would get at the resort.
Finally the day came and we started our journey by taxi. We left early morning 6AM from our home and reached the resort at 11:30AM. The shortest route is bit complicated but for our luck our driver had visited the resort earlier. If you take the right way you will find the directions to the resort all the way from Srirangapatna (100kms).
The moment we entered the resort we felt the warmth from the cleanliness. We got a sweet surprise when we got down from our Taxi…A grand welcome for the newlywed couples in the way of a band with a nadaswaram group performing exclusively for us. Then the Aarathi welcome from the reception counter. We were seated and were given coffee till the formalities were over. Then they gave a complimentary gift packs containing a T-shirt for each, a local made coffee powder, an umbrella. After the coffee they asked us to leave all our baggage at the reception and took us to our villa on a Buggie (An electric car similar to the one used buy Golfers). This is one way to show the eco-friendliness.
The lady guided us to the villa and opened the door. The aroma surrounding the villa was so pleasant that it made us dizzy and made all the stress of the 250 Km journey vanish. It was the aroma of the lemon grass surrounding the villa. The lady explained all about the villa and the details of the TV, Coffee Maker, Swimming Pool and everything so patiently while making us seated. They literally made us feel King and Queen. As she left the room we were still enjoying the pleasant aroma around us. The whole villa is in 3500 Sq Area including the swimming pool. The perfection in building the villa to a minute detail is simply amazing. Everything that you can see in the villa is made out to perfection. The use of teak wood, the use of bamboos, the tables, chair all in traditional style. On the other hand we have modern coffee maker, fridge, 32” Flat screen TV with digital channels, The Jacuzzi attached to the swimming pool, the bath room attached with a garden ….everything was skillfully done. That’s when we decided that it’s every penny worth.
The resort is spread across 32 acres of lush green forest with tall trees perched with herbs and spice plants all around and perfectly laid roads and pathways to move around. There is a lake within the resort with boating facility. You get the aroma of medicinal & spice plants all around the resort. There are many activities to join in the resort..like the Spice tour , bird watching, boating and safari. We did not opt for any because of the schedule in the early morning. Every day the resort arranges some games and activities at an open ground. We attended a kodagu (local tribes) dance and we played some indoor games. They also made all the couples play a game of hat exchange …..It was fun. The only other activity we did was a walk to the Cauvery river banks ….as the river had swollen there was no coracle rides.
The most attractive part of the resort is the cleanliness. You will feel the freshness all the time. Then again your villa will be kept so clean that you never like to go out at all. Every day the villa is cleaned and all the items are replaced like the fruits, dry fruits, cookies. All these items are of the best quality and taste is the best you can imagine. Especially the fruits are exotic and really fresh and sweet. Then they give packs of roasted cashews everyday and they are just superb.
Every resort employee at the resort is friendly and will wish you “Namaskara” with a smile every time you meet them around the resort. For sure it’s not a namesake smile but a heartfelt one.
The resort has some 48 rooms for stay. There are 4 types County cottage, Luxury tent, Private Pool Villa and Presidential suite. We stayed at Private Pool Villa which had a huge living space and a bed room with a swimming pool. County cottage is a cheaper version with a single living space. Luxury tent give an experience of living in a camp which has no TV. Presidential suites are for complete family stay.
Orange County has 3 restaurants to choose from…The Granary, The Plantain Leaf and The Pepper Corn. The Granary severs in buffet style while others are service based and need prior appointments. After a short nap on day one we went for lunch at Granary. The ambience and the warm welcome we got made us feel at home. We had never seen such a variety of food at one place …right from starters to desserts. The menu was familiar but the taste was the best we ever had.
Then we took rest till evening and booked the night’s dinner at pepper corn another specialty restaurant at the resort. We had another sweet surprise from the resort in the way of a chocolate cake with “Happy Married Life” written on it. The cake was great and made our stay more special. Once it got dark the stay in resort seems to be like we are in no man’s land and the only company we have is the insects which make the creaking noise. At 8:30 we went to the restaurant where we found very limited menu but all were unique. We ordered some sizzler, curry and rotis and ended with a dessert….also we had a complimentary wine for us.
The next day we had a nice breakfast at the granary …once again a simple idly wada seemed so special. We had upma, dosas and many more items to select. We spent the rest of the day leisurely and I had cool swim for an hour after a grand lunch once again. We reserved a dinner at another specialty restaurant “Plantain Leaf”. Our experience at plantain leaf was special. All plates and utensils used for serving here are made from copper and look completely traditional and authentic to the core. The food was great and the live music from two traditionally dressed musicians was soothing.
The next day was the last day at the resort and we asked one of the employee (she actually looks after the coffee lounge at the resort and makes excellent coffee) to help my wife wear saari in traditional coorg style. My wife looked absolutely stunning in that style.
We checked out from the resort with warm farewell and we left the resort with lots of memories to cherish.