The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

Since 2017, it seems like the year of experiencing homestay for us. With Norwood Greens and the Lodge at Wah in Palampur, Casa Coorg, Peepal Tree Kabini and several others. And just when the year ended with a great stay experience with Jaswant Niwas staying here for 2 days in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, little did we know soon we will be experiencing yet another homestay. This time, it was The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru right in the beginning of the year 2018.

Over the past several years we have traveled to many different weekend getaways from Bangalore. These include A weekend spent in Coorg, A long weekend in B R Hills, A self driven trip to Pondicherry, Several vacations in Goa, Our first trip with our first daughter to Hampi, An year end exploring places in Mahabalipuram, visit to Ooty in monsoons, our honeymoon (kind of!) in Munnar, A day in a houseboat in Alleppey, a day trip to Mysore (one of our first ones!), Kabini etc. But we didn’t have a chance to visit Chikkamagaluru so far. One thing that we clearly know, was that when we head to this town of coffee, we are going to stay in a coffee estate. And that also in a homestay. Since we have heard a lot about the traditional homestay experience in Chikkamagaluru.

The house at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

So finally, last weekend we drove from Bangalore to Chikmagaluru with our extended family. Making it one of the most memorable road trips that we have taken in India. And then we stayed with The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru. This homestay has all the elements that one looks for in a homestay. To start with, the house is done in a very traditional Karnataka style. Located at one side of an almost 10 cares coffee estate, it is a small and beautiful cottage. The center of attraction in the house is the central courtyard. As it’s name suggests. On the front side of the courtyard lies the living area. With traditional sofa and wooden swings, this is a perfect setup for a family to spend some time together leisurely. On either side of the courtyard lies the entrance to two rooms. Thus, in total there are 4 rooms in the Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru.

The other end of the courtyard contains an wooden almirah which contains extra bed linen, indoor games like chess, ludo, carom etc. extra crockery and cutlery and some towels. Near the almirah you will find some outdoor game equipments as well. On the opposite corner is a can of drinking water for the guests. All over the varandah as well as in the courtyard, you will notice small details that complete the overall traditional decor of the place. Like a copper kettle lying on a traditional wooden chair, traditional trunk for storing goods, beautiful traditional decor in the center of the courtyard, small copper artifacts and so on and so forth.

The rooms at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

The rooms at the Courtyard Homestay, Chikkamagaluru are done in very simple yet comfortable style. Each room has a double bed with comfortable cotton linen and small bedside posts to hold some of the items. There are wooden cupboards and a full size mirror that make for walking closet and vanity. And each room has an attached bathroom. The bathroom has provision for hot water, but not through a geyser. The hot water is provided through a traditional boiler. So, you need to tell the host or caretaker beforehand, in case you need hot water.

The patio of The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

As you step out of the house, you arrive at a patio. At one end of the patio lies an wooden swing and some chairs. While on the other end lies the dining area. Since, the dining area is open, it is very airy. We enjoyed all the meals we had here. And we really felt it was very thoughtful to have the dining area outside the main house. Since this further ensured cleanliness. Just outside the patio is a small garden with beautiful seasonal flowers as well as roses and others.

Related Read : A weekend trip to Belum Caves & Gandikota from Bangalore

The hospitality of The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

As we have always felt, the hospitality that you feel at a homestay is combined with the warmth of a home. And so was the case at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru. While the owners themselves stay in the main town of Chikkamagaluru, there is a caretaker at the premises to take care of the guests. He is very helping and welcoming. Since the time we step foot at the homestay, he ensured that we had a comfortable stay, taking care of everything big and small. We took his cell phone number and would call him in case we needed anything. He was always there to help. There is a cook also at the premises who cooks traditional meals, tea and coffee. And is always available to help you out with anything else, with a lovely smile at her face.

The food at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

Expect traditional and homely food at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru. As mentioned, the cook resides at the premises. The package includes all the three meals for a one night stay – lunch, dinner and breakfast for the next day morning. She will cook native and homely food right before the meal time. You can ask her or the caretaker what is there to eat. And in case you want to change something on the menu, you are most welcome. We had very nice traitional kannada meals while we were here. These included Ukkarisida Rotti, lemon rice, idlis with sambhar, kesari bath, payasam and many other dishes across our meals to cherish alonside curry and curd preparations. The food was so homely, even our little daughter had her meals well.

Apart from the food, you can ask for tea/coffee anytime you desire and it will be made available for you. In fact, along with the evening coffee, we also had some fried pakodas. Plus, a glass of milk for my daughter was also available when we had our tea/coffee.

Coffee estate at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

Morning and evening, we roamed around in the coffee estate of The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru. The estate is full of tall trees under whose shades the coffee plants thrive. Also, you will see pepper plants creeping along the stem of each of these trees. While pepper was not ready for harvest when we went. But, coffee was mostly harvested and was put for drying. Yes, the coffee is harvested, dried and then sent for processing. And upon processing, the homestay sells it’s own coffee. We very much wanted to buy but they were out of stock when we visited. If you want to buy some coffee while you head here, inform the host beforehand. And he will make sure that you don’t return without one.

The walks that we had in the coffee estate were particularly refreshing. Although the night we stayed here, the next morning was very chilling. Still, everyone went out for a morning walk into the estate. And we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Activities at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

One will really enjoy if heading here with a group. Even better if you can book the whole homestay. That way you will have total privacy and the whole place to yourself. While the place is perfect to simply relax and laze around over a weekend, there is a lot more that you can do here. Here’s a list of things that you can do while at The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru.

• Trekking through the coffee estate
• Visiting the Deviramma Temple which is just 3.5km from the homestay
• Enjoying freshly brewed coffee
• Playing indoor games
• Playing outdoor games
• Enjoying a bonfire (you can ask beforehand for the hosts to arrange it)
• They also arrange safari and treks, you need to inform in advance and it attracts extra charges

Our overall experience with The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru

We went to the Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru for just a weekend. We started from our home on Saturday morning by 6:00am and we were at the homestay by 12:00pm. While we settled in the house and refreshed ourselves after arriving here, the cook prepared a lunch meal for us. After having lunch, we just relaxed for an hour or so. While our little one was busy exploring the area. In the evening, we visit the Deviramma Temple. When we came back, we enjoyed steaming coffee with pakodas. And then simple chit chatted sitting in the courtyard. Thereafter, we had an early dinner and retired to bed by 9:30pm. Yes, I know that is pretty early. But for us city dwellers, the absolute peace that we felt at this homestay, away from the noise of the city, this tranquility was enough to put us to sleep so early.

Next day morning, we had a walk through the coffee estate before breakfast. We checked out after breakfast. And while on our way back to Bangalore, we visited some mountain peaks in Chikkamagaluru and the Belur Temple and Halabidu temple. We were really satisfied with our stay here, including the homely atmosphere, the tranquility, the warmth of the hosts and the cook and the tasty homemade food. Overall, we had a very relaxing and rejuvenating weekend. So, in our opinion that makes The Courtyard Homestay, Chikkamagaluru a perfect weekend getaway from the bustling city of Bangalore.

General tips on visiting Chikkamagaluru

• Chikkamagaluru is a district in Karnataka, India, famous for it’s coffee plantations. It is fondly called “the coffee town”.
• The main town of Chikkamagaluru is located some 250km from Bangalore. Further to the main town starts the hills wherein most of the homestay and hotels are located.
• The Courtyard Homestay Chikkamagaluru is located on the main state highway itself, almost 30km further to the main town of Chikkamgaluru. And it can be easily located on google maps.
• Network connectivity is a little low inside the homestay perhaps due to the dense trees surrounding it. But if you head to the main gate, then the connectivity is good.
• The weather of Chikkamagaluru is moderately pleasant almost all through the year. Carry a light jacket when heading here.
• If you happen to trek, carry comfortable walking shoes. There are several beautiful trekking trails around the town of Chikkamagaluru.
• And if your purpose is just to relax amidst the greenery, you can head here for just a weekend.
• But if you want to visit the places around Chikkamagaluru like the mountain peaks, waterfalls, trekking paths, temples etc. then stay for minimum of two nights instead of one.
• All the basic necessities will be available in the main town of Chikkamagaluru. So, no need to worry about anything.
• You can either self drive here, or hire a car, or take a bus from Bangalore or Mysore to Chikkamagaluru.

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