Review: Taj Madikeri Resort & Spa, Coorg

Why book

For featuring its fine-fettle rainforest as the star of show – best soaked up with a side of wellness treatments at the palatial spa.

Set the scene

Taj Madikeri Resort & Spa is set at the crossroads of Coorg’s UNESCO World Heritage Site wildlife sanctuaries, about 3.5 hours from Mangaluru and 2.5 from Mysuru by road, with a new highway from Bengaluru in the works. The drive to the property takes you through thick coffee plantation corridors and tropical evergreen forests, but the view that awaits at the resort is one that holds your gaze for days. Upon pulling up to the lobby, the open-air cliffside structure pulls you in with a 180-degree vista of rolling forest – no railings, no windows, just a shallow stream-like edging of water to keep guests from the precipice of the platform’s ledge. Pockets of mist, red-and-blue flashes of Malabar trogons, and deep castleton greens are all you see, aside from a smattering of villas tastefully tucked into the landscape below.

The backstory

The hill town property falls under India’s historic Taj Hotels group, credited with opening the nation’s first luxury hotel – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai – at the turn of the 20th century. Today, The Taj Mahal Palace remains the proverbial pearl of the well-heeled hotel empire, while its 2012-established Taj Madikeri Resort & Spa stands out as the group’s move towards sustainability before it was a buzzword.

The hotel’s boundaries span 180 acres, however, its structures are solely scattered across 30 of them. The remaining territory is protected and undeveloped, preserving its bounty of biodiversity – hundreds of endemic flora and fauna species.

It took seven years to construct the hotel as not a single tree was felled in its making. They actually added more, bringing in dozens of trees from outside the property that would have otherwise been cut down. Taj Madikeri Resort & Spa remains a place where you are just as likely to see scientists scarf down their dinner in anticipation of a night out recording rare species – 33 types of frogs have been documented on the grounds over a single night – as you are to witness sheikhs and socialites seeking restorative succour in this sleek sanctuary-like setting.

The rooms

There are 63 stand-alone cottages and villas – with five more in the works – that are well-spaced across the steep landscape, each surrounded by greenery and panoramic views. The superior cottages spotlight deep-soaking stone bathtubs, lined with luxury Ayurvedic soaps and lotions by Forest Essentials; the deluxe cottages feature fireplaces that are a charming addition to Coorg’s damp monsoon season; the premium villas delight with a bird’s-eye view of lush rainforest; the luxury pool villa wows with a retractable ‘open-sky’ roof over its four-foot-deep plunge pool; and the variety of two-bedroom family suites, plus, the three-bedroom presidential nirvana suite, service guests with sprawling living areas and countless amenities.

Food and drink

An odyssey of organic delicacies. The Taj features four restaurants and a bijou bar, and organizes open-air dining experiences across property – from the forested Buddha Garden to the 101-candle-lit amphitheatre encircled by a large lotus pond. Ferntree proffers healthy produce like basil-tossed finger millet ravioli stuffed with carrot and Thai ginger; Dew stands out for its breakfasts, the dosa counter offering crisp red-rice pancakes that pair wonderfully with the local pumpkin chutney; and contemporary north Indian specialties pretty up the plates at the poolside grill.

More intimate dining experiences can be reserved at Nellaki, where the Kodagu thali offers a chance to savour a series of sumptuous regional specialties, including peppy bamboo pickle, piquant raw mango curry, and pandi curry – a peppery pork dish that takes on the tart umami of ripe Malabar tamarind fermented into a dark vinegar known as kachampuli.

The spa

The 30,000-sq ft J Wellness Circle is vast in space and amenities. Guests enter through a lengthy and narrow rivulet-style pathway, walking across smooth stones framed by clear waters – a more accessible entry is also available. A host of scrubs and copper tubs await those in search of wellness relief, be they Ayurvedic treatments, signature massages, or yoga and meditation therapies.

The neighborhood/area

Coorg – a corruption of the Kanarese kodagu (“steepness”) – is a distinct district of India’s southwestern Karnataka state. Producing close to 40 per cent of India’s robusta and arabica beans, the region is known as the nation’s coffee cup. Its principal town, Madikeri, also called Mercara, lies in the hill country heartland of the state’s Western Ghats.

Coorg’s waterfalls, highlands, and lakes have led it to be called the Scotland of India, but that title takes meaning out of what makes it special. The region holds wildlife such as Asiatic elephants, stripe-necked mongoose, sloth bears, four-horned antelope, and a wide array of wild cats. It is also a birder’s paradise, brimming with the birdsong of Malabar barbets and Nilgiri flowerpeckers: over 350 species of birds have been recorded here, out of which close to 300 are considered residents. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagarhole National Park, Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, and Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary stand out as biodiversity hotspots.

The service

The staff win you over as surely and swiftly as the fragrance of dark cane jaggery wafting from the clay cups of Coorg-style bella kaapi (jaggery coffee) they hand you upon check-in. The concierge team excels in recommending activities that bring out the best of Coorg’s bounty of wildlife sanctuaries and treasured local produce like the famed Kodagu honey. Outings to Dubare Elephant Camp are especially popular with younger guests, and trips to Namdroling Monastery take you to the largest teaching centre of Nyingma Tibetan Buddhism. Coffee plantation tours and tastings explore why Coorg’s robusta roasts are considered some of the best in the world, while excursions to local historical sites like Madikeri Fort and Raja’s Tomb reveal elegant Indo-Saracenic examples of architecture.

For families

For emerging young epicureans, seasonal strawberry picking or a day of learning how to whip up regional specialties are sure-fire hits. The property has even set up a conservatory in a century-old Coorgi home, with a retired colonel of Kodava heritage operating as the resident docent: his charm, wit, and knowledge as immaculate as his perfectly trimmed moustache. Adventurous travelers can learn archery and zipline through the rainforest, though the best way to explore the environs is to embark on either of the resort’s two naturalist-led hikes.

Eco effort

No earthmovers were brought in during the resort’s construction. The bricks used to build the clusters of cottages were made out of mud taken from the property’s man-made lake. The mustard-y amber-toned paint that coats the villas and cottages is an all-natural, clay-based pigment traditionally used in the region; even though it has to be reapplied annually, it is preferred by the property as it is non-toxic to vulnerable endemic species. All the moss-kissed tiles that line the lodging’s roof are recycled ones sourced from local villages. The property also uses electric buggies to shuttle guests around the expansive property, however, 4x4s are also used as backups.

Accessibility for those with mobility impairments

Given the region’s name literally means ‘steepness’, the highlands are home to slick slopes and rocky terrain that inherently represent a mobility challenge–though the property is generally much more accessible. At the Taj, guests are chauffeured around the property in electric buggies, and its central five-storey structure has a lift. The hotel has wheelchair-accessible parking and paths of travel, as well as in-room accessibility in select rooms.

Anything left to mention?

Savor daybreak. Listening to the soft patter of rain against sub-tropical fronds, and the sweet school-boy trill of a Malabar whistling thrush floating through the morning mist, the serenity of Taj Madikeri Resort & Spa simply sings.