Old style lanterns have replaced the baskets. There are new brighter lampshades in the rooms. There’s a carrom-board, more books.

An inverter ensures a few hours of power backup, a mini-transformer keeps the voltage at India 220 levels

. . . → Read More: Winter’s Here]]> The Chettimani Cottage has had a bunch of upgrades.

Old style lanterns have replaced the baskets. There are new brighter lampshades in the rooms. There’s a carrom-board, more books.

An inverter ensures a few hours of power backup, a mini-transformer keeps the voltage at India 220 levels

Winter will soon be upon us, and Coorg’s already cold. The rains have already made it way more lush, and we thought we’d do our bit and add one more option for accomodation.

This is in a completely private area, overlooking the paddy fields with a 200 deg view of the hills around. As with all our options, an entire family will be able Linger here as well. Its done in mud – using traditional building techniques – and glass for making sure the lovely views are part of the room. Should be ready in a couple of weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, a lot of people have been to Linger, and are unanimous in their endorsement of Harish’s hospitality. One guest went as far as to say that we should retain him come what may! “Perfect and non-intrusive” is how a guest described it.

Meanwhile, Linger has another property at Balur, near Mudigere, in Chikmaglur district. Its 150+ year old piece of Coffee History, and just like at Chettimani, a perfect place to Linger.

Gift-A-Vacation at Linger. Send us the name, occasion, etc, and we’ll print a nice customized invite out at Printo and deliver it to whoever you’d like to gift it to.

Options: One night/2 day, 2 night/3 . . . → Read More: Gift a Linger-ing Time!]]> We did this recently for one of our friends, and thought it might actually be something people might like to do.

Gift-A-Vacation at Linger. Send us the name, occasion, etc, and we’ll print a nice customized invite out at Printo and deliver it to whoever you’d like to gift it to.

Options: One night/2 day, 2 night/3 days. Pick weekdays/weekends. No extra costs. Additionally, add a bottle of wine, a card, chocolates.

You can pick a vacation for specific dates, or with validity for a whole year where the exact dates could be blocked with a call/email to us a little in advance.

So if you’ve been thinking of this unusual gift you want to give someone, call/mail us at stay@linger-at-coorg.in or +91-98451-80207.

You got to like long rides on motorbikes. Chai breaks. Green wherever you see. Rain. Even getting drenched. Bonfires.

Sounds like something you want to do ? Can get you a bike if you don’t have one. Support will be DIY with limited . . . → Read More: Riding the Rain : 4th-6th June]]> We’re riding to and around Linger in June, and hopefully catch some early monsoon showers!

You got to like long rides on motorbikes. Chai breaks. Green wherever you see. Rain. Even getting drenched. Bonfires.

Sounds like something you want to do ? Can get you a bike if you don’t have one. Support will be DIY with limited backup if needed. Accommodation and food at Linger. Its at 1450/- per head per day if you get your own bikes along.

Send mail to stay@linger-at-coorg.in with “June Ride” in the subject!

Plan: Leave on Fri night (Volvos), reach Madikeri Sat early morning. Jeep transfers to Linger. Wash up, breakfast, and transfer to trek base with packed lunch. Should be back by 4ish (have not done this trek myself) and chai, bhajji, chill and bonfire! Dinner . . . → Read More: Trek! Coming?]]> There’s a trek planned for the coming Saturday – the 23rd of April!

Plan: Leave on Fri night (Volvos), reach Madikeri Sat early morning. Jeep transfers to Linger. Wash up, breakfast, and transfer to trek base with packed lunch. Should be back by 4ish (have not done this trek myself) and chai, bhajji, chill and bonfire! Dinner will be Coorg Food and potatoes baked in the fire if you like that sort of a thing   Overnight at Linger. Coffee + walk to the Cauvery and the birding hilltop in the morning. Leave after breakfast on Sunday around 11ish – Jeep transfer to Madikeri. 1pm Volvo to Bangalore! What say ? Vacancy: 6-8 ppl. Will go if there’s a min of 4 apart from the 2 of us.

Price: 1900/- per head. Includes food, acco, jeep transfers, trek guide fee, bonfire, chai/coffee. Will book Volvo tix for all but thats not included.

Get: backpack, water bottle, rain gear, caps, camera, open mind, sense of humour

Do send mail to sameer@linger-at-coorg.in, or call at 9845180207

The first thing to greet us as we got there was the news that the gas cylinders had run out completely . . . → Read More: What Linger is. And what its not.]]> Just got back from a 3 day mid-week break at Linger with our entire family, and the in-laws.  Took the bikes, hammocks and a comfy set of spare mattresses along.

The first thing to greet us as we got there was the news that the gas cylinders had run out completely – and the particular brand of private LPG we had shipped from Bangalore had no dealers in Coorg! Its amazing the things one takes for granted. So we thought some, and asked for local advice, and figured that getting a local version of an efficient firewood stove was probably the more long-term solution, and might even have a lower footprint as compared to an LPG cylinder transported all over the region – especially considering the additional trip to and from Bangalore. So a second, firewood kitchen is being built this week right beside the house.

Next ? The power situation thats hit Bangalore so hard has not spared Coorg either. So random, long outages are the order of the day.  I’ve started to love those for what they represent – one less stimulus for our senses and the opportunity to interact with nature – see stars one has never seen, sit out in the dark and feel the pleasant breeze. Just listen to the crickets, and the noisy silence of the surroundings. Folks usually need a couple of hours to make this switch – we’re just so used to lights, television sets, updates on the internet, that it takes a little time for the meaning of the the question – do we even really really need electricity right now – to sink in. Once you get there, you let go, and appreciate the real ieda behind the name of the place

So what is Linger clearly not about ?

• Creature Comforts ? Sure we have lots of space for you (350 sqft+ per family) and the trappings of a ‘resort’ as well – freshly washed sheets, linen, etc, but thats not the focus. We want you to be comfortable, but we did not go to hotel management schools to learn the art of formal bed-making and the like, if you know what I mean.
• Air conditioning, backup power, manicured lawns, and sterilized surroundings. Yes, we make sure there’s enough light sources to be able to live without KEB support all night, but just enough to not totally spook your urban sensibilities. Linger’s set in a place with oodles of rural charm. And a whole lot that may initially feel different and not “tended to” – we have melded that which works out there, and interferes the least with what nature’s done, with that which makes you feel at home. Leaves fall when they fall. There’s more mud and less concrete. There will be buzzing, and even some fireflies in your room and around. Neighbours may stop by to smile. And birds will definitely wake you up rudely in the morning with their cacophonous chirping.
• Multi-cuisine restaurant and school-trained Chef. Nopes, Girija cooks very nice, homely food the way she’s always cooked it for folks at home. Sure, we try and encourage some experimentation – quite like at home – but its a home kitchen and we are proud of the fact that it will never taste like ‘restaurant-food’. Having said this, feel free to interact and provide inputs to satisfy your palate to your heart’s content

What Linger is about :

• Getting comfortable with how the world is. Things grow, crawl, fly, seek nectar, fall, wilt, generally go around doing their own things and look pretty doing all of this. We have a place in this space, and its a lovely feeling to start accepting this and overcoming the urge to have everything paved, cauterized, sterilized, concreted, and basically mauled, morphed and edited for our uber-safe, at-a-distance consumption.
• Accepting a place, people, culture for what they are. A little like the last one – but more from the acceptance point of view, not from a discovery one. No they do not have tooo many shops selling even milk and curd and english Newspapers and cell phone coverage is iffy. Now think why, and why its ok.
• Walks/Bike Rides: Harish will take you on a couple of walks, but the whole place is so vast, so pretty, so green that you’ll do well to work those legs a bit and do your heart and lungs favour while you take in the amazing prettiness all around.
• Slowing down time. I cannot explain this one. It just happens. The breeze. A Book. A slow walk. Conversation that goes nowhere without creating loss-of-productive-time-anxiety. Anything can trigger this, and then it stays with you for a while.
• Books. Yes, already mentioned that. But catching up with one after ages in a way that you only read in college is a very nice feeling.
• Rediscovering hearing. I mean birds, crickets, other subtle sounds around that do not come through an electronic device, or as part of a planned conversation, or agenda.
• Rediscovering breathing. About halfway up the steps from Talacauvery towards the Brahmagiri peak, you’ll know what I mean
• The value of yourself.

Its not the run of the mill tourist that we’ve created this place for. Its not for nothing we’re sure we don’t want to muddle the place with 15 rooms and a swimming pool and LCD TVs and perfect lawns. There’s something about doing nothing this way on a vacation that appeals to us, and that we wanted to create here. Its why we want people to stay longer. So come over. Linger.

. . . → Read More: New @ Linger]]> We’ve added our first couple of 21-speed bikes at Linger. With these, you can spend quiet time finding a pretty trail around the place, or a doing the mildly challenging climb up to Talacauvery, even as you burn calories to earn some nice local fare our cook, Girija, conjures up.

The bike rack is available, separately, if you want to carry your own bikes to Linger. Its a Thule 968 Freeway, and should fit most cars.

We now have a guide, on request, to take you on a more serious trek in case you want to climb up Kopatti Betta etc. And the library now has over 2 dozen books, lots of board games, enough stuff to keep kids entertained. Soon, we’ll be adding permanent cottages for that in-the-woods experience as well.

Its also possible to pitch a tent out in the woods if you so wish (We’ve cleared a spot, and tested the Hurricane Lantern overnight.) Just let us know a little in advance and we’ll make arrangements for this.

A pretty bamboo sitout, where you could even have breakfast/lunch is ready. The views from here are stunning, and early in the morning just listening to the gazillion birds sing an orchestra is an amazing feeling.

The Bamboo Sitout

And recently, the Almighty’s been really kind in blessing our efforts with some showers every now and then. Its cool, green and very very pretty around there.

Poor us! But here’s some help :

Who’d've thought it’d come to the species having to try to make vacations less stressful But hey, we’re making progress.

Feel free to Linger . . . → Read More: How To Do Nothing]]> Apparently, its not that easy anymore. With our organized lives, always connected modes, planners and tightrope schedules, free time is hardly something one’s used to anymore!

Poor us! But here’s some help :

• http://www.ehow.com/how_2218287_do-nothing-vacation.html
• http://www.starling-travel.com/2007/05/08/how-to-make-your-vacation-stress-free/

Who’d've thought it’d come to the species having to try to make vacations less stressful But hey, we’re making progress.

Feel free to Linger and give yourself a Do Just Nothingbreak.