In a Nutshell

One of India’s top off-the-beaten-track plantation retreats, Evolve Back Coorg (formerly Orange County Coorg) offers peace, luxury and cultural adventure in Karnataka’s coffee lands.

At a Glance

  • Delightful eco-minded hotel located within the scenic beauty of the Coorg region in southern Karnataka
  • Many things to see and do in the area, from easy going walks in the countryside to more active adventures
  • Superb accommodation, some with private pools
$ $ $
Luxury Hotel
Gym
49
Rooms
Spa
WiFi
Swimming Pool

The Detail

Located near Madikeri in southern Karnataka’s ancient and historic kingdom of Coorg, Evolve Back Coorg is the centre of a working 300-acre coffee and spice plantation in the Western Ghats. Evolve Back is situated well off the usual tourist routes, and provides a real sense of escaping into nature within the cosseting comforts of a restored colonial plantation estate. You can take it easy and enjoy spa treatments, your own private swimming pool and the serenity of nature, or enjoy adventures that range from feeding and bathing elephants in nearby Dubare Elephant Camp to experiencing the chanting of Buddhist monks in a Tibetan enclave.

Evolve Back Coorg’s 49 accommodations, spread out in intimate clusters throughout the plantation, are divided between the single-bedroom villas and cottages, and two-bedroom bungalows ideal for families. All have an elegantly rustic Kodava style, and come with spacious separate living areas, en-suite bathrooms and outside decks that overlook a private courtyard, plunge pool and lily pond. Some come with a full-size private swimming pool and a gazebo where you can sleep out among the lily ponds.

Evolve Back Coorg has been thoughtfully designed to help you unwind and disconnect. Succumb to an Ayurvedic treatment at the spa village, settle down with a good book in the library, glancing up idly every now and then to watch life in the rice paddies, or relax with a cool drink by one of the two main swimming pools. There are three dining establishments, with excellent Indian dinners served overlooking a tranquil lake at Peppercorn. For romantiocs, you can even enjoy a private gourmet dinner in the treetops at the Machan Treehouse.

While it is tempting to simply stay put and be pampered at Evolve Back Coorg, there is plenty to do that will immerse you into the culture and heritage of Coorg. Guided tours of the working coffee and pepper plantations, nature treks in the adjoining Dubare Reserve Forest, coracle rides along the upper reaches of the sacred Cauvery River, bicycle rides to explore colourful local Kodagu villages, and excursions to some of the nearby Tibetan settlements allow you to fully immerse yourself in the ebb and flow of local life in Coorg.