Why This Resort In Coorg Is The Perfect Monsoon Escape For Coffee Lovers

My earliest memories of Coorg are of a family vacation. I remember being surrounded by rolling green hills, pedalling my way through winding paths on a bicycle, and the sheer thrill of meeting elephants at a local farm. One of the highlights was wading knee-deep into water to scrub and bathe them, an experience that also taught me, much to my childhood surprise, that elephants have hair too! (At that age, I thought it was just us humans.) At that time, these moments felt magical, but I had no idea Coorg was also known for its coffee. Of course, I was only seven or eight then, and my mother made sure caffeine wasn’t part of my childhood – she certainly didn’t want me bouncing around wide awake at night.

Years later, with a deeper appreciation of what makes Coorg special, I returned – this time to experience its coffee. Though I’ve always been a tea loyalist, I decided to celebrate my birthday differently: with monsoon skies, the aroma of freshly roasted beans, and a stay at Evolve Back, Coorg on Chikkana Halli Estate, a retreat set across 300 acres of coffee and spice plantations, with my partner by my side. 

After landing at Bengaluru airport, we hopped into a car and drove for four and a half hours, including a pit stop to enjoy some dosa, and spent the rest of the time enjoying the scenic route. Once we arrived at the property, we were greeted with black coffee mixed with ginger and jaggery – the perfect drink to tell us that we’ve arrived in the coffee capital. 

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Hopping onto a buggy, we were given a short tour of the property by Saraswati, a staff member who shared snippets of its history — though the misty rains at that moment gave everything a slightly hazy, dreamlike quality. The Ramapuram family, traditionally cultivators of coffee, rubber, pepper, and cashew, ventured into hospitality in 1995 by opening a resort in Coorg with just nine rooms. Originally called Orange County, a nod to the once-abundant oranges grown in the region, the brand was reimagined as Evolve Back in 2017, following its expansion to Kabini and Hampi. Today, Evolve Back, Coorg boasts 59 rooms, designed keeping the regional Kodava-style architecture in mind.

Traditional Meets Modern Aesthetics

We were escorted to our Heritage Pool Villa, perched on an elevated hilltop. The moment I stepped inside, my jaw dropped. Nearly 4,000 square feet of private space, all to ourselves. The design blends rustic elegance with luxury: red hand-cut laterite blocks, earthy tones, and dark wood accents create a warm yet regal ambience.

The villa unfolds into distinct spaces – a spacious living room, a serene bedroom anchored by a vintage four-poster bed with lace drapes (romantic, yes, but also perfect to collapse into after a long day), and an en-suite bathroom. The bathroom itself is indulgent, with a large bathtub, a separate shower cubicle, and an open-to-sky courtyard that fills the space with light and air. There’s also a small coffee and tea station with a French Press for you to enjoy freshly ground coffee from the resort’s in-house coffee brand Sidapur Coffee. The highlight, though? The outdoor space which features a private courtyard with a heated pool, inviting you to take a dip in complete seclusion, with nothing but nature around you.

Three Times The Culinary Delights 

Evolve Back, Coorg houses three restaurants on the property. We began our first meal at the all-day dining restaurant Granary, where we indulged in Pundi Curry (a must-have local speciality when you’re in Coorg) and chapati, along with some Tawa Fried Fish as an appetiser. Other must-try dishes include Chef’s Special Bar-Be-Que Pandi Ribs Our Way and Curry Leaves Tossed Prawns with Coconut Fume. Don’t miss the coffee rasgulla for dessert. Granary also serves generous breakfast and dinner buffets with a mix of South Indian and global flavours. A personal recommendation? Try the rasam at dinner – it changes daily, and the tangy lemon rasam was my favourite.

At Plantain Leaf, the resort’s pure vegetarian restaurant, breakfast is an event in itself, with 17 varieties of dosa to choose from every morning. From Ghee Podi and Mysore Masala to Bajra and Ragi, there’s something for every palate. For us, the buttery Benne Dosa was the undisputed winner, and honestly, it’s going to be hard to enjoy the one in Mumbai after this. Lunch here is equally memorable, with a wholesome thali showcasing local flavours: Coriander Rice, Dal Pappu, Raw Banana Fritters, Coorg Veg Curry, Tawa Baingan, Bhindi Masala, Sambhar, and more, complete with crisp rice papad and a glass of masala chaas to wash it all down.

Peppercorn, the specialty restaurant known for its kebabs and grills, is where I chose to have my birthday dinner. Set against the backdrop of the resort’s private lake, the sound of light rain and the smell of petrichor, it was the perfect setting for a candlelit dinner. The meal began with a platter of assorted kebabs — chicken, lamb, fish, and prawns — followed by the Peppercorn Signature Chicken Sizzler, made with a rich, house-made coffee barbecue sauce (yes, I made sure coffee featured in every meal!). While the savouries were excellent, it was the desserts that truly stole the show: Pearl of Coorg, delicate milk dumplings hidden within a chocolate shell that you crack open, and Fried Ice Cream with Honey, where vanilla ice cream coated in cornflakes is deep-fried and drizzled with honey. 

If you're looking for private dinners, you can always opt for an intimate dining experience poolside in your villa, by the resort's infinity pool deck, by the lake or even at the machan for a treetop gourmet meal. 

Everything Coffee 

If you are convinced that the Ramapuram family only owns 300 acres of coffee and spice plantation at Evolve Back, Coorg, let me tell you: There’s more! Beyond the resort lies the 2,500-acre Elkhill Group of Estates, which you can explore on the thrilling Elkhill Ride. This off-roading adventure in a 4x4 jeep, led by our guide and naturalist Annappa, offered an eye-opening journey into the history of coffee in Coorg.

It was here that I discovered that the region is famed more for its robust Robusta variety than for Arabica. Annappa also shared a quirky fact about elephants: these clever giants often break through barbed wire fences just to raid jackfruit trees for their daily feast. The ride ends at the estate’s coffee factory, where beans are dried, graded, and packed, before culminating in the most rewarding stop of all — the hilltop viewpoint. From there, you can see the vast plantation stretch endlessly, with drifting clouds wrapping around the hills. A view as magical as it is humbling.

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Back at the resort, you can also enjoy a Plantation Walk, a guided walking tour of the 300-acre working coffee and spice plantation in Coorg to discover the secrets behind that perfect cup of coffee. Another must-do is the Sidapur Coffee and Culture Museum, which traces coffee’s journey from seed to cup while celebrating Coorg’s deep-rooted ties to its cultivation.

The highlight here is Coffeeology, a daily live session on the art and science of brewing. As someone still learning the nuances of coffee, I found it both interactive and fun. The guide walked us through six varieties: cappuccino, espresso, French press, nus nus (Moroccan coffee), filter coffee, and Vietnamese coffee. Of them all, it was the velvety Vietnamese brew that stole my heart. And if you can’t get enough, head to the resort’s Reading Lounge, where you can sip unlimited cups of freshly brewed coffee, accompanied only by the soothing sound of birdsong. Pure bliss. 

What’s More?

We also signed up for an early morning bird watching trail, and it did not disappoint. We spotted the native Malabar Grey Hornbill, Crescent Serpent Eagle, woodpeckers, and sunbirds, along with the Giant Malabar Squirrel, which you’re almost guaranteed to see as they happily leap from tree to tree across the property. After all that walking, you're going to want to head to the spa, and at Evolve Back Coorg, you'll have not one but two therapists tend to ease all those muscle aches and tensions in your body.

If the weather permits, enjoy a ride in a coracle – a circular local fishing boat – and get up close and personal with the mighty Cauvery River, just five to ten minutes walking distance from the resort. Or even better, head to the Dubare Elephant Camp, where you can spend time bathing elephants. 

ELLE Gourmet’s Verdict 

Now, as someone who honestly swears by her two cups of tea a day, I’ll admit, Evolve Back Coorg had me converted. Between the lush surroundings, the rains, and the soothing weather, I thought I’d be curled up with endless cups of masala chai. But the coffee here was that good – so good, in fact, that I found myself drinking it every single day without missing tea once. And for me, that says everything about this place.