i took a break from writing the nostalgic india posts to write the recent india trip posts but now that those are finished it’s time to return to this series and i figure there is no better place to begin than one of my favorite places in the world: coorg. and more specifically, honey valley.

my first visit to honey valley was in june 2008 with the impington school group, and i was immediately hooked. from the lush jungle surroundings to the incredible food to the kindness and generosity of the family who runs the property, i was in love. i returned at least another 6 times that i can immediately recall, and each visit was a wonderful experience.

i remember hiking to the highest peak on their property and marvelling at the views in all directions. i remember splashing around in their waterfall even though it was always freezing. i remember my first experience with a leech. i remember the mid-afternoon cups of chai to warm us up after getting caught in the rain. i remember meeting and chatting with other travellers from around india and across the globe. i remember uncle and aunty and how sweet and welcoming and funny they are. i remember getting some of the best sleeps of my life, those great sleeps when your body is exhausted and you’ve just had a delicious meal and your mind is relaxed and sometimes there’s rain coming down outside.

i took at least 4 school groups to honey valley, but i also went there on personal trips. i took my parents in 2009 when they came to visit. a group of 11 of us went on a friends’ excursion in 2010. and a friend and i went in 2015. each visit was unique in its own way, but each one was also perfect in its own way.

i’ve been especially missing coorg recently because i’ve now had two visits back to india without being able to return to honey valley, so i am very hopeful to get there on my next trip. here’s hoping.

xx

ps — i’ve been to coorg two other times and stayed at other places and while those were also nice, it’s honey valley that will forever have my heart