Chikmagalur

Home to sprawling hills, stunning valleys and snow-white coffee blossoms, Chikmagalur is often known as the coffee district of Karnataka. A calm, serene town full of scenic surprises, Chikmagalur is nestled in the Baba Budan hills and a trekker’s delight. Legend has it that the 17th century Sufi saint, Baba Budan, brought seven un-roasted coffee seeds to these parts from the port of Mocha, Yemen, while returning from the haj. These seeds—fragrant Arabica—took root easily and now much of Chikmagalur’s landscape is covered by slopes of dark-leaved coffee. Here, you can sip some of the best coffee in the world, stay amidst the plantations at a home stay and visit treasures like the Raj Bhavan for stunning sunsets and the Rose Garden for its undiscovered varieties of roses.