Clockwise from top:
A walk through the
coffee estate is
refreshing; the
different hues of
freshly-plucked
berries; natural light
bathes the villas at
Serai Chikmagalur.neer dosa (a paper-thin dosa prepared from rice
batter), and typical Malnad sambar. I cannot
resist a second helping of holighe, a paratha-like
preparation stuffed with lentils, sugar, and grated
coconut, best had with a dollop of ghee and dipped
in sweetened coconut milk. All of this is served
in the traditional way—on banana leaves, and
there is no cutlery provided. Malnad cuisine is
known for its use of fresh ground spices and its
preference for steaming over frying. It is distinct
from its more illustrious counterparts in Coorg
and Mangalore, but like most South Indian meals,
some bellada coffee served in copper dabarah
(traditional tumblers) at the end won’t go amiss.
Coffee, I discover, influences even The Serai’s
wellness centre, Oma Spa. Here, I am relaxed into
oblivion with a signature 90-minute massage,
where two pairs of hands work a hot oil brewed
with select coffee beans into my skin. It leavesThe sound of silence is deafening here.
Even the rain whispers, and my inelegant
dogpaddling in the pool sends discordant
echoes around the Western Ghats.
me mellow enough to brave a coffee martini at
the Blue Sky Lounge later that evening.
As a getaway, The Serai Chikmagalur certainly
transports you to a parallel existence. For a city
animal like me, the sound of silence is deafening
here. Even the rain whispers, and my inelegant
dogpaddling in the pool sends discordant echoes
around the Western Ghats. There is a sense of
being cut away from reality, but not in a way
that leaves you feeling unmoored. And there
is the coffee—calling myself a convert would
be taking it too far, but we are nodding
COURTESY OF SERAI CHIKMAGALUR (3) acquaintances now.
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