Linger, Balur Estate, Mudigere, Chikmagalur

Balur Estate is a 400 acre coffee plantation since the 1840s. The Planter’s Bungalow has stood testimony to the changing seasons and centuries at Balur since 1853. The River Hemavathy originates just above the Estate. Its truly a pretty, fascinating piece of India’s Coffee Heritage. We welcome you to spend a few days and soak in the place, its history, and its solitude. We could describe it but it can only be experienced.

Accommodations & Tariff


Accommodation	Rate (1st Night)	Extra Guests / Notes
Heritage Bungalow (Planter's Room / Guest Suite)	₹9,800 for a couple	Extra person: ₹3,185
Cardamom Suites (3 rooms)	₹9,800 for a couple	Extra person: ₹3,185
The Coffee Cottage (private dining & service)	₹11,600 for a couple	Extra person: ₹3,770

Child Policy: Up to 2 kids under 5 complimentary, 5–12 at 50%.
Long Stay Benefit: After the 2nd night, 10%, 15%, 20% discount.

The Heritage Bungalow has two options

The Planter’s Room : This can accommodate 2 guests comfortably, and additionally 2 kids as well.
The Guest Suite : This hosts 4 people in 2 rooms.

The Coffee Cottage : A large premium cottage renovated recently with a huge bedroom with a fireplace, a tall ceiling, large windows with lovely views, a sunroom with furniture that goes perfectly with the era this place is from. The bathroom here holds a nice surprise or two! The room has in room service in a an annexe dedicated for this purpose.

The Cardamom Suites have 3 rooms renovated to match the spec of the Heritage Building, bathrooms that make you want to take a shower, and a common hall with a fireplace and a very loungeworthy setting. One of the rooms has a sitout overlooking the coffee on the far side, and one opens into the lawns and the bonfire.

If you’re planning a long vacation of over 3 days at Balur, or coming as a large family, talk to us for options.

stay@linger.in or +91-959-005-0001

The Planter’s Room, 2 Room Suite (Heritage Bungalow)

The Heritage Bungalow was built in 1853, and has a gorgeous common verandah, 2 dining areas. There’s a Planter’s Room and a Two Room Suite (under renovation for now), both very private and with their own attached bathrooms.

Cardamom Suites (3 Rooms)

3 rooms in what used to be cardamom storage in the older era of the estate, now renovated in the same style as the Heritage Bungalow and with grand, private bathrooms. One of the rooms has a private sitout, one opens into the lawns and the other into the common hall. Our guests just love these!

(This pricing is for all the options above and includes the accommodation, meals, activities. We will detail the same on the invoice.)

Rs.9800/- for the 1st night’s stay for a couple
(upto 2 kids under 5 years of age complimentary, kids 5-12 at 50%)
After the 2nd night, subsequent nights at 10%, 15%, 20% long stay benefit.
Extra Person : 3185/-
(Pricing valid upto March 31st, except over Dec 15th – Jan 2nd)

The Coffee Cottage (with private dining and service)

This a luxurious, super private option

(This pricing includes the accommodation, meals, activities. We will detail the same on the invoice.)

Rs.11600/- for the 1st night’s stay for a couple
(upto 2 kids under 5 years of age complimentary, kids 5-12 at 50%)
After the 2nd night, subsequent nights at 10%, 15%, 20% long stay benefit.
Extra Person : 3770/-
(Pricing valid upto March 31st, except over Dec 15th – Jan 2nd)

Pricing is per couple, seriously all inclusive, including taxes. This includes everything at the property : all the meals, unlimited tea/coffee/non-packaged juices and snacks, walks and treks around the property, bonfire, use of the library etc.

Checkin/checkout is at 11am. Feel free to stay with us longer – we might ask for the room in case there’s a guest coming in after you the same day.

Kids upto 5 years of age are our guests at no charge. Pets are welcome (for a small charge) provided they stay off the linen/furniture, and you can ensure their safety and that of other guests around.

We offer long stay discounts and special pricing for multi-week stays.Do write in for more.

Getting to Balur

Balur Estate is about 300 kms from Bangalore.

From Bangalore – take Magadi Road and then Kunigal just after Magadi town (right fork) to join the Mangalore Highway. Take a turn into Hassan, and ask for Belur.

There’s a couple of Coffee Days before Hassan – one at Belur Cross and the other a little after Chennarayapatna. There’s also a Kamat a little after Chennarayapatna. Numerous other food options have popped up all along the road, upto Hassan.

Go from Hassan to Belur and just as you start to enter the town, there’s a circle with a left towards Mudigere. Just a little after you cross a bridge is a Y-fork (with a 3rd road going left). BOTH roads go to Mudigere but take the main road that goes straight.

Its a nice road and easily doable in any car. Budget about 4.5hrs of a drive time. In case you start early, you can do a quick stopover at the Belur Temple.

At Mudigere you turn left towards a small town called “Handpost” a couple of kms beyond. Here, at the circle, you need to take a right at the circle (you cross a rice mill on your left) – towards Kottegehara. At this town, take the road going towards Kalasa, and just after Balur Village, take the left “U” hairpin – still towards Kalasa/Kudremukh.

Exactly 2 kms from this hairpin turn (and 9kms from Kottegehara) there’s a small fork going left towards a gate and a bungalow (behind trees) – this is Balur Estate. We’ll try having someone wait at this fork – give us a call as you start from Handpost.

If you get to Javalli, or even a place where the road to the origin of River Hemavathi is marked, you’ve gone too far.

Kitchen

Balur Estate has an accomplished staff that strives to present to you the various local styles of cooking that are prevalent in the region. Pramila and her team strive hard to keep you happy, and well fed, with a variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian options from the region.

Our kitchen is open all day, so feel free to ask for coffee or tea to go with the weather, or a book you settle down with. Do talk to the caretaker and cooks to get them to accommodate your preferences in spiciness, or even the menu – which of course is predominantly local and yummy.

If you have any special needs, or restrictions, do write in early to us.

Around There

You can spend days at Balur Estate itself exploring the waterfalls, spotting birds, and just walking amidst absolute tranquility along its 26kms of estate roads. But should you wish to get around a little – the area is just pretty to explore in a car, or on a cycle, or even by foot!

The source of the Hemavathi : The river originates a couple of kilometres from the bungalow, just above the estate. There’s a quiet temple there you can spend some time at.
Huge pretty tea estates, and a visit to the Tea Factory (if permissions come through).
Kudremukh – about 60kms away. The drive is pretty, and goes through Kalasa – a historically important temple town.
Horanadu – another centre of pilgrimage at the end of a very scenic drive.
Sringeri – an old, important math in the hills.
Agumbe – the “Cherrapunji of the South” which now actually gets more rain than the latter!
Kemmangundi, the Hebbe Falls and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

Its basically the setting Balur is in – bang in the middle of a huge expanse of green hills that receive a lot of rainfall, that make it a charming place you can spend a week exploring and not run out of options.

But, of course, we recommend the hammock, long walks, cups of tea/coffee and a few books for a relaxed do-nothing time ….

The Weather at Balur Estate, Chikmagalur

BALUR ESTATE WEATHER