About Us
Balur Estate is a 400 acre coffee plantation since the 1800s. 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. It's 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.
Stay and Tariff
- Pricing is per couple, 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.
Cardamom Suites
(This pricing 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/-
The Coffee Cottage (with private dining and service)
(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/-
The 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.
How to get here
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 Hand-post.
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.
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