Brace yourself! This is a long one!
In August 2025, I decided to take a short vacation. The destination? Coorg. The plan? Drive from Pune to Coorg and back (around 2200 km – round trip). I began hunting for stays and mapping out the route, but there was one big difference this time — it would be my first long-distance trip with my dogs, Bella and Doodle.
The journey wasn’t without its share of drama — some on the way there, and some on the way back. But overall, it turned out exactly how I hoped: a relaxing break with cool weather, a beautiful resort, quiet moments in nature… and yes, plenty of spiders (more on that later 😅).
So, here’s the story of our 2200 km road trip from Pune to Coorg and back — just me, Bella, and Doodle.
The planning
When it came to choosing the destination, I was very eager to return to Coorg for a couple of reasons. The first was that I always liked visiting. Plus, it has been a few years since my last trip. And since I was planning to drive down, it had all the makings of a memorable trip.
Picking the route
Once I knew I was going to go to Coorg, choosing the route was incredibly simple. There are 2 options: the Kolhapur route and the Solapur route. I chose the Solapur route because I knew from experience that the Kolhapur route has been a giant construction zone for the last four years, with too much traffic. The Solapur route, on the other hand, has very few construction zones and very little traffic. Plus, the road is generally in good condition so that helps make steady progress on long journeys.
While heading out, on day 1, the route took me from Pune to Hampi via Solapur, a distance of 550 km. I had to go to Hampi as there were no pet friendly places left in Hospet. Also, the detour is just 14 km, so it was not going to cost me too much time. On day two the route planned took me from Hampi to Madikeri via Hasan. Going to Madikeri is not needed but I wanted to, so I did. From Madikeri the final leg was 45 km to the resort in Gonikoppal.
The return journey was pretty much driving back the way I came. There was just one difference, unlike the drive over to Coorg, I didn’t have to stay in Hampi as I had found a decent overnight stop. It was a comfortable farm stay along the highway.
Booking the pet friendly overnight stay
As I said earlier, I was travelling with my dogs, Bella and Doodle. This was my first time traveling such a long distance with them, so I decided to break the journey mid-way — which meant finding pet-friendly stays. The best place for this was in Hospet, Karnataka since it was midway from both Pune and Coorg… sort of.
For the journey from Pune to Coorg, pet friendly places in Hospet were not available on the dates of my drive. After looking for some alternative options, I ended up booking a place called Serene Boulders in Hampi because it was just a 14 Km detour from the highway. It is a place I will not be booking again but we’ll get into the why a bit later.
For the return journey, I got lucky and found a decent place right next to the highway near Tungabhadra Dam. There was some drama here as well, which will be explained in a short while. Keep reading if you don’t want to miss out. 😛
Preparing for the drive
I didn’t need to prepare much for myself since I’ve driven from Pune to Bangalore many times, but I did need to get the car ready for the dogs. I also needed to prepare for the long stay that the dogs will be having. So, most of the planning was towards that. To get the car ready, I sent it for a service a few days before the trip and told the service centre to do a thorough check as I was planning a long drive.
Planning for the dogs was broken into two parts, the car and the stay. I made sure to buy some good dog food, and enough of it to last the trip. I also used the dog car seat that I have and made it a bit more comfy by laying out two fluffy comforters on it. I will do a slightly more detailed piece on this later so keep an eye out for that.
The day before the drive I finished packing and went to bed at the unearthly hour of 4 pm. I was planning on leaving for Hampi very early indeed.
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The journey begins
Day 1: Pune → Hampi (550 km)
The first day started with me getting up at around 1 am to prepare for the drive. In a short while I had gotten dressed and loaded the car with the luggage and the dogs. At 2 in the morning, while the rest of the city slept, Bella, Doodle and I set off on our little adventure.
I was expecting traffic since the highway isn’t very wide, which is why I left at that unearthly hour — and it totally paid off. I got very little traffic and getting out of Pune took practically no time. Once out on the highway to Solapur, the traffic didn’t increase which meant the drive, on the whole, was pretty good.
Since this was the first time I was travelling so far in a car with the dogs, I took a couple of breaks to let them out of the car, have some water and stretch their legs. For the most part, Doodle, who doesn’t care for car rides, just slept. But Bella, the enthu cutlet, was up for the entire drive, looking out the windscreen, the side window and the rear window.
I had planned on reaching the overnight halt in Hampi by around 2 pm. But the lack of heavy traffic and the good roads saw me pulling into the overnight stay at 12 pm, two hours before the planned arrival. I was concerned about how Bella and Doodle would handle it but I needed’t have because they were absolute champs.
The place I had booked was called Serene boulders and was about 14 km off National Highway 50. The place is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra river and is actually quite chill. The huts are made of woven bamboo and are not permanent structures. While they were not big, they were not cramped either. There was a comfortable queen size bed, an attached bathroom and a veranda that overlooked some fields.
They also had a restaurant where you could go for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While the place was ok as such, after the experience I had there, I will definitely not be going back. I was not impressed with the state of the room.
The room was made of woven bamboo and was comfortable by itself, but the bathroom had not been cleaned properly and there was a bit of a smell. After settling in and feeding the dogs, I too got something to eat and just chilled till about 5 pm when I had my dinner and prepared for the start of the next day.
It was also going to be an early start and a long drive with the end of the drive being in the hills of Coorg. As I settled in for the night, little did I know what drama awaited me in the morning.
Day 2: Hampi → Coorg (490 km via Madikeri)
I woke up at 3 am on the second day of the vacation, and just like the previous day, packed and prepared to leave. The plan was simple, leave at 4 am so that I get to Coorg WELL before the sun goes down. The reason? I have always loved the drive from Kushalnagar to Madikeri, and I wanted to do it in the sunlight hours before heading to the resort. This did mean a 45km detour, but it was worth the drive.
So, I woke up at 3 am and got ready to leave, but to my horror, what I had feared had happened. A moron in an Innova had parked right behind my car and completely blocked me in. There were cars on either side of me so I couldn’t even sneak my car out. This is EXACTLY what I was afraid of and had told the resort staff to watch out for the previous evening. I tried looking for the staff but it being 3 am, no one was to be found. I called out to them near what I figured was the staff quarters but no response. I kept trying to look here and there but couldn’t find anyone.
Fuming, I loaded the car and went back to sleep — pacing around wasn’t going to help. I also decided that it would be better if I tried my luck at around 6 when people should be waking up to staff the kitchen. I woke up again at 6 am and, not seeing anyone, I tried calling the resort’s phone. Luckily, they finally answered and got a solid shouting from me. They finally got their act together and got the car moved so that I could leave.
I got in and drove out, but the damage had been done. I was fuming and had lost 3 hours of driving time because it was nearly 7 am by the time I left. After a few fuming kilometers, I calmed down and focused on the important thing — I was out and on my way. The drive was on national highways for a while, but once it shifted to state highways, it suddenly got really nice.
Once again, the roads were smooth, with the occasional rough patch and speed breaker but on the whole, very enjoyable. The day was a bit rainy and about 100 km before Hasan it started to rain. It would pour for a few minutes then slow down to a drizzle then pick up again. But, in spite of the rain, in just a few short hours I was driving though the city of Hasan and shortly after that I was in Kushalnagar and about to start my favorite part.
I quickly set the GoPro to record and drove on. The rain continued to switch between drizzle and downpour as I entered the twisties that lead up to Madikeri. The road wasn’t disappointing. Not only was it a lovely drive up with amazing cloudy weather, at one point, as I climbed towards Madikeri, the clouds were just above the car and the whole scene felt… invigorating.
A short while later I was in Madikeri, a little confused because I happened to take a route I had never taken before till, I got near the market and found my bearings. Detouring to Madikeri over, it was time to head to Gonikoppal and, eventually, to my resort. So, I pointed at the car in the right direction and carried on. But now the rain had finally decided what it was going to do… POUR.
My resort was a 45 km drive from Madikeri. It was a drive that went through a twisting descent and over to some very green roads that lead into coffee estates. About an hour and a half later I was in Gonikoppal, and my destination was just 8 km away. After driving out of town, the GPS led me down increasingly narrow roads until I came to a long slope and a dead end… The Road’s End. My resort. I had arrived!
The Road’s End Coorg
The Road’s End… ahhh… what can I say! The place was simply fantastic! I have stayed at quite a few places in Coorg and up until now my favorite place was Three hills but now… now it is The Road’s End. I’d go back in a heartbeat. To help you understand the place, here is a small video of the layout:
The resort sits among some vast coffee estates. Picture a MASSIVE lawn now picture a 20 ft wide stream that flows along the far edge. Now imagine some cottages placed along this stream, about 30 ft from it. They are spaced far enough to give you a sense of privacy but not so far apart as to waste space. The rooms are huge — a king-size bed with space to fit four more if you wanted. Now add to that a veranda behind the room that runs along the length of the room and faces the stream. Oh! And did I mention that it is going to be quiet… really quiet, except for some cicadas and crickets? Also add to that image a clubhouse that is open on 3 sides with some sofas and about 3 to 4 dining tables. You couldn’t help but relax in such a place could you. And the BEST part? It is pet friendly, so Bella and Doodle had LOADS of space to run and play around.
For the most part, it would rain a lot during the day, so I was spending my days just relaxing in the resort. Bella, Doodle and I would go out regularly for little walks but I had been warned not to venture too far away from the gate of the resort because of the wild elephants that roamed the area so we kept to the lawns of the resort as much as we could.
Breakfasts, lunches and dinners were mostly at the resort. The in-house dining menu was small but good. There weren’t 100 different dishes but whatever they made was good. And, before you start thinking why I was not going anywhere… I have been to Coorg many times and seen all the places there are to see. The main aim of this trip was to relax.
The only thing that intruded on my relaxation was the constant presence of SPIDERS!!! First there was a big scary one that I found above the door to my bathroom. A day after I had it evicted by the resort staff, I realised that there were at least 4 to 5 different types of spiders hanging out on my veranda. Then one big fellow showed up on my bed one night and after I got ‘rid’ of it I decided that if ONE MORE SHOWED UP, I was going to start sleeping in the car. Bella and Doodle could have the room since they were doing nothing to save me from the spiders anyways!
When I had checked in there were a few other guests, all with dogs, but a couple of days later, I was the only guest. When the last guests checked out, I thought to myself that this would be interesting since I am the only guest there. But that night, I didn’t find it all that interesting. That night I was done with dinner by 9. After serving me, the staff switched off all the lights and went to bed. At 10, I stepped out of my room and was met with a black void — in front, to the left, and to the right. Needless to say, I took all the standard precautions and switched on every light I could find in my room and tried to console myself that nothing was going to get me! IT WAS SCARY!!!
On the bright side, I FINALLY managed to get the idiots to stay still long enough to take this picture of them.
I’m TOTALLY going to frame this one!
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Roaming around Coorg
While I have seen most places around Coorg, I still wanted to go somewhere with the dogs. So, after a quick chat with the caretaker of the property, Rohan, who was an absolute champ, I decided to visit Chelevera falls because you can apparently take dogs there.
My first attempt failed for two simple reasons. First, I set the GPS wrong and ended up heading to Irupu Falls instead. Secondly, as I was driving to Irupu Falls it started raining and soon it was pouring so heavily that I could barely see out of the car. I decided to abandon the attempt that day and return the next day.
The next day, after ensuring that I had programmed the map for the right location, I set off once again to see the falls. Chelevara Falls are tucked inside a coffee estate about 40 km away. Getting there is simple: drive until the GPS says stop, then hike five minutes to reach the falls. The drive itself is wonderful because it is all back roads and practically 0 traffic. The falls are nice, and you can stand near the very top of them but be warned, the stones are slippery, and you DO NOT want to fall into the water.
The day after visiting the falls, I went to check out a restaurant which was 4 km from the resort and came highly recommended by Rohan. It was called Fomo and thankfully, it was pet friendly! So, Bella, Doodle and I set off to dine at Fomo. It was a very nice place, once again, surrounded by coffee estates. It is an open air set up with a covered and an open area. They serve everything from desi to continental and all of it is GOOD. But mostly, I liked the calm and quiet of the place.
Lunch over, I headed back to The Road’s End to enjoy what remained of my vacation and prepare the car. The next morning, I was going to start on the journey back to Pune. And if I thought that the drama of the trip was over… BOY, was I in for a surprise on the way back!!
Day 5: Coorg → Hospet (450 km)
On Day 5, I rose bright and early to start the drive back to Pune. The plan was simple. Drive from Coorg to Hospet, stay the night over there and then drive to Pune the following day. I decided to leave slightly after sunup because I wanted to be able to enjoy the drive as much as possible in the light before I hit the boring national highways again.
After packing the car up with the luggage, Bella and Doodle, we set off on our return journey. The initial part of the drive was just as pretty as you would expect it to be. Nice roads, cool morning air and lots of greenery around. We even passed a herd of deer out having breakfast — unlike me, who was still looking for chai.
Once we left the forest areas of Nagarhole National Park, we were back on the nice highways. Cruising at a steady pace towards Hospet. After driving for about an hour, I stopped for some chai and then went back to driving. The only stop after this was for breakfast and then straight onto the overnight halt in Hospet and into drama… once again.
I reached my overnight halt, Himaviswa Farmstay by around 2 pm. It was located in a banana plantation near the Tungabhadra dam. To reach it, I had to get off the highway and drive down some small farm roads. At the gate I was told I had the wrong spot. A quick call with the owner confirmed I’d gone 100 meters too far.
So, I decided to reverse the car to the right gate. The only problem: I forgot that the road was as wide as my car and as I curved around a few goats, I felt the car suddenly dip to the left and stop moving. I got out to inspect and realized I’d driven the left side straight into an irrigation ditch. The left tyres were now hanging in mid-air. I was STUCK and was not going to be able to drive out.
At first, I was annoyed at my stupidity but soon switched into problem-solving mode. So, I tried to get the car out myself by piling rocks under the tyre to give it something to grip but to no avail. I had the right idea but needed some more help. Luckily the owner came and was very helpful. He sent for his driver and a small cargo vehicle to help tow my car out. We had to wait an hour or so for that vehicle to come. Some planning and discussion later I was behind the wheel of my car and was towed out of the ditch without too much drama. I was just relieved to be out and see that the car had not been damaged in any way!
Drama over, the owner instructed his driver to park my car inside and I retired for a quick shower and prepared to relax after a looonnnggg day of driving and drama.
Day 6: Hospet → Pune (550 Km)
After the previous day’s drama, I woke up early for the final push home. The last 550 km of our little adventure. I am glad to report that this final leg of my journey was very uneventful except for one small thing…
I ended up beating Google Maps’ arrival time — not by 10–15 minutes, but by a solid 2 hours and 30 minutes. Here is what happened; when I set the GPS for home at 6 am, it said that I would reach home in Pune by 4:30 pm. After loading everything up in the car, I started the drive. At 6 am, Google said I’d reach by 4:30 pm. A few steady hours later, it revised to 4 pm. By the 200 km mark, it had dropped again — now 2:30 pm. I was making up serious time.
Encouraged by the time I had saved, I decided to halt for something to eat. With food over, I got back to the drive. After hours of chewing through highway kilometers, I pulled up outside my home. The clock had just struck 2 pm.
Conclusion
Would I recommend a Pune to Coorg road trip with pets? Absolutely. With the right planning, good overnight halts, and a sense of humor for the unexpected, it’s an adventure worth taking.
The 2200 kilometers were tiring, no doubt. But the waterfalls, the food, the peaceful drives, and above all, the joy of seeing Bella and Doodle enjoy every moment — that’s what made it truly special.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Maybe next time I’ll carry some bug spray too, just in case the spiders decide to check in with me again 🕷️🔥 and maybe take an irrigation canal proof vehicle!
