A flavour of Samse's tea gardens

Ideally, you can scout for tea gardens in the districts of Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur, though coffee is the principal crop here. One such patch is located at Samse on the Kudremukh-Kalasa Highway in Chikmagalur district. Tourists passing through this stretch en route to the famous pilgrimage centre Horanadu take a break to feast their eyes on the neatly maintained tea garden and to savour a cup of hot tea on the roadside outlet.

Located at a distance of 10 kilometres from Kudremukh, Samse is a lush green sleepy hamlet at the foothills of the Western Ghats. A few shops, a small hotel and a rickshaw stand are all you can see in the heart of Samse. Trekking to the many ranges of Kudremukh Hills usually begins at Samse. A drive from Kudremukh to Samse makes for a great experience. On either side of the serpentine road, you can see pristine hills, valleys, the river, paddy fields and lush green forests. As you travel around 10 kilometres, all of a sudden, tea estates start to appear in your field of vision. The slope on the right is covered with varied hues of tea plants, guarded by majestic silver oaks.

One such estate is the Goomankhan tea estate. Invariably, every motorist takes a break here. Apart from natural beauty, the place is also known for a beautiful temple of elephant-headed deity Ganesha. The steps, built in marble, lead tourists to the temple built recently by the estate owner who lives in distant Kolkata. Estate workers say that an old temple existed on the other side of the road before construction of the new temple. A stream of water flows right in front of this temple.

Descend from the tea estate, and you are in the courtyard of a nicely designed tea shop. This outlet also sells some varieties of tea powder and spices of fine quality. The women managing the shop are courteous and fill in tourists on all the local information.

You can stroll around to the open backyard and enjoy the hot aromatic tea watching a river gently flowing by. Pristine green paddy fields on the other side of the river make for a captivating sight.

There are a few more interesting places in and around Samse. A beautiful Jain basadi is worth visiting. Also there are some water falls at a place called Elaneer, around five kilometres away from Samse. One can hire an autorickshaw or a jeep to reach Elaneer and explore the many cascades here. With the rain receding and the onset of winter, this is the best time to visit Samse and surrounding places. If you want to enjoy the sight of early morning mist-covered tea gardens without travelling far, Samse is an easy option.