2 yrs ago my friends from my engineering college had planned a trip to Coorg. On returning from the trip they were pretty vocal about the fun they had and the places they visited. Hence when i had to plan my coorg trip with my parents, I chose to consult them. Knowing the nature lover that I 'am, they were sure I would love Bethel Homestay!
My father had looked up the reviews on the internet, just as you are looking around now, and was comfortable with me enquiring further about this homestay considering such great reviews!

So I contacted Rakesh. It was then I realised why in every review of this homestay, unlike other homestay reviews, people take special care to mention Rakesh and the personal attention he pays to ensure you have an enjoyable journey.

I planned a 3 night stay at Bethel. I, along with my parents, flew to Mangalore. From there we took a taxi which we had already booked from Mumbai. Two things you have to keep in mind:
1. Mangalore is not the best place to start your journey to Coorg, unless ofcourse you live in Mangalore. The road to Coorg from Mangalore is bad (a few stretches of the road are being laid again though). Other options are Bangalore, Mysore and Calicut. My advice: consult Rakesh.
2. The road to Coorg from Mangalore can get confusing if you do not hire a local Coorg taxi. We chose a taxi frm mangalore and reached Bethel after 8 hours, a sheer waste of time. (We finally reached Gonikoppal, where Rakesh sent his men to rescue us)
My advice: consult Rakesh about the best way to reach his homestay.

I will not go into the details of how we spent the next 3 days at Bethel. But i shall list a few ''salient features'':
1. There is no network (atleast not for vodafone). It is a good thing considering the very reason you are going there is to be cut off from your office and others you do not wish to talk to when you are unwinding! Also there is no electricity. There is solar power, but i personally preferred the hurricane lanterns. Rustic! :)
2. The view from the cottages is breathtaking. Honeymooners, or any other group of 2, can try the tree house. The view from there is the best i have seen
3. Food is excellent in terms of taste, quality and abundance! ;) special thanks to Rakesh and his chef Vikas for that! Non-vegetarians will love their stay!
4. The nearest village is Kutta, which is a good distance away and can be reached with Rakesh's jeeps. But if there is anything you wish to buy from the village such as alcohol, etc, the drivers get it for you whenever they go to the village.
5. The itenerary planned by Rakesh was perfect considering we had gone to relax and also look around Coorg without making the entire trip hectic
6. and finally, the hospitality. I have not seen any other place where people take so much pleasure in ensuring your stay is so memorable. I will always remember the 'Good Morning' coming straight from the heart and other small gestures throughout the day from Rakesh and his team that made us feel special.

Bethel is not the Coorg others have already seen (read Madikeri) but then the Coorg that you will see is not what others have seen either!

Overall, Bethel is a great Getaway. But you need to go a lot 'away' from the highways and civilization to 'get' there! :)

For nature lovers Bethel Estate is a heavenly place. You would definitely cherish your stay in the lap of Brahmagiri and the vast greenery would help the city-dwellers to forget the day in day out monotonous life.
Rakesh, you are one of the most wonderful hosts I have ever seen. I am stunned and surprised with your simplicity, hospitality as well as the knowledge and immense love for the nature.
Last but not the least, my sincere thanks to Kurkura (Rakesh’s pet), who was the 24X7 watchman and guide during our stay.

The stay at Bethel Estate was a never forgettable experience. The place was welcoming with chirping of birds and an great jeep ride from kutta to Bethel. None of us had ever experienced such a drive in our lifetime.

As soon as we reached Bethel we had a warm welcome by our host Rakesh 'An amazing personality to spend your time with' i.e. if you are interested in understanding Nature the right way.

The cottages were a big surprise to all of us as it was built using bamboo and all of us were thrilled as soon as we entered into the cottage. The unexpected part of the cottage was that all the rest rooms were fully equipped with all modern facilities and was amazingly clean.

As soon as we settled ourselves, we were invited for lunch with delicacies of India. When were having lunch the white water rafting was planned and we ate to our heart's content and were preparing ourselves for the big sport which none of us had ever experienced.

Myself and my wife along with couple of friends visited this homestay last weekend. I must say the homestay ppl are absolutely fantastic. The food was awesome , rooms and bathrooms were clean. The place where the homestay is deep inside the jungle and offers a spectacular view of the brahmagiri hills...I will strongly recommend this place to anyone who wants to spend time in lap of nature.