Experience hospitality at its best at Gonakal, a 360 years old heritage abode midst the scenic beauty of Malnad's lush green forests, widespread coffee plantations and the intoxicating aroma of the black pepper creepers. Situated at just 24 ks from Chikkamagalur, Gonakal has a history of more than 700 years earmarked by Tipu Sultan's visit and the reign of the Hoysalas. A famous temple dedicated to the triumphant warriors of the glorious past is at a stone throw distance. Dwelt by six generations of Royal family, Gonakal is located on the road connecting Chikkamagalur and Tarikere. The unmatched melody of streams trickling down the valley while sipping steaming hot coffee augments the already perfect evenings. Find yourself very close to nature as you listen to the silent call of the passing clouds. Homely Malnad dishes unheard of in other regions makes the stay all the more special and enjoyable.
After many many months of staying home, anxious and tensed the four days spent here were nothing short of heaven. It was a quick family trip with 9 people. Everything about Gonakal made the trip here unforgettable. The home, a beautiful 300+ year old family house is tastefully decorated and so well maintained. Every meal brought each of us (9 people) so much joy, there was nothing on the table we disliked. We spent the evenings with a bonfire, delicious pakodas, looking up at the star studded sky, such a rarity living in Bangalore. The property also comes with four of the friendliest, well behaved four legged friends who will join you during tea time. A perfect addition to our dog loving family. But the highlight of the place is Girish Uncle and Leela Aunty. Aunty is the head chef and very humbly accepted praise while always open to spend a little time explaining the menu and recipe. Uncle was around to ensure we had everything we could possibly need, which was usually just some coffee and tea because with the view of the lush green hills and the fresh air, this place already has everything you need for the perfect break from the city. They have also taken precautions to ensure safety with sanitizer dispensers around the property, fresh cooked food at all times and clean bedding. We left with no complaints other than the weekend going by way too fast!
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Date of stay: November 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Brick rooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It had been 6+ months and me my husband and our 4 year old were pretty much locked in to save ourselves from getting the dreaded flu. It wasn't normal for us to have not taken a single weekend off, with the demanding wfh setup and challenges of managing the kid and the household work all at once. We decided to take the plunge and plan a careful yet refreshing stay in the hills closer to Bangalore. Came to know about Gonakal from a dear friend and started exploring our week long staycation in the beautiful Chikmagalur.
Gonakal was just the right choice with the homestay set right infront of green hills, away from the hustle bustle of the city, it was in the middle of coffee estate, with peaceful lush green surroundings. The homestay was about 2km drive from the main road, through a rough patch along the coffee estates. The property has quite a big garden on the front and inside lies the main courtyard and the heritage home which is 350 years old and is beautifully maintained by the owners. There are new wooden and brick villas constructed newly just outside the main house. Our hosts were the owners, Girish uncle and aunty who were such great people and welcomed us very warmly.
Our favourite part of the trip was the food, such mind blowing traditional local south indian food .. it was simple yet relishing home food which coaxed us to overeat on every single meal.. :) The wooden cottage which we opted was basic yet cozy and comforting, with great view of the hills from the windows.
There are 4 dogs on the property which were quite friendly and kept my daughter engaged.
There was a lovely trail outside the property where we went for daily morning walks, also within two mins walk was a stream where one could sit for long and just soak in the beautiful surroundings.
Overall it was a dream vacation which left us super relaxed amidst the current times. It was a homestay in the real sense of the word where u get to experience the authentic food and culture of the place. Would strongly recommend to visit.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
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Gonakal homestay is a simple, no frills stay with great hosts and homely food. The location is very good with a great view of the mountains right from the room. The main house which is a 300 yr old property is definitely the highlight of the place. The hosts have kept it very clean and the main living area calls for some great shots from different angles. Food is good quality and excellent taste. It's mostly malnad style. The bon fire at night along with some starters was a great addition to the stay. As such there is not much to do inside the property apart from relaxing in the room. Roads in Chikmagalur is very good so the drive till this place is great. The last 1 km is a bit off road, so ensure your vehicles tyres can take that drive.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We traveled to Chikmagalur along with five other families. We had a lovely stay at Gonakal Homestay. The view from the cottage is breathtaking. All cottages face a massive mountain range. There is a stream just 200 meters from the cottage. And we spent five hours walking through it. There is a huge plantation through which you can walk around and see birds. The food is lovingly made by the mother of the family and Girish uncle took care of all our needs. Thankyou so much for making our trip so memorable.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Surrounded by estates, this heritage property was a lovely , memorable stay for us. The hosts are delightful, very warm and welcoming. The pet dogs (Loki and Messi) are very friendly . Great home made food , very comfortable rooms , walks through the nearby properties (with a stream that one can access) and brilliant views all around. Definitely worth a visit. A place to get to, sit and just relax (let time "slow down" a little).
Suggestion on the drive - If approaching from Chikmagalur, the first left turn as one reaches Gonakal requires a lengthier drive on a dirt track. Suggest heading further on the road and then taking another left later on , which drastically cuts down on the "off roading". We were on bikes so this helped.
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Date of stay: March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gonakal homestay,Chikmagalur is a amidst the coffee estates surrounded by hills and a perfect weekend getaway from Bangalore. Its around 260 KMS from Bangalore. A nice place to visit with family and kids.The cottages are clean and well maintained. The food served was delicious. They do offer veg for lunch and nonveg for dinner. The best one was the evening snacks with hot coffee. You can can short walks around the area.Other points of interest around the homestay - Abbe falls (we did not visit) Recommend visiting this homestay if you are looking for a relaxing short trip away from the city. Tip : Google maps wont lead you directly to the place. So follow Maps only till the last 3.1 km remains. The map will then show you to exit main road. Do not exit the main road and continue straight until you find a board which says "Gonakal" and then make a left turn immediately after the board and head towards the homestay on an unpaved road. broken road to reach the place.
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Date of stay: November 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked this homestay with lot of hype, but pretty much disappointed with stay here. Pros: Location Scenic greenery surrounding(middle of coffe estate) Cons: Very ordinary limited items for lunch(sambar, puliyodhare, pappad(preserved), chapathi, one veg curry, curd) -all day same Dinner, almost same as in lunch items(listed above) with jeera rice, since give nonveg preference serve one chicken curry Breakfast - Only upma, egg omlete, not even chutney No heater in room, no hotwater, while in freezing weather imagine how it's with out hotwater. In bathroom, the window glass in fitted in reverse direction which enables a clear view to bathroom from outside. I opted the brick room, it's too freezing inside the room after 5pm till 8am. Need complete winter wear even while sleeping here. Enclosed the pictures. Not a value for money.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
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An amazing home stay in the outskirts of Chikmagalur. It is about - 4 hour drive from Bangalore, the place is beautiful, serene and very relaxing. The stay is a lovely blend of rustic traditional estate life combined with basic modern necessities to enable a comfortable stay. Love the dogs in the estate. It is a pet friendly place, that was the best part as ppl could get their dogs and feel like a home away from home. The owners are very welcoming, the cuisine would be the local food completely home made. You get your bed coffee in the morning when you wake up to the mountains as well as anytime you want during the day. It is very Reasonably priced. Highly recommend this place to couples/friends/family.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The property is half n hour from Chikmagalur & had amazing drive throughout the drive. We were a group of friends who booked the whole property for 12 of us. On reaching the Property the old heritage home is well maintained. Have 5 cottages within the property that has great view. Aunty cooks the best food & uncle was a great host. he helped in everything around that we needed. they also cook extra non veg on request upon small charges.
Pros : food, heritage home, view & dogs Oh yes they are also pet friendly Would rate more than 5!!!!
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
this is our second visit to Gonakal and we were really impressed with the efforts made to make sure that we were safe. There was sanitizer dispensers for every cottage. The meals were always one could look forward to including local delicacies and sweets. We had a great time with the family, Giri and Leela who were always willing to share their stories including recipes to try when we returned. Truly a home (stay) away from home! This is one of my favs!
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Chikmagalur area.
LOCATION
IndiaKarnatakaChikkamagaluru DistrictChikmagalur
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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