Coorg & Mysuru — Coffee Hills and the Palace City

Out of Bangalore early, because the useful stop is two-thirds of the way. Bylakuppe has been a Tibetan settlement since 1961 and Namdroling Monastery at the heart of it is the largest teaching centre of the Nyingma school outside Tibet — three gilded figures eighteen metres high, and several thousand monks and nuns. Prayers are held morning and late afternoon and visitors may sit at the back. Into Madikeri afterwards, with the last hour climbing through plantation. The evening is free.

The whole day stays in the district, which is the point of the two nights. Morning on a working estate, walking the shade canopy where arabica, pepper and cardamom are grown in the same few metres, and through the drying yard if the season has fruit in it. Abbey Falls after that, down a path cut through plantation. The afternoon runs up the valley to Bhagamandala, where three rivers are said to meet, and on to Talacauvery below Brahmagiri — steps up to a viewpoint that on a clear day reaches to the Arabian Sea. Raja's Seat for the last of the light.

The Kaveri first, at Dubare, where the forest camp sits on the bank and the elephants come to the water in the morning. Then east, out of the coffee and down onto the plateau — about 120 km and under three hours, and the change in the landscape is abrupt. Into Mysuru by early afternoon, which leaves the palace for tomorrow and the rest of today for Devaraja Market while it is still trading, or the silk weaving factory. If it is a Sunday, the palace is lit at seven.

Chamundi Hill at opening, when the temple queue is short and the city below is still under mist, with the monolithic Nandi on the descent. The palace takes the rest of the morning — the Durbar Hall, the stained glass over the marriage pavilion, and the armoury. Srirangapatna is on the road out, so Tipu Sultan's summer palace and the Gumbaz can be seen without a detour before the last stretch to Bangalore. Around three hours from Srirangapatna, so an evening flight is comfortable.