Honda Drive To Discover 11: Exploring Coffee Country In Karnataka

The Honda Drive To Discover (D2D) series began almost a decade ago and since then, it has been a one of the premier ‘drivecation’ events organised by an automotive manufacturer in India. For the 11^th edition of D2D, Honda Cars India laid out a beautiful trip, that saw us driving from Bengaluru to Kochi, via the coffee country of Madikeri and Coorg, and the beautiful forests of Wayanad. But enough said, let me take you through the paradise that is the Karnataka and Kerala. We had Honda’s entire sedan line-up for our 700-odd km drive, which consisted of the Honda City eHEV, Honda Amaze and the Honda City petrol. A wonderful line-up of cars to drive across Southwestern part of India.

We had Honda's entire sedan line-up at our disposal for the 11th edition of Honda's Drive To Discover

Also Read: Honda Drive To Discover 10: Exploring The Southwestern Coast Of India

Day 1

Our first day saw us arrive at the Bengaluru airport and upon landing, we were whisked off to nearby hotel for a quick breakfast and briefing session, post which we were handed over the keys to a Honda City eHEV, dressed in Radiant Red Metallic. The car all shiny and resplendent, I was sharing it with Anagh from Auto Today, a young auto journalist, who was all enthusiastic and gung-ho about the drive. Letting him have the first driving stint, I made myself comfortable in the passenger seat, quickly finishing off work off my phone while Anagh navigated deftly through the (in)famous Bengaluru traffic. As soon as we touched upon the highway leading to Madikeri, Anagh let all the 123 horses under the hood loose, weaving and bobbing through the barrage of trucks like a pro. As we chatted and crossed the beautiful coffee countryside, we couldn’t help but marvel at the natural beauty that India had to offer. The good vibes manifested into a lovely, scrumptious lunch at a roadside restaurant, which consisted of all local delicacies including Pork Dry Fry, Biryani and Ghee Roast Chicken.

The Honda sedans held up well, despite roads getting rough for certain sections

The first day of the drive consisted of 270 km, and the City eHEV made light work of it, with me taking over the wheel after lunch. We reached our designated stop early evening, but not before we made a quick stop to buy spices and a special variety of coffee from Coorg, of which the mother had sent a long list. With spices and coffee shopping complete, we reached the hotel and after a quick shower and change, it was time to relax, let loose and engage in free-flowing conversation with team Honda and other participants on the drive. The banterer-in-chief of the evening proved to be Takuya Tsumura, the MD & CEO of Honda Cars India Limited, who along with being at the helm of affairs of the company, is not only an avid wildlife enthusiast but a fantastic wildlife photographer and has a lovely sense of humour too. Having exchanged notes on Indian wildlife and photography, as one also takes keen interest in the same, it was time for one last drink and then dinner. Post dinner, it was time to hit the sack because the next day was going to be long and interesting day indeed. 

Also Read: Honda Drive To Discover 8: Journey To Land Of Thunder Dragon - Bhutan

A big part of our drive was through lush green forests and coffee plantations, making for beautiful scenery

Day 2

I woke up early in the morning, with keys to the Honda Amaze, and a few other participants, made my way to Abbey waterfalls, barely 30 minutes away from the hotel. The solitary early morning drive through coffee plantations was therapeutic indeed and once we reached the waterfalls, we paused, took a deep breath of the fresh, perfumed air and just soaked in the sights and sounds of nature all around us. The climb down to the waterfall was done in a jiffy and the first glimpse of the Abbey Falls was a pleasant surprise! It was bigger than I had imagined, prettier too. Having taken enough photos and videos to our heart’s content, we then headed back to our hotel for a sumptuous breakfast.

The Honda Drive To Discover Convoy looks great amidst beautiful forests

Our destination for the day was Wayanad, which was just 125 km, but it went through a myriad variety of coffee plantations and the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. We did spot a handsome elephant with long tuskers, not too deep in the forest, having a nice, leisurely meal of grass and bamboo. The drive through the coffee plantations was beautiful and we made our way to the pitstop at a steady pace, stopping every now and then for a quick photo/video opportunity, with the Honda Amaze, which was proving to be an able companion.  

The Honda Cars India sedan line-up at Abbey Waterfall, in Coorg

Our lunch spot was in the middle of a bustling town and while parking our cars was a pain, the effort was well worth it, with all of us gorging on local Kerala delicacies and lovely seafood. Later in the day, Honda had a nice treat for us, which was a small hour-long safari through Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary and while we had fingers crossed, hoping to catch a glimpse of something exotic, but all we could spot were tiger pugmarks. We did see a few elephants too, but those were domesticated.

There were a total of 15 cars, being driven by journalists from various publications

As dusk began to fall, we made our way to the hotel for the night. A quick shower and a short nap later, we gathered down for a nice drinks and dinner session, wherein a local magician enthralled us all, with his magic tricks and a literal sleight of hand, leaving us awed! 

Our last day of the trip saw us drive from Wayanad to Kochi

Day 3

On our last day of the drive, we had the Honda City petrol with us, with a full day of driving. Now, Wayanad to Kerala is a good 270 km and it may not sound like much, but a majority part of Kerala is urban and the state feels like one big city, with national highways consisting of single lane roads and through town after town. The state of Kerala is gorgeous, it offers lip-smacking food, lovely coastal roads, and breath-taking scenery, but the traffic is among the worst that one can experience in India. So, in the first half, Anagh did a great job of navigating through the best (worst) Kerala could throw at us. Post a sumptuous lunch, I took over driving duties and began driving towards Kochi. The entire day’s drive consisted of keeping a steady pace and dodging constant slow-moving traffic, sometimes vehicles coming at us from the wrong side as well. It was around 8:30 pm when we reached our hotel in Kochi. The rest of the evening was spent socialising one final time over drinks and food, as all of us were to depart to our respective home cities the next morning.

The entire convoy making its way through Muthunga Wildlife Reserve

The 11^th edition of Honda Drive To Discover was a smashing success and the cars that we had at our disposal were up to task as well. From the bustling Bengaluru metropolis to Kochi, via beautiful spice and coffee plantations and the forests of Nagarahole and Muthunga. It was a drive to remember and we can’t wait to be a part of the next edition of Honda’s Drive To Discover.