Kote Betta and Onti waterfalls, Coorg

Kote Betta was not on my Coorg plan this time. But as we were driving towards Onti Waterfall, Kote Betta entrance came to our attention. We decided to check Onti falls first and then return to Kote Betta. This post shares what we found and relevant info to plan your visit.

Location: Kote Betta and Onti waterfalls are about 35 kms north of Madikeri town. Kote Betta and Onti falls are about 4-5 kms apart and can be visited one after another. We visited these after leaving Mandalapatti, visiting Surlabbi and Kote Abbi falls.[Map link here]

Road condition: Drivable but tricky. While normal cars and hatchbacks have reached Onti falls area and Kote betta comfortably, you would need some confidence and skill to negotiate tricky parts. A few stretches are too steep and too narrow, so need to honk, ensure no one else is coming from opposite direction and clear the slope in one go. A few places roads are bad- loose gravel, muddy roads etc making you wish you had an SUV. But normal cars and sedans have cleared this stretch so nothing to worry.

Kote Betta: Kote Betta entrance is ticketed- 100 Rs for cars. Timing is till 5.30 PM, from the ticketing spot about 2-3 kms of driving is required to reach the parking spot. Once at the parking a small hike took us to the steps which lead to the betta. There is a small Shiva temple on the hill and the temple was closed. No facilities like toilets available on the hill either. (Then why collect massive entry fee if temple is closed and there's absolutely no facilities?). Legend has it that Pandavas stayed here for a while when in exile.

Kote Betta is 3rd highest peak in Coorg after Tadiyandamol (near Kakabbe) and Brahmagiri (near Iruppu falls). At an elevation of 5300 ft from sea level, if the sky is clear you will get great view from top of Kote Betta (Fort Hill)

However tourists are not getting deterred by closed temple. They find ways to climb on the rocks and go up to enjoy the view. I got fair bit of mist when I was on top, liming the view below.

We spent about 20 minutes and decided to return. Depending on your time and interest you can explore more.

Onti Waterfalls

Onti Waterfalls is a nice waterfall in Coorg not too far from Kote Betta. It is visible from a distance

However due to time shortage we couldn't trek all the way to the falls. Saw it from a distance, went as close as we could, got a stream of water where we spent some time and returned. There is a hiking trail to reach the falls.

Overall Kote Betta and Onti falls were new addition to our Coorg exploration. It was couple of hours well spent. Watch a short video here

Click here for detailed Coorg travel guide & Coorg waterfalls trail