On the banks of the Harangi river in Madalapura village, Captain Prio Chaubey used to come fishing for mahseer on weekends. His friends came. Their families came. New rooms got added. Eventually, Nina and Prio had a homestay — named for the thousands of fireflies that light up Coorg every April, and run with the hospitable ease of people who have spent their lives travelling the world and understand precisely what makes a place worth staying in.
The story of Firefly by the River begins with a fish, and a retired Captain’s love of catching it.
Captain Prio Chaubey and his fishing companions had been coming to the banks of the Harangi — the tributary of the Kaveri that flows through this quiet corner of Coorg — for years. The spot was perfect: the river ran clear and strong past Madalapura village, the banks were shaded by bamboo and coconut and betel palm, and the mahseer — the king of Indian freshwater game fish, a powerful and elusive creature that demands patience from anyone who pursues it — could be found in the pools and runs of the Harangi with the reliability of a landscape that had not yet been disturbed.
Friends of friends started asking if they could come. Then their families. Then people who had no particular interest in fishing but had heard that this spot, on the edge of the forest between the coffee and pepper estates of Coorg, was extraordinary. Nina and Prio Chaubey — well-travelled, fun-loving, Bengaluru-based, and fully retired — found themselves adding rooms. The result of that incremental, hospitality-driven expansion is Firefly by the River: five rooms in three units, on the banks of the Harangi, in one of the most quietly beautiful settings in all of Kodagu.
The property is named for the thousands of luminescent fireflies that appear in the Coorg landscape every April — a spectacle that is, by the account of anyone who has seen it, one of the most otherworldly experiences that Indian nature has to offer. To be at Firefly by the River in April is to be in the precise landscape that gave it its name.
The Setting
Madalapura village is in the Kushalnagar area of Coorg — not far from the commercial infrastructure of Madikeri, but far enough to feel entirely removed from it. Opposite the Uma Maheshwari Temple, facing the Harangi river, on the edge of a landscape that includes paddy fields, bamboo groves, coffee and pepper plantations, and the thick riparian forest that lines every river in Coorg, the property sits with the confidence of a place that doesn’t need to advertise itself.
From every bedroom, the view is the raw and real form of this landscape: the Harangi river, the paddy fields, the surrounding hills, the coconut and cinnamon and betel palm trees that frame the property. The common area near the well is elegantly designed — an open, central space where meals are served with the sound of the river as the only soundtrack.
The property is, by design and by the owners’ explicit instruction, not for all-male groups. Nina and Prio built this for families, couples, and friends who want to be in the wild without being in the wild — comfort and nature in the exact proportion that makes a stay genuinely restorative.
The Rooms
There are five double bedrooms spread across three ground-floor units, each with a spacious verandah, wardrobe, AC, and Wi-Fi. Each room is rustically designed with earthy colours and a decor that salutes the surrounding forest — not aggressively themed, but honest in its materials and sensibility. Two rooms offer extra beds for families travelling with children. Every room has an ensuite bathroom with hot and cold running water, a shower area, and standard toiletries.
The rooms are named for birds — Egretta and others — a small, characteristic detail that reflects the property’s deep relationship with the wildlife that moves through and around it. Birdwatchers who have stayed here describe the dawn chorus as one of the most diverse they have encountered in Coorg, which is itself one of the richest birding landscapes in South India.
The family dog and the resident chickens are part of the property’s charm, and the manager lives on the premises.
Rithvik and the Kitchen
Rithvik is the property manager and the reason the food at Firefly by the River has its own devoted following. He is a local from Coorg, and the meals he oversees draw on his grandmother’s recipes — the authentic Coorgi kitchen of pandi curry, akki roti, nool puttu, Coorgi mutton pulao, and the river fish that his district has always cooked with particular expertise. Coorg-style river pomfret is a specific highlight.
All meals are prepared using local and fresh ingredients, by local cooks hired specifically for their knowledge of the regional cuisine. Menus are customised to guest preferences with advance discussion. Welcome drinks are warm and prompt. Evening snacks accompany the sun setting over the paddy fields. Breakfast is a full south Indian spread.
There are three kitchens on the premises — guests have access to one live kitchen in the dining area. The owner’s residence is separate from the guest areas, which preserves the privacy that makes the stay feel genuinely independent rather than hosted.
What to See and Experience
A coracle ride on the Harangi river — one of the most characteristically Coorgi experiences available — can be arranged through the property. The flat-bottomed woven basket boats, manoeuvred by a single paddler with astonishing dexterity, have been used on Coorg’s rivers for centuries and offer a close, quiet encounter with the river and its birdlife that no other mode of transport can replicate.
A walk around the property’s immediate surroundings reveals lemon grass, exotic Thai ginger, kaffir lime trees, and Australian fig trees that Nina and Prio have planted with the care of people who garden for their own pleasure rather than for guests’ photographs. The broader forest edge supports populations of birds that serious birders come specifically to find.
Namdroling Monastery at Bylakuppe — the largest Tibetan settlement outside Tibet, with its extraordinary golden temple and the improbable experience of finding monastic Tibet in the middle of Coorg — is approximately 13 kilometres away and one of the most unexpectedly moving cultural encounters in Karnataka. Nisargadhama Forest Park, a natural island in the Cauvery river thick with bamboo groves and resident deer, is within easy reach. The Dubare Elephant Camp, Harangi Dam, and the broader Coorg circuit are accessible for day excursions. Madikeri, with the Raja’s Seat viewpoint and the Omkareshwara Temple, is approximately 35 kilometres away.
Why It Stays With You
Nina and Prio Chaubey are described by guests as a wonderful host couple who make guests feel truly at home — Lina ma’am (Nina) answering every question with patience and warmth, Captain Sir present and genial and possessed of the particular ease of someone who has been comfortable in the wild for decades.
This is a property that was built, incrementally, out of love for a spot on a river. The mahseer fishing that brought Prio here first. The hospitality that Nina brought to making people comfortable in this spot. Rithvik’s grandmother’s recipes. The April fireflies that gave the place its name. The Harangi running past. The bamboo catching the morning light.
Plan Your Visit
Address: Opposite Uma Maheshwari Temple, Madalapura Village, Harangi, Kudige, Kushalnagar — 571232, Kodagu District, Karnataka Phone / WhatsApp: Via StayVista: +91 (StayVista booking number) Instagram: @fireflybytherivertcoorg Booking: StayVista (stayvista.com) · MakeMyTrip · Booking.com · JustHomestay.in
Owners: Nina and Captain Prio Chaubey (Bengaluru-based; on-site hosts) Property Manager: Rithvik (local from Coorg; resident on-site)
Setting: Banks of the Harangi river (tributary of the Kaveri) · Paddy fields, bamboo groves, coffee and pepper plantations, coconut, cinnamon, and betel palm trees · Edge of Coorg forest · Named for the April firefly spectacle
Rooms: 5 double bedrooms in 3 ground-floor units · All with private verandah, AC, ensuite bathroom, wardrobe, Wi-Fi, electric kettle · 2 rooms with extra beds · Earthy rustic décor · Bird-named rooms (Egretta etc.) · Garden and river views Rate: Per room pricing; full villa available Check-in: 2:00 PM · Check-out: 11:00 AM
Meals: Breakfast included · Local Coorgi cuisine (pandi curry, akki roti, nool puttu, mutton pulao, river pomfret) · All meals from local fresh ingredients · Customised to guest preferences with advance notice · Welcome drinks on arrival · Evening snacks available Facilities: Outdoor seating and dining · Coracle ride on Harangi (arranged) · Birdwatching · Garden walks · Bonfire and BBQ · Celebration décor available · Pet-friendly (resident dog and chickens) · Free parking
Note: All-male groups are not permitted. Guests advised not to venture outside after dark — property is close to forest. Manager lives on premises 24/7.
Getting There — Mysuru: approximately 100 km — around 2 hours. — Bengaluru: approximately 250 km via Mysuru — around 5 hours. — Kushalnagar town: approximately 8 km — around 15 minutes. — Madikeri: approximately 35 km — around 45 minutes. — Kannur International Airport (Kerala): approximately 106 km — around 2.5 hours. — The property is in Madalapura village, Harangi area — search Google Maps for “Firefly by the River Coorg” or use the landmark: Opposite Uma Maheshwari Temple, Madalapura Village, Harangi.
Nearby — Namdroling Monastery, Bylakuppe: 13 km · Nisargadhama Forest Park: 10 km · Dubare Elephant Camp: 20 km · Harangi Dam: 15 km · Madikeri / Raja’s Seat: 35 km · Abbi Falls: 40 km · Kushalnagar: 8 km
Best Time to Visit: October to March for the best weather and Coorg at its most comfortable · April for the fireflies — the namesake event, thousands of luminescent fireflies in the forest, the most spectacular reason of all to come specifically at this time · June to September for the monsoon — the Harangi runs full, the forest is impossibly green, the mist rolls in at dawn
