Rosetta resort - Trip Report

Rosetta resort - eBird Trip Report

Between 24th and 26th April 2026, I was at Rosetta resorts near Hassan, for a wedding.  Amidst the fun, friendship and food, I saw 43 species of birds, just like that!  There must have been many more.  Plantations in India are in that grey zone of being what I call a pretend forest - if they are untended then they are more biodiverse, if they are tended and pest-controlled, then less so.

Getting there

My friend discovered there is. convenient train with vista dome coaches between Bangalore and Sakleshpur, and that was the way we travelled.  The Bangalore boarding point was Yeshwantpur - and besides the usual Indian malaise of no clear signages, jostling, passenger-unfriendly WIP type of platform, we made it on the train, into our cocoon of air-conditioned comfort, lovely bay windows and cushioned seats.  The coach was filled with cheer and chatter and the staff were also helpful, making tea in the small pantry and even getting us idly/vadai and chutney quite magically.

The staff also pointed out the Shravanabelagola hill, which I then took out my binoculars and looked at the mighty statue of Mahavir.  Seems all built up around it, though.  

The initial plan was to disembark at Sakleshpur, but the cab guy said the resort was more approachable from Hasan and so we got off at Hassan only to discover that the resort is very much in the plains.  No elevation to speak of, and I was quite crestfallen honestly.

It was a short ride on the highway before the resort turn off and in to the village of Alur.  So, the resort is not really at Sakleshpur, and is in the village of Alur.

The rooms

They have a whole fleet of battery/electric buggies that whiz around the property quite noiselessly and smoothly and we were whisked in one of them, through the coffee plantation dotted with Silver Oak, Rosewood, Jackfruit and pepper vines. 

I was excited to hear the bulbuls and barbets even as we drove up.  We got the upper rooms, with a beautiful balcony.  

The view from the balcony

The dawn chorus was filled with strange and beautiful calls.  I sat in the balcony quite enchanted as there was no human sound, no traffic, no loudspeaker, no phone ringtones.  

Merlin was going crazy trying to id the overlapping bird calls.  Puff throated babblers, Grey jungle fowl, Francolins, Peacocks, and the white-cheeked barbets.

I did not even try to look for them on the first morning, rather I just enjoyed the sounds and the calls from everywhere.

Later in the day, in-between feasting and snoozing, I went for a walk which was delightful.  There is a pond and the branches overlooking the pond had a pair of small minivets plus a bronzed drongo!

Ashy Prinia, Tailorbirds and Magpie Robins called from everywhere. Just outside our room, there was a colony of fruit bats too - high up in the canopy - they had a lot to say to each other it seemed.

I wandered past a row of so-called tented accommodations - they were on concrete stilts, and the fields below them had a lot of munias.  

Besides that was a ficus tree in fruit, and the Coppersmith barbets were feasting (just like me I guess) and those little green beauties - Vernal hanging parrots!

A little grey bird whizzed by - Grey-bellied cuckoo - Merlin shouted (ok just imagine that Merlin shouted it.)

I enjoyed my morning walks, the friendship of school friends, a beautiful wedding and an amazing resort that allows for quiet, a rare luxury in India.