Infinity and Beyond - Ooty

A week before our trip to Ooty, our thoughts were consumed with “rain rain go away and please stay away.” But, the rains didn’t go away and instead, they came back quite heavily. As we had been eagerly awaiting for our vacation, we took the risk of going to Ooty anyways and it turned out to be the best decision we ever made!

Ooty is 280 kilometers from Bangalore and the trip takes about 6 hours by road. We planned mysore-nangangud-gundlupet-bandipur-mudumalai-ooty circuit. From Gundlupet, the road carves through a dense forest and this forest saddles both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu across their borders. Bandipur National Park is located on the Karnataka side, while the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is found on the Tamil Nadu side of the forest.

We have a rule that whenever we pass through the Bandipura road, a Bandipur safari is a must. So as obedient rule followers, we stopped at Bandipur and opted for the safari.

As we boarded the van our curious eyes wandered all around the lush green forest. We spotted a bunch of deer and with so much innocence it kept looking back at us. It seemed to have gotten habituated with the big green van and its roaring engine sound. Our eyes kept scanning for the elusive, tiger foot prints. We saw a mama bear hopping with its little one. 

Mama Bear with its little one

Ever curious deer

When we entered deep into the forest, we saw a group of elephants parading the jungle. Elephants are interesting! They are so protective of their young ones. They are emotionally more mature compared to other animals. There has been a study where it found that elephants grieve for their lost ones and even shed tears.  

Elephants parade

It was almost 45 minutes in the jungle, when we were almost making our way out of the forest, that we spotted the almighty TIGER. At this point, the engine stopped and there was a pin drop silence - I could even hear my own heart-beat raising.  Slowly and steadily, the tiger crossed the road and vanished into the bushes. What a sight! Seeing a tiger in the wild is something that cannot be explained. We were just silent! No words. What a safari it was and a great start for the wonderful vacation ahead!

The mighty Tiger!

As we started towards Ooty from Bandipura, we were stopped at the check post before entering Tamil Nadu. After the quick check we were welcomed to Tamil Nadu. This was the start of Mudumalai Wildlife Reserve, though it is an extension of Bandipur, with a different name.  As we drove through Masinagudi, the journey became more picturesque and adventurous. This route has 36 hair pin bends over the stretch of 12 kilometers. Each bend was an adventure and before the 26^th bend, we rerouted towards our resort which is 15 kilometers away from Ooty. 

We had an amazing off-road experience driving 3 kilometers to the resort. Many roads were torn down due to the rainfall and driving in such road conditions turned out to be truly a challenging task. When we finally reached the place, it was incredibly beautiful, calm and welcoming. We were greeted at the reception desk with a warm smile and we were directed to our room. We wanted to have a laidback vacation without having to tick every spot in the tourist map. Our room windows opened up to a spectacular, breathtaking mountain which was a welcoming sight for our tired eyes. The restaurant was simply amazing. We indulged in the most delicious cream of tomato soup every day and trust me when I say that it was the best soup that I have ever tasted in my entire life.  

In Ooty, the temperature drops drastically after sunset. Being in Bangalore, we had never before experienced the mercury level falling below 12 degrees.  So, at a chilly 6 degrees the bonfire kept us warm and cozy.

The next day, we decided to explore Ooty city and Commercial road. To reach Ooty, we had to complete the 36-hairpin bends. As we completed the 36^th bend, we could feel the thin air. We decided to visit the highest peak of Nigiris that’s Dodabetta Peak.

It is 7 kilometers from Ooty city. The drive was bumpy as the roads were damaged till the last leg of the peak. The fog made it worse.  But the ascent was incredibly breathtaking.  The rich smell of eucalyptus filled the air as we climbed up.  At the top, the temperature drastically dropped. It was freezing cold, with a slight drizzle and fog. Even with the icy climate, we could see the Coimbatore, Ooty city, Karnataka border from the telescopic tower.

Just amazing

Bumpy foggy road

What’s the point of being in Ooty without visiting the commercial road?

The weather in Ooty favors rich farming culture, including the cultivation of English vegetables and fruits grown locally. We could see fresh potatoes, carrot, cabbage and some exotic fruits and veggies such as peaches, plums, pears, strawberry, zucchini, turnips, lettuce leaves being grown.

We went to a government co-operative shop to buy the famous locally made eucalyptus oil, gaultheria oil (pain relief oil), spices and the famous Ooty chocolates. With great difficulty, we managed to get back to the car with our hands full of bags containing our Ooty souvenirs and headed back to our beautiful resort.

The next day, we decided to pamper ourselves with a massage, heavy lunch and a great swim in the infinity pool. In the evening, we just sat in our spot gazing at the mountains, tea plantations and the ever happy flying birds. We wished we could just freeze that moment and never ever come out. As the sun set we were reminded that we had to pack our bags for the next day’s journey. What a wonderful day it was.

The infinity pool

We could just stare at this like forever !

With a heavy heart we left for Bangalore. It was a much needed and a wonderful vacation. Until our next vacation, ciao!

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