Day 0:
This trip has a special place in my heart for being the first trip with my loved one and getting together back after a few days of long-distance desperation. Ooty is one place that has been on my bucket list for quite some time but couldn’t make it despite its proximity to Kozhikode and Bengaluru. I started to Coimbatore by bus to join my mate there.
Day 1:
Though Coimbatore is not that far from Bangalore, generous breaks by the bus driver delayed it by an hour. I reached the Gandhipuram bus stop and took a private bus to the railway station. only after a few minutes, I realized that I mistakenly took the bus coming from the railway station instead of going to the railway station. I had to drop off and take a cab to receive my partner on time 😅. We had breakfast opposite the railway station. We booked a cab for 3 days for around 9k bucks which starts and ends at Coimbatore. April and May are the months with tourism bustling in Ooty with people visiting to escape the scorching heat of summer. Added to that is a long weekend causing traffic everywhere.
We started by around 10 to Ooty through the Coonor route. There is heavy traffic till Mettupalayam. We could only get a glimpse of Mettupalayam railway station as we couldn’t book the toy train tickets in advance, unfortunately. Taking this train ride through the beautiful Nilgiris is most recommended. The road route from Mettupalayam to Coonor has 14 hairpin bends and is definitely not a cakewalk. We stopped at the driveway photo shoot point from where we can see the railway line and the road that lead us to the top.
We can have a glimpse of the meter gauge railway line with a rack seen between railway tracks to climb the steep hill. Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, only diesel locomotives can be operated with a rack and pinion system which is the only one in India. It took around 2 hours to reach Kattery Park which is around 7 km from Coonoor town. It looks just like any other botanical garden/park with less crowd and a good spot for a picnic with kids.
We continued further passing through Coonoor town towards Ooty. Houses arranged like colorful Lego blocks on the hills look so charming. We reached Ooty by 2 PM and started off sightseeing after lunch. We took accommodation at Yloo Retreat which is close to the botanical gardens. Due to high demand, prices are too high for its state. Our first stop is Doddabetta Peak which is the highest peak in the Nilgiris. There are markers pointing in the directions of surrounding towns. We can feel the cool breeze after 3 and the mercury dropping gradually justifying the heavy crowd visiting in summer. From there, we went to a tea estate welcoming guests (for a nominal amount) for taking photos and tasting the tea. Everywhere in Ooty and Coonoor, you will see photographers offering tourists photos in traditional Nilagiri tea pickers’ attire alongside tea estates.
Next, we went to a tea factory/museum. They demonstrated the process of making packaged tea right from the stage of leaves. There is a small museum as well depicting the history of tea and the introduction of tea plantations to India and Nilgiris by the British. They are also offering complimentary tea and this whole setup seems more like a clever marketing strategy attracting visitors to buy their products. There is also an adventure park adjoining this but fully crowded.
We skipped the rose garden and instead went to Karnataka Siri Horticulture Garden. It is under the control of the Karnataka government and very well maintained by them. Some parts of it are still being constructed but it’s definitely worth a visit given the amount of hard work and craftsmanship put into building and maintaining it. We couldn’t cover the famous Ooty boathouse as it is already late and the water is also not that clean. By night, temperatures fell down to 10C. we were literally shivering and regretting our decision to not bring winter wear.
Day 2:
We woke up early and had a stroll in the cold to have some hot tea. We started our second day towards Pykara at around 10 AM which is on Mysore Road. This road looks better than the one from Mettupalayam. On the way, there is a beautiful golf course that is open only for the gymkhana members which reminds us of Europe for its beauty surrounded by nature and the woods. Due to the heavy influx of tourists, there is a lot of traffic on this road. Our first stop is at Pine Forest which is heavily crowded due to the weekend. It is more like a valley leading to the lake filled with tall pine trees catering to the wishes and fancies of photography lovers and Instagrammers as a perfect spot for photography and Instagram reels.
Then we went to the tree park which is again similar to the previous one furnished with pine trees. But it’s more like a plateau with a splendid view into the valley. From there, we proceeded further toward the Shooting Point (Wenlock Downs 9th Mile shooting point) which boasts a rich history of being a popular location for many movies. We had to stand in the queue for almost 30 minutes to just get the entry ticket. Then we had to climb a steep hill (there is a much easier zig-zag trail but takes more time) but would definitely be worth all the effort once you go up there with all the panoramic views of the hills from the top. It feels like the top of the world with the cool breeze calming you in the middle of the day and dragging you into its serene comfort away from all the worldly problems.
After spending a good amount of time, we proceeded to the next stop which is Pykara Waterfalls. (On the way, we get a glimpse of Pykara Dam which seems like a small one.) By this time we are already tired of all the walking and standing. We got scared looking at the way down leading to the waterfalls and the expressions of the people coming back. If you are expecting a waterfall descending from great heights, you will be disappointed. It’s just a river with small waterfalls cascading gently through steps-like terrain and tourists are not allowed inside. Apparently, previously it was allowed and people misused it and there were a couple of accidents causing the government to barricade it.
It was already past noon and we were hungry but proceeded to the most awaited one, which is Pykara boating. You have an option of 2/3 person speed boating or 8/10 seater normal boating. We opted for speed boating for 1000 bucks. We had to wait for more than 90 minutes for our turn to come. We were disappointed that it barely lasted 10 minutes. Nevertheless, the experience was so electrifying with all the sharp turns and swift breaks. We were happy about the decision of postponing lunch seeing the queue behind us.
We had lunch and came back to Ooty to finally go to the Botanical Garden. After seeing Karnataka Garden, this definitely didn’t feel worth it for the money. It doesn’t seem to be properly maintained but definitely qualifies for a picnic spot with the kids during weekends and evenings to relax.
We started from Ooty to Coonoor after sunset passing through Wellington Cantonment which is home to the Madras Regimental Centre and Defence services staff college. Majestic buildings and clean and beautiful roads speak for themselves of the armed forces’ discipline and skill. There is also Raj Bhavan present in Ooty, which acts as the summer residence of the Governor. All these buildings and architecture clearly showcase the British legacy. These lands were once developed by British officials due to their moderate “England” like climate. Slowly, they are occupied by other officials for their summer vacation and after independence, people started coming in from neighboring places. However, the original inhabitants like Todas, Kotas, Badagas, and Kurumbas are still owning some land and some of them are still living in the villages inside the forest cultivating spices and working in the tea plantations which is again a British legacy. Coonoor is quite peaceful compared to Ooty even though it’s one of the major towns in the district. We took a night stroll through the tranquility of Coonor roads before calling it a day.
Day 3:
We stayed at “Lobosa Comforts” in Coonoor which is close to Sims Park. Adjacent are a couple of restaurants (Hotel Jharokha and Bagaicha) managed by the same management where the food is really delicious. We started around 10 for Coonoor sightseeing. The way leading to it is really beautiful with impressive houses and mansions followed by very narrow roads and grandeur arches formed by trees. We stopped at a tea garden which looks way more beautiful compared to the ones in Ooty. It seems like Coonor is covered with many tea estates and just feels like Munnar.
From there, we started to Lamb’s Rock which is named after a British Captain. We hired a guide and found some interesting trivia. There is a suicide point with a tall rock of several hundred feet dropping into the forest. It is currently barricaded from people going closer. We get a glimpse of the mountain that looks exactly like a sleeping pregnant lady. There is also a rock that resembles an elephant trunk. We also get a birds-eye view of surrounding towns like Ooty, Coonoor, Mettupalayam, Sathyamangalam forest (notoriously famous for Veerappan), and even Coimbatore city which is surprising as it is almost 60 km by road to reach. But from the viewpoint, it is visible at a distance. Interestingly, we also get to see the hills separating Tamilnadu from Karnataka and Kerala respectively.
From there, we went to Dolphin’s nose viewpoint. We get to see Catherine’s waterfalls from a distance and some amazing views of hills and clouds. We came back to Coonoor to spend some time in Sims Park. It’s a century-old park with trees of more than 100 years. It’s similar to the botanical garden in Ooty which serves as a picnic spot for kids and spend evenings out in nature peacefully.
With a heavy heart, we had to return to Coimbatore. We can see the sharp change in weather as we came down the hills. Hopefully, we will someday go back and have a ride in the Mettupalayam-Ooty toy train and also cover remaining places like Avalanche Lake and Kotagiri.