Hello friends,
Hiking on the hills is always amazing and the journey becomes much interesting if you have friends with whom you love to travel. Last year in the early winter, I had the privilege of visiting Ooty, also known as the Queen of Hills. Here, I'm sharing my journey to the misty mountain.
Ooty or Ootacamund or Udagamandalam is a hill station situated in Tamil Nadu, in the heart of Nilgiri hills. As you reach Ooty you'll be stuck by the smell of raw chocolate, pure Eucalyptus oil, the chill foggy air and trust me it will melt your soul from inside. The cloudy sky, moist fragrance, shady pebbled roads and the authentic cuisine makes the place even more pleasant.
Let me share some details of my journey,
0. Best Time to Visit:
Basically you can visit Ooty anytime of the year you want however, if you are not familiar with the weather condition, I would rather advice you to visit this place in early winter. During this time you won't have to face harsh cold and rain.
Here is a picture that depicts all the seasons. Make your plans accordingly.
1. Reaching Ooty:
To reach Ooty, you have some handful options viz,
2. Where to stay:
You don't have to worry about lodging as the people over there are super friendly. There is a lot of response from couch surfers too.
Hostels available however if you ask me I'll recommend you to stay at a decent hotel or home-stay as the place is really cold and hostels usually doesn't have much arrangement for cold.
3. Places to Visit:
Ooty is a small city built on a peak mountain however the uniqueness of the premises is wonderful. I've jot down some places from Ooty that you don't want to miss,
Ooty lake:
Rose garden
Ketti Valley
Botanical Garden
Doddabetta Peak
Mudumalai National Park:
The 140 years old Train, Remember the song 'Chal chaiyan chaiyan...' Guess where the scene was shot....!!
And the classic railway station.
The heaven of chocolate lovers!
Mesmerizing view of tea garden through the soothing fog,
4. Things to Keep in Mind:
Experience teaches you a lot of things, this portion is dedicated to my personal experience.
Hiking on the hills is always amazing and the journey becomes much interesting if you have friends with whom you love to travel. Last year in the early winter, I had the privilege of visiting Ooty, also known as the Queen of Hills. Here, I'm sharing my journey to the misty mountain.
Ooty or Ootacamund or Udagamandalam is a hill station situated in Tamil Nadu, in the heart of Nilgiri hills. As you reach Ooty you'll be stuck by the smell of raw chocolate, pure Eucalyptus oil, the chill foggy air and trust me it will melt your soul from inside. The cloudy sky, moist fragrance, shady pebbled roads and the authentic cuisine makes the place even more pleasant.
Let me share some details of my journey,
0. Best Time to Visit:
Basically you can visit Ooty anytime of the year you want however, if you are not familiar with the weather condition, I would rather advice you to visit this place in early winter. During this time you won't have to face harsh cold and rain.
Here is a picture that depicts all the seasons. Make your plans accordingly.
1. Reaching Ooty:
To reach Ooty, you have some handful options viz,
- Bus: There are a lot of government buses available from Bangalore to Ooty.
- 2nd option is you can go to Mysore, which is just around 150-160 KM away from Bangalore(by bus or train) and avail some pocket friendly transportation. Also can plan a day stay over Mysore and visit zoo and may witness the Light & Sound show in the Mysore palace at evening.
- The best part is, from Mysore to Ooty it's only 128 KM through Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Bandipur National Park. Witness the splendid beauty of wildlife.
- Self drive is always the best option unless you are a pro. Take a break and drive through the wildling but careful.
- Train is always an option. Book your ticket to Mettupalayam (MTP), the nearest railway station to Ooty (47 KM).
Ooty has its own railway, the Nilgiri Railway Service however it has only meter gauge. Thus it doesn't connect to major cities.
2. Where to stay:
You don't have to worry about lodging as the people over there are super friendly. There is a lot of response from couch surfers too.
Hostels available however if you ask me I'll recommend you to stay at a decent hotel or home-stay as the place is really cold and hostels usually doesn't have much arrangement for cold.
3. Places to Visit:
Ooty is a small city built on a peak mountain however the uniqueness of the premises is wonderful. I've jot down some places from Ooty that you don't want to miss,
Ooty lake:
Rose garden
Ketti Valley
Botanical Garden
Doddabetta Peak
Mudumalai National Park:
The 140 years old Train, Remember the song 'Chal chaiyan chaiyan...' Guess where the scene was shot....!!
And the classic railway station.
The heaven of chocolate lovers!
Mesmerizing view of tea garden through the soothing fog,
4. Things to Keep in Mind:
Experience teaches you a lot of things, this portion is dedicated to my personal experience.
- Reserve your lodging arrangements prior to your date if you are travelling in peak season. Sometimes getting a hotel with a nice view is tough enough.
- Ooty is really cold place. The temperature might even fall to zero. Pack your warmers well.
- The old train is available for tourists and price is fair. However the train only moves from Ooty to Coonoor. A train safari through a jungle is incredible.
- The train tickets are hard to get, they only release one hour before time, And guess what, all tickets sold out in 15 Minutes! I am posting a chart, manage the time you have.
- Take some good tracking boots, you would need them.
Somebody once said that traveling is the only thing you buy and it will make you richer. Whenever I lookback and ruminate the days in the past, I believe I was never happier before. This Ooty trip was another brick of this palace. Lastly, a bunch of wild-flowers from Ooty, Adios.
