[GhostGrid]

Originally Posted by 07CR

Help needed on these points[/b]
1) Should I travel to Coorg or Ooty?
2) Should I travel by car or Air?
3) Should 3-4 days be enough to cover either of the two destinations?

1) Both will be hot and crowded (Coorg and Ooty). Unfortunately, that's the case with most of the locations during April and May. You can't escape the weather, but you can avoid the crowd. Why not consider Udaipur, which is surely going to be warm but not overly crowded? It has lovely resorts, forts, and museums that are covered.

2) It's up to the two of you to decide, but since it's summer, it's preferable that you choose air; also since it's your first anniversary, it would be better that you spend time together feeling energised rather than worn out.

(3) Four days would be adequate, including some quality downtime.

I'm wishing you a happy first anniversary in advance.

[Maverick1977]

I did a similar trip few years back. I wanted to drive down, wife wanted to reach quickly and have some more time to unwind.
Finally we came at a solution - Fly to Bangalore, pick up a rental from the airport itself. Spend the night in Bangalore, start afresh for Mysore next morning. Reach by noon. Sightseeing in Mysore for 2 days. Leave for Ooty, visit Bandipur forest and take a evening safari. Bandipur to Ooty is 50 km, but the hair pin bends are a part of those 50 km, so just be mindful of that.
Stay in Ooty for 3 days, drive down or take the train to Konoor for 1 day.
Start on the last day in the morning. Reach the airport by evening, take a late evening flight and back home the same day.
I did this exact trip with wife and 2 kids, both <10 years. It was easy for everyone. Wife got 2 more days, I got to drive and enjoy the road trip. Trust me it is extremely boring for people to sit long hours in a car when U R not driving.
Let us know what U plan finally.

[biller777]

I enjoy doing road trips with my family. From Pune, I have done a one road trip to Kodaikanal and one trip to a place little ahead of Ooty. Roads are good.
I find road trips more enjoyble for vacations. You get to bond more with your family, play games, listen to music etc. Air travel is pretty much boring, unless its for work or saving time.

If you travel to Ooty, you can take a halt at Bangalore (out-skirts).
3-4 days should be more than sufficient.

But, peak summertime road-trips can be taxing. So do take that into account.

An alternate plan could be Himachal or Uttarakhand. Book a train trip from Mumbai to Delhi. Rajdhani 1st class has 2 seater cabins, perfect for couples. From Delhi, you can book a self-drive car. There are many off-beat locations in Himachal as well as UK. It will also be a little cooler than Ooty. Lots of AirBnB stay options available.

[Strider24]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

It all boils down to one simple question. How comfortable is your spouse with the idea of such a long road trip? If she is genuinely OK with it, great. But think over this carefully, she might be saying yes because she knows you like road tripping.

No one could have summed this up better. I took a 1200 km one way trip last year in April heat with wife and family. I had the experience of my lifetime, so did the wife and son, but she got so bored in the return trip.
This year when I proposed it again she straight forward said NO. she can no longer bear the two day roadtrip. My son on the other hand is more than eager to join me again.

Summer roadtrips are difficult, It was 45 degree heat for arround 6-7 hours in that trip and we hardly stopped anywhere.

Although everyone was comfortable in the 23 degree AC inside the car,the Joy of roadtrip is in the shirt breaks we take to enjoy the local Dhaba food and Tea at Tapri, We couldn't do it in that return trip.

My point is that your co passengers MUST be comfortable with loooong summer roadtrip. If yes then go via road otherwise save yourself the trouble , take the flight and try to hire a self drive/rental car to enjoy the scenary and your holidays.

[pioneer_rags]

The journey is more important than destination. If your spouse enjoys long journeys in a car, there is nothing better than a road trip.

It gives both of you so much time to spend time together. You will never get that time in the modern busy lives.

The entire route of pune to ooty passes through interesting places

You can make the journey interesting by making it a culinary tour

Kolhapur - missal pav near mahalakshmi temple or thali in hotel opal

Belgaum - kunda or niyazi biryani

Hubli/Dharwad - peda and jowar meals

Davangere - butter dosa

Bengaluru - madam dosa/biryani

Madduru - Vada

Mysore - biryani or dosa

Or you can add some spirituality by visiting few temples and tourist place

Kolhapur lakshmi temple

Saundatti yellammma

Harihar - harihareshwara

Mysore - palace and chamundi temple

There are multiple ways you can make the journey interesting. Road trips are memorable is you plan and execute it well and only if your spouse enjoys road trips.

Best part of your road trip is the drive from the town of Gundlupet to Ooty which passes through Bandipur/Madhumalai forests and then climb upto to ooty.

You can always avoid touristy places in Ooty by booking a home stay in a tea estate outside the town or booking a place in kotagiri.