[Mr.Boss]

Ooty - one destination I could never say 'No'
Did a couple of visit in last 2 weeks


Few of my previous threads, many were not documented here

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...hin-month.html (Coimbatore to Ooty in my Nissan Sunny - 3rd visit within a month)


https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...aha-rx100.html (Yet another solo ride this weekend - Ooty trip on my Yamaha RX100)


https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ride-ooty.html (Coonoor tea, Avalanche lunch & Kotagiri snacks : Ride to Ooty)


https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...oty-again.html (Exploring Ooty, again)

[Mr.Boss]

Quick Navigator

1st Trip - Drive

• Background & Plan
• Drive
• Stay
• Solo Drive
• Family time

2nd Trip - Ride

• Background & Plan
• Adikaratti & Lovedale
• Lunch
• Glenmorgan
• Wind-up

[Mr.Boss]

1st Trip - Drive



What?
Drive to Ooty

Why?
Family get-together

When?
Feb 5 & 6

How?
Ritzy (plus 4 other cars - Honda City, Chevy Beat, MS Wagon-R, Kia Sonet)

How Many?
20+


Plan
This trip was planned multiple times but with least success in past. With the COVID lockdowns and restrictions we were clueless if we could make it happen this time. We were waiting until end of January for the new restrictions / relaxations. Since everything went favouring, we planned this trip only 2 days before the D-day.

It was a plain vanilla plan with no much of a sight seeing intention
To put it simple, Drive-Chat-Sleep-return

Plan was to start early on Saturday (5th Feb) and engage the kids with boating, few sight seeing. Unfortunately I got stuck with an official commitment and couldn't start as planned. My BIL and a cousin aswell wanted to start a little late for some reason. So others started as planned and covered Botanical garden and few other places and 2 cars started late in the evening and joined them for Dinner

[Mr.Boss]

Drive

Started around 16:30 from Coimbatore, took Kotagiri route and reached Ooty around 9-ish

Customary stop over


Mandatory stop over
Silvertip Cafe & Homestay


Little one enjoying the Chocolate Brownie and Chinnamon cake

[Mr.Boss]

Stay

Since it was a last minute plan, hardly we had choices for stay and narrowed down at The Baron
We booked a complete villa property but were offered regular hotel rooms due to maintenance or restoration activity. We took 6 rooms for 5 families (and no prize for guessing, 1 additional is 'Boys only' room)

The Baron







Image courtesy

Rooms were pretty decent and no complaints on the property, staffs & restaurant and food as well (except for the huuuuuuge delay)
Bonfire was arranged adjacent to one of their other property nearby.

[Mr.Boss]

Solo Drive

Woke up early in the morning to capture Sun rise. Started the day with a strong Coffee


Only then discovered the windshield is covered with a layer of ice


Loved the crystal structure formation


Took a while to clear this


Started my solo drive on Mysore road


Thalaikundha, Start / end of Sandynulla Lake




Went up to pine forest and made an U-turn


Took Kalhatty road to reach this destination



This is next to The Bowers Challet



Marlimund Lake, sneak-peek

Marlimund Lake



Quick visit to Elk Hill Murugan temple

Elk Hill Murugan temple

[Mr.Boss]

Family Time

Returned back to hotel, had breakfast with family and started towards Pykara lake

View of Pykara Lake, I prefer this than the Ooty lake for cleanliness






Weather was pleasant and enjoyable


After boating we started towards Ooty for Lunch, but kids had their plan. They loved the boating experience and wanted to do it once more. Took them to Ooty lake for one more round


Junior piloting the boat


Finally, the trip ended with a much needed Lemon tea, somewhere around Karamadai

[Mr.Boss]

2nd Trip - Ride



One of my cousin always wanted to join for a ride but we could never materialise it for various reasons.
Again it was a last minute plan, we started early on 20th Feb.

Started before 06:00, RE Classic & Duke 390


Processed image


Old bridge


First break in Coonoor, Sri Lakshmi Hotel

[Mr.Boss]

Adikaratti & Lovedale

Coonoor-Kaikatti-Manjur road












Adikaratti view point
View point

It's too steep
















Somewhere inside Lovedale












From here, we wanted to visit Lovedale pond

Below images were taken from Google













But Google maps had other idea, took us through this off-roading circuit





Finally we gave up and started to Lovedale station

[Mr.Boss]

Lunch Break

Hyderabad Biryani House

[Mr.Boss]

Glenmorgan

Glenmorgan is a village located at a distance of 25 kilometers from Ooty. This place is known for its tea estates which includes one of the oldest tea estates in the region known as the Glenmorgan tea estate. The Pykara power house is located near the Glenmorgan estate, for which a lake at the foot of the estate forms the fore bay.

https://g.co/kgs/dVX4qR

We wanted to visit the Glenmorgan Reservoir, below snaps are from my previous travelogue













Unfortunately, it is restricted for tourism and we went till the checkpost and returned back

The roads less taken






Small stream / falls enroute






View of reservoir near the checkpost


Some random check dam


Pine forest, didn't spend much time here


High Hill Tea

[Mr.Boss]

Wind-up

Took Kotagiri route during return journey. As usual, the customary break at Silvertip Cafe









Regular menu, Chocolate Brownie, Chinnamon cake





Witnessed a couple of accidents during our entire journey, nothing horrifying though. Weekend traffic was as usual till the last leg. Temperature and Fuel gauges turned opposite when we reached home


Signing off with these set of snaps for now, see you again

[Rudra Sen]

Mod note: Thread moved out from Assembly line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing.

[shancz]

Magnificent pics and info, rekindled old memories and glad to see a lot of new stuff.

Silvertip Cafe seems like a must visit

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Temperature and Fuel gauges turned opposite when we reached home

That's the Duke showing its displeasure at the change of surroundings

[batterylow]

Wonderful pics Mr.Boss and makes me regret missing the ride. The whole idea of given google maps location with the photos is an excellent idea and would make it easier for other folks to access the spots.

We should plan for another ride before the summer crowd kicks in and I think I will need a bike to enjoy the "wind-in-face" experience.