Some more details before I post pictures! Travelers : Me-n-my better half with 2yr old kid
Vehicle: Skoda Laura, Sep-08
Distance Traveled : ~650 Kms (it is different story I didn't get trip meter to read correctly)!
Diesel Consumed : 35.87
Overall Mileage : 18kpl
Things to Note:
1. Ooty is best enjoyed when you use cab/auto within city, instead of driving around. Thanks to SkyWalker's report! I just decided to do this even before going to Ooty, so there was no surprise!
2. Start early in the morning and beat the traffic.
We started off at 5.15AM, and were at Mysore by 8.30AM, with some searching at Maddur to find Maddur Tiffany's to get some Vadas off my wife's request!
But then, there was some thing in store for us for rest of the journey!
Tyre got punctured just before entering Mysore, had to change, and then search for a place to fix the punctured tyre before proceeding.
This process took more than an hour because of the puncture wala opened at 9.30AM only, and we could effectively start from Mysore only at 10.15AM... while I was hoping to reach ooty by 11AM! Badluck
We left Mysore, and then there was another one waiting for us, emission light started glowing just when we were 10km behind Najanagud! So had to make a call to Vinayaka Service Station, had to remove the battery connection to check if it goes away, but didn't!
While I did all this, clock tickled 11.30AM.... OMG!
Then rest of the route is not a known route, first time driving, and had to be cautious.
4. Do not Stop in forest areas, do not block Road, while you want to watch some animals in the vicinity!
Please don't Honk, it did really disturb some one living peacefully there.
5. Use google map on mobile phone (You can download from
Google Mobile | Maps for your phone), this really helped find route without a GPS device and quite useful!
6. Best part of Ooty holiday is Ooty-Conoor Toy Train ride! Book your tickets online at irctc.co.in
Finally we reached Ooty at 2PM, and part of the day planned in Ooty was lost! So decided to cut short some places of interest and visit others.
Bandipur stretch, until one enters Madumalai forest area was quite uneventful, except for the nice scenery and greenery around while driving.
We did stop at the Forest Safari Drive place at Bandipur, and took some pictures!
Some pictures on Bangalore-Mysore Road. This stretch was pretty much empty when compared to traffic situation we had while returning! What took us 3hrs to reach from Ramangar to home in the evening had taken 3hrs to Reach Mysore from Home in the morning!!
Highlights of the trip:
1. Nice drive from Mysore to Ooty, including those 36 hair pin bends, that was fun
2. Flower show in Ooty, best part of this was could get to see some interesting art done with flowers/fruits… And got a great opportunity for experiment my photography skills!
3. Home made Ooty chocolates! I love it, my son does more, and my wife liked it as well, who never eats chocolate!
4. Ooty-Coonoor Train ride, an excellent scenic ride one should take when visiting Ooty. Probably there are better places in Coonoor to stay than Ooty and Coonoor is less crowded (of course smaller city) than Ooty.
5. Sim’s Park, nice Boat ride in there and more flowers to take pictures of! Another opportunity for me.
6. Lam’s Rock, Dolphin Nose are other attractions, you take a cab at coonoor Railway station and he takes you around conoor, this guy kept suggesting we should go for full day drive on his Amby, but was not planned! But it took us full day to go around Singara Estate, Brookland’s Factory, other rock places, shelled out 800/- for car from 10.30AM till 4PM, felt too expensive, but was not in mood to search for a better deal once reached Coonoor.
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Tips: Check if you can book a cab from here online for Rs. 500/= for full day, I guess it is possible, but have not checked.
7. Pykara water falls, horse rides are other attraction we covered while returning from Ooty via Gudalur. I didn’t get to ride on horse because kid was scared of sitting on horse… but that would dent 300/=
8. View /scenery from Pykara to Gudalur is some thing one must enjoy, it is quite amazing and very attractive. Be it the tall hills/rocks or dense niligir forest. Even the roads are far better this route compared to the route via Masinagudi, Kalhatti, Ooty
And I'll let the pictures do the talking!
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