NILGIRIS - OOTY

 

WELCOME TO OOTY A PLACE IN THE NILGIRIS. A GET AWAY FOR PEOPLE FROM TAMIL NADU AND KARNATAKA. CLOSER YET FAR FROM BENGALURU. IT IS A HILL STATION AND QUAINT TOWN. 

THE PLACE ATTRACTS A LOT OF TOURISTS BUT THE WINTER AND SUMMER SEASON IS THE PEAK. THE REASON BEING IF IT IS RAINING IN OOTY THEN LIFE COMES TO A STANDSTILL. THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE EXCEPT BEING INDOORS AND SIP ON THE HOT TEA (CHAI) WHICH IS PRODUCED IN ABUNDANCE THERE. 

FROM THE TEA ESTATES TO THE ROSE GARDEN AND BOTANICAL GARDEN TO THE SCENIC DRIVES ON THE HILL. OOTY HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER FOR EVERYONE. A PINE TREE FOREST HORSE RIDE TO A SIMPLE WALK IN A TEA ESTATE. THE HOLIDAY WILL BE BOTH LEARNING AND RELAXING. 

LEARNING BECAUSE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN HOW TEA AND CHOCOLATE IS MADE IN THE FACTORIES WHICH YOU CAN VISIT. RELAXING BECAUSE THE DISTANCE IN OOTY BETWEEN PLACES IS NOT MUCH. EXAMPLE A ROSE GARDEN AND A BOTANICAL GARDEN AND JUST 5 TO 6 KM AWAY. 

 

THE DRIVE FROM BENGALURU THROUGH THE BANDIPUR FOREST IS BEAUTIFUL. CROSSING INTO THE OTHER STATE IN TIMES OF COVID CAN BE A CUMBERSOME AS SOME QUESTIONS AND CHECKING ARE CONDUCTED ON EITHER SIDE. BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE IN COMPARISON TO THE VIEWS OF THE FOREST WHICH ONE GETS TO SEE. ONCE YOU ARE IN THE TAMIL NADU SIDE OF THE FOREST. DO STOP FOR A LUNCH OR BREAKFAST AT THE BANYAN RESTAURANT WHICH AN ECOTOURISM RESTAURANT RUN BY THE TRIBALS WITH THE AID OF THE GOVERNMENT. A SIMPLE PLACE OFFERING TASTY MEALS BY THE RIVER. 

                                                                                                                                                                                          IN OOTY LIVE IN SOME COLONIAL BUNGALOW HOTEL OR THE LAKE VIEW PLACE HOTEL WHICH IS NOT IN THE BUSTLING PART OF THE CITY BUT DECENT ROOM. THOUGH THE NAME IS LAKE VIEW THE LAKE IS ONLY VISIBLE FROM SOME ROOM AND THAT ALSO PARTIAL VIEW. SO DON'T FALL FOR THE NAME. THE FOOD AT THE IN HOUSE RESTAURANT   IS EXPENSIVE, BETTER TO EXPLORE LOCAL PLACES IN THE MARKET SIDE. 

MUST TRY PLACE FOR CHOCOLATES IS MOODY, AN OLD ESTABLISHMENT WHICH IS IN THE MARKET SIDE AND OFFERS A VARIETY OF THE CHOCOLATES. FOR LUNCH TRY JUNIOR KUPPANNA AND RESTAURANT HOUSED INSIDE A COLONIAL BUNGALOW HOTEL. IT SERVES GOOD TASTY MALABARI CUISINE. 

THE TOY TRAIN FROM OOTY STATION TO COONOOR IS A MUST DO. BOOKING CAN BE DONE ON IRCTC. BOOK EARLY AS SEATS ARE LIMITED. THEE TRAIN JOURNEY IS PLEASANT. STATIONS LIKE WILLINGDON, ETC ARE SMALL AND GIVES A NICE FEELING. 

TIP: VISIT OOTY FOR MINIMUM THREE DAYS AS WEATHER CAN CHANGE YOUR LOCAL SIGHTSEEING PLANS SO TIME ON HAND WILL HELP.