You don’t just pack and set out to travel,
In fact,
Your journeys are the ones you are destined to have.
What do you do when a trip to Ooty falls in your lap when you least expect it? You jump with joy (mentally, of course) and want to start packing straight away! That’s what happened to me. I was “in” for the Ooty trip by coincidence. I was not among the bunch of colleagues who booked for the trip. But as one of them backed out at the last moment, I got the chance to get on the bandwagon. A long road trip, dangerously winding roads and mountains sculpted in interesting forms, secretly dark plantations and quietly musical valleys.. surprisingly delightful sights and more Ooty sightseeing places were waiting for me.
The Thrilling Drive to the Hills
We started in a rented Eco-Sport- a bunch of five- beaming with energy on the morning of Republic day. We slipped off Bangalore through Nice Road and by the time we were on Ramanagara Road, we saw institutes hoisting flags and offering reverence on the big day. After a bit of brushing with the traffic on Mysore road, we found ourselves slowly gliding on towards the Bandipur National Park as the journey songs in the car set up the mood for a joy ride.
When you pass through Bandipura, you know by the signboards that the territory is neither yours nor that of the government. It’s the animals who rule here and tread around freely. You need not be too lucky to spot dears and even elephants lurking around. We saw a herd of untamed elephants feasting peacefully on the grass and that was quite a rare sight.
As the hills start approaching, you can feel their presence with a light mist settling in the atmosphere and trees growing shady. The roads get steeper and you realize you have left below the roads that you passed by seconds ago. The winding Ooty roads can make your tummies rumble and your heart may reach your mouth as you peep down the hills gliding through the unguarded roads.
At Love Dale, we checked into our resort and to our delight, the place offered a wonderful view. It was rooted amidst the hills flanked by mountains on one side and a plantation valley on the other. The horizon was barely visible. All around mountains stood tall and stared back making us feel like tiny creatures. We were eager to head out to Ooty sightseeing places. Before it was late, we headed to Ooty lake for boating.
Boating on Ooty Lake
We reached just before the boating would close and managed to get the tickets. Our paddling boat took us around the deep, serene lake and offered a sneak peek into the forests nearby. We reached back the stalls that were crowded with tourists visiting the stalls and shopping. The eateries weren’t too good but the rides were worth all the shrieks we gave out. We clicked few photographs before heading for dinner.
We chose a classy Chinese restaurant, Shinkow’s for dinner. We loved the simple ambience and the decent service. The hot soups were soul-soothing for us. Then we plunged in like true foodies on the main course.
We returned to our serenely lit and daintily decorated resort. Night reaches the hills early and it grew chillier soon but no one wanted to get into bed so soon, so we lingered around exploring the small collection of books and the intriguing paintings. The fairy lights were lit and we spend some time simply basking in the atmosphere.
A Drive Through Valiant Wellington
The morning came peeping from behind the hills. The sunlight pepped up the mountains for another beautiful day. We had our breakfast and left for Wellington. The road to the army cantonment region was a beautiful one. With monumental statues and memoirs of the army’s heroes, Wellington is a perfect picture of valour just like the mountains it is shaded by. We heard of the Ferrnhills Royale Palace but could just manage a glimpse of it.
Tea Plantations and The Lamb’s Rock
In our search for the best Ooty sightseeing places, we reached the beautiful tea plantations facing The Lamb’s Rock. Although tea plantations are almost omnipresent throughout the hills, there are only a few points where the tourists take the liberty to climb up, click and even rent the costume of the tea-leaf pluckers. The spot overlooks The Lamb’s Rock which is a beautiful hill summit with an interesting history.Ooty has wonderful resorts with lovely mountain views like La Flora to spend a wonderful time in the lap of the hills.
Meeting “The Sleeping Lady”
Our next destination was the vantage point- The Sleeping Lady. After a difficult drive along the unpredictable roads, we reached a crowded spot that offered a beautiful view of the famous Sleeping Lady Hills. The spot has kiosks with native spices, varieties of tea, therapeutic oils and artefacts. The tea and snacks were a great relief.
We headed back to the main city and halted for lunch. As Ooty sightseeing places are mostly flooded with tourists, one can taste neutral flavours here, not just that of the natives. We had our fill in a restaurant. We were suggested to visit a unique French café in the region for its unique ambience and flavours. We decided to give it a try and headed to the steeper side of Coonoor hills.
Café Diem, the Surprise Package of the Trip
By tea time, we parked near an elevated terrain and walked on looking for the famous Café Diem. Even before we spotted the café, we sensed something beautiful was waiting for us (the vibes were true). We opened the gate to a marvellously structured cottage style bungalow with garden. The menu was written on a board right in front. Rare and dainty artefacts were placed under the shade in the garden and we were told that photography is not allowed.
So, now we knew what to expect. And what we got exceeded our expectations. The café offered a beautiful viewpoint to the Coonoor hills. Imagine sipping coffee or even working on laptop on such a spot. We were greeted by the owner, Radhika Shastry. The interiors were elegantly classy and exuded European touch. The table was set with decoupaged bottles and hand painted menu card. The owner had undoubtedly paid keen attention to all details. Now comes the food-
Delicious crepe with Nutella flooding out and Ratatouille Pizza was our pick from a variety of delicacies we tasted. In the end, even the bill was covered elegantly again in a stitched cloth folder. The price was reasonable too. The hospitality culture in Ooty is truly awesome one with many luxurious resorts and hotels.
The Botanical Garden: Up Close with Nature
Our next spot was Botanical Garden. The sprawling garden is like a tricky maze, once you enter you are lured by one attraction after another and you almost forget your way out. We found the fern house very interesting. The part that is most interesting but least visited is the uppermost part of the garden, where there are trees which are more than 150 years old. One can also venture into the ancient ThodaMund where tribals (todas) have been given housing by the Govt. There is an ancient Toda temple too.
We visited the Lower garden, New garden, Italian garden, conservatory, fountain terrace and bursaries. You find exotic and indigenous plants, shrubs, ferns, herbs and bonsai plants. The tall trees, vibrant bushes, lush green lawns and beautiful flowers add charm to the garden.You need to do a lot of walking to explore it fully or sit and relax in the misty and cool weather.
Close to the garden, there is a city market that houses many eateries, showrooms and much more. There is plenty of indigenous oils and medicinal herbs and of course the famous Ooty chocolate to buy here. After browsing in the market till late amongst the crowd of tourists, we headed back to our resort for dinner.
After a comfortable night, the next morning we had plenty of plans for next day’s Ooty sightseeing placesbefore we drove straight to Bangalore. The next morning, we got our breakfast packed and headed for Pykara Lake and the famous Pine Forest.
The Sun-kissed Pykara Lake:
At Pykara Lake, it is like you have reached another phase of Ooty. This is a calmer and more sun-touched part of the hills. It is less crowded and less commercialized. Regardless of the splendid view and boating, you can also try activities like horse riding and much more. I found it better than Ooty lake. The lush green carpet of the grass provided a delighting walk.
Finding Nature Connect in the Pine Forest:
Our next destination was Pine Forest. It was one of the best places I visited in the hills. With tall pine trees surrounding you, you walk along a slightly sloppy track. It is a lover’s paradise but yes, it is slightly spooky too. No wonder it is a favourite shooting spot for Bollywood movies. The pines look best in the camera frames. We got our best pics here.
Tracing The Way Back Home
So now it was time to “unwind” the route back home. The mystic shadows of the hills started making way to warm sun rays. The tummy rumbling would stop now.. we were back on the flat road. Through Bandipur National Park and later Mysore, we headed towards Bangalore with the bliss borrowed from the Queen Of The Hills.
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