Oh! Ooty

Oh! Ooty

Tiring project submissions and approaching end-semester exams notwithstanding, we took off to the cool environs of Ooty in February this year. The idea was fueled by a wedding invitation to Coimbatore. Besides, a pre-exam break seemed like a great idea to me.  

Adiyogi Statue

We left for Coimbatore by an early morning flight on a Sunday. We spent the day catching up with some sleep, delving into some delicious lunch at Coimbatore's landmark restaurant chain `Annapoorna` and visiting Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation. 

Isha foundation 

For us, the Isha Foundation was a forty five minutes drive from the city. We visited Adiyogi, which is a 112 feet statue of Shiva- a newly added attraction to `Incredible India`. The sight was mesmerising. There are bullock carts which take you till the statue to give you a more authentic experience. Later, we meditated at the `Dhyanalingam`, which is an experience in itself.

Next day, after attending a typical South Indian wedding, we left for Ooty. Ooty, also known as Udhagamandalam, is a three-hour drive from Coimbatore. The route has several uncomfortable hair-pin belts, but the scenic beauty compensates for it. 

South Indian Breakfast at the Wedding

We reached Club Mahindra's Derby Green by late afternnon. The resort has residential units from the colonial era, giving it a British touch. It also offers a splendid view of Ooty city, clothed by the majestic mountains and a stunningly clear sky.

That very evening we left for the iconic Ooty lake, a popular spot for several Bollywood movie shootings. My father and me took a paddle boat ride in the lake. It was a bit cumbersome in the beginning, but then we settled into a nice rhythm. You can choose from four- or two-seater paddle boats / row boats, or take a motorboat ride. The setting sun and the cool breeze gave a serene experience. The temperature was only 8 degrees, which was a blessing for us Mumbaikars.

Paddle boat ride at the lake

Next day, we decided to skip the long day Ooty excursions and instead took a train ride to Coonoor. Coonoor has become more popular after it was showcased in the Bollywood films Kapoor and Sons and Golmaal Again. It is less commercialized than Ooty and seems to be more beautiful too.

Coonoor toy train station

 

Hold that DDLJ pose!

We took the hour-long Niligiri toy train ride from Ooty to Coonoor  - by road, it takes half an hour (Find the train timings at http://www.ootytourism.co.in/ooty-to-coonoor-train )The train ride was one of the best experiences of the trip. The route was extremely pretty and hangs like a picture. 

  

View from the toy train

From Coonoor, our cab driver who drove from Ooty, took us to the popular Coonoor tea estate. The experience of being at the tea estate cannot be described in words. The green tea estates shone brightly in the sun with the beautiful sky serving as a perfect backdrop. The moments in the tea estate simply stood still.

Coonoor Tea Estates 

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There are several other attractions in Coonoor - Sims Park, Tea Factory, Dolphin’s Nose and Lamb’s Rock. We skipped the clichéd points and headed for the Ooty Botanical Garden. The garden was surprisingly a disappointment as there were hardly any flowers and had become commercialised with the construction of a road inside. Maybe, it wasn’t the right season for the flowers to bloom. Nevertheless, we spent our evening there and went on to explore the Ooty markets. 

It is astonishing to find so many Chinese restaurants in Ooty. Momos and Gobi Manchurian are two things that one will find in every corner of this hill station. We had a delicious South Indian dinner at Adyar Anand Bhavan and returned to the warmth of our resort as it was quite cold.

On our last day in Ooty, we spent more time at the resort. We indulged in the simple but potentially nostalgic experience of sipping tea while watching the captivating view of Ooty. We visited the beautiful St. Stephens Cathedral - one of the oldest churches in South India. Soon, it was time for us to head back to Coimbatore to board our flight to Mumbai. We bid adieu to the pretty place.

St.Stephen's Cathedral

Other Places To See In Ooty 

Some other popular destinations in Ooty are: Rose Garden, Avalanche Lake, Pykara, Mudumalai National Park, Wenlock Downs. There are also several trekking, horse riding, hand gliding and mountain biking trails for the adventure buffs.

Top Recommendations:

1.           Do not miss the boating at Ooty lake.

2.           Experience of the Nilgiri heritage toy train.

3.           Get yourself captured amidst the stunning Coonor Tea estates.

4.           Walk at the Upper Bazaar road for some local feel and shopping.

5.           Get home famous Ooty chocolates (Kingstar Confectionery) and Eucalyptus Oil.

6.           Try out the popular Gobi Manchurian at any restaurant or street vendor.

7.           For fine dining, Ascot Multi cuisine restaurant has various options for buffet and A la Carte.