Wednesday, December 3, 2014

From Bangalore, during 3rd week of November 2014, I had a Green trip to Niligiri  hills. Visited Coonoor via Mysore. First, Mysore was a 3 hour rail trip. From there road journey to OOTY by KSRTC Airawat Volvo bus and  from OOTY Coonoor is 18 kms.

Mysore to OOTY was definitely a picturesque journey road  passing through Bandipur tiger reserve and thick jungle.  But beyond Bandipur reserve forest , the supposedly 2 hour plus journey  from that point took almost 3 and half hours.This was because of  Bad roads due to heavy rains earlier in the season.. Roads being  narrow also ,  traffic stopping on hairpin bends for the other vehicle to cross over.

Thanks because of Volvo,  discomfort was less but I was seeing small cars  flying in the big potholes.
Surprise awaited me at OOTY  also as I planned my stay at Coonoor 18 kms. away and could not get a taxi for Coonoor .
I was prepared with Jacket, Sweater, big cap and muffler for this trip.
So donned these and got into a willing auto and went to hotel at Coonoor post 7. 30 PM.
Big adventure on a cold night.
Coonoor starting with stay in Hotel , taking a taxi to visit all tourist spots like  Dolphinss Nose, Lambs rock, visiting Singara Tea Estate,  1879 SIMS park was thoroughly enjoyable. Visit to Singara tea estate  and taking photos in Tea garden was highly refreshing especially sipping various tea flavours. Then there are spices also.
The estate reportedly owned by one Madhwani from Mumbai only exports tea. 
Because of good rains this year, there are many small and medium waterfalls all around the  Nilgiri hills and they are lovely site..
Ooty is not a tourist paradise any more.


 In fact one will enjoy if he is based at Coonoor. There are many low priced cottages also.

 The beginning of return trip was great.. Since I was going back to Mysore by same boneshaking road route from OOTY, I took the Niligiri Mountain Railway  Heritage train route from Coonoor to OOTY. 
The 18 kms journey took about an hour. 
I bought the first class ticket which is the first coach of the train which had many open windows. Alround view was great.
The Diesel engine was at the back which was pushing the train. There was a person outside my first class coach, carrying Red and Green Jhandas, , blowing horn at regular intervals to alert people walking along the rail track.
But mobility or power to the train was coming from the engine  at the  back. 



It was a sheer joy  to watch all greenery, hills, step farming, bridges, dense tree clusters,  school children in colourful uniforms getting into the train. Then seeing  stations with lovely names, Wellingdon, Lovedale, Arankadu, Kelli . There is an English touch This heritage railway already completed 100 years. Of course all good things have to come to an end.

Return trip  from Ooty to Mysore by KSRTC Volvo bus was again painful . Of course it was known what is in store for me.
Then there was  solace  watching the beautiful green tea gardens on the way first one hour of the journey. I saw one wild elephant in Madumalai forest in the way

Overall  it was very enjoyable and refreshing trip to Nilgiri Hills. 



One important thing - So many travel forums, travellers on website write about their recent Ooty trips. But nobody has warned about bad and bone cracking road trip Mysore to Ooty and Ooty to Mysore via Gudalore. In fact I want to caution old people, people who have neck and back problems to be careful.
Volvo buses are more safe and  journey by small cars need to be avoided.