The Queen of the Hills: Ooty

Early in the morning, we were quick to have our breakfast and checked out from our Kodaikanal resort. Today we are heading towards the beautiful hamlet in the Nilgiri Hills, Ooty. The 250 km drive from Kodaikanal was a treat in itself. We drove past lush green tea gardens and reached there in the late afternoon. A popular tourist destination, Ooty, is dotted with numerous resorts, hotels, and guest houses. Being nature lovers, we were looking for shelter away from the bustling main town. Nestled amidst the tea estates and garlic fields and hilly vistas at a distance, the Mount N Mist resort appeared to be a great solace for us. The afternoon was magical with the sun setting over the lush green valley. We retired on our terrace with a cup of Nilgiri tea as the night set in.

Roadside vistas

Morning @Mount N Mist

View from our terrace

Ooty has a lot to offer, enough to consume two full days. We loved the beautifully manicured Botanical garden here. The vast expanse of greenery was instantly soothing our mind and soul. Spread over a gaping 55 acres, the garden offers velvety lawns, many rare and exotic species, ferns, cacti and succulents, and a dazzling spectacle of colorful flowers. If you are traveling in the peak season, this should be the first place you visit to beat the crowd.

The giant cactus

The garden has beautiful landscaping

The vast expanse of lawns

A morning visit will beat the crowd

The next sight that we loved was the Ooty lake. The enormous lake with its pristine blue water is just perfect to spend an hour or two. Sit on the bank or enjoy a boating session, you will definitely love it. If you are a tea lover, a visit to the Tea Factory and Museum is a must. They will take you through the entire system of tea processing and will offer you to taste different flavors of tea as well. Don't worry if you fall in love with the tea. You can, of course, get some for your home. What we loved here the most, however, is the view the place has to offer! There are a lot of other sightseeing options which include St. Stephens Church, Stone House, Doddabetta Peak, dams, Golf course and so on. The Pyakara lake is situated outside the main Ooty town but offers great views and boating opportunities.

An afternoon by the Ooty Lake

 View from the Tea Factory

The Pyakara Lake

If you are at Ooty, visiting the spectacular stretches of tea estates at Coonoor is a must. It's a short drive from Ooty and the winding roads will take you to the marvel of the Nilgiri. The settlement is much smaller and quieter and offers a peaceful escape for nature lovers. There's a heritage Nilgiri Mountain Railway that runs here. The Dolphin nose viewpoint offers great views of the cascading waterfalls and breathtaking tea plantations along slopes of the hills. Coonoor will never disappoint you. Several hotels have opened up recently and offer great options for a night's shelter here.

Spectacular tea plantations at Coonoor

If you have an extra day at your disposal, do not miss a picnic by the Emerald Lake. Often overlooked by most visitors, the heart-shaped lake is a hidden gem. A less traveled muddy road took us to the lake which lies around 25 km away from the main town. We drove past the villages and tea estates and after about an hour of struggle could reach our destination. Even during the peak Christmas season, we were the only visitor here. The panorama was absolutely perplexing. The lake is actually a part of the Avalanche dam and offers stupendous views. We spent some time near the lake soaking in the serenity of nature and wished if we could stay there forever. Alas, as the sun progressed with its westbound journey, our driver called it a day. We had a long way to go!

The Avalanche Dam

The spectacular Emerald Lake

The Misty Mountains: Kodaikanal

With the winter vacation setting in, we planned to escape from our daily chores. Our destination this time was the stunning hill station of Kodaikanal. A morning flight from Kolkata took us directly to Coimbatore, the nearest airport. Our driver greeted us with a big smile and we were soon on our car driving straight to Kodaikanal. As we drove, we passed numerous windmills on the way that stood tall dancing with the hearty breeze. Soon we left the plains and climbed up the winding hilly roads. A four and a half-hour drive took us to the Lilly's Valley Resort, our shelter for tonight. Nestled amidst the greenery, the resort was super comforting to our weary eyes. Exhausted from the day-long travel, we decided to retire for the day on the lap of nature.

Lilly's Valley Resort

We woke up early in the morning, had a hearty South Indian breakfast and headed for our Kodaikanal sightseeing. Our first destination was Coaker's walk, a stretch of paved way through the cliff of the hill with breathtaking views. Next, we visited the La Saleth Church. Kodaikanal has a bunch of viewpoints and waterfalls that offer amazing views. We loved the view from iconic Pillar Rocks, Guna caves and the Silent valley viewpoints. Kodaikanal is known for its misty mountains. The winter morning unveiled a perfect view of mist enveloped hills along the distant horizon. 

  

A misty morning

View from the Coaker's walk

Silent valley viewpoint

Iconic Pillar Rocks

The most iconic destination in Kodaikanal is its lake. Its first view from the Upper Lake Viewpoint was spectacular. And it made us more intrigued to reach near its shore. The way to the lake from here was a long winding road. The tourist surge during the year-end added to our woe. At last, we were by the lake. We were welcomed by the enormous lake; its pristine blue water, the cool breeze, and sweet sunshine just made our afternoon. The lake has some boating facilities as well. 

Upper Lake Viewpoint

A lazy afternoon by the Kodaikanal Lake

If you love gardens and parks, Kodaikanal has a lot to offer. The most spectacular among the various parks here are the Chettiar and Bryant Parks. Our last destination of the day was Bryant Park which was in full bloom with lots of seasonal flowers. Although the park offers amazing landscaping, it was totally chaotic, thanks to the hordes of tourists during the peak season. We wrapped up our day with a sip of Nilgiri tea from a nearby shack and headed back to our night's shelter.

Bryant Park

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature

The Jungle Tales

It was a winter morning. We were driving through the massive Bandipur National Park to reach Wayanad, a small hamlet in Kerala. As we drove along, herds of deers greeted us along our way.  The first rays of sun traversed the canopy sparingly adding to its aura. An absolute bliss!

A winter morning through Bandipur National Park

Nestled in the hills of Western Ghats, Wayanad is nothing less than a paradise. Located at a distance of about 110 km from the popular tourist destination, Ooty and 130 km from Mysore, Wayanad is a perfect escape for nature lovers. The KTDC Pepper Groove provides a comfortable option for night stay. The most iconic attraction here is the safari at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. So the very next morning we started for our morning safari at 4.30 AM sharp. On reaching the gate of the Sanctuary, we learned that a fixed number of tickets are issued every day on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Luckily our tickets were done after waiting patiently for our turn. We shared our safari jeep with a nice couple from Mumbai. As we entered the safari gate, it was an absolute delight. The deep dark wood was slowly getting kissed by the morning sun. The Sanctuary is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and sports very rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Herds of deer and bisons greeted us. We even spotted a peacock on our way. As we moved further, we finally spotted a tusker. Surprisingly, he patiently posed for some clicks! Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary emphasizes mainly on an elephant reserve and we could spot at least 3 tuskers and two calves during our safari. We returned satisfied and had a hearty breakfast at our hotel. Now its time to set out for a day-long sightseeing expedition.

The tusker

Morning rays, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

And we spotted a tusker again!

The sightseeing tour encompasses several attractions which also include the adventure park at Karlad Lake. Our first destination was Edakkal caves which literally means 'a stone in-between'.  Located at a height of 1200 m above sea level, it calls for a 45 min to one hour hike uphill. 

Exhausted after the climb! @Edakkal cave

If you are an adventure lover, the Adventure Park at Karlad Lake is for you. Being a lazy bum, we restricted ourselves to the bank of the lake only! Our next destination was the Banasura Sagar Dam. We parked our car near the entrance and took the tourism department's special jeep which took us to the main site. You may walk up there as well, but most of our energy was already drained owing to the climb up the cave. So we preferred the easier option. On reaching the site, the pristine blue water welcomed us. The ambiance was mind-blowing. We sent some time enjoying the mild breeze while our camera was busily freezing the beautiful moments. 

An afternoon at the Banasura Sagar Dam

Mesmerizing view

Our last destination of the day was an often overlooked ancient Jain Temple. At that time, we were the only visitor on the campus. The temple was beautifully decorated with intricate carvings and pillars. We spent the last hours of the day here until it was their closing time and the guards pulled us out. As the sun sets, it was time to head back to our hotel. 

Ancient Jain Temple

Absolute peace