Roadtrip to the Nilgiri Hills |Where Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats meet | Bangalore to Ooty 

HOW TO GET THERE?

If you're travelling from Bangalore , you can reach Ooty by the following ways:

1. Via Bus : There are a number of overnight buses running everyday from Bangalore to Ooty. It takes around 9-10 hours to reach there and would cost you roughly about INR 900 in Non-AC and INR 1200 in AC sleeper buses.

2.Via Train : The nearest railway station to Ooty is Mettupalayam. Note that there is no direct train to Ooty. Hence, you have to catch a bus from this railway station to reach Ooty.

3.Via Flight: Coimbatore airport is the nearest domestic airport to Ooty that is around 88 kms away . So if you're travelling from North side of India , then it's better to travel first to Coimbatore and then rent a cab or catch a bus.

4. A bike ride or a self driven car would be something I would suggest if you're planning to visit place. You can experience this wonderful stretch of drive with some adrenaline rush. Stop wherever you want (Except the Bandipur forest reserve for safety reasons) and take some crazy instagrammable pictures.

We booked a Maruti Suzuki Swift from Zoomcar .You need to upload your driving license while booking and they charge a security deposit of INR 3000. But if you are a member of ZOOMCAR SUPERMILERS CLUB , you don't need to pay the deposit. How can you become a member?

-All you need is 2 bookings or a 400 kms driven ride .

We paid around INR 10,00 for 3 days (Without Fuel and for around 800 kms ). The total cost for Diesel was INR 3000. It also covered all of our sight seeing and travels in and around Ooty .

Otherwise , the travel cost in Ooty is really high.Cabs charges around INR 1500 to travel from Ooty to Coonoor which is only 28kms . But you can travel via bus which will cost only INR 16.

You can also book from other self driven car rentals like Drivezy or Revv .

There are two routes to reach Ooty from Bangalore.

ROUTE 1 : Bangalore→Mysore→Bandipur→Madhumalai→Masinagudi→Ooty

ROUTE 2 : Ooty→Gudalur→Madhumalai→Bandipur→Mysore→Bangalore

No matter what route you opt for, you have to pass the Bandipur forest reserve ( Famous for it's wildlife and tiger reserve) .This is the place where we were lucky enough to spot peacocks , elephants , wild cock and a lot of deer in the wild.

We left Bangalore at 2 am in the morning and reached the jungle around 4.Highway lead into the jungle followed by 36 steep hair pin bends.

This forest is spread in 3 different states. In Karnataka , it's called Bandipur Forest Reserve. In Tamil Nadu, it's called Mudumalai and in Kerala , it's called Mathunga Forest Reserve.

Note: The second route that's mentioned above is about 40-50 kms more than the first but it has better roads and a different view. So , it makes the ride more interesting.

ACCOMMODATION

We stayed at this really cool hostel called " Backpackers Burrow". Backpackers Burrow offers multiple options of accommodation from a shared dorm, women's dorm, a mixed group dorm and two private rooms to make your stay more pleasant and optimized.

The best thing about this place is that it was super affordable compared to other places in that area. It costs only INR 500 per night and the place is no less than a hotel . In fact , it is situated inside an actual hotel ' Hotel Vivek'.

Note: While traveling to this place ,set the location as Hotel Vivek . The location of Backpackers Burrow in google map is slightly incorrect.

PLACES WE VISITED

1.Sim's Park :

Just 2 km away from our hostel , Sim's park is definitely one of the most famous tourist destination in Coonoor. It's pretty crowded during the day.

2.Tea Estates

We were on our way to Lamb's rock and Dolphin's nose but unfortunately ,we couldn't make it . The roads were too narrow even for a professional driver and because it was a long weekend , it was extremely crowded.

But nothing to be sorry about . Coonoor is full of tea estates and that's where we planned to halt our car and stay for a while.

We had no idea that the long queue was for the actual spot. So we were wandering around and by the time we reached there , it was too late. There are only limited number of buses that goes to the Upper Bhawani and hence, if you're planning to visit that place , it's better you reach early.

All the parts of the flowers are made up of threads with beautiful color combinations that looks too good to be fake.

This garden was made about 50 years ago.

The entry fee is 40 and for camera an extra 50 has to be paid.

TIP : There's not much difference in the general class and the first class seats. The only difference was the price and that the general class had better windows .So, better buy a 35 rupees general ticket rather than a 180 rupees first class. Trust me , it's the same.