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Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: November 11: The sweltering heat of the Tamilnadu sun, blinding flashes of light reflecting from metal boards and hot gusts of wind give way to irritation and restlessness amongst people trying to stay in as much shade as possible. That’s the miserable summer for you in the south. Instead of licking an ice cream or getting your air conditioner repaired, to overcome the summer blues, escape to a fantasyland on the Blue Mountains and enjoy the sheer magic of summer. While the cities below sear in the summers, a beautiful and much cooler paradox exists in Ooty. A perfect place for a honeymoon.

The ride up the hills from Coimbatore and Metupallayam on an extremely curvy and steep road with hairpin bends always just around the corner, the journey itself is a treat. With quiet sounds of birds for background music, No Plastic zone signs put up all over the Nilgiris, and the green foliage for company, it is nothing shorter than a trip to eternity.

One just simply enjoys the delicious sensation of cool winds showering one’s face. To complete the scenery lets add a breathtaking view of the world below—tall trees that go from nowhere to nowhere, the far away settlements in Metupallayam and the little rapids from the hills where tourists can have a Kodak moment or two.

The hallmark of the whole tour, I realized later, was the mossy, moist and natural environment, scented with the aromas of heaven.

My first stop was Coonoor. At the heart of Coonoor is Sims Park, situated in a deep ravine on the northern side of Coonoor Railway Station. Inspired by Japanese gardens, Sims Park was built over 130 years ago, and covers about 12 hectares of land. It is divided into eight major sections landscaped on sloping land, and contains over 1,000 species of plants. The winding tracks on the higher slopes of the park are most attractive and picturesque.

Surrounded by small hills, Coonoor is also perfect for bird watching. The area boasts of a large variety of bird species like cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, the Nilgiri verditer, bulbuls, thrushes, babblers, larks, cuckoos and robins, in addition to raptors like vultures, eagles and owls.

A must-see in Coonoor are the tea gardens and tea factories. On my cabbie’s recommendation, I visited a tea-making factory where one can actually see how the tealeaves are processed to make the actual tea powder that we get. What more, I came out with a whole range of various kind of teas—chocolate, masala, lemon and plain tea as complementary gifts! The area is also famous for its’ spices, so much so that there is a pleasant smell of spices in the air all the time. From Coonoor, on the way to Ooty is the golf course, a fantastic sight from the top.

A visit to Ooty—the Queen of hill stations in India, means visiting the Botanical Gardens. Established in 1847, the gardens are much like the typical, manicured and planned gardens one sees so often with an amazingly diverse array with trees, shrubs and herbs of a mind-boggling number of species. Ancient foliage and multihued blossoms add to its beauty. The fossil tree trunk that one sees here is believed to be 20 million years old! On the first of May every year, the President of India inaugurates the annual flower show that has some very rare plants as exhibits. That is the reason my cabbie tells me, that the best time to visit the gardens is in mid-April or after mid-May because the place is just simply way too crowded.

Another major attraction in Ooty is the Rose Garden that boasts of over 1000 varieties of roses that remain in bloom around the year. The scent of the exotic flowers in a variety of shades, makes the whole place extremely romantic. One problem though is that after a day of so many gardens, one definitely ends up with aching legs.

So, after a night’s stay in the easy-on-the-pocket Youth Hostel, I plan to take it easy the next day and my first visit is to the Dodabetta peak. It is the highest peak in the Nilgiris. The way to the peak is extremely narrow and steep and during the peak tourist time it is nothing new to get stuck in a traffic jam. A telescope at the peak means on a clear day, which it was luckily for me, you can see as far as the Coimbatore plains and the Mysore plateau!

Also on the itinerary was a visit to the Ooty Lake known mainly for film shootings. In fact the cabbie gets interested when we spot a heroine sipping cola. But sadly for him, the unit had already packed up! The Lake is usually crowded and offers nothing much except a rare glimpse of a film shoot. Otherwise, the place is quite untidy as compared to the rest of the “most visited” places in Ooty. And if you really want to take a look at the waters near Ooty, the Pykara Lake is simply perfect. It offers a marvellous view and makes for a great photograph.

It’s a rule, when one visits Ooty, one must not go back without the mouth-watering chocolates, the place is famous for—chocolate fudge, white chocolate, strawberry chocolate, nut and fruit chocolate, and slabs of bitter chocolate. Simply put, a chocoholic’s paradise!

The Nepali Market is another unique feature in the Ooty shopping place. The pretty ladies at the counter give you great bargains for warm clothes that is a must for everyone during the nights. Also famous are the aromatic and medicinal oils. Sandalwood oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil and an umpteen number of other oils are available in their pure and unadulterated forms.

Accommodation and food is absolutely no problem in Ooty. Cottages, hotels, lodges and hostels are all easily available, but it is better to book for rooms in advance during the peak season.

Beyond imposing gates and past sweeping driveways, a perfect foil to the inquisitive stares of outsiders, sprawling estates pepper Ooty. Families with pedigreed lineage reside within these white-washed bungalows. Most are very old structures, a gift of the British, residing among even older trees, seemingly as old as the earth itself.

Bidding goodbye to lovely Ooty, on the way to Mysore, I stop at the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, where deer, elephants and bison are a common sight. In fact, the deer are so used to visitors that they will gladly accept titbits to eat and won’t scamper if your vehicle stops near them.

Lush green, fertile, intensely picturesque Ooty is indeed a soubriquet of eternal beauty. Imagine driving through the hills, with the clouds descending on you. That’s the meaning of being on cloud nine I suppose!


Lakshmi Subramanian