Team-BHP - Bangalore to Ooty, Red hills and Avalanche

Hello TBhp-ians,

I'm planning a weekend trip to Ooty/Redhills this weekend.
I'm familiar till Ooty. But need some info on Redhills.

Saw this on the net that Red hills is really a nice place to be. Is Avalanche lake the center of attraction?

I'm planning to stay in Ooty and drive to Red hills for a day.

Could someone give some info? Where exactly should I go? Is there a place where I can park my car and walk for 2-3 hrs and come back?

Is this lake next to the road or I need to walk a bit to reach there?

Can't get much info on red hills anywhere.

-Tacho

Avalanche is a good 30kms+ from Ooty town. You need to get the forest departments permission to go to the lake I think. I could be wrong here.

But if you can manage to find someone in the forest department, stay for a day in the forest department guest house and go beyond. There is a route from Avalanche to Upper Bhavani and then beyond to Bungithapal. You will cherish them forever

why dont you try some homestays there rather than staying at Ooty? Try the web site 'getofurass' for some details in addition to searching on the web? There was one I stayed in near red hills in a coffee estate which was great. One could hike and also drive around.

All,
Planning to visit Ooty with my family this weekend.
Would like to visit Avalanche and Upper Bhavani.

Can you please help me with the route detail from ooty and if permission required from forest dept then the details about it will help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by blorebuddy (Post 2085325)

The route goes through Fern Hill Palace. Very well marked. Ask any one for Palace and continue from there on. You will need permissions for Upper Bhavani I think, but Avalanche/Emerald is not an issue.

Hi,

A friend of mine is traveling to RedHills, Ooty for the first time. I want to give him precise driving directions from Ooty. Unfortunately my log says only this:
Ooty->M Palad->Nanjanad->Good Shepherd School -> Ithalar -> Emerald village->RedHills.

Can anyone driven there recently can give a little more descriptive directions with distance b/w each villages, getting out of Ooty etc., please?

Prasad (RamP!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by prasad14 (Post 2764011)

Check this travelogue by Fauji for details http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ills-ooty.html

The route is from Ooty Bus Stand take the Avalanchi road.Approx 25kms to Red Hills.If bus stand is on your right,go straight head,a small climb and take the right at the circle.Left would take you to the old Dasaprakash Hotel.From thereon follow the road all the way to Emerald passing by Fernhill(close to the Sterling Fernhill resort) and onwards to Red Hills.I dont think the road would go via Good Shepherd.You would come via Good Shepherd only if one is coming from the Lake taking the Lake Road.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranjitp1 (Post 2764114)

I dont think the road would go via Good Shepherd.You would come via Good Shepherd only if one is coming from the Lake taking the Lake Road.

The one near the lake is Good Shepherd's old campus that houses only the primary sections nowadays I think. They have another bigger campus on the Emerald / Avalanche road which houses their higher classes and some other institutions (on the left hand side a little after you pass the Radio Astronomy center).

Easiest I think is, ask any one for Fern Hills Palace. The Avanlanche road extends from here.

Avalanche Rd to Avalanchi Rd - Google Maps

Quote:

Originally Posted by chandras1 (Post 2764224)

Dear Sir,

I believe we need forest department permission to drive on the road to Upper bhavani from Avalanche. There is a check post at Avalanche - (the junction of the main road and the small road that leads to the Trout breeding center of Tamilnadu Fisheries dept) beyond which one cannot drive without permission.

I think only for Upper Bhavani we need permissions (I think more than forst division we also need permissions for EB dept.

For Avalanche and Emerald lakes we donrt need any permissions. I think that is what HVK must have meant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar (Post 708277)

No permissions needed to go to either Avalanche or the road from there to Upper Bhavani. But Bangithapal needs Forest Dept permission.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chandras1 (Post 2764224)

I believe we need forest department permission to drive on the road to Upper bhavani from Avalanche. There is a check post at Avalanche - (the junction of the main road and the small road that leads to the Trout breeding center of Tamilnadu Fisheries dept) beyond which one cannot drive without permission.

Been there last week. Because of presence of elephant herds (as I heard), they have stopped giving permissions to private vehicles to upper Bhavani. Avalanche check post is the last point you can drive to. After that, you can hire a forest department's vehicle to take you inside, but I doubt if you can take it wherever you want to - it'll follow its own route (like a safari). Unfortunately on a busy weekend, since they have only 6 (or 10) vehicles, the wait can be very long if you are late ... as long as 3 hours (we reached there at 11, and they asked us to wait till 1:30). The fish farm is also closed for public -- we came back from the locked gate.