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Originally Posted by deepakhon For others' benefit, the directions are:
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It is very easy to start doubting yourself as to whether you are in the right direction, as there is not a single soul whom you can take directions from. But trust yourself and you are in for a treat. And enjoy the pristine beauty of the surroundings. For once, I liked the fact that there was no soul in the vicinity.
While you are there, ask for a guide to take you around the place in your car.
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Excellent post, spot on with directions and I couldn't agree more with everything else you've said about the place
One thing that's probably changed over the years is that there are few people around so you can ask for directions if lost. Rather it's better to ask than to rely on a GPS for this area! Another guest ended up trusting Gmaps so much that he kept going around the place for 3 hours in his car
Directions, with some landmarks (my 2 paise):
-Go through Ooty town, past the market area, the race course on the left to reach a big circle. You can see the bus stand as soon as you turn left at the circle (other side of the circle almost behind it from the road you approach it from Ooty town is the Railway station).
-Turn left at the circle, go past the bus stand, you will reach another circle where you need to turn right towards Fern Hill (at this circle, if you turn left you will see Club Mahindra so you're not in the right direction for Red Hills!)
-Once you reach Fern Hill Palace turn left and keep driving till you reach Emerald - there is a signboard announcing this and also you can see a small bridge after this sign and a big temple on the right side.
-Go past the bridge and you will see signs for 1/34 hair pin bends (these are not steep and road is excellent). Go past hair pin bend 5 and you will see a sign for Avalanchi (straight, 10km) and Emerald Dam (right, 2 Km). Turn right to go towards Emerald Dam.
-Go past couple of bridges with the lake on either side.
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At next 2 forks, keep to right (at the first one you can see a small sign for Destiny Farms)
-About 7Km from the Emerald Dam sign I mentioned earlier, you will see a small sign for "Red Hills 400m". Turn left, it's asphalted for about 50m after which it's a path with stones and pebbles (and on the way there is another nice looking villa & cottages not part of Red Hills resort). Then you see a small parking lot above which you can see a nice British Bungalow which is the place Red Hills Nature Resort. Amazing location with a beautiful front side view of the Emerald lake and hills, tea plantations on the other sides.
Note: on this Ooty-Emerald drive, you will go past Good Shepherd International school (knowledge village), their many other properties, villages like Muthorai, M Palada, Ithalar, etc (so if you see any these you're still on track).
**For Upper Bhavani I was told you need to drive upto Avalanchi check post and take the forest department vehicles for the visit, was advised to reach there by 9.30. Did not visit this time, keeping it for another visit!