[CRV2010]

Hi

I am planning for a small trip next weekend to Ooty. I will be staying there for 3D/2N. Please help me to organize my trip. I should be back to Bangalore within 14th Night (Monday).

I will be leaving on 11th (Friday) Night from Bangalore and want to start again at 6AM from Bandipur.

I want to visit these places

Doddabetta
Glen Morgen
Ooty Lake
Rose Garden
Upper Bhavani
Avalanche
Kotagiri
Coonoor
Lamb's Rock
Sim's park
Dolphin's Nose
Pykara Falls
8th Mile

Also if possible, train from ooty to coonoor.


Please help me plan my trip so that i can visit all these places.

Thanks
Pramod

[hvkumar]

Drive routes as follows:

Ooty-Doddabetta-Kotagiri-Conoor-Lams Rock-Dolphin's Nose-Sim's Park-Conoor-Ooty

Ooty-Rose Garden-Glen Morgan-Pykara Falls-Ooty

Ooty Lake

Ooty-Avalanchi-Upper Bhavani-Ooty/Conoor

[ampere]

- You will need prior permission for Upper Bhavani and Glen morgan both from forest department and Electricity Board (EB)

- You can book train ticket from IRCTC. Book a first class. Nominal prices. There is a huge rush for the second class ticket (as its only 2/- from Ooty to Conoor).

- Book a cab a Conoor sightseeing. The cab would drop you at Ooty station and wait for you at Conoor. The train ride is about 1.5 hours. This can be a plan if you wan to do a train right.

- Approx. :
* 1d for train and Conoor
* 1d for Avalanche/Emerald/Tribal Museum
* 1d for ooty (Dodebetta/Rose Garden/Botanical Garden etc)
* Last day for Pykara/8th Mile (On the Return Path)

That way you will need at least three nights.

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by CRV2010

Hi

I am planning for a small trip next weekend to Ooty. I will be staying there for 3D/2N. Please help me to organize my trip. I should be back to Bangalore within 14th Night (Monday).

I will be leaving on 11th (Friday) Night from Bangalore and want to start again at 6AM from Bandipur.

I want to visit these places

Doddabetta
Glen Morgen
Ooty Lake
Rose Garden
Upper Bhavani
Avalanche
Kotagiri
Coonoor
Lamb's Rock
Sim's park
Dolphin's Nose
Pykara Falls
8th Mile

Also if possible, train from ooty to coonoor.


Please help me plan my trip so that i can visit all these places.

Thanks
Pramod

I dont think its a great idea to be clubbing Avalanchi/Upper Bhavani with your ooty stay.Av/UB is a place that you go to if you dont have anything else to do(go there just to enjoy the places and the air),from your itinerary it looks more like a sight seeing trip,so I would recco that you dont go to Av/UB.

Go with Ampere's suggestion of hiring a cab and seeing Coonoor and then onwards to Kotagiri and return to Ooty from Kotagiri.

[CRV2010]

thank you hvk, ampere and ranjitp1 for your valuable suggestions.

I have planned according to your suggestions, please correct me any changes to be made in the trip format. I would be planning to stay in the ooty city itself may be at Nahar Hotels, so that it would be helpful for sightseeing.


Saturday -> Kalhatty Water Falls (on the way), Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Ooty Lake

Sunday -> Train To Coonoor, Conoor-Lams Rock-Dolphin's Nose-Sim's Park and Drop to Ooty - Doddabetta

Monday -> Avalanche - Pykara Falls - Pykara Boat House - 8th Mile - Back to Bangalore

[ranjitp1]

Originally Posted by CRV2010

thank you hvk, ampere and ranjitp1 for your valuable suggestions.

I have planned according to your suggestions, please correct me any changes to be made in the trip format. I would be planning to stay in the ooty city itself may be at Nahar Hotels, so that it would be helpful for sightseeing.


Saturday -> Kalhatty Water Falls (on the way), Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Ooty Lake

Sunday -> Train To Coonoor, Conoor-Lams Rock-Dolphin's Nose-Sim's Park and Drop to Ooty - Doddabetta

Monday -> Avalanche - Pykara Falls - Pykara Boat House - 8th Mile - Back to Bangalore

Check with your cab guy if he can arrange forest permits for Avalanchi/Upper Bhavani,else its a waste of time and effort.

Also the road to Doddabetta is in shambles(virtually no road,unless something has changed in the last 1 month)reach Doddabetta around early evening as the heat and sun can be quite merciless at the top.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by CRV2010

Monday -> Avalanche - Pykara Falls - Pykara Boat House - 8th Mile - Back to Bangalore

This part would be hectic. By the time you finish Avalanche and Emerald it would be 1-2PM. Its on the opposite direction that you need to go.

After lunch by the time you start on your return, it would be 2-3PM. You would reach Bangalore late in the night after visiting Pykara.
This day would become very stressful.

My personal observations: After visiting Avalanche/Emerald (A/E), when I went to Pykara the next day on the way back, I thought I should not have gone there!

A/E lakes are so mesmerizing that, after seeing them, did not like anything else!

@Ranjit,

Till the A/E lakes you dont need any permits. This can be covered in half a day (25km from Ooty).
I guess you have already visited them. I did this after Laluks gave me that info.

But for Upper Bhavani which is another 40Km from the Avalanchi dam/lake, one will need permits.
I did not do this leg.

[shamanth]

Since i feel people responding are pretty familiar with ooty bangalore route i am possing my query. Hope this will be helpful for people traveling from ooty to bangalore also.

While coming back to Bangalore last time i noticed that ooty police is not allowing us to go back in the short cut route(bandipur to ooty), but have made it one way in the entrance and sending all vehicles on the highway route(Gudalur route) which is longer and time consuming. Can you guys also confirm if this is the case or is there any other road which will take us to that short cut road from ooty town?

[CRV2010]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Check with your cab guy if he can arrange forest permits for Avalanchi/Upper Bhavani,else its a waste of time and effort.

Also the road to Doddabetta is in shambles(virtually no road,unless something has changed in the last 1 month)reach Doddabetta around early evening as the heat and sun can be quite merciless at the top.

Thanks Ranjith for the info on doddabetta, I had visited doddabetta last december and the road was very good. I don't know the current situation, can anyone update about the doddabetta roads ?

My plan is to visit doddabetta only in the morning.

For AL/UB you don't need permits to visit the lakes as i never took the same last time, i guess only if you wish to go further u need a permit.

Originally Posted by ampere

This part would be hectic. By the time you finish Avalanche and Emerald it would be 1-2PM. Its on the opposite direction that you need to go.

After lunch by the time you start on your return, it would be 2-3PM. You would reach Bangalore late in the night after visiting Pykara.
This day would become very stressful.

My personal observations: After visiting Avalanche/Emerald (A/E), when I went to Pykara the next day on the way back, I thought I should not have gone there!

A/E lakes are so mesmerizing that, after seeing them, did not like anything else!

@Ranjit,

Till the A/E lakes you dont need any permits. This can be covered in half a day (25km from Ooty).
I guess you have already visited them. I did this after Laluks gave me that info.

But for Upper Bhavani which is another 40Km from the Avalanchi dam/lake, one will need permits.
I did not do this leg.

thank you ampere, yes i do know that its in the opposite direction but still i do not have much time hence...

My plan is to reach Bangalore before 10PM on monday, isn't it possible at all ? to cover Avalanche and on return covering Pykara Falls & 8th Mile ? My only worry is about the stress and tiredness on that return journey.

I do not want to miss Avalanche in this trip, please help me in planning this trip..

I wish there isn't raining at ooty during our trip.

Originally Posted by shamanth

Since i feel people responding are pretty familiar with ooty bangalore route i am possing my query. Hope this will be helpful for people traveling from ooty to bangalore also.

While coming back to Bangalore last time i noticed that ooty police is not allowing us to go back in the short cut route(bandipur to ooty), but have made it one way in the entrance and sending all vehicles on the highway route(Gudalur route) which is longer and time consuming. Can you guys also confirm if this is the case or is there any other road which will take us to that short cut road from ooty town?

shamanth, there isn't any shorter route other than gudalur - masinagudi route..

[shamanth]

Originally Posted by CRV2010

shamanth, there isn't any shorter route other than gudalur - masinagudi route..

The shorter route starts after bandipur near Madumali. There is a left turn which has a smaller bridge though which only light vehicles can pass through and Buses cannot go through. And the road itself is pretty small, single lane with steep curves but road is good, And we can save almost 1 hour if you go in this route. We went in this route while going through, even at TN check post the person will tell you to take short cut if you give him Rs 10 for coffee which he asks

[ampere]

Originally Posted by shamanth

The shorter route starts after bandipur near Madumali. There is a left turn which has a smaller bridge though which only light vehicles can pass through and Buses cannot go through. And the road itself is pretty small, single lane with steep curves but road is good, And we can save almost 1 hour if you go in this route. We went in this route while going through, even at TN check post the person will tell you to take short cut if you give him Rs 10 for coffee which he asks

That is the Masinagudi route!

@CRV If you assume 6 hours for the return drive, you will have time till 4-5PM in the evening.

If you start from your resort by 7-8Am, you should be able to cover AL/EL by 11-12. That should give you some time and breather during and start for BLR and visit Pykara on the way back.

Anyways since you plan to visit Pykara on the way back, Masingudi (shorter route) is ruled out. Only point to note that it would generally good to pass the jungle section (Gudalur/Bandipur) before evening.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by shamanth

:
While coming back to Bangalore last time i noticed that ooty police is not allowing us to go back in the short cut route(bandipur to ooty), but have made it one way in the entrance and sending all vehicles on the highway route(Gudalur route) which is longer and time consuming. Can you guys also confirm if this is the case or is there any other road which will take us to that short cut road from ooty town?

Like what Shamanth says, "chai-pani", "entry" and the cops are happy, this is simply a ruse to make money. They do this in the Mudumali side also. It is betetr to go down from Kalhatti to Masinagudi than the other way round. I have managed to go there at 4-5 am on this route even though the road is "officially" closed between 9 pm and 6 am. All for some "chai paani"

[CRV2010]

Thank you very much every one for your help and inputs.

Our trip plan was preponed, so rather than 11th we started our trip on 5th night itself. I will put the log and places visited.




5th (Friday Night) - Left Bangalore around 9PM, took Nice Road from Tumkur Road and reached Gundlupet around 12.30 and stayed there at Pathan's International Hotel (Please never chose to stay here, worst hotel)

6th (Saturday) - Started early morning at 5.45AM, Reached Bandipur exactly at 6.00 AM (Lots and Lots of Trucks and too much of traffic in Bandipur).
Took Masinagudi Route and Reached Kalhatty Falls around 7.15AM (Shocked to see no Water in the Falls)
Reached Ooty around 8.40, Went directly to Botanical Garden
left botanical garden at 10.00AM and went to Rose Garden. Left Rose Garden around 11.30AM.
We had booked a room at Meadows Residency (Nice Place) since i couldn't get one at Nahars as i wanted our room inside the city itself this time.
Started again around 1.30PM after rest this time towards Avalanchi.
Reached Avalanchi Check Post after few stops around 3.00PM. Again came back to Avalanchi Lake & Emarlad Dam/Lake around 3.45PM.
Left the place around 4.40PM and reached ooty boat house and 5.30PM. Shopping for the rest of day at Charring Cross and we hit bed around 9 itself.

7th (Sunday) - (No Driving Today) Had booked FC Ticket at IRCTC for Ooty to Coonoor so we were ready at the railway station around 9.00AM as the train was scheduled to leave at 9.15AM.
Was glad to see new coaches and new engine running on ooty-coonoor. (Ooty to Mettupalyam is now running fine). Reached Coonoor at 10.30AM.
Hired a cab for Coonoor Sight Seeing + Ooty Drop for Rs. 1050. Saw all the places at Coonoor except Sim's Park as we didn't had mood to roam around the park. We were dropped at ooty around 3.00PM.
took 2hr rest and started to Doddabetta around 5.00PM. But doddabetta was closed at 5.00 itself that day so we had to come back to ooty. We went to Wax Museum and Shopping for next 2hrs.

8th (Monday) - We Started late around 9.30AM today and visited doddabetta and came back to our hotel around 11.30. We checked out our hotel around 12.00 and started towards Pykara and Glenmorgan.
Before leaving ooty we went to Ooty market to shop fresh vegetables, ooty Apples and Choclates at Kingster and Ramalingam Bakery. Then we went to 8th Mile, Pine Forest, Pykara Lake, ( but Missed Pykara Water Falls), Shooting Medu, Glemorgan (We just went around 6-7kms in the thick forest and came back as there were litrally no traffic or no human on the road)
Left Pykara Lake around 3 and reached bangalore slowly around 8.

[ampere]

Wow! You had real action for 3 days!
Density must be touching the limit!

[avimal]

Not able to find much information on glenmorgan? Is it safe to visit? Any govt. permission required? How much trekking is there?

Any information will be helpful for me.

I am looking for not so crowded places in and around ooty to see.