[ampere]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

@ Balan. Just want to confirm one thing. The route to Ooty from Mysore through Gudalur is different from the one from Masanagudi - Kalhatti?

Once you cross Bandipur, after some distance you will hit a place where a left takes you to Masinagudi/Kalahatty and Ooty through the famous 36 hair-pin bend drive.

Instead of turning left if you go straight, you will goto Gudalur. From Gudalur there are various roads. One to Nilambur, one to Bathery and one to Ooty. You will need to take the Ooty road.

This route (through Gudalur) has no hairpin bends but is longer by ~30km.

[hvkumar]

There are 2 routes to Ooty from Mudumalai/Theppekadu. The one via Gudalur is around 70 kms, and the one via Masinagudi/Kalhatti is around 40 kms. The Masinagudi route is very narrow and involves climbing up 33 hairpin bends (or is it 36?) in 17 kms. In both routes, you can expect to see wildlife.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by neo45007

Hi,
I did BNG - Ooty trip in June.
Few points to add from my side :-

1) I would suggest to take Mysore - Nanjangud - Gudalur route (Than Masinagudi route). Gudalur route is good to drive, better roads and scenic .

I would highly recommend the Gudalur route too since its your honeymoon trip. It is much more scenic and easier to drive rather than the steep climbs you have to do through the Masinagudi route (36 steep hairpin bends) You have to be constantly on first/second gears to do this route. Lake palace is good, IIRC it has cottage type rooms which gives a good setting. There is also a Sagar resorts hotel which gives individual balconies overlooking a valley, the only negative thing is its a little far from the city center.

[ampere]

Maybe the below thread could throw in some ideas:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...or-ooty-8.html

[naveenvenkatesh]

Thanks guys. I will most likely take the Masingudi/Kalhatti route.

[balan]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

Thanks guys. I will most likely take the Masingudi/Kalhatti route.

If it is your own vehicle / maintained good condition, then take the kalhatti route. if it is a taxi, ask them to take the gudalur route (it is easy on the not so well maintained taxis) as it saves on the road tax also as there is a RTO check post at Thorapalli on the forest border and you pay tax almost at entry in public roads where as in the kalhatti section, you end up paying tax at near Ooty at Talakundah and they charge a ransom as fine for travelling 40 odd km inside tamilnadu without paying tax.

Route Conditions: Upto mysore 4 lane
Mysore to najungad pot holes and crazy traffic
Nanjungad to Gundelpet to bandipur Forest Border - 2 lane Excellent
Bandipur Forest Border to Mudumalai (Theppakadu) to Gudalur to Ooty - Good except for a few big pot holes on the narrow stretcch inside the forest near Kargudi forest quarters

Bandipur Forest Border to Mudumalai (Theppakadu) to Masinagudi to Kalhatty to Ooty - Good (you save 35 km but not sure of the fuel / vehicle wear and tear savings

[manolin]

If you are going in the evening (they close the forest check point after 9 pm, though you can bribe your way through), I suggest just you take the longer route as that is preferred by the buses and thus there is slightly more traffic on that route (and hence feels less lonely).

Best would be to go by one and come back by the other route. The 36 hair pin bends are not that hard on any vehicle nor are they that steep (nothing compared to the steep ghat roads of the earlier times). They can though provoke motion sickness among people who have an aptitude to throw up on curves.

All the best for your trip. I did a recent ooty - cunoor trip in July and it was great fun. Stayed at this lovely budget hotel called Sherlock Holmes.

[rajesh1868]

Originally Posted by coolfyre

I hope you know that Ginger doesn't have a restaurant. There are no eating places near Ginger. You will have to drive for at least 10 - 15 mins.

Hope this helps.

They do have good buffet service 3 times a day, atleast n Mysore

[motomaverick]

Originally Posted by manolin

If you are going in the evening (they close the forest check point after 9 pm, though you can bribe your way through), I suggest just you take the longer route as that is preferred by the buses and thus there is slightly more traffic on that route (and hence feels less lonely).

Best would be to go by one and come back by the other route. The 36 hair pin bends are not that hard on any vehicle nor are they that steep (nothing compared to the steep ghat roads of the earlier times). They can though provoke motion sickness among people who have an aptitude to throw up on curves.

All the best for your trip. I did a recent ooty - cunoor trip in July and it was great fun. Stayed at this lovely budget hotel called Sherlock Holmes.

Hey even I stayed in Sherlock this June. Yes it is certainly a lovely place to relax and chill away from the maddening people in Ooty town.

Masinagudi climb is pretty cool even in the dark as the curves are well marked, I would suggest this while going up as this well save on your brakes (coming down 36 turns).

[naveenvenkatesh]

Guys, Back from Ooty trip over the weekend. It was a really nice ride through Kalhatti. Travelogue coming up. Here are few teasers.

[yogeshnagpal]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

Guys, Back from Ooty trip over the weekend. It was a really nice ride through Kalhatti. Travelogue coming up. Here are few teasers.

Attachment 416035

Attachment 416036

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Attachment 416039

@ Naveen : Lovely teasers.. Waiting for your travelogue.. Sherlock Holmes.. I'll keep that in mind. Also for Coorg, I have in mind Club Mahindra resort.. I'll get a discount also, considering a fact that I'm working for a M group company...

Originally Posted by neo45007

Hi,

First of all Congratulations for your Marriage; as you are planning for a Honeymoon Trip.

I did BNG - Ooty trip in June.
Few points to add from my side :-

1) I would suggest to take Mysore - Nanjangud - Gudalur route (Than Masinagudi route). Gudalur route is good to drive, better roads and scenic also,
2) Road Condition around Nanjangud is bad (For distance of 20-22 Kms).
3) Being a rainy season, many of the spots may not be worth visiting. i.e. Kadanadu's view point or Doddapeth Peak (I hope I got the name right). Since, you can't view much due to dense fog / rains.
4) But, in Ooty you can spend more time in Botanical Garden or Lake or Around Coonoor or Even on Gudalur route (Two lakes on way & Shooting Medu / point).
5) In short, I would suggest you to choose the best hotel (with best views around); so that if weather doesn't permit to go out - you can spend a good time in / around Hotel. So, Sherlock or Hotel Lakeview might be a good option in Ooty.

Hi Neo, Thanks. But ill be getting married in December.. So just trying to plan everything well in advance so that I do not face any last minute hassles.

Originally Posted by balan

Firstly congrats
Drive safely. New wife can be a real distraction on high speed roads. I experienced it the hard way.

Mysore Ooty road via gudalur is clear and good. The road closes at bandipur at night 830 pm. Plan accordingly

Just curious
Why does every one want to do the same places for honeymoon?
Ooty / kodaikanal / munar is so old.

I would personally suggest you get stuck up inside a good home stay wwhere the owners dont stay around

If you are going to Ooty, try the high end places to avoid the mad crowds. Drive down to avalanche / emerald dam view point. See if you can get the DFO permission to go into avalanche / game hut area (road not so good). These are some places where you will really enjoy. If you like wildlife, then jungle lodges is best bet at Bandipur. try boating at pykarra lake while on way from Mysore to Ooty.
Try the wood fired pizza at nahar in ooty and the chilly cheese sandwitch at Kurunji oppsite nahar. try the pan from next to nahar

Mysore: Ginger is not an option for honeymooners. It is more like a self service hotel. Try ramanashree or president if you want to saty in center of city. Food for non veg (andhra style) is RRR. Try the food gulli / chat street during night

have a good time. Enjoy
Best regards
Bala

Hi Bala, Thanks. I'll be getting married in December. Thanks for the info. I've created a word document containing all the info that all T-BHP'ians are giving me. I'll chalk out a final route and places to stay alongwith places to visit and confirm it with T-BHP'ians so that I do not miss out on anything.

[yogeshnagpal]

Thanks one and all for your responses. Apologies, I couldn't reply since I was a bit tied up last week.

Still struggling to finalize things or maybe wanting to do lots in one trip itself.
I feel like including Coorg as well in the trip.

Just in case I plan to include Coorg, what would be the route ? Need help from the experts here.
I'm planning to finalize Ginger for Mysore and Club Mahindra resort for Ooty.
Coorg also I would like Club M resort if I include Coorg in the trip. But I need route details. If its too far and going to be hectic, then I don't mind bunking Coorg.

And for self-driven car option, I'm going to get in touch with Hertz / Autoriders tomorrow. Also a friend will check and get back to me.

[ampere]

Folks,

Has any one trekked in the Moyar River valley? Also has any one visited the Moyar power plant?

Would be good to see some info and snaps.

EDIT: Not sure if they allow folks to go there.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ampere

Folks,

Has any one trekked in the Moyar River valley? Also has any one visited the Moyar power plant?

Would be good to see some info and snaps.

EDIT: Not sure if they allow folks to go there.

So no trekkers to the Moyar valley?

[nilanjanray]

I have driven numerous times on Moyar Road - great place for seeing wildlife. After 10 kms of jungle, you reach the Moyar village. There is a power station enroute, and also a lake. Not sure whether this is the power station you are referring to.

Not sure about trekking. But I do know that people used to trek there earlier, and many of the locals go there.