Who doesn't fathom the idea of sipping hot cup of tea and munching on piping hot chilly fries in the misty hills playing peekaboo with the sun through the mountains. On the way too Ooty,one finds some of the best kept secrets of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Specially if the journey is via road.
Previously known as Udhagamandalam, Ooty has only grown commercially with the influx of visitors from nearby cities of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Contrary to the popular belief that the economy is driven by tourism, it is the supply base of exotic tea, spices, solid wood, English fruits and vegetables.
Don't forget to carry broccoli on your way back (Rs 30/kg). Coz I did, silly me!
Also, don't miss out on the forest safari which operates in 2 forests - Bandipur (Karnataka) and Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu).
After sunset, there is not much to do here outdoors, so you may hit some of the very classy watery holes of ITC or Taj. It was quite a task to find a decent pub, as we walked uphill a couple of kilometers only to find out that it was a boys hostel and someone tagged it mischievously on Google maps. But we did eventually run into a quaint English pub of ITC with fireplace and elegant solid wood furniture. Elegant!
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| Aren't they cute :) |
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| Jungle safari on the move in Bandipur National Park |
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| Well I just love cats and this one's a quite a poser. |
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| Wild life spotting. |
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| In his designer self. |
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| En-route to the 36 hair pin bends to climb the Nilgiris (Blue Mountains). |
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| Conoor |
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| Misty. Windy. Chilly. |
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| Couldn't help but pose ;) |
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| Munch time. |
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| Interesting/Horny - This is supposed to be the sleeping lady mountains. If only you notice the curves. |
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| My Deer! |
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| Calm and beckoning. |
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On the way to Conoor, we ran into a refreshingly cute cafe amidst the foggy hills only made more seductive by its freshly baked thin crust pizza. A wish granted!
The cafe is owned by a Bengali couple who have made the hills their abode and welcome their visitors in red boots and umbrella on rainy days. Life Goals! |
Reality Check: We had a good time I believe because we were 5 of us.However, it might be a tad boring for solo travellers if you push your stay more than a couple of days.
Whats more important than your camera and backpack when you travel? A heart full of adventure and gut full of adrenaline. (Aaj ka gyaan).
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