Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Bangalore to Ooty – A Chilling Weekend Getaways

The region where Ooty is located is referred as the Nilgiris ( Blue Mountain ).

So essentially Bangalore to Ooty route is an interstate route. Bangalore to Ooty

distance is about 300 km. On the road map you can find Ooty on the southwest

direction of Bangalore at a point near the borders of Karnataka, Tamilnadu and

Kerala meet.

About Ooty:

Ooty also known as Udhagamandalam is the "Queen of hill stations" and

the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in

India. Nilgiris means "Blue Mountains". It is a land of picturesque

picnic spots. Used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers

during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea

level. An added attraction for the tourists to Udagamandalam is the mountain train

journey on a ratchet and pinion track which commences from Kallar, near

Mettupalayam and wends its way through many hair-raising curves and fearful tunnels

and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams

and tea gardens.

Places to Visit:

Ooty Botanical Gardens: If you are on a sightseeing tour to Ooty, you

might want to visit the Government Botanical gardens, which were laid out in

1847.The picturesque gardens that are maintained by the Horticulture department of

the state, cover an area of about 22 hectares. The Gardens have well over 650

species of plants and trees, including a fossil of a tree, which is believed to be

more than 20 million years old. The garden is very popular with nature lovers and

those who long to walk among greenery and see rare ferns and shrubs up close. If

you are in Ooty in the month of May, then you can also be a part of the summer

festival, which is held here annually. The festival holds flower shows and various

cultural programs showcasing the talent of the locals and the renowned artists.

Doddabetta peak: The Dodabetta Peak stands at an altitude of 2,623

meters. It is the highest point in the district, making it possibly the best

vantage point around Ooty. It is merely 10km from Ooty so you can simply grab your

camera and head straight to the peak, and click amazing pictures of he valley

below. Many say that on a clear day, which is honestly not that often, one can see

far off areas, even the plains of Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore.

Ooty Rose gardens: It’s an amazing and very large area garden. You

can enjoy varieties of roses there. The roses bloom only for 2-3 months a year (not

sure when), so going there off-season is not very interesting. If interested can

buy the seeds and plants also.

Wax World - (Wax Museum): Its’ a private investment not supported

by Govt. Don't expect much like other foreign wax museum which are helped by

tourism authorities for advertisements and promotions. More attraction is the very

old house, where the museum is set up. Candles are available. But it is suffering

from funds for expansion so they request tourists to visit so that they can get

help from them, which is the only form of support.

Sims Park (Coonoor): Similar to Ooty botanical garden. Very rare plants

and trees are there.

The Tea Factory: Several tree gardens and factories are there. On the way

you will get lots of them. They will approach you with free tea taste and offer

some tea packets to buy. But be cautious if you don't have much knowledge about

tea, better not to buy from them as the packet tea has not the same taste as they

gave you to taste. The spices quality is not so good.

Boating at Pykara: It's an awesome experience. Though the rate of boating

is little bit high but still it is worthy.

Falls at Pykara: Historical Dam with Power station at Pykara.

Hidden Valley: Echo Rock, some called it as 'Lambs rock" naturally

took the shape of a lamb. Go through a very small forest and then you can see the

rock.

Travel to Ooty:

Ooty is well connected by good roads. It is 535 km from Chennai (via Salem), 89

km from Coimbatore, 18 km from Coonoor (via Gudalur), 155 km from Mysore, 187 km

from Calicut, 290 km from Bangalore, 281 km from Kochi (via Coimbatore and

Palakkad), 236 km from Kodaikanal (via Coimbatore and Palani)

There is a regular bus service from Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Calicut,

Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Tirupathi and Cochin. Buses ply regularly to Mudhumalai

Wildlife Sanctuary, Kotagiri, Coonoor and Doddabeta. Bus booking is fairly

easy nowadays on internet. If you plan early you’ll get budget tickets

online. For online bus booking you can check different OTA’s website. Search

best bus service, compare and buy cheap tickets.Bus form delhi to agra

Bus

form Chennai to Bangalore

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