My last visit to Ooty was a company conference over 20 years ago, having driven down from Bangalore for 7 hours in a Maruti 800 with my family. On the 26th, Carol and I drove from Coimbatore airport in 3 hours and stayed at the Sterling Fernhill resort with friends Rajat & Namrata. The drive was nice with good roads and the occasional repair work in stretches. Sterling seems to have improved its resorts significantly in the last couple of years. Google Maps does struggle a bit with the inside roads and the signage on the roads also could be better.
Setting Sun view from Sterling Fernhill
Our first trip was to Dodabetta Peak, the highest in the Nilgiris. The experience was unpleasant due to bad parking and large crowds. The views are good but our inability to soak it in made it a not too happy experience. The Botanical Gardens are nice and well-maintained (tickets can be bought online instead of standing in queue) and also serve as a nice picnic spot. The cleanliness and the absence of plastic are unique to Ooty. We shopped at Modern stores & Kings for locally made chocolates and thought briefly about going for ‘Dangal’ which was showing in a theatre at the unbelievable price of Rs.30/- per ticket. Lunch was at Adyar Ananda Bhavan in the market area. Good food but not really outstanding. Dinner was at the Savoy hotel, which was again nice. The Toddi, reminiscent of the East Indian 'Kimad,' comes highly recommended, though it might not cater to all taste preferences.
Dinner at the Savoy
We visited the scenic Pykara Boat Area and Pykara Falls, which are accessible by a short walk from the main road, early on Wednesday morning. The Pykara falls are scenic but the absence of waterflow leaves you wondering what it could look like in the rains. From Pykara (which is about 20 km north of Ooty), we drove down to Coonoor, with a great lunch stop at the Culinarium (around 8 km drive from Ooty). The food was excellent, and the Hazelnut ice cream was a delight. Truly, one of the better meals I have had anywhere. We did some shopping at The Green Shop @ Coonor (Fair Trade initiative) and drove down to Dolphin’s nose. The drive to Dolphin’s nose winds itself through beautiful tea estates and ends up at a point where you can see Catherine Falls in the distance. The cities of Mettupalyam/Coimbatore are also apparently visible on a clear day. However, it requires considerable skill to park and reverse your car during the holiday season and it is not for the faint hearted. We skipped Lamb’s rock on the way as it seemed very crowded too.
Pykara Boat club[/caption]
We stopped at the Wellington Gymkhana Club for tea and cheese sandwiches. The club is in great condition because the army takes care of it, and it remains one of the few places from the British Raj that has kept its original splendor. The Club was getting set for the New Year festivities and tents/shamianas were coming up, which spoiled the views of the greens.
Namrata and Carol at the Wellington Gymkhana Club Entrance[/caption]
Ooty has got several things going right for it. It is a short driving distance from an airport, lovely sylvan surroundings, cleanliness and hotel infrastructure. Tourist areas need improved parking, wider and better-kept roads to Dodabetta, and clear internal road signs. We missed visiting Avalanche and Upper Bhavani, but we can look forward to seeing them on our next visit.
Highly recommended, but avoid visiting during peak tourist season if you can.
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