A Trip to the Nilgiris

chillibreeze writer — Pushkar Mishra

Need an editable PowerPoint map of India

I love the mountains and given half an opportunity would run away gladly. So when the summer vacations were on and my Boss was in a generous mood I got a week’s vacation sanctioned to do exactly that. The plan was to escape to Nilgiris – The Blue Mountains and spend a week away from the laptop, the emails and the cell phone.

Our first stop was supposed to be Masinagudi, bordering the Mudumalai forests in Tamil Nadu. We left early from Bangalore to escape the city traffic and reached Jungle Hut resort by lunch. We crossed Mysore and got onto the Ooty highway, constantly checking the directions provided. I get my kick from the mountains and the cool air and was eagerly waiting to get the first glimpse of the Nilgiris. Soon I started to see signs saying Bandipur was less than 20 kilometers away. Another fifteen minutes and we were in the forests, with the lush green all around, birds chirping and best of all, no traffic. We spotted our first wildlife of the trip – a peacock, and then things just kept getting better.
Deer, Gaur and monkeys kept us company all the way to the end of Bandipur and then into Mudumalai. Sometimes while passing through the thick forest, I would cut the engine and just listen to the forest with its myriad sounds. Soon I started seeing signs of a town approaching and knew we were close to our destination.

Jungle Hut is a nice family run resort with independent cottages, a swimming pool and plenty of greenery around and it’s colse to the forests. Anushri and Vikram are the gracious hosts and take every care to ensure that guests have a good time throughout their stay. We were accommodated in a new cottage bordering the thick bamboo forest on the edge of the property. It was late in the afternoon and we were starved so we headed for lunch straightaway. While we were seated the clouds started rolling in and soon the wind also picked up.

It started out as a hailstorm and both my kids started to go crazy. We don’t get hail in Bangalore and so this was a first for them. Post lunch we decided to take a walk around the property and were amazed to see a huge herd of deer wandering around in the property grazing on the lush grass and tender leaves. The weather changed dramatically in the evening and the heat and exhaustion of the day’s drive was gone. Crisp cool air with a very light drizzle was the flavor of the evening as we settled down for a few drinks around the huge gazebo serving as the lounge. We played a few rounds of Darts and I tried my hand at Foosball as well. But my elder son proved to be smarter and beat me flat. Soon it was time for dinner and after a good hearty meal we went back to our cottage to rest. I could not believe it when I checked the time – it was just 9:30pm and most of the lights were out. Wow! I have never had an opportunity to get to bed so early.

We woke up early because we were booked for a sunrise trek to a nearby hill. My three year old was determined to make it as well and so was in his elements right from the moment he got up at 5am. We got onto a 4X4 jeep and were driven close to the hill around 5 kilometers away. From there it was a climb uphill with our driver being our guide as well. Ilango, our driver, is a nature lover as well and had come prepared to show us the best stuff possible. While climbing up we saw a group of Dholes, wild dogs, near a temple on top of the hill. Ilango was initially skeptical because of the kids but continued the climb up. By the time we reached up the dogs had spotted us and ran away towards the forests. The view from the top was breathtaking. Misty hills on all sides and the sun rise completed what was an amazing experience for the entire family. We rested for a while before starting our climb down. A few photographs later we were ready to head back to the resort for tea and breakfast.

The day was lazy but the evening promised some more excitement. We were going on a wildlife safari inside the Bandipur forests. We finished our lunch quickly and jumped back in the car headed back to the Bandipur Safari camp. There we met Ivan, a Norwegian tourist who would be sharing our jeep. The moment the jeep turned off the road and into the forest we were surrounded by herds of spotted deer. Some posed for us and some could not care less. As we went deeper inside the forest it started to get chilly and dark. The clouds had suddenly appeared and soon it was raining. At times the rains can spoil a safari but our driver was determined to earn his tip. We kept going deeper into the forest and each time he would get a hunch he would follow his instincts. Soon we came upon a herd of elephants near a salt lick. They had just had a lick of the salt and a drink and were returning home. For the next couple of hours we spotted herds of bison/gaurs, solitary Sambhars, a huge male elephant, peacocks and some beautiful jungle fowl. The rain and the accompanying mist had given the jungle an eerie touch. Satisfied we headed out of the jungle knowing that the only thing missing was the spotting of a tiger. Maybe the forest will lure us again to spot one, but not this time.

The next morning we checked out after breakfast and were on our way to the next destination. Appropriately called Destiny, this is a farm stay approximately 30 kilometers away from Ooty in an area called Emerald Hills. I would love the way my colleagues would react when I said Emerald or Avalanchi because no one had heard of them in Ooty. The drive to Destiny was through some villages and we regularly stopped to for pictures and take in the sights. Beautifully landscaped tea gardens and eucalyptus plantations kept appearing at every corner. It took us around 3 hours (we even got lost) to reach the parking for Destiny. From there we were supposed to get into an Army truck to go to the resort/farm stay. What a start to an adventure packed stay! The road to Destiny was non-existent and then I understood the warning we were given about trying to drive to the property. Another 20 minutes and we were greeted by the sights of rolling Strawberry fields and Horses running around the tracks.

The package at Destiny allows you to have a Horse ride on the tracks, go trekking through the Emerald Lake through the Shola forests and onto the exotic vegetable farms, enjoy the camp fire in the chilly evenings and generally take in the sights. The focus is on providing us city dwellers a taste of a proper farm with a touch of the Wild West. Beautiful, green and endless is what I felt the place was. Since it is so far away from Ooty you don’t see the crowds and walk in visitors. My kids had a blast right from the moment we stepped into the truck taking us to the resort. They loved Gypsy, the horse they rode, the Rabbits and Guinea Pigs at “The Hutch” and the fishing by the pond. I get nostalgic when I remember the good times we had at this beautiful place and regret we could not stay longer. I do intend to go back and stay longer in September or December because the endless fields of strawberries will be harvested!

Considering what we had been through in the last four days, we were already looking forward to our last pit stop – The Kings Cliff at Ooty. Located close to St. Stephen’s Church minutes away from the Collector’s office, this heritage bungalow has been completely restored and maintained exactly the way it must have been a 100 years back. The moment you enter the gates, you will be in awe of the place. Fantastically manicured gardens, flowers of all varieties and colors, a 50 year old Landmaster and a cottage called “Othello” greeted us. We were checked in the cottage and soon the Captain was there to ask what we would like to eat. The food was perfect for the cold afternoon – hot cheesy pastas for the kids, grilled chicken with vegetables for my wife and barbecued lamb for me – served hot and fresh. The cottage was from another era as well – a dressing room, a fireplace and a modern bath with a shower cubicle all combining to give you the best! Shekar, the housekeeper, came in the afternoon to arrange the logs for our fireplace and left a few sachets of absolutely divine Nilgiri Tea for us to sip on in the evening.

Kings Cliff is a place I would recommend to anyone visiting Ooty, but do remember to book in advance. The place has a few luxury rooms but you can give it a miss because the best sights are from the cottages. Though walking and stretching out on the lawn is the favorite pastime here, the kids had plenty to do with chasing butterflies and spotting birds in the bushes and on the electric wire above. We took some time that evening to go see the town and buy some chocolates and cheese – yes you can buy homemade cheeses in Ooty, the most famous cheese factories being Acres Wild and Gray’s Hill. I was recommended to the Modern Stores near a movie theatre (I don’t remember the name now) for Chocolates and Fudges and I can swear by that place. We ended up buying most of what was on offer including Marshmallows for 15 bucks a dozen.

The next day we booked a taxi to take us through Wellington onto Coonoor another delightful place with a charm of its own. Wellington is an army cantonment and tourists are not allowed to stop or take photographs. But you will never forget the sights. How often do you get to see pine trees and silver firs in the south? The road from Coonoor to Wellington is winding and passes through endless tea gardens. This 30 minute drive is a joy because of the scenery all around. Once in Coonoor we decided to stop at a shop that retails exquisite hand embroidered linen. Expecting to see a regulation shop we were pleasantly surprised to see a charming old bungalow with a lovely garden converted into this amazing place. The linen is expensive but worth carrying as souvenirs for very close friends or loved ones. Also while in Coonoor do visit the Nilgiri’s store for some amazing homemade jams and jellies and also Cheese from both the places mentioned earlier.

We returned to our cottage in the evening and asked for our food to be sent across to the cottage. Steaming hot bowls of Thukpa, a Tibetan soup with noodles and chicken arrived soon to satisfy our cravings. The kids had gone off to sleep, tired with the activities of the day. So my wife and I walked up to the huge living room where a resident was playing some classical pieces on the guitar. With the fireplace in all its glory, single malt in the hand and fantastic music around it seemed like the perfect end to a very satisfying vacation.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...

—About our writer:

Pushkar writes for chillibreeze.

A Trip to the Nilgiris

>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers: