Bengaluru to Ooty and Coonoor, Tamil Nadu
The Nilgiris are old-school hill country: eucalyptus and tea on every slope, stone cottages with smoking chimneys, and a little blue steam-era railway that still threads its way between Coonoor and Ooty. It is cool when Bengaluru is not, and the air smells of pine resin and wet earth.
We go via Mysuru and through Bandipur and Mudumalai at first light, climbing the Kalhatti ghat into Ooty. Saturday takes in Coonoor's Dolphin's Nose, the toy train for those with tickets and an evening by Ooty Lake; Sunday is pine forest, the grassy downs of Shooting Point and Pykara before we head home through the forests.
Day by day
Drop-off: Bengaluru (same pickup points, dropped back after the trip)
Day 1
An overnight run to the Bandipur gate, a dawn crossing of two tiger reserves and the hairpins up to Ooty. The day moves to Coonoor, back by toy train or road, and ends at Ooty Lake.
Board the Tempo Traveller (Friday night). First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Banashankari, RR Nagar and Kengeri; exact spots go on the trip WhatsApp group. Nights in Ooty are cold, so pack a proper jacket.
Wait at the Bandipur forest gate. The road through Bandipur and Mudumalai is closed to traffic from 9 pm to 6 am to protect wildlife. We park near the gate and sleep until it opens.
Dawn drive through Bandipur and Mudumalai. Spotted deer, langurs, peacocks and sometimes elephants by the road. Then the steep Kalhatti ghat, bend after bend up to the plateau.
Arrive Ooty, breakfast and freshen up. Breakfast in Ooty, then check in, drop bags and change into warm layers.
Dolphin's Nose, Coonoor. A rock spur jutting over a deep valley, with Catherine Falls on the far side and tea slopes below. Mist often rolls in by late morning; be patient.
Lunch in Coonoor. Pay-as-you-go. Coonoor's bakeries and small cafés are good for a light lunch.On your own
Toy train from Coonoor to Ooty. The blue carriages crawl uphill through tunnels, tea and eucalyptus for about 70 minutes. Only for those holding advance tickets; everyone else rides back with the vehicle.On your own
Ooty Lake at dusk. A walk along the eucalyptus-fringed lake as the town lights come on. Rowing and pedal boats are optional and paid on your own.
Dinner and overnight in Ooty. Pay-as-you-go dinner in town, then back to the stay. Temperatures can drop below 10°C.
Day 2
Breakfast, then west along the Gudalur road to the pine forest, Shooting Point and Pykara, and down through Mudumalai and Bandipur before the forest gates close.
Breakfast and check out. Breakfast at the stay, then pack up and load the vehicle.
Pine forest. Rows of tall pines on a slope running down to a reservoir, the ground soft with needles. Walk down to the water for the classic view.
Shooting Point, Wenlock Downs. Open, rolling grassland ringed with sholas and eucalyptus, used as a backdrop by countless film crews. Good for a wander and a group photo.
Pykara lake and falls. The Pykara river drops in a series of cascades through shola forest, then widens into a calm lake. Boating is optional; falls entry is paid on your own.
Lunch on the Gudalur road. Pay-as-you-go lunch before the descent.On your own
Depart via Mudumalai and Bandipur. Down to Theppakadu and through the two reserves, well before the 9 pm gate closure, then on via Mysuru with a tea break.
Dinner stop near Mysuru. Pay-as-you-go dinner at a highway restaurant.On your own
Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drops at Kengeri, RR Nagar, Banashankari and RMZ Ecospace. Sunday traffic on the Mysuru expressway can shift this a little.
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