Wanderlust - Ooty

Its just the place to go to when march begins. Ooty is the queen of the Nilgiris. And one can reach it from the Mysore or from Coimbature route. The bus that goes up to the hill from Coimbature is one of the slowest. It shall beep, bleep and cough, sneeze and make its way up. But its a beautiful ride, I realized, whenever that I managed to wake up and watch the scenery. Ooty was cold, take enough woolen clothing. A part of Ooty is very English, the club, the derby, the schools. I think you'll meet Charring Cross – an important land mark. Walk around the bazaar – for interesting food and yummy chocolates (which is “home made”. Whose Home, I wonder) and some local stories and lots of tea. Ooty is filled with tea, so much – that a regular tea drinker will switch to coffee after two days there, out of sheer excess. The regular things to see around Ooty are the Doddabetta peak (you have to climb this one! It's also the highest peak in south India and the confluence of the eastern and western ghats. And several confused people will try to show you the karnataka - TN borders from atop the place. Trust me, you will be confused, at the end of it) You'll see tea plantations all around, not to mention eucalyptus and a lot of pretty birds in many different colors . Its an experience, Dodda Betta. You'll have to see the botanical garden, the rose garden, the Ooty Lake if you are in Ooty. Also have a look at the Thread Garden. Ah, and mind you, you have to pay for the camera everywhere. A to-do is to take the Ooty-Mettupalayam heritage train. Its a little crowded (ok, ok, Very crowded), but worth the effort. There is lots of Nilgiris to see around Ooty – Conoor, Kotagiri and much much more. The native tribes are still an integral part of the NilGiris - the Todas and Kurumbas. Ah, talk about the High and Mighty - Ooty is definitely that.