Ooty-Coonoor: The Twin Heavens of the Nilgiris

My Ooty-Coonoor trip was an impromptu one. And it started off with a bang. Yes, Ooty may seem boring to a lot since half of it consists of gardens of all sorts but the Nilgiris are a beauty, especially in the monsoons. So, you'll never be disappointed if you're a nature lover! A 6-hour bus ride from Bengaluru took me to the Queen of the Hills...

Day 1

My first day in Ooty was the run-of-the-mill sightseeing day. After having a sumptuous breakfast (chocolate tea and dosa) at Nahar Garden Cafe, I checked into Zostel and headed to the touristy spots of the town: the Botanical Garden, Doddabetta peak, the chocolate and tea factories, etc.

PS: This was my first time in a mixed dorm (only because all the ladies' dorms were occupied).

The day continued with visits to the wax museum (pretty lame), the thread garden (this one was good), the rose garden, and the Ooty lake.

The day ended with a lazy evening by the lake and a quick Maggi session at Zostel.

Day 2

Got up early the next day (after staying up late over some chit-chat with my dorm mates) for the highlight of my trip: the Ooty-Coonoor toy train ride. The scenes were dreamy!

The best part of hill stations are their cozy cafes and Birdhouse Cafe was one such revelation. I would wholeheartedly recommend this cute cafe in Coonoor. It's a chilled-out place, apt for solo travellers. They've also got a hostel of their own and an equally cute store for souvenirs.

Coonoor was a treat for the eyes. And I had a gala time posing for pics in gorgeous locations such as Lamb's Rock. I also visited the strawberry farm, the tea gardens, and Sim's Park.

The day that had started off with some light-hearted banter with my dorm-mates ended with a warm bonfire and some good music. The best part about Zostel is nobody forces you to join activities and nobody judges you for joining or not joining them and I was actually fortunate to have met so many like-minded people here.

Day 3

My last day in Ooty was reserved for slow travel and cafe hopping. I went for a long walk in the morning and chanced upon two of my Zostel mates. We decided to head to Moddy's for their legendary hot chocolate, after which I went on a solo recce around Ooty.

I visited the British-era heritage property King's Cliff and its restaurant Earl's Secret and then a few cafes around Ooty's main market, such as Kurinji and Hill Town cafe. I had to rush to Zostel as soon as it started raining heavily and had a serene afternoon, reading and watching the rain... ❤️❤️❤️

My trip ended with a hot chai at Teaboy, as I headed to the bus stop for my bus back to B'lore.