Ooty topped the list of places I planned to visit on my Mysore trip. I believed Mysore bhraman is incomplete without Ooty darshan. So, my brother and I hopped on the bus for the most awaited journey and started our Mysore to Ooty trip!
The Mysore to Ooty drive is a journey in itself. Honestly, I was clueless how enthralling the road to Ooty will be. When the bus entered Bandipur National Park en route to Ooty my eyes switched to auto-focus mode and my head started bobbling left-right to capture the beauty of the wild.
Bandipur National Park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India's biggest biosphere reserve. It shares the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and is named Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary within the border of Tamil Nadu.
Though the wildlife sanctuary is home to several endangered species we were moderately lucky to catch the glimpse of the sloth bear, sambar, grey langurs, wild boar, elephants, and macaques. The national park receives a lot of tourist traffic and that's why to avoid wildlife fatalities it gets closed from 9 pm to 6 am.
As we drove past the sanctuary our bus took the adventurous turn on the Masinagudi route.
The world famous hair-raising 36 hairpin bends road will give you quick adrenaline boost and the picturesque route to Ooty will leave you spell-bounded.
People often avoid this route because of the sharp hairpin bends, the high frequency of tourist traffic, and the possible chances of misadventure.
However, I personally enjoyed the journey more than the destination. The sharp turns were giving us goosebumps. The far-stretched lush tea gardens had a calming influence upon our eyes and soul. The 1-1:30 hours journey was the experience to cherish for the lifetime.
To me, the road to Ooty was the highlight of the trip. It is still fresh in my memory and fills my heart with joy more than the place (Ooty) itself.
PS: Bus journey from Mysore to Ooty cost Rs.800 for two people.
