Udagamandalam Things to Do

Explore history-laden Fernhills Palace and discover its much-acclaimed Fox Hunt Bar. Off one of the passages, decorated with family portraits, the bar can be found, panelled with red Mahogany from floor to ceiling, evocatively capturing a bygone era. Its warm, rich interior reflects the theme – Hunting. Its walls are hung with the accoutrements of hunting; saddles, harness, hunting horns, prints and photographs – a vivid reminder of the Fox Hunting meets which began in 1894 and continue to be held every year, commemorating an era that celebrated this event with elegant pomp. It is the beginning of a unique experience. Sipping your vodka martini in a comfortable leather armchair before the fireplace, or settling into your own personal bar saddle-stool savouring your scotch and soda, you will be surrounded by the romance of the stories unfolding around you.

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This is really the only way you should get to or from Ooty. I arrived in Ooty by bus from Mysore up the 36 hairpin pass and took the toy train back down towards Coimbatore.

The Toy Train (officially known as the Nilgiri Mountain Railway) is one of the oldest mountain railways in India. Under consideration as early as 1845, the line was finally opened by the British in 1899, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company in order to move the British Raj from the summer heat of Madras to the cooler hills of Ooty. The railway is one of the few in the world that is dependent on steam locomotives and is the only rack railway in India. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 and is very popular with tourists.

The line covers a distance of 46 km (28 miles), travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes around 4.5 hours and the downhill journey takes about 3.5 hours. It starts at a place called Mettupalayam, which is about 45km from Coimbatore, at 325m above sea level and climbs up to Ooty at 2203m via steam and bio-diesel trains. The journey through the mountain countryside is wonderful plus the small stations along the way are very pretty. I was in 2nd class which only cost Rs26 so it's very cheap. For a list of train times, checkout the website below:

Todas are the nature worshipping tribe living among the Nilgiri Mountains. They have their own language, rich arts and crafts (see the embroidered shawl worn by the village chief above) and a unique way of community living. Raising animals is their primary profession.

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Emerald lake is a wonderful lake in the upper plateau region of the Nilgiri hills. It is a part of the silent valley and is beside the Red hill nature resort which is a best picnic place of the region.

The site of the lake is wonderful and one would definitely love being at that place. One would hold one's breathe by looking at the wonderful sites of the nature and fun is to the fullest. The chirping birds and ducks and other swimming creatures add beauty to the place and the sun set and sun rise is also spectacular here.

You can pick up food from one of the restaurants in Ooty and drive to the lakeside comfortably in 30 mins. As the water level is pretty low during monsoons, kids will have lot of open area available to play. If you have a day free, this is a must do while you are in this region.

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The Mukurthi National Park is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, the south eastern corner of the Nilgiris Plateau. Spread over 78.46 km, this represents one of the very few areas which support a viable population of the Nilgiri Tahr. A fascinating feature of the Mukkurthi National Park is its endemism and relationship with the Himalayan flora and fauna.
The entire tract included in the National Park bears natural vegetation typical of higher altitudes of South India, comprising of rolling grassy downs, interspersed with temperate shoals occupying depressions and valleys. The landscape is extremely picturesque and should be zealously protected and preserved to maintain the primeval beauty and grandeur of the tract.
The average elevation is around 2400 mt. Above MSL. Kolaribetta is the highest point (2630 mt.). Other major peaks are Mukkurthi (2556 mt.) and Nilgiris (2477 mt.) The general slope of the area is towards the east and the south. The area is drained by innumerable beautiful and perennial little streams. The vast majority of the streams eventually fall into the Bhavani Puzha. The Kundha Range of hills form from the western edge of the Nilgiris Plateau. Which rises steeply from Silent valley, the Nilambur valley and the Ouchterlony valley and continue as an unbroken wall.
Mukkurthi’s wild animals are a fascinating mixture of plain and mountain animals. The close encounters with wild animals, are rare in the open Mukkurthi Country. The common mammalian species met with here include Nilgiri Tahr Sambar, Barking deer, Elephant, Blacknaped hare, Jungle cat, Wilddogs, Jackal, Stripe-necked mangoose, Nilgiri Martin, Otters, Giant squirrel etc., The Avifauna are mostly hill birds, such as Kestrel, Black Eagles, Grey jungle fowls, wood cock and Thrushes.
TREKKING ROUTES
1. Bangitapal – Sispara -16 KM
2. Bangitapal –Sispara-Poochiparai- Silent Valley -52 KM
3. Devabetta – Mukkurthi Peak -12KM. – Fishinghut (halt) – 8 KM.
4. Kolarikutta – Bangitapal -20 KM ( halt)
5. Western Catchment – Bangitapal – 14 KM
6. Trekking Shed – Kangerkundi – Nadugani -18 KM

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I love exploring foreign markets and this was one of the best I came across during my four months in India. It provides some excellent photo opportunities with locals selling and buying fresh fruits, flowers, vegetables, fish and general groceries. There is also a passageway that is lined with counters selling meat which is quite a rare sight in India. There were also stalls selling sugar cane.

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If you walk up the hill on the Botanical Gardens eastern side, you'll come to a turnstile which gives you access into a Toda Village. We were met by a couple of guys who showed us around, first to a large religious hut surrounded by a small wall. It had a very small door with symbols of buffalos on the front. We also went inside another hut that was home to a guy in his 70's complete with bed and pots.

Admission: Rs12

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This 22 Acre Botanical Garden was laid out in 1847 and is presently maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The original purpose of the "Botanical Gardens" was purely academic: to promote and study the various flora in and around Nilgiris. It was created by John Sullivan, Collector of the district of Coimbatore in 1819. The Gardens have around 1000 species of plants, both exotic and indigenous, plus shrubs, ferns, trees, roses and herbal plants. In the centre of the Gardens lies a fossilised tree trunk estimated to be 20 million years old. The Gardens consist of several lawns, ponds with lilies, beds of flowers and ferns laid out in an Italian style, several plots of flowering plants, and a variety of medicinal plants. If you walk up the hill on the Gardens eastern side, you'll come to a turnstile which gives you access into a Toda Village (see next tip).

Open: 8am-6.30pm. Admission: Rs10 & Rs30 for camera.