Udagamandalam Transportation

4 more images

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:

1 more image

I booked my bus to Ooty with a private company called Kiran Travels who are based on Chandragupta Road in Mysore, near the Wesley Cathedral and Clock Tower. They picked me up from my hotel at about 7.45am in a rickety looking and dirty small bus with thread-bare hard seats. We picked up more people and eventually got going at about 8.30am. The bus goes through Bandipur National Park on the way which is nice but I didn't see any tigers or elephants. On the other side in Tamil Nadu, we started to climb up into the Nilgiri Hills via 36 hairpin bends and reached Ooty at about 1pm. The journey cost me Rs150.

I must highly recommend Mr Jagdeesan who runs a private taxi service from Coimbatore, both locally and to Ooty, Kodaikanal, Palani, Erode, Top Slip etc., virtually anywhere ex CJB. We have used him many times and he has now become like a friend. He is honest and a very good driver, so important for driving in mountainous regions, past hair pin bends, dodgy roads and given Indian driving habits. Jagdeesan charges a reasonable fare and will be only to happy to recommend off the beaten track sight seeing places as he is from the Nilgiris region and knows all the surrounding areas well. He can also pick you up from anywhere else and bring you to Coimbatore.

A heritage train from the days of the Raj.It is a mini toy like train.Take a trip from Ooty town to Conoor - a 20 odd kilometre run which takes about an hour to do.The trip offers some wonderful views of the Nilgiri Hills.

1 more image

Yes, you can take Nilgiri Toy Train or public buses from surrounding cities to come up to Blue Mountain (Nilgiri) hill station. But when you're here in Ooty, land transport can range from Auto, Ambassador taxi & some Mahindra/Tata 4WD.

The auto rickshaw is the cheapest option but need bargain or you'll be totally ripped off by them. Taxi on the other hand is 50% more expensive than auto, but capable to take up to 4 passengers and is protected from cool wind, major accidents and impact from pot holes.

4x4s are mostly for package tour, shared taxi and other tough terrain usage.

The nearest airport is at Coimbatore (100-km). Ooty on the narrow gauge railway is connected via Coonoor to Mettupalayam, which is directly connected to Coimbatore and Chennai. If you have some time to spend, take the train from Mettupulayam to Ooty. It leads you through breathtaking scenery.
There are regular bus services connecting Ooty to Coimbatore, Trichy, Bangalore, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Mysore, Calicut, Tirupati etc. 5095