Ootacamund, Ooty or more recently Udhagamandalam, call it what you like, still translates to a little town set on the stepped slopes of the Nilgiris (blue mountains), the oldest mountain range in India . Located 2240 metres above sea level, the soothing clime and rustic setting gift Ooty a charm of its own.

Centuries ago Ooty’s main inhabitants were the Toda tribals who used the green grasslands for grazing their buffaloes. The British ‘discovered’ Ooty in the early 19th century and thanks to a certain John Sullivan, a permanent British settlement came up in the cool environs.
Ootacamund, as it was formerly known through the ‘stiff upper lip’, has the distinction of being the first hill station of India and the summer seat of the Madras (now renamed Chennai) government.

Quieter than Ooty is Coonoor that is just 18km away. This place is subdued and quiet even when Ooty tend to get a little boisterous during peak season. What’s more, the superb 300km drive from Bangalore to the hill station takes the biker through two dense wildlife sanctuaries.

If you decide to visit between November and March then the whole town is yours to enjoy, but do bundle up because the mercury dips to zero degrees C sometimes. However, take along warm clothing for the evening and the nights, irrelevant of the season, as there’s always a nip in the Ooty evening air. Coonoor enjoys the same temperature and because of less pollution it is colder sometimes.

The ride
The ride from Bangalore to Ooty runs over reasonably well-maintained state highways. The first stretch from Bangalore to Mysore is a smooth run. After you cross the towns of Ramanagaram and Channapatna, you drive through avenues with bougainvillea trees forming natural archways. Coconut vendors line the roads at regular intervals, enticing you to stop and take a drink.

Passing through Mysore is a honk-and-crawl affair till you exit the city limits. Nanjangud onwards for 20km the road is a narrow concrete strip with shoulders of tar. Practise caution on this road as the tar has eroded away leaving huge potholes. There are times when you will be forced to go onto the tar shoulders due to oncoming traffic. Take utmost care then if you don’t want to damage your car’s underbody.

Once you enter the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary limit, the road is almost straight, flanked on both sides by a dense forest. Seven and a half kilometres after the Bandipur reception centre, the road crosses over into Tamil Nadu and the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
The twisty roads up to Ooty start from Gudalur and necessitate intense concentration on the part of the driver all the way to Ooty.

There is a shortcut from Mudumalai to Ooty via Masinagudi. However, while this road reduces about 30km, it is very narrow and steep and considered risky. Also an elephant corridor runs between Moyar and Masinagudi, so it’s not uncommon to come across a herd or an occasional rogue.