The road from bangalore to ooty pases through ramnagara, channapatna, maddur, mandya, srirangapatna, mysore, najungad, gundelpet, bandipur, mudumalai to ooty.
Bangalore to Mysore
Bangalore to mysore road is real good right from rajarajeshwari temple arch and 4 lane trafic capable of doing 100 kmph and excess. Be careful of sudden traffic diversions due to bridge and road painting works. Also of pedestrians.
Take a break at 24 hour cafe coffee day (after channapatna - 70km from bangalore) or kamat (after ramnagaram - 50km from bangalore). You may try amaravathi before Mandya or Maddur Tiffanys. Other restaurants are not worth their salt (or sugar)
After Channapatna you may want to stop at Dodda Malur Krishna temple, a very old temple with a deity of lord baby krishna. Many people believe that your prayers for a baby come true at this temple.
Srirangapatna has few spots of tourist interest like fort, river view, nearby ranganathitu bird sanctuary.
If you dig pizzas, you can stop at pizza corner, mysore which is on the way to ooty road.
Mysore to Ooty
Nanjungad to Gundelpet is straight and smooth road with no traffic. Easy to maintain excess of 100 KMPH. Beware of sudden speed breakers and bumpy bridges.
Nanjungad has a very old and famous shiva temple with lot of statues of gods.
At gundelpet, take the road to ooty.
Gundelpet to Bandipur is very bad stretch of raod. Bandipur to TamilNadu border is also bad stretch.
Drive slowly (30 to 40 kmph) as you have chance of seeing the animals grazing on the road side during the evenings. If you see elephants on the road side, stop at a distance and observe them carefully. No honking or bright lights. (easiset way to irritate the elephants) By their movements, it is easy to findout if they are just grazing or trying to cross the road. If elephants are in group, no problems. Beware of single elephant (especially tusker - male elephants).They tend to easily get irritated as this is their mating season. Other animals like deer, mongoose, peacocks are harmless. Dont feed the monkeys as they tend to jump inside the car. Monkey scratches and bites need anti rabies vaccine. Just before the TN-Kar border checkposts, many people have seen tigers near the roads but I have been unlucky in seeing a tiger so far.
From the TN border (police tend to leave off family cars - guys driven vehicles are checked for liquor and other illegal stuff, there is a toll gate on TN side), the roads are good but maintain just 30 to 40 kmph.
At the theppakadu junction, (mudumalai forest office) you have 2 choices to go to ooty. The right takes you to ooty through Gudalur, naduvattam, Pykarra falls, seventh mile to ooty. The left takes you through Masinagudi, kallahatty water falls to ooty. Both routes are scenic and have great views. The gudalur road is easy to drive and heavy vehicles prefer this road. The masinagudi road needs a power steering as there are 35 hairpin bends in a 15 km stretch and the road is very steep. Your vehicle needs to be in perfect condition to tackle this road. Just after Masinagudi there is a point where a leopard crosses the road.
What to do at wildlife sanctuary
Both at Bandipur and Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary, the forest department organises van and jeep safari inside the forest to see wild animals. The timings are Morning 6 to 9 AM and evening 4 to 6 PM. In Bandipur, Jeep safaris are available. You need to book in advance dring season time as the rush is heavy. The crowds mill around like a mall in bangalore.
Jungle Home - Gudalur - Ooty Route
Take the right turn at Theppakadu junction and follow the road upto the edge of the forest.
A nice place to relax here would be Jungle Home, a cottage attached to the forest. For details please check the website.
The section between Theppakadu and Thorapalli is crucial elephant habitat zone and is very easy to sight the wild elephants on the road side. Becareful about the wild tuskers which are always single and easy to irritate.
The road goes to Gudalur, Naduvattam, ooty. On the way you can see pykarra falls (not advisable to bathe), 7th mile (where many film shootings happen - sing a duet with your beau) and proceed to ooty.
Stop at the approved view points only.
Park at the side of the road. Dont obstruct traffic.
Drive carefuly and sensibly.
Beware of irresponsible drivers and buses
How to reach Jungle Home
At Theppakadu Junction take right, pass through the forest border, at the RTO checkpost (Thorrapalli village) take left, (the small tar road opposite hotel haridagiri), follow the tar road, after the BSNL cell phone tower, you find the green gates of Jungle home (green building)
Balamurugan is a wildlife and nature lover visiting Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary in India; frequently with various experiences like trekking, bird watching, fishing on each visit.
Joining tours is still the best way to start a trip to get acquainted with a new place. It is also a great opportunity for you to take a break from driving as soon as you get to Detroit. The Detroit People Mover is a good start for you to discover the city's downtown area. The ride takes you to thirteen stops, including some of the popular attractions located downtown. Make the most of your time off the wheel by stopping at the Greektown, the Renaissance Center and the Joe Louis Arena, which are all accessible via the Detroit People Mover.
Music enthusiasts have a specific Detroit attraction in their itinerary for this summer road trip: the Motown Historical Museum. Motown Records is largest independent music label in the world that has produced big stars such as Stevie Wonder, the Jackson Five, Rare Earth and many more. Go back in history as you browse through the galleries of musical legends and visit the world-famous Studio A where numerous hits were recorded.
For those who are traveling with kids, there are lots of great attractions and activities in Detroit that you can check out. Drive yourselves just a few minutes from Detroit to Royal Oak and head to the Detroit Zoo, which offers kids (and adults) the chance to be face to face with both backyard and wild animals. The highlights of the zoo are the Penguin Aquarium and the Polar Bear Exhibit. Next, drive to East Grand River Avenue to have a little down time with the kids and enjoy an incredible and creative puppet show at the Detroit Puppet Theater (also known as PuppetART). For the months of July and August, the theater features the classic Sleeping Beauty "on stage". The Detroit Puppet Theater also hosts puppet-making workshops to both Detroit residents and visitors, and has exhibits of the most unique puppets created. The New Detroit Science Center is always a hit to the curious minds. It has an interesting way of introducing and/or educating science to children. The center's interactive exhibits, the theater and the planetarium will definitely make them ask questions with answers they will be eager to learn. Summer is Major League Baseball season, and there is a trip to the Commerica Park should definitely be included in your list of things to do in Detroit for this road trip. Join the Detroit crowd as they cheer on the Tigers. If there is no game scheduled during your visit, let the kids enjoy themselves with a carousel or a ferris wheel ride, or by running around the bases.
The Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival happens annually on Labor Day weekend. Celebrate it this year with thousands of other jazz fanatics at the Hart Plaza on August 29th until September 1st. Hundreds of artists perform during this musical event that lasts for four days. And it is certainly one of the best ways to conclude your Detroit summer road trip.
Both Balamurugan & David Reichman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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