Nilgiri Hills

As temperatures in other parts of India soared, you could lay in the midst of wild flowers in the green meadow, listening to the song of a mountain stream, washing down an avocado sandwich with icy cold spring water and watch jungle fowl pick their way stealthily into a forested thicket. You would be thinking how come even regular visitors to the former Victorian hill station of Ootacamund, or Ooty, are ignorant of the existence of this beautiful place that is under an hour’s drive away?

In a way Nilgiri Hills is good that they are ignorant. For, Nilgiri Hills is still possible to spend an entire day here without seeing a single tourist… But first thing, how do you get here?

Most Popular Place in Nilgri Hills :

The easiest and cheapest way is to catch the Shatabdi from Bangalore to Mysore, then hire a motorbike and drive up through the Bandipur and Mudamalai game parks to Masnagudi in the foothills. If you leave Bangalore after an early breakfast, you should be in Masnagudi by teatime. On the way up from Mysore, you might well observe jungle iri Gaur; popularly know as bison, without trying too hard. Do not stop and gawk at or take photographs of wild elephants. They are easily provoked and can hit high speeds in no time.

For nature lovers, one of the best places to base you for a trip into the mountains is Wild Haven in Nilgiri Hills, near Mavanahalla village in the foothills, a few kilometers beyond Masnagudi. You can hear all the sounds of the forest, and occasionally, even see wild animals from your verandah while sipping tea at Wild Haven in Nilgiri Hills. So remember to carry your binoculars.

At Fernhill Circle, pick the road to Emerald village. A picturesque patch-work quilt of step-cultivated fields will follow you up to the point where the backwaters of the Emerald reservoir appear. From here, drive up to Avalanchi reservoir – the entire region is painted blue by lakes created by damming the upper reaches of the Bhavani River for hydroelectric power – using the trout hatchery as a landmark.

At Avalanchi, it is well worth checking out the heritage forest guesthouse, which still has notices on its walls that tell you how and where stable your horses.

Avalanchi in Nilgiri Hills is worthwhile to break your journey here to have a picnic-lunch at the point where the trout hatchery stream meets the reservoir. Serious trekkers and anglers may be able to get permission to trek up from this point through undulating grasslands veined by rhododendron lined brooks to the Upper Bhavani reservoir. But they will have to prove their naturalist credentials, and Nilgiri Hills is likely to be tedious for the casual visitor.

How to reach :

BY AIR : Coimbatore and Bangalore are the nearest airports. It has daily regular flights.
BY RAIL : There is a daily Shatabdi from Bangalore to Mysore.
BY ROAD : Motorbikes and jeeps can be hired in Mysore. Drive up through Bandipur and Mudamalai game parks to Masnagudi in the foothills.