This was a weekend trip in May. We visited Ooty earlier and didn’t like it. I was not expecting much from Kotagiri either, but it came out to be a beautiful place.
Route
Bangalore -> Mysore -> Bandipur -> Gudalur -> Ooty -> Kotagiri -> Kodanad
This route was much longer than the suggested one by Google Maps, but knowingly we went through to enjoy the jangle and in the hope of seeing some wildlife. While going, it was already 9:30 am by the time we reached the entrance of Bandipur, and the weather was also hot. But while coming back, we entered Mudumalai at around 6 pm, and the weather was cold and rainy too. We were lucky to see a family of wild elephants, a group of bison, hundreds of dears, a big group of boar, and many peacocks. This was more than what we had earlier seen on the Bandipur safari.
We went through Gudalur as the road through Masinagudi is not in good condition and of high gradient. On the road from Gudalur to Ooty, we stopped at multiple places to enjoy the scenic beauty.
The most tedious part was crossing Ooty. We lost multiple hours waiting in traffic in and around Ooty. The road from Ooty to Kotagiri was in good condition, and from there to Kodanad was fantastic.
Stay
We booked the Paradise Peak Cottage, which was 18 km from Kotagiri, and just before the Kodanad viewpoint. We got the corner room with a view of the wavy tea garden. The night view was even more surprising. We observed multiple comets in the super clear sky and traces of the Milkyway. We saw a nilgai with our searchlight and a porcupine couple, whom we ended up disturbing unintentionally.
The service and food at the hotel were also good, though the parking was tricky.
Places to visit
The plan was to relax in a secluded place, so was no plan to visit anywhere else. Though, the Kodanad viewpoint was within walkable distance, so we went to spend the evening there.
Kodanad View Point: The view was nice, and during the sunset, it became fantastic, but like any other place around Ooty, it was heavily crowded.
Pykara Lake: On the way back home, we visited here. The rule here is that you have to book the whole boat for boating. Fortunately, we got another family to share a normal boat. The boat takes you for at max 20 minutes. It was a nice experience.
Coming out of the Ooty area was like a chakravyuha. We were getting redirected at every major junction, as if we were driving in West Bengal during Durga Puja. In any case, the trip was worth the effort.
Trip Writer 