South India
My recent trip to south of India was good.
Instead of taking any tour,we decided our own route of Banglore-Mysore-Ooty-Kodaikanal and then Munnar and to depart from Cochin to our hometown Mumbai.Believe me, it is adventurous and much cheaper than taking a guided tour !!
Caution : If you are not taking a guided tour,I suggest you to book hotels through internet well in advance.
To reach Banglore:
By air:There are direct flights to Bangalore from most national and international destinations.
By rail:Trains to Bangalore from Mumbai 6339 DN Mumbai/Nagarcoil express .
By road:The Inter State Bus Terminus of Bangalore is located near the railway station.
In Bangalore city
The trip was made in the month of May . As planned,we landed at Banglore airport at around noon and took prepaid airport taxi.The cost of pre-paid taxi is around Rs.200 (INR).The mercury was rising but what the heck we had already decided to travel in tha seaon! As we passed through the streets,I observed that Banglore has evolved into a big commercial city like Mumbai .So people coming from Mumbai and similar metros wouldn't find it different.We requested the taxi driver who fluently spoke English to dropped us in front of Vidhan Soudha.
We did ask him what were near by places to see .We clicked a few photos of the Vidhan Soudha. It was almost past 2 PM and it was very hot. We decided to have lunch and rush to Mysore.
Remember:
1.The cheapest way to travel around is to use public transport i.e Bus. It is also easiest especially if you are not in the mood to bargain with the autorickshaws.
There is a K.R circle bus depot ,in the heart of Bangalore city, from where the buses depart every half hour to Mysore.
Mysore is the place to be.If you want to get enchanted by the palaces.Mysore is aptly called the "Sandalwood City".If possible,stay in a hotel near by to the palace ,this will be good for all those who want to see palace in the morning and in the evening when it is illuminated and if you are lucky enough to be there on a Sunday or on festival days.We had the opportunity to see palace lit up as it was Sunday .Also there are good restaurants around where you can dine in the evening.The best buy here is sandalwood items which are some of things that you should not forget to buy from Mysore.Lot of wooden articles something that you want to take it as momento or gifts back home. Again we opted for local buses which are clean and cheap transport available for visiting places around Mysore. Best time to visit Mysore is during Daserra (an indian festival ) when there is huge procession of king in his golden chariot.
In the morning we went to
a.Nandi hills then we went to
b. St. Philomena's Church
c.Zoological Gardens
d. Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery.
Reaching Brindavan Gardens took lot of our time,but it was worth visiting .The musical fountains are must see.In the evening we were back and went to see the all lit up palace.
Next day we moved to Ooty where we reached in the evening.On our way we went through Bandipur jungle where the infamous dacoit Veerappan used to hide.
There is a regular bus service from Mysore (170 km).
Towards Ooty :We were heading towards the top of the mountain and coming closer towards clouds.The picturesque view was a treat to the eyes — among the clouds lay beautiful valleys; trees such us huge conifers, eucalyptus were visible throughout the journey. The weather in Ooty was cool but climate is unpredictable in Ooty.It might be raining at one time and sun shining at other time.
You would come across lot of tea and coffee plantations .We went to the Ooty lake where we did boating and enjoyed the scenic beauty.You can also go for horse riding.We ate never forgettable Pizzas. From Ooty you can opt for Coonoor by toytrain to see the scenic beauty You can do your mouth watering shopping of homemade chocolates, marsh mallows and chocolate tea from Charing Cross.
People who would care for spices ,eucalyptus oil and honey can also buy from here.We didnot had much time or else we wanted to see much-famed rose gardens in Ooty.
Fixed prices for standard tourist sights are listed at Charing Cross taxi stand.Ooty has taxis, three-wheeler scooter rickshaws, local buses, and during the season, guided tours to take you around the city.
We had booked a bus directly from our hotel in Ooty to Kodai.
Next day we left for Kodaikanal. It is one of the most popular serene hill stations in India,which mesmerises any visitor.Dont forget to check out " The pride of Kodaikanal is the 'Kurinji-flower',which blossoms once in 12 years".The weather was pleasant and we stayed near Coaker's Walk.From here we got a telescopic view of Kodai.This is a good place to stay for more than 2 days as it has got a pleasant climate.There are lot of activites that can be done.you can go for one day forest trail or spend time riding a bicycle,boating or horseriding.We had taken a one day tour which covered most of the places in Kodiakanal along with one hour forest trail. After 3 days stay we left for Cochin as we had extended our stay at Kodai, we had to leave the option of visiting Munnar which we planned for next visit. We took a flight home from Cochin.
Places to visit in Banglore:
The Vidhan Soudha ,Cubbon Park,The Bangalore Museums,Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens,Tipu Sultan's Fort and Palace.
At Mysore :Mysore Zoo & Maharaja Palace, Brindavan Gardens ,Nandi hills, St. Philomena's Church ,Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery.
At Ooty:Bandipur & Madhumalai Forest ,'Dodabeta Peak" which is highest peak In Nllgiri range,Botonical gardens,Ooty lake ,Coonoor.
At Kodaikanal: Silver Cascade Water Falls,Cocker's walk , Bryan's Park,Kodai Lake .
Best time to visit:September to March.
posted by sweetiepie @ 9:47 PM
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