Bangalore-Mysor-Ooty...then where?

We will be landing in Bangalore feb 10th then heading to Mysore for a couple of days then on to Ooty, i would eventually like to go to Gokana but need a little advice on where to stop in between. We are 5 travelling 3 adults and 2 children and decided on Ooty as there seems to be more for children to do and would love the beach experience of Gokana but it seems quite a long way for children to do in one go so some help on where to stop in between would be great. We are in India for 17 nights. Paula

From Ooty, You could try out visiting the "Wayanad District" of Kerala for Best Scenery !. From ooty, Kalpetta [ Wayanad District Headquarters] will be 3 1/2 Hours by car and you could plan out around 2 to 3 Nights in Kalpetta as such !.

Once done, you could get a Cab to Calicut and board any of the direct Trains to Gokarna Road Railway Station / Kumta which is just an overnight journey [Around 8 hours travelling time] from where Gokarna is very near !.

There are quite a few Nice Beaches Enroute from Calicut to Gokarna but trying out by road might be too sternous with Kids !..


Hope this helps !
Velu

Thanks for that Velu, we actually went to Wayanard last year and loved it, but this is the sort of thing we were thinking of, are there any other places we can do a bit of wildlife spotting as we would like to try somewhere new. Also do you know if there are any MPV cabs as there are 5 of us so we can fit in one cab. I see you are in mysore would you reccomonend getting a cab or buses over to ooty, i thought if we had a cab there may be places of interest we can stop at along the way, also it may be a cheaper option as there are 5 of us. Thanks Paula

@Piccola,

If you already visited Wayanad,

As you are interested in Wildlife :-

1) You could add Bandipur WLS or Mudumalai WLS Or Theppakadu Elephant camp [Which is just on the Mysore -Ooty Highway]

2)Or You could add Nagarahole NP + Iruppu Falls and a night stay over here

If you are fond of Uncrowded beaches and a Coastal Kerala OR Coastal Karnataka experience :-

1) You could Add Kannur + Bekal Fort

2) Or you could add Malpe Beach + Maravanthe Beach [ Both between Mangalore to Gokarna]

I did shared some info on Kannur,Nagarahole, Iruppu Falls here at Indiamike ..You could browse for the info.

And Lastly For Mysore to Ooty ,you could use www.ksrtc.in for bus timings [ Apart from this karnataka government buses, you have tamilnadu government buses too for which we do not have online timetable].. And I do not have experience with Rental Car / MPVs.. Sorry about that & I think with young kids and to enjoy the enroute scenery and also to stop at Bandipur WLS Or Mudumalai WLS, CAB is the best bet !.. May be some other Imer will pitch in with the rental car info !!..

If you need more info, Please post !

Velu

Rather than Malpe or Marvanthe, try Turtle Bay Resort further north - cleaner and more peaceful.

Gokarna is awesome - good idea to go there.

Gouthami

I certainly second the suggestion of Mudumalai on route. Very enjoyable place though chances of seeing wildlife apart from Deer, Elephant and Bison are becoming rare. I once saw a Tiger there off the back of an Elephant! Magical!

Basically, Bandipur and Mudumalai are the same area but straddle two sides of the Karnataka/Tamilnadu border. Theppakadu is actually a settlement inside Mudumulai Wild Life Sanctuary and it is where the visitor centre is located. They do an Elephant Puja which is followed by elephant feeding every evening around 5PM. Kids always love that, especially as they usually get a chance to feed the baby elephants directly.

You can also organise early morning and evening elephant rides into the forests for wildlife spotting though unfortunately these unfortunately have to be booked in Ooty. Failing that you can do the organised Safari ride (in a bus) where you often actually see more animals.

If you want to overnight there you could try http://www.jungleretreat.com. This is a nice chilled out jungly sort of place that does camp fires and BBQ's. It's either that place or the place next door which Goldie Hawn has stayed. I always forget. I definately recommend spending a night in the sanctuary area as your best chances of seeing wildlife are early morning so get something early organised! Also, being at a lower altitude than Ooty, it is much warmer (though still cool) and pleasant to sleep. You will probably find Ooty quite cold! Either way, definately schedule it so that your trip up to Ooty is during daylight as these are stunning mountain roads with lots to see and amazing views!

If going from Mysore to Ooty by vehicle you will pass through Bandipur first and then Theppakadu (in Mudumulai). If you are in a taxi, note that there is a major route short cut from Theppakadu to Ooty up the Kalhatti Ghat road (also known as the Sigur Ghat Road). You will save yourself hours and the route is also pretty (though the other main road is also nice). The Kalhatti road is too steep for heavy traffic so the long distance busses and trucks have to go on the other route via Gudulur.

As you are 5 people , you will have little difficulty organizing the right taxi/MPV. No doubt you will be recommended a Qualis or Sumo especially if you have luggage. These will have no difficulty on either of the 2 routes I have mentioned.

I would also recommending some time in Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri. If you're into walking/hiking, you will enjoy it a lot more. All the town centres are busy, dirty and have lost their original charm (ooty is still OK) but getting out of town and into the countryside in good weather is amazing! Walks around the Tea estates near Coonoor are especially nice. There are many day trips you could do such as walking back to Coonoor from Lambs rock view point or the walk out to the Droog (a ruined hill fortress with an amazing view). For that you need to catch a bus from Coonoor bus stand towards Nonsuch estate and Pakkasuran view point. Also Kodanad View point near Kotagiri is well worth a detour. Best views of the the Nilgiris by far! Just try and get off the main tourist loop.

Good luck!