While planning our Bangalore to Ooty trip, there was no doubt about our mode of travel as this had to be a drive on the beautiful road connecting Bangalore and Ooty. We traveled as a group this time and we booked a private cab from a travel cab agency in Bangalore. If you are planning for a unique experience of a road trip from Bangalore, do consider driving on this amazing road to indulge in the beauty of the perfect amalgamation of nature and wildlife.
Even if you are not planning to go to Ooty, you can make a one-day plan of driving through this spectacular road via Bandipur National Park to somehow pacify the travel bug inside you, especially during the pandemic situation.
THE ROUTE
There are a few popular route options to reach Ooty from Bangalore, like Mysore-Masinagudi route, Kanakapura-Kollegal route and Salem-Coonoor route. After much consideration, we decided to choose Mysore-Masinagudi route as this would give us an opportunity to observe the Bandipur wildlife from close. The total distance is around 280-300 kms and it takes approximately 7-8 hours to reach Ooty.
THE JOURNEY
We started from Bangalore at 3AM in the morning only to avoid the nightmarish morning Bangalore traffic. We were all aglow with excitement as we were just about to experience something really unique. The initial part of the trip was as smooth as it could be. We reached Mysore in just about two and a half hours via Ramanagara, Channapatna and Srirangapatna. From Mysore, we drove towards Nanjangud-Gundlupete.
Somewhere before arriving Gundulpete, we stopped for a small coffee break in a roadside dhaba. The early morning weather was chilly. Standing by the side of the lonely highway and sipping hot coffee with the view of the sunrise was a visual treat both for the soul and the eyes. As we resumed our journey, our excitement level kept rising as we were about to enter Bandipur in another 30 minutes.
DRIVE THROUGH BANDIPUR NATIONAL PARK
The vegetation on either side of the road suddenly appeared denser and thicker. The moment we crossed the Bandipur Entry Checkpost, our search began, with all enthusiasm, to get a glimpse of our favourite animals. We saw a herd of Indian elephants busy having their all-green breakfast.
We also saw plenty of spotted deer, bison and peacocks on either side of the road. We’d like to be honest here; we were also hoping to see something unexpected and rare- like a tiger crossing the road or maybe resting on the branch of a tree. No, nothing like that happened and we know that was too much of an expectation.
Our car had to stop for some time in the middle of the forest road when a family of 4-5 elephants along with a baby elephant was crossing the road taking their own sweet time. They all looked so happy and relaxed!
Our journey through the tree-shaded Bandipur road was about to end after driving slowly for about an hour and then suddenly something really unexpected happened. We saw something like a black object moving slowly behind the trees, not too far from the main road and we asked our driver to slow down the car.
WILD BEARS SPOTTED
We looked carefully and guess what; it was a wild bear (we assumed it to be the mother bear) sitting with her baby on her side and busy eating on leaves and plants. What a huge surprise!! We decided to let them eat and relax in peace and left the place soon. Watch the video of the real life teddies here!
Cruising through the tree-lined curvy smooth NH766 along with such amazing natural setup was exactly what made our drive so remarkable and special.
DRIVE THROUGH MUDUMALAI
We left Bandipur National Park and then came the time to drive through another national park, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. This also marks the exit from Karnataka and entry into the state of Tamil Nadu. The drive through Mudumalai forest road was equally beautiful. After driving for 15 minutes, there came a point (Theppakadu) which divides the road into two ways- one towards Gudalur and the other towards Masinagudi.
DRIVE THROUGH MASINAGUDI
You can reach Ooty taking either of these roads. But we chose the road towards Masinagudi as it offers a unique driving experience with 36 sharp hairpin bends. The drive through the lush greenery with the view of the mountains and valleys made this stretch a really memorable one.
After crossing Masinagudi, we drove for another 40km to reach Ooty. This was not our final destination though. We had decided to stay at Coonoor instead which was little away from the noisy and crowded Ooty. It was another 30 minutes of ride from Ooty and we finally reached Coonoor to get ourselves soaked in the beauty of the Nilgiris for a few days.
FEW TIPS
1. The Karnataka government banned night traffic through the road passing through Bandipur National Park as it disturbs the wildlife. It is only open for vehicles from 6AM to 6PM. So while planning the trip, keep the timings in mind.
2. There were many incidents of animals in Bandipur National Park getting hit by speeding vehicles. So, drive slowly (30-40 kmph) while passing the Bandipur Forest road.
3. Do not stop very often during the drive and if you happen to see some animals getting close to the road, do not feed them. Not even peacocks or monkeys.
4. Follow all the guidelines related to COVID-19 and maintain social distance and good hygiene practices wherever you go.
Let us know in the comment section below if you liked our blog on our road journey from Bangalore to Ooty. If you have already been part of this amazing journey, share your experience in the comment section below. You can also contact us if you need any information regarding road trips from Bangalore or regarding trip to South India.
Find more travel experiences here. THANK YOU!
