Bangalore To Ooty By Road

Travelling from Bangalore to Ooty needs great  driving skills, since these are Ghat roads, but once you reach Ooty it is  worth the drive. The journey from Bangalore  to Ooty, is a 9 hour drive, without taking a break,except for taking meals.

Ooty is 284 kilometers, from Bangalore city. One can get good restaurants between Bangalore and Mysore, but from Mysore to Ooty one should stock their car with home food, because on this stretch there are no hotels at all. So while starting from home equip yourself with food, and check out the car that it is in good condition.

While driving from Bangalore to Ooty there are two routes. The 1st route is as follows – Bangalore – Mysore – Nanjangudu – Gundlupet – Bandipur – Mudumalai – Masinagudi – Kalhatti – Ooty.

The stretch between Masinagudi to Ooty is a steep mountain drive and there are 36 hairpin bends on this stretch. One has to negotiate the car with caution. The 2nd route to take to Ooty would be – Bandipur – Gudalur- Naduvattam – Pykara – Ooty.

On this route the road conditions are average, and not steep roads, but one has to cover an additional 40 kilometers to reach Ooty. One can take option one, while going to Ooty and option two, while coming down from Ooty. The roads through the Bandipur forest are good, but the stretch from Gudalpet to Gudalore is riddled with pot holes.

There are some good resorts at Masinagudi, so you can take a break in your journey and halt there for the night. You can visit the "Bandipur Wild life park",on your way to Ooty. Ooty is a short name for Ootacamund,and this place is a popular hill resort in the state of Tamil Nadu. Ooty stands at 7,347 feet above sea level and is in the Nilgiri mountain range. Ooty was founded in the 19th century by the British and served as the summer residency of the erstwhile Madras Presidency.

Ooty is famous for its chocolates, Tea, Spices and Cottage Cheese. So while driving back home, do not forget to take back some of these items for your loved ones.

Tourist spots in Ooty

Ooty Botanical Gardens - These gardens were laid out in 1847, and cover an area of 22 hectares. There are over 650 species of plants and trees, planted in this garden. A Summer festival is held annually ,during the month of  May. During this festival, they conduct flower shows and host a variety of cultural programs.

Annamalai Temple - This temple is 20 kilometers away from Ooty and is a famous temple of Lord Muruga.

Kalhatty and Pykara Falls – Kalhatty falls are 15 kilometers away from Ooty and are lovely waterfalls. At Pykara falls one can enjoy boating out here.

Pine Forest – This is a great scenic spot and many Bolly- wood films and other regional films are shot in this place.

Doddabeta Viewpoint – This is the highest viewpoint in Ooty, and many people flock here just to get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding country side.

Hotels and Resorts

There are many good places to stay at Ooty. Ooty has got 5 star hotels as well as budget hotels. To name a few -  Sterling Fernhill hotel has got 35 rooms and the room rate is Rs 3,600/- per day. Hotel Silver Oak on Ettines road is also good. Here the room rate is  Rs1,500/- per day. Hotel Maneck at Main Bazaar has a room rate of Rs 926/- per day.

One can visit Ooty through out the year, but it takes some planning to go to Ooty. So next time you want to chill out, then Ooty is the best place to visit.