Travel to Mudumalai National park:
Tired of the busy work schedule, I and my few friends planned to go on a short trip. But working in the same office proved to be a disadvantage, as all of us couldn’t plan a vacation together. So, when a national holiday happened to be on a Saturday, we all jumped in joy. Now, we had two days together. After a lot of research and discussion, we planned to go to a place surrounded by nature and one which was a bit adventurous too. We all had been to Ooty but not to Mudumalai National park. So, we decided to spend our weekend, relaxing in the lap of wilderness.
We all planned to get a car on rent in Coimbatore with an experienced driver, as there were many hairpin bends on the way and none of us was experienced enough to drive on that route. Also, we all were young and planned to enjoy the trip fully without the strain of driving. The Coimbatore to Ooty Taxi fare is quite reasonable, so booking a cab was the best option. After a bit of online research, we found an appropriate company. After a quick message to them, we received a callback. Their support executive took all the details and suggested the package. Impressed by their package and service, we finalised the cab and waited for the weekend.
Overview and daily activities:
Our driver arrived promptly at three in the morning as decided. We all settled in a neat and clean car. The driver helped us in handling our luggage. He again confirmed us the route he would be taking. We had decided to take the route via Kotagiri as it was more scenic and we all wanted to enjoy the sunrise. Early morning views of the mountain and green Nilgiri hills were breathtaking. We stopped at many points to admire the natural serenity and to take pictures. Still, our driver made sure we reached the Mudumalai national park on the pre-decided time. We were impressed by his skilled driving on the tricky roads.
We took the tickets for the safari and went straight for it. The safari was amazing with sightings of various animals like Bengal tiger, elephants, gaur, leopards, etc. as the safari was for two hours, so after that, we proceeded to our forest lodge, which we had booked earlier. After some breakfast and rest, we roamed a bit and again proceded to Mudumalai national park for the second round of sightseeing but this was for some birdwatching. Again, the experience was marvellous, with the park having almost 227 species of birds. Though we could not know most of them, the experience of being in the wild, among so much fauna and flora was exhilarating. We headed back to our lodge in the evening and then relaxed and enjoyed the campfire organised by the lodge to give the real feel of the jungle. We stayed up till late night enjoying the feel of wilderness and sounds from the jungle. The experience was soothing and relaxing.
Next day, we started early and went to the Mudumalai National park to take the elephant safari. It was a short excursion, but seeing the jungle from the back of an elephant was an experience in itself. Then we went to the nearby village to see village life. In the afternoon, we all went to the nearby waterfalls. The humid afternoon and cool waterfall combination were very soothing. After a long soak and play in the water, we returned to our lodge. There, we had some snacks and returned to Coimbatore. This time enjoying the evening scenic views of the hills. The sunset was as mesmerising as the sunrise. Finally, we were safely dropped back to our home, feeling rejuvenated for our work the next day.
How to reach Ooty from Coimbatore:
Their many taxi services in Coimbatore, from which a person can book a cab online or offline to Ooty. Passengers should ensure that the service provider is able to provide on-time pick-up and drop facility at their doorstep. The drivers are trained to provide all the accurate and timely information to the passengers and also ensure the passengers are comfortable throughout the journey and are safely back.
Distance and time taken:
If one plans on booking a cab to Ooty, then depending on where one starts, the distance and time will vary. From Coimbatore, the distance is approximately 87 kilometres and roughly takes two and a half hours.
