The destination was Palaniappa tea estate, tucked in a remote corner of the Nilgiris. While most reviews on mouthshut.com are tilted on the negative side, it was a surprise to see almost every review praising the Palaniappa estate. So we thought we would check out this place over the Dasara holidays. Oct 14, 2010 The drive from Bangalore to Bandipur was a breeze, except for a small bad stretch between Nanjanagud and Hunsur. We were too early (11:30 AM) for the lunch buffet at the Pugmark restaurant. So we decided to move on and perhaps look for a lunch place at Masinagudi. My 9 year old son was excited at the prospect of seeing some wildlife as we drove through the Bandipur sanctaury. The cynic in me said, it would be foolish on the part of the wild animals to show up on the road, in front of speeding-honking vehicles. My cynicism prevailed. We reached Theppakadu, where the road forks out - the one towards the left goes to Ooty via Masinagudi and Sigur ghats (36 hair pin bends), while the one towards the right goes to Ooty via Gudulur on a longer but wider highway. As we took the left fork towards Masinagudi, we spotted our first wildlife - a lone Elephant by the Moyar river !  Lone tusker near Theppakadu We drove past the Masinagudi town and reached Bokkapuram, where all the resorts are located, hoping to find some fuel for our empty Stomachs. We went to Jungle retreat who refused to entertain us, informing us politely that a one hour advance booking was required. We cursed the lazy folks and moved on, to take on the hairpin bends on the Sigur ghats. After Kalhatti falls, we took a detour into a fine resort named Kluney Mystique Ville f or lunch. The food was excellent and the views from the resort was par excellence !   Looking towards the plains of Bandipur and beyond, from Kluney Mystique Ville resort Oct 15,16 2010 I have very little to write about Ooty, as it has only deteriorated further from what i had seen it, 20+ years back (on a bike trip during my college days). The hills surrounding Ooty have thankfully still retained their charm and beauty, as the pictures below would attest to. There are two ways to get to the Palaniappa estate: 1) From Ooty Ooty -> Lovedale -> Kaikatty -> Manjacombay -> Kollacombay -> Palaniappa estate 2) From Coono0r Coonoor -> Katteri -> Selas -> Kollacombay -> Palaniappa estate You won't find these routes either on any of the standard road atlas or Google maps. So don't waste your time looking for them. The best way is to confirm with the locals as you drive along. We took the route #1 from Ooty. Having used both the routes, i would say the first route from Ooty is way more scenic than the one from Coonor. On the Ooty-Coonor highway, take the right turn towards Lovedale. The drive from Lovedale to Kaikatty is straightforward. After Kaikatty, the route forks out, the left one leading to Manjacombay and the right one towards Kundah. We were misguided here and we took the right towards Kundah. Well, it wasn't a wasted drive after all. We visited a nice temple set amidst the sprawling Chamraj tea estates. We also savored some excellent lemon tea in one of the kiosk selling tea from Chamraj estates. After some tea shopping here, we retraced our way back to the junction and took the left fork towards Manjcombay. The entire drive from Lovedale to Palaniappa estate is a feast to the eyes. We travel trough lush green hills carpeted with tea gardens, with the Nilgiri hills in the backdrop. After Kollacombay we pass through the elegantly beautiful Craigmore tea estates. The topography gets more dramatic here. From Kollacomby there's a steep cliff dropping off into the lower Bhavani river which snakes in the valley below. Beyond the river is the plains towards Karamadai and Mettupalyam, with Coimbatore hiding behind a flank of the western ghats. It is after this flank that western ghats loses it's continuity near the Palakkad gap. To the west is the Silent valley in Kerala, where the Niligiri range ends. Bottomline, the Palaniappa estate lies in a very picturesque and dramatic location. We stayed for two days in the Mango Tree Bungalow in the Palaniappa estate. There are other cottages like Bison valley cottage and the Palaniappa bungalow. Settle for nothing other than Mango Tree bungalow, despite the persuasion from the property owners, who claim all the cottages are good. Mango tree bungalow enjoys a vantage view point which is at a higher elevation than the other cottages, offering a dramatic view of the tea estate, the plains below and the western ghats in the backdrop. The cottage is well maintained with a nice garden. The food is simple and good. We did absolutely nothing here - eat, laze in the garden, long walks in the estate and eat ! A perfect long weekend retreat ! I will let the pictures do the talking from here.  On the way from Lovedale towards Kaikatty  Hills draped with Tea estates  Kiosk selling Tea from Chamraj tea estate.   On the way to Kollacombay  Tea estates dotted with Silver Oak trees  Heart shaped cloud formation filling the valley  Craigmore tea estate   Palaniappa Tea Estate  Evening stroll through the Palaniappa estate  View from Palaniappa estate  Mango Tree Cottage, where we stayed at the Palaniappa estate  View from our Cottage - Coimbatore lies south of the hills in the background.  It can't get more lush than this.  Tea pickers ?  View at the dawn, from our cottage |
