Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Ooty

Three and a half hours south of Mysore is Mavanalla and The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, located in the state of Tamil Nadu.  If you are into safaris and wildlife, exploring the lush environs of tea country in Ooty and the surrounding areas, and driving adventurously on 36 hairpin turns, go here, you won’t be disappointed! 
 
I visited in September and was told there had been rain issues, so the landscape I saw was arid and desert-like, with peasant temperatures in the mid to high 80’s during the day which dropped to the low 70’s in the evenings.  We had a few showers as well in the late afternoons that cooled things off. 

​This current travel stint of mine was spontaneous and necessary, but not something I had planned at all, so in the interest of saving as much money as I can, I’ve been cutting corners wherever possible. Instead of compromising my safety by trimming transportation, I have been tapping into Couchsurfing to a.) save on lodging, and b.) make friends along the way. It’s a site that allows registered members all over the world to stay with one another.  This was my first Couchsurfing experience, and my host John, who lives within the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, couldn’t have been a better choice.
 
After picking me up in Mysore, John and I left for Mavanalla. We learned the next day that they had shut the borders between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, so we were lucky. Ongoing water disputes make this an annual situation and the violent bandh that ensues is a days-long pain in the ass for tourists and residents alike hoping to leave or enter either state.This year it has been particularly volatile. If you’re planning to visit during this time of year, I’d give a look into the local situation first. 

​I stayed in Mavanalla for a week, and I think that this was a perfect amount of time given the variety of things to do in the area. If you need some recommendations, here’s what I’ve got after my time there:

• Check out Jungle Retreat – they have a sprawling property with bungalows and tree houses for rent at varied price points. It’s on the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The friendly staff is knowledgeable about the wildlife in the area and can organize safaris.
• If you drive yourself, rent a 4-wheel drive. I'd suggest to only drive yourself ONLY if you have a license to do so AND have experience on difficult mountain roads. Do not attempt them if you don’t have experience on similar ones. I saw lots of motorists pulled over with burned out brakes and more busted guardrails (which lead straight down to sudden death) than I would like to have seen. 
  
• Go on a sunset safari and see if you can spot some big animals…bring a sweater or a blanket, it gets cold quickly after sundown! Contact Jungle Retreat or another resort in the area.​

• Take a drive into Ooty and the surrounding areas. We did a loop one day through Ooty, Glen Morgan, and Pykara, stopping for lots of photos. The terrain and the weather changes drastically with the elevation. There was arid desert, cool cedar forests with giant trees, thick jungle, grassy fields with rivers, a forest of blue gum trees, one of eucalyptus, patches of giant bamboo, and more. You have to be there to see it; it’s like a dream. 
• Go have lunch at the Venus Hotel in Gudalor. Totally unimpressive-looking place but the food was great. I had butter chicken, which was NOTHING like any butter chicken I’ve ever had before.  The tastes of anise, coriander seed, cinnamon (?), and other warming spices combined with the chilly temps in the higher elevations made me feel almost as if I were in the US during the autumn.  Pro Tip: take your own toilet paper, there wasn’t any in the bathroom. 
• Have a 1 or 2-night stay in Coonoor or Kotagiri and take lots of pictures. I drove through this area of Ooty on my way to Coimbatore, and I wish I had known how magical it was before I got there. In fact, it is so beautiful that it actually made me a little teary-eyed.
• Bring a sweater…and sun screen!