Ooty-kodai, Two Beautiful Hill Maidens

Two heavenly abodes 280 km apart; that’s Ooty and Kodaikanal. Nestled snugly in the Nilgiri biosphere of Indian State Tamil Nadu, these two hill stations are hideouts for the value travellers. By the by, Nilgiri means blue hills, and it is indeed blue hills that gets into your system and soothes like Mom’s hand.
When you long for a lot of mist, breeze, cool greenery, vistas of grass-carpeted slops, crystal clear lakes, and above all no crowd, Ooty-Kodaikanal are indicated. Both or either could be a good bet, be it unwinding or honeymooning. Not for nothing is Ooty’s called the Queen of Hill Stations in India. It is a land of picturesque picnic spots, something of a postcard presentation. Used to be favorite haunting grounds of the royalty and rulers it is visited by the conscious vacationers and tourists who can appreciate Nature’s mesmerised handiwork when they see one.Ooty is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level. Thrilling is the word for the mountain rail journey on a ratchet and pinion track which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam, and wends its way through many hair-pin curves and fearful tunnels and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams and tea gardens. As you enjoy the other-worldly ride you will espy the change in tone and tenor of vegetation, from purple at Kallar to blue in Coonoor. Numerous tea estates along have given it a trim, neat look and is Ooty’s USP. Lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands and miles and miles of tea gardens greet the passengers on most routes. The annual Tea and Tourism Festival attracts multitudes. From here one could take a cab ride to Kodai, an eight-hour pleasant journey.Kodaikanal or Kodai as it's better known, is a quiet hill station at an altitude of 2,300 m, on the southern ridge of the Palani hills in Tamil Nadu. Kodaikanal means 'the gift of the forest'. The hilly retreat was established by American missionaries around 1845 in order to escape from the steamy weather of the plains. The star-shaped Kodai Lake is the centre of attraction in Kodaikanal. If you are with your new-found love you could simply drink in the mountain scene and savor the changing canvas of the sky while roaming about or lying side-by-side. Or in the mood, you can go for a short trek to the nearby areas like bear Shola Falls, Dolphin Nose. Better still, you can hire a bicycle and take a round around Kodai Lake. It is fund and healthy. Kodai is at its best in month of April & May though any time is good time for Kodai. Anyway you look at, it is a win-win bet.