Travel to India: Ooty & Mysore Extension (Southern India)

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Ooty & Mysore Extension (Southern India)

			DAYS: 6 GRADE: I define PRICE: From $1050 per person HIGHLIGHTS: British Raj Hill Station Mysore; sandalwood capital of India Nadi Bull Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary Tea Plantations Bangalore ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

From the spectacular tranquility of Mysore to the atmospheric time capsule of the elegant British colonial Hill Station of Ooty where the game of Snooker was first invented; no traveler will return home from South India unmoved. Whether it is modern Bangalore, home to India's thriving high-tech industry, or wild elephants crossing the road as we drive through Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, perhaps a tribal encounter in the Nilgiri Hills or exploring the Devaraja Market and viewing the Nandi Bull in Mysore, Southern India's magic gets under one's skin. Our adventure offers the traveler one of the most refined cultures on earth, and for those who enjoy history, opulent palaces and architecture, wildlife, culture and wonderful people, this journey is truly an experience of a lifetime.

DAY 1 :  OOTY
Departing the Of Temples and Spice Itinerary on day 10 (from Thekkady), we drive north into the Nilgiri Hills to visit the most famous of southern India's British Raj hill stations, Ootacamund (2268m). Hill stations became a bastion of English colonial life in India. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the appalling western mortality rate during India's hot summer months forced the British to search out climates where they stood a chance of survival. For the British Soldier, heat and disease during Indian summer garrison duties on the plains consistently carried off 30% or more. Otherwise known as 'Snooty Ooty' for its snobbish officer class, the British were not always the elitists such nicknames suggest. Prior to the 1830s the British administrators in India tended to be worldly and adaptable, often spoke several local languages, wed local women and readily adopted local customs. But the explosion of evangelical Christianity in Britain in the early 19th century and the arrival of British missionaries in India changed British India forever. Inevitably, the narrow prejudice of evangelicalism increased racial and religious tensions and produced the illusion of English superiority amongst the British. In doing so, British evangelicalism destroyed the respect Britons traditionally received from the Indians, a respect upon which British rule had been built and which the Biritish had earned for their broadmindedness and worldiness. This disintegration of mutual respect eventually resulted in the brutal Sepoy Rebellion of 1857; the beginning of the end of British colonial rule. On a lighter note, it was on the flat-slate tables of Ooty's exclusively British club that the game of snooker was first conceived, and controversially accredited to the young Joseph Chamberlain. Ooty has several Rose Cottages which would not be out of place in Surrey or Kent. On arrival we check into our hotel and partake of our included evening meal. Overnight Hotel Sullivan Court or similar. [BD]

DAY 2 :  OOTY
Ooty became British after the British East India Company's army defeated Tipu Sultan, the last and most successful opponent to company rule, in 1799 ACE at the battle of Srirangapatnam. The young Duke of Wellington, later to defeat Napolean at Waterloo, earned his spurs here, helping capture Tipu Sultan's (now ruined) capital, located close to Mysore. In the early 1800s, John Sullivan developed Ooty as a hill station and promoted it as an ideal summer retreat to escape the heat of the plains. Cottages, clubs and other buildings were constructed to house and provide recreational facilities for British officials. Soon the hill station was growing tea for its inhabitants, who, due to the trade with China and the fashions it was encouraging, now considered high tea to be an integral part of their day. Today these tea estates not only produce the favorite drink of millions but add to the charm and the beauty of Ooty. We spend the morning on a brief orientation tour, driving past the 22 hectare Government Botanical Gardens laid out in 1847; the 2.5 km long Ooty Lake built in 1825, a popular spot for boating and fishing, and the Dodabetta Peak (2,623m), the highest point in the district and just 10km from the town center. Returning to the hotel for lunch (included), the afternoon is at leisure to row the lake, visit the race track or walk lanes named after long dead British political figures. Interspersing the rows of quaint English cottages are colonial churches with graveyards tragically over-populated by the very young; the children, young women and men who succumbed in droves to Indian diseases against which Britons, fresh of the boat, had little resistance. Overnight Hotel Sullivan Court or similar. [BLD]

DAY 3 :   MYSORE
This morning we depart Ooty, descend from the hills onto the Karnatic plains, and drive to the beautifull city of Mysore. Our route takes us first through a region of tea plantations and then through the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, 67kms from Ooty. The Sanctuary boasts rich flora and fauna and is home to many endangered species. Though tigers and leopards are seen only by the fortunate few, elephants, giant squirrels, sambhar, chital, barking deer and flying squirrels are more common, and occaisional herds of wild elephant may stop our vehicle as they cross the road. The Sanctuary is also a great place to see birds, including colorful parakeets, black woodpecker, Malabar trogon and crested hawk eagles. We drive between lines of huge Banyan trees as we cross into Karnatica State. Taking lunch en route (included), we arrive in Mysore during the afternoon and check into our hotel. Overnight Hotel Ragaalis Mysore or similar. [BLD]

DAY 4 :  MYSORE
We spend the day immersed in the lingering aroma of sandalwood, jasmine & frangipani in the beautiful and tranquil city of Mysore. We tour the great Maharajas Palace, one of the most opulent and impressive buildings in India, the Hindu temple on Chamundi Hill with its beautifully carved pyramid-shaped Gopurams rising into the huge turquoise sky, and a statue of Shiva's transport - the huge black Nandi Bull. Taking lunch during the tour (included), we return to the hotel late afternoon. Overnight Hotel Regaalis Mysore or similar. [BLD]

DAY 5 :  BANGALORE
This morning we transfer to the railway station and take the day train to Bangalore. Today Bangalore is one of India's most pleasant cities. The emerging hi tech. industry and a vibrant interest in regional politics have produced southern India's fastest growing metropolis, which has the reputation of being the "yuppie" city of India. One interesting historical parallel is that a new form of cantonment is emerging. A contonment is the settlements the evangelical British constructed after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 to separate them from the local Indians. Today, walled cities for hi tech industry employees are being constructed in the same manner on the edge of Bangalore and other cities.  Overnight Hotel Park or similar. [B]

DAY 6 :  DEPARTURE
Morning transfer to the airport for international flights home. [B]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Adrian Chalker 1(800)345-4453 C o n t a c t Nilu Jenks 1(800)345-4453