A Date with the Wild - Masinagudi

 

Wedding Anniversary amidst untamed bamboo groves set in 5 ½ acres of nature’s own backyard in the shade of the Nilgiris with the mercury playing a willing cupid with cool environs…can one ask for more? Nope! It was all we hoped for and more, what with good friends to give us  company, the holiday was a tad extra special.

The start at 6am after we picked up Roopa and Venky, was a smooth, slightly brrrr drive up to Kadamba where we stopped for some hot breakfast and hotter coffee! Then we moved on, with a grey, cold sky enveloping us in a loving hug which was romantic to me…or was it just my mood?!!

Day 1 – 26^th Jan 2012

We practically cruised gently into Masinagudi by noon, as that was the check in time at Zest Casa Deep Woods. It’s an exotic locale situated a few kilometers before Ooty, on the Karnataka - Tamil Nadu Border. Masinagudi is a beautiful place on the foothills of Nilgiris just after the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka. A subtropical nature reserve with natural teak and sandalwood forests, home to the Indian Tiger and Asiatic Elephant in the heart of the great Nilgiris biosphere - the largest green belt in South East Asia. The place is lush green for most of the year, peaceful and adventurous at the same time with a lot of trekking and hiking options available for one and all. Unfortunately, January is the time when the deciduous trees shed their leaves and we had a brown and dry forest drive. Sigh…very disappointing yet we accepted it as another facet of nature. But, the crowded Bangalore roads were traded in for the empty village paths. The polluted air of the city was suddenly replaced by fresh clean air of the hills. Not only was the transformation relieving but it also calmed our mind and senses.

On the border of Tamil Nadu as we were about to reach the foothills of Nilgiris, we were warmly welcomed by the Monkeys who jumped all around our car treating us as visitors on their land. A cuppa with the primates for company taught us how resilient they had become to humans. Moving on, the noise of the city was replaced by the sweet chirping of the birds. We did see a lot of black faced macaque and deer on the way in.
Casa Deep Woods takes great pride in being a luxurious, eco-friendly Getaway with 20 Cottages. Since we were 2 couples, we had booked a 2 bedroom cottage which overlooked a gurgling stream ostensibly, but thanks to the time of the year, we had a small path of water snaking its way, through bamboo groves which are thick all around. This stark beauty is magnificent in its own way.Lovely resort with a great staff, who take the trouble to serve with a smile.
After having freshened up, and having had a good buffet lunch, we had a super siesta. Woke up, had some refreshing coffee seated on the balcony and then decided to take a stroll. The simplicity, warmth and the ambience of the place was such that it took away all our tiredness and filled us with a sense of joy and peace. We visited a temple close by and watched the locals preparing a feast for the night. We returned to the resort, sat down amidst the swaying trees and chatted till we went back to the room to freshen up for dinner. Post dinner, we settled down to a quiet evening of chit-chat while listening to some mellifluous ghazals by various artistes. The lack of TV bothered none of us. By 11pm, we were ready to call it a night.


Day 2 – 27^th January 2012
Morning had never looked as beautiful as it looked in Masinagudi. For a change we woke up to the chirping of the birds. The Sun filtering through the clouds as the cool breeze was still blowing softly making the trees and shrubs get their course of morning exercise. They all seemed to sway and shake gently with the wind. The calm and serene atmosphere was so soothing that we could feel as though we were flying with the birds around us. While the three of them went for a walk, I walked within the resort. They apparently caught sight of a peacock which joined on their walk too.
After a hearty breakfast and wishes and gifts from Ranga and Roopa for our anniversary all around, we decided a drive up to Kerala was warranted as we were missing the green cover and that is exactly what we got when we left at 10am for Sulthan Bathery. The drive was fabulous and we attempted a trip to Edakkal Caves as Roopa and Venkatesh had not been there, but the number of tourists and the long line of people waiting to buy tickets etc. put us off and we decided that we had got what we wanted – a long leisurely drive through winding ghats amidst lush green trees, and so decided to grab a bite and get back. We stopped at a shop and I bought Ranga a beautiful brass statue of ‘Nandi’ which he had been searching for a long time. We had lunch at Restaurant Prince, Sulthan Bathery, a typical Kerala meal and returned to the resort by 4pm, enjoying en route some wonderful fauna – lots of elephants at Theppakadu, a kingfisher, some deer, a baby elephant being protected by the adults – all sights which gladdened the heart.

On our return, we had some coffee and settled down to watch a movie “Mumbai Meri Jaan” while Ranga dozed off his 200+ kms drive through the ghats, and Roopa had a head and neck massage (each to their own!) After the movie, we had dinner, cut the anniversary cake and everyone joined in the celebrations. Feeling a happy glow, we went back to the cottage, chatted till late into the night, chilled and relaxed.


Day 3 – 28^th Jan 2012
After a good breakfast, we checked out and started our drive back. At Mysore, we stopped at Roopa’s parents' place for a lovely lunch made and served with a lot of love, and started back to Bangalore and realized we had reached without noticing it as we had talked non-stop all the way back, so much so that my throat packed up!!! So, after a brief stop for coffee to soothe my overworked vocal chords, we dropped Roopa and Venkatesh off and reached home by 4.30pm.
Our two nights stay in the lap of Mother Nature brought us closer to our roots and helped us soothe our frayed nerves and returning to the hectic city life that we lived in each day. Looking forward to our next trip already…