3 familes & 3 cars go to Ooty: Monsoon, chaotic stay & an amazing drive

For the first time ever, all three families decided to hit the road together, staying at the same resort, travelling in a 3-car convoy.

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Amazing Ooty || 3 Families in Alcazar. Safari. Virtus -One stunning Drive – Weather, Monsoon Clouds, a Chaotic Stay & an Equally Amazing Drive Back

TL;DR – What to Expect

• Dates: June 26–28
• Route: Bangalore € “Mysore €” Bandipur € “Masinagudi €” Ooty € “Gudalur €” Mysore € “Bangalore
• Distance: ~275 km (one way)
• Cars: Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar, VW Virtus
• Fuel Economy: Safari (diesel) returned ~17–18 km/l on highways, ~13 km/l on hills and forests

We’re a gang that loves quarterly detox trips — the kind that include family, food, and long drives with windows down and playlists up. Ooty has always been our go-to monsoon or summer escape. But this time, it was special.

For the first time ever — all three families decided to hit the road together, staying at the same resort, travelling in a 3-car convoy. Planning started over a month ago, with resorts, toy trains, and e-passes booked well in advance. Tyres rotated, fuel tanks full, alignment done.

A week before the trip? Red and yellow rain alerts hit the Nilgiris. Friends said,

“You’re going to Ooty now? In this weather?”

We just smiled — because when Safari, Alcazar, and Virtus say go, we go.

Sure, we doubted ourselves briefly. But monsoon gave us mercy — and maybe the best timing everto experience Ooty in the clouds.

Prepping for Ooty: E-Pass, Tickets & Vehicle Checks

We weren’t taking any chances.

• E-Pass for Ooty: Mandatory entry pass via Nilgiris portal. E-verified using Fastag at checkpoints. Quick & easy.
• IRCTC Toy Train Bookings: Reserved a month ahead — lucky to get 2 full 1st-class coupes.
• Vehicle Checks: Safari had just gotten new shocks (old ones failed at 75k). Alignment, pressure checks, brake fluid top-ups — checklist complete for all cars.

Left at 5:00 AM from Electronic City.

NICE Road to Mysore Expressway → Pakshala for breakfast by 7:30 AM. Idlis, vadas, and some warm laughter.

Bandipur greeted us with mist, wildlife, and postcard views.

• Spotted elephants, deer, and monkeys
• Clouds moved with us — sometimes beside, sometimes above
• Masinagudi climb was filled with hairpins and fog

All three cars handled differently:

• Virtus — Sharp, grounded, practically dancing on turns
• Alcazar — Calm and composed, the ‘zen’ in chaos
• Safari — Monsoon beast mode activated

Hotel Review: Sterling Fern Hill – Queen of Chaos?

The Final 3 KM to the Hotel: Maps vs Reality

Google Maps showed 5 minutes. What followed was:

• One wrong road
• One truck jam for 30 mins
• One bus squeezing through
• One Safari scratch (thanks PPF!)
• One near-prayer moment on a one-lane trail

It felt like a social experiment on trust and turning radius.

Check-In Woes: 2 PM Booking, 2:50 PM Room Key

We had:

• 3 families
• 2 senior citizens
• 3 kids (with moods)

What we didn’t have:

• Any room ready by 2 PM
• Staff to handle luggage
• A second buggy (because “charging saar…”)

Wow. Hospitality 101… skipped.
Self-Service Staycation

• No staff to carry bags
• Luggage lying at reception
• One of us did 3 trips just to carry bags
• Others waited in a room that wasn’t ours

Buffet or Battlefield?

The lunch buffet was a lesson in:

• Survival
• Speed eating
• Tactical queue maneuvering

Highlights:

• Only dish we could actually reach? Curd rice.
• No veg gravies. Just fish fry, dry roti, rice, and chaos.
• Guests eating next to counters, standing — like a live protest

Complaint & Redemption Mode

WhatsApped Sterling contact Mr. Naveen → escalated to Mr. Diljeet.
He arrived, apologized, and tried to salvage the day.

• Introduced us to Murali chef
• Connected us with Housekeeping Head Rupesh
• Dining staff like Ms. Lily stepped up big time

Toy Train to Coonoor – The Old-School Highlight

5:30 PM toy train from Ooty to Coonoor. First-class coupe. Rain-free window. Magic!

• Scenic hills, tunnels, and toy town vibes
• Ketti and Lovedale stations brought major nostalgia
• Heads out the windows. Wind on our faces. Kids loved it. Adults too.
• Highly recommend Ooty to Coonoor direction for best views

Dange-de Juland ©ممم The map

Repeat of the lunch chaos:

• No buggy again
• One guest had fever, still waited in rain
• Lily & Chef Murali tried hard to personally serve us
• Staff admitted they couldn’t handle the guest group chaos

Day 2 & 3: Mist, Magic & Finally Some Peace

• Breakfast: Crowded, but Lily got us seated
• Alcazar fam left for Bangalore
• Virtus & Safari stayed back

Fog, empty roads, and breathtaking views.
Dinner done early to avoid crowds. Slept like kids.

Day 3: Pykara Lake, Pine Forest & Drive Back

• Checkout at 9 AM (smart choice)
• Drove to Pykara Lake: Clean, plastic-free, huge improvement
• Took covered 10-seater boat ride (raining). Open ones look more fun in dry weather
• Smooth, peaceful, scenic. Loved every second.

Then a stop at:

• Pine forest & shooting spot
• Eucalyptus tree point (towards Gundlupet)

Reached home around 8 PMstill fresh & smiling.

Would We Stay at Sterling Fern Hill Again?

With family? Probably not — unless:

• They fix that access road
• Add more buggies
• Prepare better for full-house bookings
• Improve their buffet spread
• Train staff to act like a resortnot a railway canteen

Final Words

Rainy roads, tea stops, toy trains, kids’ giggles, scratches on bumpers, and heartwarming chai breaks — that’s what roadtrips are all about.

Resorts may fail but Nature rarely does.

Until next time —