Activities in The Western Ghats
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Coaker’s Walk
Assuming it’s not cloaked in opaque mist, the valley views along paved Coaker’s Walk are superb. There’s no plastic allowed on the pathway, a rule flagrantly flaunted by locals, and a small observatory with telescope at the southern end. Start near Greenlands Youth Hostel or Villa Retreat – where stained glass in the nearby Church of South India (CSI) is stunning in the morning light – and the stroll takes all of five minutes. The 5km lake circuit is pleasant in the early morning when you can count the kingfishers before the tourist traffic starts.
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Queen of the Hills Tourist Guides Association
The senior guides of the long-standing Queen of the Hills Tourist Guides Association - Seniappan, Sheriff and Mohan - are knowledgeable, affable and good English-language speakers. You'll usually find them around the bus station, or phone and someone will come to find you. Day walks meander through tea plantations, hills, Toda villages and forest, and you'll usually catch a local bus back at the end of the day. Overnight treks staying in a local village can also be arranged.
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Mudumalai Day Trip
The tourist office in the town centre can put you in touch with agencies that run day trips to Mudumalai National Park via the Pykhara Dam (minimum 15 people) starting at 09:30 and returning at 19:00, with just a quick spin through the park. Trips to Coonoor and surrounds are also possible.
A better alternative is to hire a taxi for the day and go as you please. The rates are set at around Rs450 for a four-hour trip around Ooty, or around Rs1100 for a full day.
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Isha Yoga Center
This ashram, in Poondi, 30km west of Coimbatore, is also a yoga retreat and place of pilgrimage. The centrepiece is a multi-religious temple housing the Dhyanalingam, said to be unique in that it embodies all seven chakras of spiritual energy. Visitors are welcome to the temple to meditate, or to take part in one- to two-week Isha yoga courses, for which you should register in advance.
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Ashram
This ashram, in Poondi, 30km west of Coimbatore, is also a yoga retreat and place of pilgrimage. The centrepiece is a multi-religious temple housing the Dhyanalingam, said to be unique in that it embodies all seven chakras of spiritual energy. Visitors are welcome to the temple to meditate, or to take part in one- to two-week Isha yoga courses, for which you should register in advance.
reviewed
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A
Horse Riding
Alone or with a guide, you can hire horses outside the boathouse on the north side of the lake; the rides mostly consist of a short amble along bitumen. Prices are set, from Rs 50 for a short ride to Rs150for an hour, which takes you partway around the lake. The horses at the boathouse looked a lot better cared for than the mangy ponies hanging around the bus stand.
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B
Racecourse
Ooty's Racecourse dominates the lower part of the hill station between Charing Cross and the lake. The horse-racing season runs from mid-April to June and on race days the town is a hive of activity; it's an event impossible to miss if you're in town. Outside the season, the 2.4km racecourse is little more than an overgrown paddock.
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Boathouse
Rowboats can be rented from the boathouse by the artificial lake (created in 1824). Prices start from Rs60 for a two-seater pedal boat (30 minutes) and go up to Rs250 for a 15-seater motorboat (20 minutes).
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C
Boating
Rowboats can be rented from the boathouse by the artificial lake (created in 1824). Prices start from Rs60 for a two-seater pedal boat (30 minutes) and up to Rs250 for a 15-seater motorboat (20 minutes).
reviewed
