Its been a great last month! A wish come true guide book and a chance to travel a lot into the Western Ghats-  hoping that such luck is gonna hang around for some time! Considering my love for tea, there’s no doubt that I love the Nilgiris trail. While the neat tea-scaped hills never fail to put me in a good mood, the over treaded towns like Ooty tend to make me REALLY push myself to seek the positives… And when you are constantly on the road ( I get withdrawal symptoms when I’m not in a car), the only thing that one looks forward to is a comfortable nights stay. For me, its never about the quality of the mattress or the glistening quotient of the bathroom tiles – a warm smile, some genuine concern on how my day went and a great cup of tea does it.

Repulsed (and hit by reality of the tourism boom) by the traffic on Ooty on a Sunday evening, made me scoot faster from the town than I had expected. With a few phone calls and a deep need to squirm out  of the busy-ness of the town, I headed towards the fringes for some respite. Sabi and team from I-India were angelic in having me over at this cute little cottage. My penchant for old bungalows always draws me to the most weathered ones in town, but this was refurbished just perfectly, so as to not lose it character while fitting in the modern nuances. Wonderful view of the valley in front, simple yet absolutely sparkling clean rooms and dinner served with the concern of a  1000 worried mothers! This place was perfect with its wide French windows…I was back again for a couple of days – it was too soon to leave only after a day! Sabi’s knowledge of the hidden trekking trails and guidance for further travels was much needed! All in all, it was a perfect start…A great find after having seen many proprieties  accross the country! On the trail to find some more amazing stays.. Tune it soon!

If you are travelling towards Ooty ( and further to the Nilgiris), mail in at supriyasehgal@gmail.com – will be happy to help!