Ooty with Coonoor Trip

• Journey on NH44 down south to reach Nilgiris village guesthouse early morning.
• Freshen up, have breakfast.
• Note: On a busy weekend, Nilgiris stays check-in time will be only after 10 AM. In this case, we will use available washrooms at stay for fresh up.
• Start picturesque road trip into Nilgiris, witness most beautiful Tea estates covering huge swathes of mountains. Go on a stroll with 360 degrees view of lush green Tea plantations.
• Visit the most famous tourist attraction of Coonoor – Sim’s park, take loads of pictures at this colorful location.
• Stop by at Dolphin’s Nose, enjoy the thrilling view with huge mountain gorges overlooking Kotagiri valley and the Catherine waterfalls plunge into oblivion.
• Lunch at a local restaurant.
• Visit Indian Army’s – The Madras Regiment Museum that displays rich history of the regiment like weapons, armory and other artefacts.
• Their souvenir shop is a great place to buy miniature models of fighter planes, warships, etc.
• Head back to the guesthouse by late evening, refresh.
• Social gathering with long conversations, sharing travel stories.
• Hot dinner served on a really cold night.
• Rest in the rooms, tucked up with thick blankets.

• Freshen up, pack our bags, check out of the Guesthouse early.
• Have Breakfast at Ooty town.
• Visit Ooty Tea/Chocolate factory, taste different kinds of chai, shop for your favorite Nilgiris Tea.
• Stop by at Pine forest and click some pictures.
• Head to extremely picturesque Pykara Lake, go on boating if interested. Pykara is a fresh water lake with panoramic view of lush green Nilgiris forest.
• Have pit stops at Wenlock Downs 9th Mile Shooting Point & Needle rock view points. These places are a photographer’s delight and usually covered with mist or clouds.
• Break for a quick Lunch at a local food joint.
• Start back towards Bangalore, drive through Bandipur and Madhumalai wildlife sanctuaries whilst spotting Deer, Peacock, different species of birds, mammals, and if lucky, the Elephants.
• Reach back to Bengaluru before mid-night.

• Feb to May (summer): Pleasant climate during days, clear skies, cold nights. Time to escape the heat of Bangalore and hit the mountains. Exquisite sunrise and sunsets.
• June to Sep (South West Monsoons): Thick clouds, weather is unpredictable with intermittent rains, so we need to carry raincoats. The mountains really come alive during the monsoons like all hill stations.
• Oct, Nov (North-East Monsoons): The returning North East monsoons bring plenty of showers in these two months. These are the main source of water for Nilgiris. Traveling would be a little difficult this time of the year because of persistent rains.
• Oct to Jan (winter): Dry and cold climate throughout the day. Very cold at night. Plenty of water in streams and waterfalls. Need to carry thick sweaters.

• Toiletries, moisturizer, light towel, lip balm, toothbrush, paste etc.
• A lightweight backpack for the trip (avoid suitcase/trolley)
• Photo identity proof with address (Aadhar/Passport/Voter ID)
• Poncho or rainproof jacket with a hood (as per weather forecast)
• Cap/Hat (good to have)
• Sunglasses (to keep your eyes fresh)
• Power bank, charger, camera, binoculars (if you wish to)
• Proper water bottle for your trip. You may fill at our homestay
• Disposable garbage covers (To separate used/unused clothes)
• Your personal medications, if any
• Carrying a handwash/sanitizer/tissues will help during the trip
• Carry your jerkin/sweater – it can get very cold at night
• Carry a bit of cash for the meals which are not included and misc. expenses
• Don’t carry expensive items. You are responsible for your own belongings.

• A Whatsapp group shall be created on the trip day and Vehicle & Trip Leader details will be shared.
• Live location of the vehicle will be sent in the group once it starts at the first point.

• The itinerary is fixed. No special requests to change itinerary/schedule shall be entertained. Do not give advice(s) to the Trip Leader(s) to change the itinerary.
• Cooperate with the organizer(s) in following the schedule set for the day (especially getting up and getting ready in the morning). This will ensure travelers won’t miss out on the real fun part that is traveling.
• Every traveler is responsible for his/her for your own safety. Don’t indulge in any illegal or silly activity that causes harm to you or fellow travelers.
• Do not wander into the forest away from the designated trail for treks. There may be snakes, scorpions, and dangerous animals.
• Unexpected situations: It may happen we do not cover all the places mentioned in the itinerary because of unpredictable reasons like bad weather, landslides, wild animal presence, abrupt blocking of sites by the police/forest department, delay in travel because of an issue with our group itself, traffic conditions, etc. In most cases, if the time permits, the organizer(s) will take travelers to an alternative place. But in some cases, we may have to skip a place altogether.
• Absolutely no littering. We swear to protect our environment.
• No alcohol & smoking during travel, treks, and other outdoor activities. There would be a separate window and space (usually at night) to have these at the campsite/homestay for interested people.
• Travelers are expected to respect each other and help each other. Avoid discussing sensitive matters like sex, politics, and religion/caste/race.
• Using foul or abusive language, eve-teasing, arguing with fellow travelers/organizer(s), and/or involving in the physical assault will not be accepted and will stand a chance of being deserted by the group then and there.
• The event will stand canceled if less than 8 travelers signed up for the trip/trek which will be informed 24 hours before the trip start time.
• Every traveler is expected to sign a liability/waiver form given by the organizer(s) after boarding the vehicle. This liability form will discharge Muddie Trails of any unexpected incident like injury/death/theft etc.

Cancellation by Traveler

• 80% refund/100% postponement if you inform about your cancellation before 48 hours of the event start time. An email has to be sent to bookings@muddietrails.com to raise a cancellation request.
• No refund/postponing is allowed within 48 hours of the event start time whatever is the reason (Health, Accident, Covid, Family crisis, Office issue, or anything else).
• No refund/postponing is allowed even if you booked within 48 hours.
• Alternatively, you may postpone your ticket to the future event 48 hours before the event start time. (Allowed once per booking ONLY)
• No refund/postponing is allowed for partial payment – booking fee – which is done to book your slot.
• No refund during/after the event.

Cancellation by Muddie Trails

Muddie Trails may decide to cancel the event if there are less than 8 travelers signed up for the trip/trek.

What if we don’t get the minimum number of people for the trip?
We have 2 options in this case:
Option 1: Complete refund.
Option 2: Switch to any other trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.

Cancellation due to external factors

Muddie Trails may have to cancel the event in case of external factors that are beyond our control like Natural Disasters, Extreme Weather Conditions, Red Alerts, Political Disturbances, Bandh/Curfews, Local Issues, Road Blocks, Train cancellations, Covid-19 or any other disease outbreaks etc.

In these scenarios:

• No Refund is allowed.
• 100% trip amount can be used for any other new trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
• Once you confirm your participation on the new trip, all the above Cancellation policies will apply for the same.