Wilderness – Scenery – Drive – Music – Laughter – Friends

How often do we plan for trips and implement it?!

How often does the term LOL – Laugh Out Loud come true nowadays?!

How often do we think we have the right friends alongside us?!

I must say, I have been blessed with the right set of friends.

This is about a trip I took with two of my friends to Mudumalai.

“Mudumalai, meaning 'old hills' is not only one of the first wildlife sanctuaries in the country but also one of the most beautiful.”  Mudumalai is also a popular habitat of the Bengal Tiger and the Indian elephant.

So, with our bags packed, we set off to Mudumalai on a fine Saturday morning, about 4:30AM, driving through some amazing roads and chilly breeze.

We directly went to a resort in ‘Masinagudi’. This is where we had booked our stay for the weekend. Since we had a little time left to check-in, the resort coordinator suggested we take a drive to ‘Needle View Point,’ which was about an hour’s ride away.

With no other plans on hand, we decided to go and drove along the ghat section to reach Needle View Point. The sun was shining bright, when out from of nowhere the weather changed from sunny side up to just the reverse of it.

There was only fog as far as the eyes could see. In no time we found ourselves between clouds and huge pine trees, befitting the title.

With that amazing image, we returned to the resort, crossing over Bandipur (yet another National reserve park in the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border). The long drive through the forest, brought to us a fascinating view of flora and fauna. We felt a palpable excitement due to the occasional sighting of elephants and deer, and the prospect of spotting tiger(s). 

The next item on the agenda was a jeep safari and another viewpoint. The path to the view point was hidden by two big bushes and only the guide could have spotted it. It was steep, narrow, and terribly bumpy. Anyone with a weak back would surely be thinking of getting hospitalised.

However, all of that was worth this stunning view we were guided to.

Like they say, ‘Small paths lead to bigger hill’.

 This was followed by a soul-soothing sunset.

Getting back to room early night (around 7), nights are darker early in Mudumalai, and had a horromovie time with great dinner.

Next morning around 6 AM, our guide took us for a walk in the lush, green forest speckled by the sun’s rays absolute silence and mist making up for the sleep we sacrificed. We got a closer views of deer elephant, wild pigs messing around at a far distance. We also spotted a tiger’s paw print! (Nope, we still didn’t see any tiger).

After all this, we drove back home.

Like Barney Stinson said, ‘Whatever you do in this life it’s not L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y unless your friends are there to see it’. 😊