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Nestled at the foothills of Nilgiris, Masinagudi can be best described as the wild side of Tamil Nadu
The call of the wild cannot be ignored. It can give you sleepless nights. So when we heard it repeatedly for days, urging us to leave the concrete jungles and head to the outdoors, we gave in to it. We left Bengaluru in the wee hours of the morning and drove towards Mysore. The cool breeze brushed past our cheek; a slight drizzle lent some freshness to the air. The forests presented themselves as we reached Bandipur. A carpet of greens veiled our eyes.
We crossed the Karnataka border and entered Tamil Nadu and drove in almost silent reverence across the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. A deer darted through the bush. A peacock raised its head. Wild boars stared at us from the bushes. A lone jungle fowl rustled into the bushes. The silence was only punctuated by the sharp cries of the babblers who probably announced our arrival.
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Masinagudi is situated close to the bio-diversity hotspots like Mudumalai and Bandipur
Our destination was Masinagudi, a secluded quaint town, lost to the wilderness. Nestled at the foothills of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and abutting the wildlife sanctuaries of Bandipur in Karnataka and Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu, the hill station of Masinagudi can be best described in one word – WILD.
Historically, it was once the capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Wayanad, now in Kerala. Named after the Goddess Masaniamma, Masinagudi is a cluster of hamlets like Theppakadu, Bokkapuram which are dotted with resorts and homestays that are nestled in the woods or high up in the trees. The densely thick jungles are the abode of the elephants, besides gaurs and tigers and we are mere trespassers in their territory.
Very often, it is not the destination so much, but the journey which is exciting. And so it is with wildlife trips and safari tours. The official safari is at the Mudhumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, but sometimes you meet with wildlife while just driving along the town. It is not advisable to drive in the night as you interfere with the path of the elephants and gaurs. However, my experience at Masinagudi has always led to some interesting encounters with elephants blocking our path late in the evening.
It is an understatement to say Masinagudi is beautiful. Dense forests surrounded by the imposing Nilgiris, lakes overflowing with water, bamboo clusters skirting the paths, coffee and spice plantations merging with the lush forests – Masinagudi is a carpet of green.
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Masinagudi too abounds in wildlife especially birds and is a paradise for bird watchers
I chanced upon a small stream in a neighbouring resort and it was a haven for birds. I sighted close to 50 species in less than an hour with the ioras, the sunbirds, the parakeets, the white eyes, the warblers, the flycatchers, the thrushes, the bulbuls all giving me company. The bird of the day was the Indian pitta, walking along the dry stream, chasing the orange headed ground thrush away and indifferent to our presence. It hung around for a long time, posing for our cameras, while foraging in the ground for its breakfast. I had to finally tear myself away from the bird, only when a family of paradise flycatchers distracted me as they flitted around the bushes.
The weekend just whizzed past us, as we trekked, walked, laughed and chilled. The days were spent basking in the sun, reading, driving aimlessly around, hiking around coffee plantations and heading to Ooty veering past 36 hairpin bends. The nights were spent staring at the sky, listening to the insects, counting stars…
Getting there
Masinagudi is a border town and can be reached from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. From Tamil Nadu, the closest airport is Coimbatore (140 km), Chennai (575 km), Ooty (36 km) and Mettupalaym is about 80 km.
If you are driving from Bengaluru, Masinagudi is about 260 km and it takes about five hours. Mysore is about 106 km away.
In Kerala, the closest airport is Kochi (212 km) and Kozhikode (123 km). Vythiri in Wayanad is 93 km away.
An ideal weekend getaway from any of these cities, Masinagudi is 15 km from Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and 25 km from Bandipur. Buses are a plenty from Coimbatore, Mysore or Gudalur (a town enroute to Bandipur from Mysore) but the roads at some strectches are bad.
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Dense forests surrounded by Nilgiris, lakes, bamboo clusters, coffee and spice plantations and lush forests make up Masinagudi