On our first trip to Ooty , we stayed in Hotel Sagar Resort (Now: La Montana Ooty). It was a memorable stay by all means. I still remember browsing intensely through various sites to get a decent hotel. We had planned our trip just one month beforehand. Although it was the monsoon period, still, most of the good places were booked. However, once we stumbled upon Sagar Resort , we had no doubts left in our mind that this is where we definitely wanted to stay. Thanks to Abhishek for finding out this gem of a place. Somehow, he always manages to find a good place to stay, even at the last moment!!
Sagar Resort is located a little tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main town of Ooty (~8km towards Conoor). Also, it is at a higher altitude compared to the main town. Although it was not at a problem for us. Since, we were looking for a relaxing abode for the two nights stay of our vacation. And Hotel Sagar Resort turned out to be exactly what we had been looking for in our resort. Although on our subsequent trips, we have stayed at other beautiful accommodations in Ooty, including Destiny Farmstay Ooty whose stay experience was at another level. But, Sagar Resort Ooty still remains one of our favourite options in economical budget.
Beautiful Views from balcony
Actually, the architecture of Sagar Resort was our major attraction. It is very artistically done. All the rooms are built at valley slope. The terrace of a room serves as the balcony for the one on top of it. Th e balcony is very spacious. It gives an awesome view of the valley and the mountains beyond it. Even the infamous Ooty toy train track passes across the valley. And, you can see the toy train passing through its track. Also, you can witness the cattle grazing in the valley below, while you sip your coffee sitting into the balcony.
Also, while you stand on the balcony, you can witness the slow and steady formation of a sea of clouds between the mountain ranges – a sight to behold. It took me some time to believe that it was actually clouds rising from inside the valleys, and not some mighty river flowing far off 🙂 This view was something I am going to behold for the rest of my life. For the three mornings that we spent in Ooty, every morning I would wake up and rush to the balcony to witness the cloud formation.
Rooms and facilities
The rooms are spacious, they are equipped with all the basic amenities like tea/coffee maker, intercom, supplementary water bottles. Bathroom is also spacious with continuous hot and cold water supply. Sagar Resort has a restaurant adjacent to its reception area. There is a comprehensive menu, having both north and south Indian, chinese and some continental cuisines. The food is quiet tasty. Some of the seats in the restaurant near the window give a very panoramic view of the mountains and valleys. Although, room service is also available, we hardly availed of it. As, we needed an excuse to get into the cozy restaurant and relax to the view while having our food.
We also hired a cab from the hotel itself for our full day site seeing during our stay. Although, the number of cabs is limited. So, they are allocated on first come first serve basis. Being early risers, we didn’t have to face any issues here. We also got pickup and drop from our bus station by Sagar Resort. We had called the resort beforehand and confirmed on the pickup and drop schedule. The cabs are quiet punctual.
Our experience
An early checkin
Overall, we had a great two day stay here. No doubt that Sagar Resort made our whole stay comfortable and smooth. Actually, we had baorded an overnight bus from Bangalore to Ooty. The bus arrived in Ooty much before expected time. As early as 3:30 AM in the morning. We didn’t have a clue if our resort will allow for an early checkin and provide us a transport option as early as this in the morning. Nevertheless, we decided to call them and check. Sagar Resort not only conveniently agreed for an early check-in, without any extra cost, but also provided us the transport. Although they had to wake up the cab driver. So, it took some half an hour of waiting time before we got the cab.
We arrived at the hotel premises by 5:30 in the morning. After getting fresh, we then had our breakfast. Contrary to our belief that we will be exhausted after the overnight bus journey, we actually got refilled with energy after getting fresh and having breakfast. We roamed around the resort premises and explored the grounds for a while, snapping some pictures. And, texting our near and dear ones about our safe arrival at the resort. Next thing we knew, we were already talking to the reception to hier a cab have a full day of exciting sightseeing!
Sightseeing at day 1
We hired a cab from the hotel and soon headed to the sites in Ooty. We were in for a relaxing hotel. So, we thought to take it easy and roam around for just half the day. But our cab driver turned out to be a super guide as well. We left the itinerary for the day in his hands. He showed us around almost all the places worth seeing in Ooty. Then, he took us back to the resort by 4 in the evening. After having a good breakfast and an equally good lunch, we had thought we won’t feel much hungry at night. But once we were back to the resort, our appetite was back as well. We had a nice and warm dinner at the restaurant of hotel Sagar resort.
We were rolled up in our bed by 8pm itself. It was August, the mid of monsoon season. However, as luck would have it, we didn’t encounter any rains during the day. At night however, it rained. And the temperature dropped down considerably. We crawled up in our bed and slept off in the nice cold weather.
Day 2 of sightseeing
We got up early next day. We had a nice buffet spread that was a part of our room package. After having satisfied our appetite, we headed to the balcony of our room. The sun was out today and it was a pleasure soaking into the warmth. We pulled our chairs in the balcony and sat there for a while, sipping our coffee and watching the clouds rise in the distance. Then, we called for the cab once again to head out and explore the rest of Conoor. Today, we did a half day trip to Conoor. We saw the Conoor view points, botanical garden and stopped on the way in a tea garden to snap some pictures and buy some nice ooty tea. Post the tour, we returned back to the hotel. We then had a lavish lunch in the hotel restaurant itself . Post this, we decided to sit in the balcony, watching the breathtaking view beyond, accompanied with a cup of coffee. Read full account of our Ooty trip here.
Conclusion
Will we head here again? Definitely. We actually went to Ooty a second time with our parents and this resort was our first choice. But it was booked… Do book in advance because as per my observation, this property has gained some popularity in past few years. I am hardly finding any rooms available here a couple of months in advance.
Tips for visiting
- The overnight buses from Bangalore and Mysore keep some buffer time in schedule. As a result, they often reach Ooty earlier than expected, so keep that in mind while planning your arrival.
- There are autorickshaws and cabs that ply from the Ooty bus stand to different hotels. You might need to bargain with them for your departure
- If you are staying in hotel Sagar Resort or similar such resort, you might get a bus stop or railway station pickup/drop facility from them. So, do call them and confirm if you would like to avail of one.
- Carry warm cloths – at least one pair. Even in the summer and monsoon months, it does get cold enough at night so that you will need one sweater or jacket
- Wear comfortable walking shoes since you will need to walk a lot during your sightseeing
- Cabs provided in the hotel are on first come first serve basis. If you want to use the cabs for sightseeing, confirm early at the reception.
- There is not a conventional lift, but a trolley that goes up and down the slope of the resort to carry luggage and elderly. You might need to check on this aspect if you have elderly people in your group who can’t comfortably climb up and down the stairs.
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I was like whoa when I saw the picture with the sea of clouds. It’s actually one of my dreams to see this kind of view without being on a plane. I even went as far as climbed a mountain just to see one for no avail. So if I ever get to this part of India, surely, I will consider Sagar. That view alone sold it for me.
Oh..then this is definitely your place!! Now it’s monsoon time in India and once again we are carving to visit here. I love it when the clouds cross through me.
I’d ideally like to travel to India later this year from the Maldives. The images in this post remind me so much of the mountains in Sri Lanka. I’d love to stay up in the mountains at this hotel. Thanks!
very nice view and indeed a memorable place to be at! this reminds me of the movie barfy if you know? especially when they show the train rails in darjeeling (sorry dont know the spelling) … India is such a promising place!
I have seen the movie Erica.. and your analogy is absolutely fitting 🙂 India has 3 beautiful toy trains to offer – Darjeeling, Shimla and Ooty (Nilgiris)
The place looks so green and serene..Nature at her best! Did you visit any tea gardens as well? Do you think I can do a self drive to Ooty..are the roads good?
Yes, we did visit some tea gardens and also brought back with us some signature tea from the corresponding outlets. The roads are pretty good and it’s very easy to self drive actually.
Looks like an amazing hotel! I’m going to India this December I’m so excited, the natural areas there look amazing! Those lush green spots, and the mountains wow
where are you headed to in India?
We have been to Ooty many times, but was not aware of this resort. The views look amazing, especially the view of the little train winding its ways through the green hills.
This is a little far from the main town. Maybe due to that, it’s not as popular as it should be. Nevertheless, we have since suggested the place to many friends and family and all their experiences have been good.
It sounds like a great experience you had. The view from your balcony looks incredible – I love the sea of clouds in the distance. Also the view of the valley is very beautiful. Looks worth the visit!
Absolutely. We though we would be exhausted after an overnight journey. But to the contrary, we got all freshened up by the atmosphere there
This resort looks like the perfect retreat after a long week. I love the lushness of the grassy property that just screams freshness. The views look spectacular. I am glad to read that you would return.
We did suggest the place to many friends and family. Everyone who went there seemed to be happy. And I am happy to hear their account. It gives a feeling that the place has not changed at all. For some places, time stands still and that is the best
Love rooms with a view! That balcony view is just amazing – would be great to wake up to that view!!
It indeed was. And the balcony was huge.
I think the views alone are worth it! Seeing the clouds hovering so close and the train passing by make for a very dreamy setting. I wasn’t aware of Ooty – thanks for sharing!
Its our pleasure. The world is full of beautiful small hill stations like these. Whenever I visit one, I feel like getting transported into a fairytale land.
Looks like a great resort. The views look amazing, I would love to wake up to those views. It looks like a beautiful part of the world 🙂
It is quiet beautiful indeed. A small hill station town where time seems to have frozen. Loved to visit here. Also, this was our first real trip together as a couple so we the memories we brought back are extra special
This looks like a beautiful place to stay. And I love seeing the clouds roll in. That’s one of my favorite parts about staying in the mountains in Switzerland l. Also, I have no idea where Ooty is??
Ooty is a hillstation in the southern state of India. The state is Tamil Nadu. It’s a beautiful small hill station. Although the commercialization has started, still the beauty of the place is untouched so far and I hope it remains like that
Sagar Resort looks beautiful, so peaceful and quiet! I love a place surrounded by greenery! Great post thanks for sharing 🙂
It was quiet a find actually, everyone we talked to suggested us to stay near Pichola. But opting for Sagar resort near fateh sagar was one decision we really felt proud of
Lovely write up about Ooty. I met someone in Mysore who lived there and hope to have the opportunity to visit him too when I go back to India.
Thanks Michelle. You met a native of ooty..thats wonderful! You will definitely have a great experience
The pictures are breath taking. Very nice. Have been to the place earlier, but still want to visit again.
Thank you 🙂