The gentle light of morning will be waiting to greet you as we trundle into Ooty and then you get your homestay snuggled between tea gardens and chirping forest slopes. It may be 11:00 AM when the check-in starts, but you will be greeted with fresh bathrooms and a hot breakfast as you loosen up the road trip and get into the swing of things in the hills.

After everyone has rested and well fed, we started off towards Coonoor. We veer off to our first destination, the Madras Regiment Museum in Wellington. Hiding in a small cantonment town, this museum unveils a great history of the military of India - medals, old uniforms, rustic weapons and stories immortalized through the ages.

Should the time favor us, well we shall take a ride on the lovely Nilgiri Toy Train. It is not just a ride but an adventure into the cloudy skies and zigzags, passageways and tea plantations and each bend of the tracks is like a postcard picture. A bit of nostalgia, plenty of space to take pictures.

Once the ride is over we will treat ourselves to a hearty local lunch in Coonoor, and then head to Lambs Rock by the cool breeze. This is where you are going to stand on the very edge of the world and one looks out across the Coimbatore plains, as valleys unfold below you in misty blues and greens. It is a sight you will bring home after the journey is over.

As the sun retreats into the hills, we journey back towards the homestay on a relaxed soulful night. Should the skies smile upon us we shall huddle round some purring bonfire, music, hearts open, and tales spinning. It ends in a comfort dinner. It is the sort of the evening that you remember whether you are singing along or stargazing or simply soaking it all in.

Sunday opens on a peaceful and melodious note, with a 3 km trek in the magnificent, virgin Longwood Shola Forest. Behind old canopies, and through bushes of dense undergrowth, the trail goes on, with the sound of the birds and sounds of leaves rustling. It is a silent vacation to the arms of nature - where each step makes you relax and unwind.

We go back to the homestay after the forest walk to freshen up one last time. The bags are loaded, the heart a little heavy, and checking-out feels sweet and sour, but there is more to see before the check-up is completed.

On our way back, we would take a mid-day break on a local lunch (self-sponsored) and then two last stops to ensure that Ooty makes a lasting impression. First, the Karnataka Siri Horticulture Garden - with the flowerbeds blooming and well-groomed lawns being a beautiful setting to enjoy the fresh air of a leisurely walk, and take some memorable parting photographs. Then a silent stop at the Ooty Lake View Point, where you may enjoy panoramic scenes of the glistening lake bordered by the green hillocks. It is the kind of look you take back home.

As the sun sets and the world turns sluggish, we are at rest as we head back to Bengaluru. We will also take a break in between, to have a casual dinner (self-paid), and later continue with road trips with windows open, music blasting, and reminiscent shadows playing in the background. It is not going to be easy to leave, but the mountains will be here when you return.

At the crack of Monday morning you will arrive in Bengaluru, a bit drowsy but with a heart full of good memories; not only of the bags you will bring back, but also the misty hikes, the morning bonfires, the jokes, and the type of friends that only a weekend in the hills will allow you to make.