Ooty Tourism Guide

Ooty is one of the most popular tourist places also known as Udhagamandalam is the “Queen of hill stations” and the capital of Nilgiris district. There is a secret to getting the best out of a trip to Ooty and it is this, go off season March to May. Go discover an Ooty that veils herself in season.

This Ooty is a series of piquant montages, the sun light up one hill even as the other beside it remains shrouded in green velvet ponies contentedly chomping grass by the kerbside, the sharp fragrance of pines lining a mist laden road, the aroma of hot filter coffee and sambar.

Ooty has plenty of attractions, both on and off the beaten path. The Botanical Gardens are well laid out with avenues of shady trees and myriad ornamental plants and flowers. But the main attraction here is the fossilized tree trunk all of 20 million years old. The garden includes different types of roses, imported shrubs, rare flowering plants and an Italian and Japanese garden. A summer festival is held here each year in May with a grand flower show taking center stage.

Entry fee Adults Rs 5, Children Rs 2, Timings 8.30 am to 6.30 pm

By Transports - Ooty is well connected by good roads. It is around 540 km from Chennai via Salem, 90 km from Coimbatore, 18 km from Coonoor via Gudalur, 236 km from Kodaikanal (via Coimbatore and Palani, 158 km from Mysore, 290 km from Bangalore, 284 km from Kochi via Coimbatore and Palakkad and 188 km from Calicut.

By Train Travel - Nearest Railway Station start is Mettupalayam (46 kms) through Nilagiri Blue Mountain Express and then take the Train to Ooty. Major railway junction is Coimbatore. It is connected with all major cities. Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam-Ooty is connected by Mountain railways which is 4 hours drive. At a height of 2,600m stands Udhagamandalam (Ooty) the Queen of Hill Stations. The Nilgiri Toy Train connects Ooty to Mettupalayam, at the base of the Nilgiris.

The track passes over 26 viaducts and twists and bends through 13 tunnels. After a steep climb the train enters Coonoor, the little hill station known for its tea plantations. From here the track is uphill till you reach Fern Hill at a height of 2,218m, the highest point on the railroad.

By Air Travel - The nearest airport is in Coimbatore, 100 km away. You can take domestic flights to Coimbatore from Chennai, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Mumbai. Indian Airlines fly Delhi, Kochi via Coimbatore and Mumbai.

Ooty Lake

Ooty Lake constructed this 2.5 km long artificial lake in 1824. There is a charming lake garden, a jetty, snack bars, and pony and toy-train rides on offer for the kiddies. Once this lake was offer for the kiddies, Once this lake was hedged by dense shoals gallery forests; today there is an overgrowth of water hyacinth choking up a major portion of the waters. Ffor all that, 2 lash tourists visit the lake every year. Boating is on offer here every day from 8 am to 6 pm.

Churches of Ooty

Union Chruch and Holy trinity church, Gothc and tudor in appearance, with magnificent stained glass windows, intricately carved pews, plaques detailing the british battalions who attended the services there, and tranquil cemeteries, are worth a dekko, st stephens built in 1829, is the oldest church in the nilgiris.

Adventure Travel

Climb up the highest peak in the blue mountains at 8,606 ft. Dodda Betta, or Big Mountain which commands the juncture of the western and Eastern Ghats, offering unmatched vistas of the Nilgiris.

The Tourism Department arranges hang liding courses from march to may every year, plus the streams and lakes of the nolgiris anre an angles’s delight, stocked with trout, carp and trench.

Around Ooty

Glenmorgan

Glenmorgan tea estate on the mysore road is an ecologically rich spot with a special attractions. The electricity board offers a winch service from glenmorgan view point to the power house of another tea estate singara. The 4-km winch track traverses undisturbed shoals, 10 toda settlements and wildlife habitats.

Pykara Lake

Pykara’s dense shoals, toda settlements shallow downs and lake make it a lovely getaway. Apart from its lush surrounds, pykara has a boathouse and restaurant maintained by tamil nadu tourism.

Gudalur (50 km)

This coffee and pepper town is the gateway to the Nilgiris from kerala and Karnataka, in the lower plateau of the blue mountains. From Frog Hill Point (14 km from Gudalur) and, further on, Needle Rock, one can see gudalut and madumalai. At Nellakotta 15 km from gudalut are the remains of a dilapidated fort.