Ooty, Tamil Nadu – It is a magical destination of dense forest, green grasslands, gorgeous tea gardens & shimmering lake
Tucked away in a pristine, untouched valley in the Nilgiri Biosphere in South India, Ooty is the magical destination of ‘Blue mountains’, gorgeous plantation properties and shimmering lakes. Ooty also known as Udhagamandalam is the “Queen of hill stations” and the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Nilgiris means “Blue Mountains”. It is a land of picturesque picnic spots. Used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level. The establishment of numerous tea estates made Ooty famous. Lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands and miles and miles of tea gardens greet the passengers on most routes.
Places to see in Ooty: Ooty is dotted with a number of sight seeing spots that include;
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden is one of the best tourist attraction places which attract the tourist from all over the world. This garden was laid out in 1847 by the Marquis of Tweedale and is spread over 22 hectares ascending the slopes on the hill at an elevation of 2,400 meters above Main Sea Level. An explicit collection of flowering trees, beautiful shrubs, and rare colored lilies are seen.
Ooty Lake & Boat House
From just behind the central Bus Stand (also near the Railway station) the famous Ooty Lake stretches, in an irregular ‘L’ shape, for about 2.75 kms in length and varying distances in width (100m – 140m). For the curious, this lake was artificially formed by John Sullivan, the founder of Ooty, in 1823-25 by damming the mountain streams flowing down Ooty valley.
Centenary Rose Park
Centenary Rose Park is situated in the heart of Ooty town and it is located less than a km from Charring Cross at Vijayanagaram, the rose garden is laid on 10 acres of land. This garden has been beautifully laid out in terraces with rose tunnels, pergolas and bowers with rose creepers. Today this garden has the largest collections of roses in the country, around 3600 varieties of roses like Hybrid Tea Roses, miniature rose, Floribunda, Ramblers, roses of unusual colors like black, green and many more varieties of roses that will captivate your senses.The Rose varieties planted in this park were assembled from different sources.
Doddabetta Peak
The Doddabetta Peak stands at an altitude of 2,623 meters. It is the highest point in the district, making it possibly the best vantage point around Ooty. It is merely 10kms from Ooty so you can simply grab your camera and head straight to the peak, and click amazing pictures of the valley below. On a clear day, which is honestly not that often, one can see far off areas, even the plains of Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore.
Pykara Lake/ Pykara Boat House
The placid lake of Pykara, amid the lush green valleys is a lovely getaway from Ooty. Here, a calm lake is surrounded by forests. There is a forest rest House at Pykara. A boat house by the Pykara falls and Dam is added attractions to the tourists. The major attraction of this place is the boathouse, with restaurant and a rest house to provide you with ultimate comfort. It is a clean and scenic lake in between the hills. It is an isolated lake free from pollution and maddening crowed . Boating is conducted here. You will get a wonderful experiences over here.
Nearby attractions from Ooty: From Ooty you can make excursion to places like:
Avalanche
Located at a distance of 25 km from ooty. A place that should not be missed. An exotic experience of mountain trekking could be realized in this place.
Emerald Lake
Located at a distance of 25 km from ooty. A place that should not be missed. Emerald lake is a wonderful lake in the upper plateau region of the Nilgiri hills. It is a part of the silent valley and is beside the Red hill nature resort which is a best picnic place of the region. The site of the lake is wonderful and one would definitely love being at that place. The chirping birds and ducks and other swimming creatures add beauty to the place and the sun set and sun rise is also spectacular here.
Kalhatty Water Falls
The picturesque waterfalls come down a 36 m drop. A popular spot for picnics and treks. his water falls could be seen in ooty mysore route at a distance of 13 km from ooty. The road runs via the Kalhatty Ghats. It is situated 2,000m above main sea level and with many water falls and rivulets. Situated on the slopes of Kalhatty, the magnanimous Kalhatty Waterfall stands pretty amidst picturesque landscapes. But falls could be seen in a particular season from September to November. The height of this falls is 40m.
The Mukkurthi Peak And National Park
Mukkurthi is a beautiful peak while programming your Excursions in Ooty, which is located at a distance of 40-km from Ooty. Ideally located on the Southern corner of the Nilgiri Plateau, this peal attracts tourists from distinct corners. The Kollaribetta and Nilgiris Peak are the other major peaks, close to this peak which are for the famous tourist attractions in Ooty. A large number of perennial streams flowing between these peaks, make a complete picturesque reality. Furthermore, Bhavani Puzha. Silent Valley, along the Western Ghats, is a feast to the visitor’s eye.
Kodanad View Point – Kotagiri
It is about 16 kms. from Kotagiri on the eastern edges of the Nilgiris. On either side of the road one can see the panoramic view of the tea estates and the river Moyar is breath taking. A watch tower is there to view the panoramic view of Rangasamy peak and pillar. From Kotagiri bus services are available.
Dolphin Nose
Dolphin’s Nose around 10 km. away from Coonoor is an excellent viewpoint. It encompasses the Catherine Falls. Lambs nose is another point on the way to Dolphins Nose.
Things to do in Ooty: Explore the lush scenic beauty of the place and spend sometime of your own, away from the hustle and bustle of the city life.
Best time to visit Ooty: Winters, is one of the best seasons to visit Ooty. The temperature remains ideal to enjoy nature.
How to go ?
By Air
The Coimbatore airport is the closest to the Ooty. It takes 3.1/2 hours by road to reach Ooty. There are flights into Coimbatore from all parts of India and abroad.
By Train
Ooty has its own Railway Station named as Ooty Railway Station. It is connected to the major cities of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the major New Delhi- Coimbatore railway line and is linked with the cities like New Delhi, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Kochi, Mysore, Lucknow, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Puri, Ahmedabad and Jaipur.
By Road
Ooty is 19 Kms from Coonoor, 52 Kms from Mettupalayam, 84 Kms from Coimbatore, 104 Kms from Tiruppur, 127 Kms from Pollachi, 136 Kms from Palakkad, 154 Kms from Dharapuram, 159 Kms from Udumalaipettai and is linked through Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporation (TNSRTC) and some private travel services.
For Kolkata Tourists:
There are no direct flights or trains or buses between Kolkata to Ooty.The convenient way to reach from Kolkata to Ooty is to take IndiGo from Kolkata to Bangalore then take car from Bangalore to Ooty.The fastest way to reach Ooty from Kolkata is to take Spicejet from Kolkata to Coimbatore then take hire a car from Coimbatore to Ooty.The cheapest way to reach Ooty from Kolkata is to take Hwh Ypr Duronto from Kolkata to Bangalore then take State Transport Bus from Bangalore to Ooty.
Where to stay ?
Ooty comprises of a number of accommodation options. Some of them are as follows:
Hotel Darshan: +91 – 423 2443378, 2443807 Website: www.hoteldarshan.com
Meadows Residency: +91-0423-2224444, 2224433 Website: www.meadowsresidency.com
Fortune Resort Sullivan Court: +91-0423- 244 1415
Sinclairs Hotels: +91 33 4031 0800/01/02, 96744 57869, 96744 57868, 98305 56333, 1800-3002-6700 (Toll Free) Website: www.sinclairshotels.com
Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.
