OOTY

Nestled beautifully in the Nilgiri Hills, Ooty short for Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam is located in Tamil Nadu at a height of 2240 m above sea level. It is one of South India's most popular hill stations and is also known as the "Queen of Hill Stations". Mother Nature has bestowed Ooty with lush green forests, scenic landscape, pristine lakes and beautiful tourist attractions. Conifers, pine and eucalyptus trees grow abundantly in this region and make the environment fresh, clean and pleasant. Ooty is a destination that can be visited throughout the year. Summers are quite pleasant, winters are cool, and monsoons are beautiful.

Ooty was an untouched area inhabited by Todas, an aborginal tribe who inhabited the place since ancient times. It was discovered by the British in the early 1800s, who made it the summer capital of the Chennai Presidency. Various popular tourist spots in Ooty are the Rose Garden, Botanical Garden which has some rich flora of the region, Ooty lake, tea garden and coffee plantations, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Pykara fall, mini garden etc. However, in order to truly experience the beauty of this place, you can take the little Blue Mountain train to Ooty from Mettupalayam. There, you can indulge in a routine of picnics, pony rides and fishing. You can even pay visit to the lively Botanical Gardens, Ooty Club with its British Raj-era ambience, Elk Hill, Club Hill etc. In order to witness the rolling grasslands and the unique conical huts of the Toda tribe, a visit to Pykara is a must. Ooty also has the Nilgiri's oldest Church, the St. Stephen's church which reflects the city's long association with the British. You can also explore Government Museum to witness tribal artifacts of the region and other historical relics.

Globetrotters from all around the world throng Ooty to be a part of it's festivities. Festivals are a very ingrained part of the lifestyle of Ooty. The Ooty Mariamman Temple Festival which is held in the month of April every year is an example of a specific Ooty festival. Similarly, Bokkapuram annual festival( held in February), Coonoor Mariamman Temple Car Festival (held between April & May) are festivals that represents the cultural richness of the region. Food-lovers will love the delicacies that Ooty offers such as South Indian delicacies, Chinese cuisines, Chettinad chicken pepper (local preparation), crunchy nuts, fruit chocolates etc. Shopping in Ooty can be done in Charring cross which is located in the middle of the Ooty town. Here, you can find a lot of super markets and shops for purchasing home made chocolates and nilgiri tea. Most of the places in Ooty are within 1 km from this place, like botanical garden, rose garden, St Stephens church and taxis are easily available. 

A visit to these places will guarantee wholesome contentment & will get you exposed to widespread tea gardens, coffee plantations, forests and mountains that characterize Ooty. This eco-friendly land with lush greenery, radiant flowers, deep forest, lakes and waterfalls offer a fantastic sight and make your stay laudable.

Fast Facts

Temperature:

Summer : 25 - 10 C
Winter    : 21 - 0 C

Best Season:

April to June and September to October

Getting to Ooty

AIR

The nearest airport is at Coimbatore (105 km).

RAIL

Udhagamandalam is connected by toy train services with Mettupalayam (46km), which in turn is connected through Chennai and Coimbatore (98 km) to major cities in India.

ROAD

Good motorable roads connect Udhagamandalam with:
Mumbai         (1,320 km)
Bengaluru     (290 km)
Calicut          (178 km)
Coimbatore   (89 km)
Coonoor        (19 km)
Kotagiri         (29 km)
Mudumalai    (64 km)
Chennai (535 km)
Mysore         (160 km)
Thiruvananthapuram   (498 km)
Tiruchirapally              (302 km)