Ooty Travel Guide
The history of the Nilgiri Mountain, where Ooty is located, goes back to many centuries. Not much information is available on the reason behind the name ‘Blue Mountain’. While some blame the smoky mist present in the area, while some are of the opinion that the blue Karunji flower, is the reason behind it. No historical data confirms Ooty to have been under the rule of any kingdom or dynasty. The closest relevance can be associated with Tipu Sultan who built a cave like structure in order to expand his kingdom.
Ooty, also known as Ootacamund, is the Queen of hill stations and the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Ooty is also a land of picturesque picnic spots. This place used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 mt above sea level. An added attraction for the tourists is the mountain train journey on a ratchet and pinion track which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam and wends its way through many hair-raising curves, fearful tunnels and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams and tea gardens. One can notice a marvelous change in vegetation, as one goes from Kallar to Coonoor.
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. The annual Tea and Tourism Festival attracts crowds in huge numbers to visit the place and have a great time in this wonderful place. The environment is so wonderful that is invites a lot of tourist attraction who come here to enjoy a wonderful time with nature while staying close to huge landscape. Ooty has blooming vegetation and wonderful tea gardens and fine pine and eucalyptus trees, which keep enhancing the beauty of the place. Several areas are preserved of the sanctuary to conserve the beauty of the nature and avoid extinction of the various animals.
How to Reach Ooty
- Air – Coimbatore is the nearest airport (105 km) while Bangalore (270 Km)is the other option. While Bangalore is one of the larger airports of India having many national and international flights, Coimbatore has connectivity with Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai and Hyderabad.
- Rail – Mettupalayam (47 km) is the nearest railway station of Ooty. It is connected with Chennai and Coimbatore through regular train services.
- Road – All major south Indian cities including Bangalore, Mysore and Chennai have regular bus connectivity to Ooty.
Distance of Ooty from Below Places:
| Place | Distance (KM) |
|---|---|
|
Coimbatore |
90 |
|
Bangalore |
270 |
|
Kochi |
276 |
|
Mangalore |
384 |
|
Chennai |
560 |
Weather
Ooty Temperature
- Summer (Mar to May) – Temperatures are moderate and range between (8°C) to (22°C)
- Monsoon – (Jun to Sep) – With heavy rainfall happening at regular basis, this is not a good season for tourists
- Winter – (Oct to Feb) – Temperatures are lower and range between (5°C) to (20°C)
- Best Time to Visit – Though you can visit Ooty all through the year including the monsoon, Oct to Mar is the best season for tourism as the temperature remains low and sky is clear
What to See In Ooty
Ooty Lake stays in the heart of Ooty with its L shape construction. It is the best place for boating and the summers are primly wonderful. Several boat races are conducted and people have a wonderful time enjoying the sport as such a wonderful place on earth. The function is well planned and organized and there is a huge crowd gathered around the lake at the time of the race.
The boat houses is the place where the people reside and it’s also a great experience staying in a boat house. There are a few children parks where the tourists can halt and have a wonderful time with kids. The means of conveyance stays to be horses and ponies and horse ride is the favorite sport for anyone visiting the place.
Doddabetta peak is the highest known peak in the region of Ooty and its altitude stays to be more than 2,623 meters in height. It actually stays in the suburbs of Ooty and is hardly 10 kms from the place. Ooty being the hilly place, the areas in the suburbs can too be easily captured in the camera and the hillock as well as the valley is indeed a great sightseeing place.
It is a wonderful place for shooting and capturing nature’s scenic beauty in the camera and forecast it to the people all around the globe. The hilly regions of Mysore and the open plain lands too can be easily captured in the camera and it is the best place to take a shot.
Catherine Falls, also known as St. Catherine’s fall, is located in the area that surrounds Coonoor. This beautiful waterfall falls from an impressive 250 feet. It can clearly been seen from the top of Dolphin’s Nose if seeing the entire waterfall as one total impression is what you are looking for. It is also possible to take a road to the top of the falls. This vantage point allows you to truly appreciate the awesome power that Mother Nature has contained within a waterfall as you look down the 250 feet to the pool of water and its surrounding landscape below.
Dolphin’s Nose is an enormous rock formation that is entirely unique. The protruding rock formation looks exactly like what it is named after, a dolphin’s nose. It takes some effort to climb to the top of this rock outcropping, but the views are absolutely worth the hard work. There are gigantic ravines found both to the left and right of Dolphin’s Nose.
In one of the ravine’s you can clearly see the awe inspiring Catherine Falls with its continuing stream several thousand meters below. In the other ravine, you can spot where the Coonoor stream meets the Kotagiri stream. Both streams that are contained within these two ravines ultimately feed the Bhavani River which is located a relatively short distance away opposite of the Dolphin’s Nose.
It has a wide span of more than 50 acres and is spread along the Dodabetta peak, which stays to be the highest peak in the region of Ooty. The garden is taken great care of by the government and the Horticulture department and has a wide variety of plants and trees. It has been lovers point and has been appreciated by all kinds of people alike. May stays to be the best time to visit the place, and there are several programs organized by the local crowd so as to attract the tourists to visit the place.
One of the most charming places in Ooty is the Tiger Hill. This beautiful spot lies to the east of the hill station and towards the lower end of the Doddabetta peak. It is located at a distance of about 6 km from the main town. You can enjoy a trek up to Tiger Hill.
At the site there is a drinking water reservoir which meets the water requirements of the town. There is also a cave close to Tiger Hill. This cave is believed to be associated with many religious legends. This is a beautiful picnic spot and locals and tourists flock to this place to unwind and relax.
Rose garden is the heart and soul of city of Ooty. The construction is so beautiful and there are small tunnels made wherein the roses are planted in tunnels. This botanical garden stays to be the best flower show of the century and it has the highest amount of rose production in the country. Different kinds of roses are grown in all colors and sizes, incorporating different hybrid quality like tea and miniature roses which are gathering great footing in the market place these days. The roses grown in the Botanical garden are best sold at higher prices in the market and stay longer and are best for the bouquets to be created and are a great memorable gift for the beloved.
It is a spot ideally suited for a long romantic walk. The region is quite salubrious and provides panoramic view of the surrounding hills and plains.
It is an uphill botanical garden, set up at the altitude of 1780 m. It has been named after J.D. Sim who was the club secretary of Madras Club. This garden is the abode of as many as 1000 plant species which are fragmented into eight major sections. Some of the plantations are Rudraksh, Pine, Cypress, Fir and Magnolia. The flower beds and lily ponds enhance the aesthetic value of the garden. As many as 200 varieties of roses could be found in the garden.
Located along the Conoor Road, this spot helps to get an amazing view of Ketti valley. The most reputed viewpoints of Ooty fall within this region.
World Wax Museum
This is situated at a distance of 2 km from Oooty. One can find here wax statues of great finesse and quality. There are full size statues of relevant personalities like freedom fighters. Some statues are also based upon the theme of lifestyles.
Other Details
What to Do
- Boating in the Ooty Lake
- Travel around the Nilgiri in wooden coaches.
- Visit a tea garden and a tea factory.
- Visit the local army cantonment
- Play Golf at the Gymkhana Golf Course
- Visit the famous spot where movies are shot.
- Go for horseback riding. Around the lake or further into the countryside.
- Visit Mudumalai Forest Sanctuary
Where to Eat
- Kabab Corner — Street Commercial Rd. Meat lover’s paradise, this place does not look much but is wonderful all the time.
- Sidewalk Cafe — Street Commercial Rd. Slightly American Diner, slightly Italian Café this is a delight for Western food lovers.
- Garden Restaurant — Behind Nagar Nilgiri Hotel. Pure veg delicious South Indian Joint.
What to Buy
Tea, chocolates, eucalyptus oil, gourmet cheese and spices are the major shopping options in OOTY. You can also go for the farm fresh vegetables. Do not forget to visit the Green Shop.
Get Around
Tourist cabs, taxis and auto-rickshaws will help you throughout the city while you are in the town.
Top Destinations - Tamil Nadu
– Chennai
– Kanyakumari
– Kodaikanal
– Madurai
– Ooty
– Rameswaram
Popular Tour Plans - Tamil Nadu
1-3 Days
1. Ooty (2N/3D)
2. Kodaikanal (2N/3D)
4-6 Days
1. Ooty-Kodaikanal-Munnar (6N/7D)
2. Bangalore-Mysore-Ooty (6N/7D)
7-10 Days
1. Alleppey-Kovalam-Kanyakumari-Thiruvananthapuram (7N/8D)
2. Munnar-Alleppey-Periyar Sanctuary-Kovalam-Kanyakumari (10N/11D)
>10 Days
1. Chennai-Pondicherry-Kodaikanal-Madurai-Rameswaram-Kanyakumari (12N/13D)
2. Chennai-Pondicherry-Madurai-Rameswaram-Kanyakumari-Kovalam (12N/13D)