Ooty
Nestled between the magnificent mountains enveloped by cloud Ooty is a most favored destination of the southern India. The picturesque beauty, natural harmony and tranquility and the wonderful weather of Ooty draws the attention of the voyagers.
Location
Ooty the fascinating hill stating of Tamil Nadu is situated in the Nilgiri district amidst four gigantic hills of the Nilgiri range. These four magnificent ranges are Snowdon, Doddabetta, Elk Hill and Club Hill. Ooty is situated about 7500 feet above the sea level. This hilly region enjoys the proximity of three different states Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Lush green forests, tranquil lakes, lofty mountains, beautiful landscapes, tea gardens and eucalyptus gardens adorn this hilly region of Tamil Nadu.
Places to see
Visiting the queen of hill stations, Ooty, is always enchanting and captivating. Ooty witnesses tourist influx almost throughout the year and showcases a number of tourist attractions in and around the district.
Botanical Garden: The Ooty Botanical Garden was established in the year 1847 which spreads over an area of 55 acres. This garden houses a diverse variety of ornamental and exotic trees and plants and is a popular destination for nature lovers.
Frenhill Palace: This was once upon a time the summer capital of the Maharaja of Mysore. The architectural pattern of this building resembles the Swiss style of architecture. Frenhill Palace was later on transformed into a beautiful heritage hotel by the same name.
Rose Garden: Rose Garden owns the record of having the largest collection of roses in India. The colorful rose garden hosts approximately 2000 different species of roses which are distinct in their colors, sizes and shapes.
Doddabetta Peak: Doddabetta Peak is the highest peak of the Nilgiri ranges which stands over an approximate height of 2613 meters. The colloquial meaning of the name of this peak is big mountain which is simply suitable to its magnificent height and structure.
Ooty Government Museum: The Government museum located on the Mysore road is a popular tourist place for knowledge hunters. This museum houses a number of tribal objects, manuscripts, sculptural details of the state etc. A trip to this museum broadens the scope to know the state of Tamil Nadu in a better way.
Ooty Lake: Ooty Lake has become the entertainment hub of Ooty in the recent years. This lake is situated adjacent to the main bus stand of this hill station and stretches about 2 kms in length. Boating is best enjoyed in this lake a couple of other activities including rides can also be played there.
Kandal Cross: This is a sacred shrine of the Roman Catholics which is positioned on the western part of the Udhagamandalam railway station. This Catholic pilgrim destination is visited by inhabitants and many tourists everyday who offer their prayer and seek for holy blessings.
Some other places of interest in Ooty are, Ketti Valley View, Upper Bhavani, Avalanche, Wenlock Downs, Kamaraj Sagar, Charming Cross, Kalgatty Falls, Mudhumalai Wildlife Santuary etc.
How to reach
Ooty is well connected by rail, road and air and directly accessible from many major locations of India. Whatever might be the means of communication; the distance that you have covered to reach the place is nothing once you feel the cool breeze touching your senses.
By Air: Coimbatore is the closest airport for Ooty which is only an 8 hours journey from this hill station. Frequent domestic flights connect Coimbatore with major cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.
By Rail: Ooty is connected by meter gauge tracks to the Mettupalayam railway station which is situated on the foothills of the Nilgiris. You can avail direct trains for Mettupalayam from Chennai and Coimbatore.
By Road: Though being a hill station of Tamil Nadu Ooty is situated on a close proximity with Kerala and Karnataka. A smooth road network of 280 kms is there which connects Bangalore with Ooty. One can even travel from Mysore to Ooty through the Bandipur protected forest area. The roads are well maintained and numerous bus services ply Ooty to the neighboring cities like Pondicherry, Salem, Chennai and Bangalore. Plenty of travel options like hired cabs, buses, shuttles are there to make your journey comfortable and affordable.
What to do
Ooty, the adobe of Mother Nature offers a lot of leisure activities and adventurous sports to its highly enthusiastic vacationers. One can enjoy numerous adventure sports which will surely enthrall his mind and heart.
Boating: Boating is one of the most preferred time pass activities in Ooty. The Ooty lakes are beautiful and tranquil in nature; hence, the charm of boating there is serene and enthralling. Paddleboats, motorboats and rowboats are the three options one can select from.
Fishing: Avalanche and Sandinalla lakes are best known for trout fishing. But one needs to take prior permission of the Fisheries Department to enjoy fishing there.
Horse Racing: The horse course is positioned in the heart of the city which is approximately 2.4 km long. Horse racing is a very popular adventure sport of Ooty which is being enjoyed in the summer season in between the months of April to June.
Golfing: Golfing in Ooty is an amazing experience which everybody should try once while visiting this place. 18 natural golf courses are there spreading over an area of 193 acres which provide the opportunity to enjoy this aristocratic game while exploring this hilly district.
Angling: Angling is one of the most adorable leisure time activities and the Ooty streams and lakes are just apt for enjoying such delightful activities.
Trekking: Ooty in simple words can be termed as a trekker’s paradise. There are several trekking routes which are very distinct in nature and all of them offer adventure, excitement, and spell binding natural beauty to the trekkers.
Hand-gliding: Months between March to May is the time when hand-gliding courses are being organized by the state Government in association with the tourism department of the state.
Ooty Shopping: Shopping is simply a pastime activity for visitors where one can buy some exclusive products like Nilgiri tea, natural oils, fruits, embroideries etc. Municipal Market, Co-operative Super Market are the places known for shopping. One can easily shop handicraft items of Kerala and Tamil Nadu from the nearby showrooms.
The telescope house situated on the top of the hill facilitates the visitors to take a panoramic view of the entire region.
Best time to visit
If you are planning to avoid the heat and the lull of the summer then this season can be a good choice to make a trip to Ooty. The weather condition in that period remains as such that u can carry light cotton garments for the day and blankets and light jackets for night. A number of cultural programs are being organized during the summer season in Ooty, and the annual flower show in the Botanical Garden is one of them. Nature lover tourists can enjoy a trip to this hill station during this summer festival in the month of May to celebrate the cultural programs in Ooty. If you want to enjoy the cloud wrapped mountains and chilly cold natural environs then winter is the right option for you. Winter is basically the season of tourism in this hill station. However, the state Government has controlled tourist activities in monsoons. Therefore, it is best to avoid Ooty in monsoons.
History
Ooty showed its possibility and prospect as a hill station and tourist destination long back during the pre independence period. It was John Sullivan who first brought Ooty into public notice. He was amazed by the beauty of this place during 1819 and it is considered to be one of the most important years in the history of this state. He was the first person to built a home called ‘Stone House’ in Ooty. Gradually Ooty started gaining public interest and different routes have been constructed and tourist spots have been developed with the passage of time.
Climate
Ooty the queen of hills enjoys a pleasant weather throughout the year and every season adds different shades and colors to the nature. This hilly region observes three seasons' summer, monsoon and winter.
The mercury during summer seasons rises up to 25°C and the lowest temperature remains around 10°C. March to September are the months of summer which observes a little wintriness in the temperature at night. Monsoon arrives in the month of July and lasts till September and the average annual rainfall recorded is somewhere around 121 cm. Though rain is not a perfect season for visitors but the heavy shower on the valleys and hills has its own unique appeal. Winter appears in the month of October and remains till February. Winter is very chilly and brings cold breeze with it. Mercury falls down to 4°C during winters and the entire hilly region mostly gets shadowed by fog which creates a mysterious atmosphere in the hills.
Ooty is also renowned for its fantastic accommodation facilities and hospitality systems. A wide range of hotels and other lodging facilities starting from star hotels to budget hotels are available. Ooty is a popular destination for newly married couples therefore; many hotels offer special honeymoon packages for newly wedded pairs.
