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Ooty, also known as Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam, is a prominent hill station in South India. It is situated in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 560 km away from the state capital, Chennai and 80 km north of Coimbatore. Ooty is standing at an elevation of 2240 m (7,347 feet) above sea level in the Nilgiri mountain ranges. The Nilgiri mountains are also called “Blue mountains”, because at the time of sunset they look blue. The place is known for its inconceivable scenic beauty and invigorating climate in the city, due to its lush green forest.

Ooty is a type of hill station which is one of its own kind, means it is a only hill station in India, which attracts tourists throughout the year. People visit Ooty during all seasons due to its amazing weather. And because of this it has earned the epithet of “all seasons hill resort” and the “queen of hill stations”.

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Condensed forests, boundless tea & coffee plantation, spiring mountains and ramble grasslands defines Ooty. Ooty is like a paradise for trekkers. Ooty provides many trek routes. One can enjoy its amazing landscapes, jammed forests, beautiful flowers, lakes and waterfalls while trekking.

Climate:

As the place is called as “all season hill resort”, its climate remains pleasure throughout the year. However, January and February nights are quiet chilly.

Best Time:

The best time to visit Ooty is November and March, however one can also visit Ooty during April-June, but during this period the hill station remains a bit crowded.

Pic Source                                                                A Scenic View of Nilgiris

Major Attractions in Ooty:

Government Rose Garden, Nilgiri Mountain Railways, Toda Huts,  Pine forest, Wenlock Downs, Kamaraj Sagar Dam, Stone House, Kalhatty Falls, Doddabetta Peak (the tallest peak in the Nilgiris), Pykara Lake, Mukurthi National Park, Emerald Lake, and Avalanche Lake.

Other Attractions Near Ooty: 

Bellikkal, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Red Hills, Coimbatore, Madumalai wildlife sanctuary.

Pic Source                           Mukurthi National Park

Top Things To Do In Ooty:

  • One can take long walks and can hike on the mountains.
  • Take a tour to tea gardens and one can also visit a tea factory.
  • Ooty produces some best and delicious chocolates. One should try it, if he visits Ooty. There are many local brands which produces these chocolates.
  • Explore the place either by 4×4 sports utility vehicle or by bicycle.
  • Visit terrace farmed cabbage fields around Ooty.
  • Take an adventurous safari at Madumalai wildlife sanctuary.
  • Visit the place 9th mile and 6th mile and pose like Shahrukh Khan. This is the place where lot of movies are shot.
  • Visit the highest peak of Nilgiris, viz, Doddabetta Peak by horse riding.
  • Visit Pykara lake and Pykara waterfalls. The view of the lake is just awesome. One can do boating also. There are three types of boating available, viz, paddle boating, row boating and motor boating.

How To Reach:

By Air:

There is no airport available in Ooty. The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport and it is situated at a distance of 96 km from Ooty.

By Rail:

Pic Source             Nilgiri Mountain Railways

There is no broad gauge railway connectivity to Ooty. One can take a metre gauge train from the town, Mettupalayam which connects the Udhagamandalam Railway Station in Ooty. The Nilgiri Mountain Railways is one of the oldest mountain railways in India. It was also declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nilgiri Mountain Railways is one of the main attractions of Ooty. The journey through this railway is full of dense forests and waterfalls.

 

By Road:

Ooty is well connected by roads to the major cities of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karanataka. There are buses available very frequently from Mettupalayam (Coimbatore) to Ooty via Kotagiri and via Coonoor. The journey takes around 3 to 4 hours to reach Ooty from Mettupalayam. You can also hire your own taxi/cab to reach Ooty from anywhere.

Written by

Manu Khandelwal

An engineer and a travel blogger. Loves trekking and doing bike road trips. Burger lover (want to try every burger in the world). Clinomaniac. Sports fanatic. Likes technology but not a technology addict.