Ooty “The Queen of Hills”, is a beautiful tourist destination situated in the Nilgiri Hills in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. The full name of Ooty is Udagamandalam. It is located in the north of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Ooty has very popular tourist places which are visited by a large number of tourists from within the country as well as from abroad. Each tourist attraction in Ooty exudes a unique and vibrant feel.
However, if you are wondering what to do in Ooty and what to see in Ooty, have a look at the various places of interest listed below. With these interesting places to visit, you can also plan for a memorable Ooty trip.
Ooty Tourist Places Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, built by the British in 1908, is a World Heritage Site. It is a 46 kilometer toy train journey that starts from Mettupalayam and reaches Ooty in about five hours passing through many tunnels, bridges and beautiful valleys. The toy train journey from 300 feet to 7200 feet height is sure to be a thrill.
Ooty Lake
Ooty Lake is a popular destination for picnics, paddle boating and enjoying Ooty in leisure. Built in 1825, the lake is 2.5 km long and passes through the Nilgiri hills. Let us tell you that a song from Salman Khan’s film Maine Pyar Kiya was shot here.
Doddabetta Peak
Doddabetta Peak at an altitude of 8,606 ft is the highest point in South India. A large number of tourists gather to see this peak located at a distance of 10 km from Ooty. You can have a breathtaking view of the Nilgiris from here. The top of the peak is absolutely mesmerizing, the rich flora and fauna here add to the overall charm of Doddabetta Peak.
Pykara Falls
Pykara Falls, located at a distance of 20 km from Ooty, is a wonderful picnic spot surrounded by pine trees. This place is also famous for photography. You can take a long walk among the pine trees along with enjoying a speedboat ride in this lake.
Botanical Garden
Ooty Botanical Garden is a horticultural area with more than 650 species of flowers and trees spread over a vast area of 22 hectares. The flower show organized here as a part of the Ooty Summer Festival is a major attraction. Another popular attraction of the Botanical Garden is the Fossil Tree Trunk which is said to be around 20 million years old. Various types of plants are worth seeing here.
Kalhatti Waterfall
About 13 km from Ooty, on the Ooty-Mysore road, Kalhatti Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls you will see on your trip to Ooty. This waterfall can be reached through a trek of 2 miles from Kalahatti village. It is believed that the great Hindu sage Agastya once lived here. With its rich avian fauna, it is also frequently visited by bird watchers. Its scenic beauty leaves you mesmerized during your visit to Ooty.
Ooty’s famous Rose Garden
Rose Garden is another popular place to visit in Ooty. Maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu, this garden is spread over 4 hectares of land and proudly presents more than 20 thousand varieties of roses. A well-maintained garden, it also boasts of winning the Garden of Excellence Award for South Asia from the World Federation of Rose Societies. Ooty Rose Garden presents the unique beauty of roses and a perfect backdrop for photography.
What is the best time to visit Ooty?
Although tourists visit Ooty throughout the year, the ideal time to visit is between April to June and September to November. In the month of March to June, where the whole of India experiences heat, the temperature of Ooty does not rise above 20 degree Celsius and there is no problem in visiting Ooty during the day.
How to reach Ooty?
Though there are various options like airplane, train and bus etc. to reach Ooty but most of the people prefer to travel to Ooty by road as all the routes to reach Ooty are very beautiful and picturesque. However, you can reach Ooty by any means as per your convenience bus, or own vehicle, taxi, car. Apart from this you can also reach Ooty by toy train passing through the Nilgiri Mountains, thick forests and dark tunnels.
