Ooty City Guide

Ooty is South India's most popular hill stations, situated in the Nilgiri Hills at an altitude of 2,240 mts.Ooty tourism has flourished for several decades and has the distinction or being the favorite hill station for many travelers. Spread out along a high plateau, Ooty is set among the Nilgiris or Blue Mountains, covered with green forests and valleys, tea plantations, streams and mountains. The Britishers founded it in the early part of the 19th century, to serve as summer headquarters for the government of Madras.

Site Seeing

Ooty lake and the Botanical Gardens are two most attraction points of Ooty. The lake covers an area of one and a half square miles, with a railway running along one bank. The large graveyard of St. Thomas's church, built in 1870, overlooks the lake. It has the tallest memorial of Ooty, a huge pillar surmounted by a cross, over the grave of William Patrick Adam, the Governor of Madras Presidency, who died in Ooty in 1881.

Arranmore Palace - Maharajas and nawabs built their summer palaces and mansions. Many have been turned into hotels. Arranmore Palace built by the Maharaja of Jodhpur is now a Government guesthouse.

Botanical Gardens - The Botanical Garden has built as a slope down the hills and showcases some of the rarest of flowers and plants. The garden has an enchanting range of orchids and lilies. The landscaping of the botanical gardens has been done so beautifully, that it is one of the favorite film shooting locations. The botanical gardens are an important location of Ooty.

Cairn Hill - Cairn Hill is one of the popular picnic spots of Ooty. It is a relatively small hill located about 3 km from the avalanche Cairn hills.

Doddabetta Peak - Doda Betta is one of the must visit hills as it is the highest point of the Nilgiris. Doda Betta is one of the must visit hills as it is the highest point of the Nilgiris.

Fern Hill Palace - Fernhills Palace, Located in 50 acres of land with sprawling lawns, beautiful gardens, dense forests, rich and stunning views overlooking lush green valleys and tea gardens.

Government Museum - The Government Museum is famous for tribal objects, districts ecological details and representative sculptural arts and crafts of Tamil Nadu. Government Museum exhibits timber, Kurinji flower, butterflies, woodcarving, rock, etc.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway - The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 Km long 1000 mm gauge railway connecting Mettupalayam (1069 ft) to Ooty (7228 ft). Nilgiri Mountain Railway is one of the main tourist attractions of Ooty. This train has an interesting history apart from the vintage charm that it exudes.

Ooty Lake - Ooty is spread with several lakes and waterfalls that add to the beauty of this beautiful hill station. The Kalhatty waterfalls s located about 13 km from Ooty. It's an ideal site for trekking.

Rose Garden - The Rose Garden is recognized as the Garden of Excellence and it is one of the largest rose garden of India. Rose Garden is located in the slopes of Elk Hills has about 17000 varieties of roses and is a spectacle in itself.

Tiger Hill - The tiger hill has a closed cave on top which has many legends attached to it. The Tiger Hill is gifted with an abundance of beauty and freshness.

Getting There Air: Ooty's nearest airport is at Coimbatore, which has daily flights to and from Madras, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum.

Train: For a magnificent view of the hillside covered with forests, a train journey is recommended. The Nilgiri Express leaves

Road: The road network to Ooty is a well-maintained one and is connected from such major cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Gudalur, Mysore, Calicut, Bangalore, Kochi and Kodaikanal.

Ooty climate is favorable for the growth of a lot of flowering trees and plants and the spring season has a mesmerizing effect. The best time to visit is April to September. April to June is the local tourist season, so it is somewhat crowded. A major tourist attraction is the flower show, which takes place in the first week of May every year.