OOTY TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO OOTY
Hill Station
About Ooty
#1 of 23 Places to visit in Tamilnadu | #7 of 100 Places to visit in India
Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 Days
Nearest City to Ooty: Coimbatore (89 Kms)
Best Time to Visit Ooty: October to May
Peak Season: October & December to January & May to June
At a distance of 89 km from Coimbatore, 128 km from Mysore, 158 km from Kozhikode, 244 km from Munnar, 254 km from Kodaikanal, 265 km from Bangalore, & 556 km from Chennai, Ooty is a stunning hill station as well as the headquarters of the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu. It one of the best hill stations in Tamilnadu, and among the must include places inTamilnadu Tour Packages.
At an altitude of 7,440 feet, Ooty, also known as Udhagamandalam, is often referred to as 'Queen of hill stations'. Nilgiris means 'Blue Mountains. A land of picturesque picnic spots & lakes, it was a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during colonial days. Ooty Lake, Botanical Garden and Rose Garden are among the must include places in your Ooty tour packages.
Ooty was originally a tribal land occupied by the Todas along with other tribes. The Nilgiri territory came into possession of East India Company as part of the ceded lands, held by Tipu Sultan in 1799. In 1818, Wish and Kindersley, Assistant and Second Assistant to Collector of Coimbatore visited this spot and submitted their experience report to the Collector of Coimbatore John Sullivan. John Sullivan later began the construction of his bungalow at Dimbhatti the first European dwelling on the hills. Ooty served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and other small kingdoms, much visited by the British during the colonial days. Its stunning beauty and splendid green deep valleys inspired the British to name it Queen of Hill Stations. Sullivan later developed the town and encouraged the establishment of tea, chinchona, and teak trees.
Apart from pleasant weather, Ooty Lake, Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Wenlock Downs, Pine Forest, and Emerald Lake are the popular places to visit in Ooty. The toy train, known as Nilgiri Mountain Railway that runs from Mettupalayam to Ooty is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must be experienced. The train route winds its way through many hair-raising curves and fearful tunnels and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams, and tea gardens. The train route was developed by British engineers in 1908, covering 42 kilometers in length with 108 curves, 16 tunnels, and 250 bridges.
The establishment of numerous tea estates made Ooty famous. Lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands, and miles and miles of tea gardens greet the visitors on most routes. The annual Tea and Tourism Festival (Jan) and Summer Festival (May) attract crowds in huge numbers. Ooty is one of the popular hill stations near Bangalore.
About 87 km from Ooty, Coimbatore Airport is the nearest airport that has well flight connectivity with all the major cities of India including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune. Coimbatore Junction about 85 km is the nearest railhead, which has connectivity to Mettupalayam from where you can get Ooty Toy Train which is an exclusive train service from Mettupalayam to Ooty and few other minor stations. Nilgiri Mountain Railway runs once a day from Mettupalayam to Ooty at 7:10 AM. Coimbatore also has well train connectivity from all the other major cities of the country. Ooty is also connected by bus with major cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, and Coimbatore.
Summer Festival (May)
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