Ooty

Ooty, also known as Ootacamund, is the Queen of hill stations and the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Ooty is also a land of picturesque picnic spots. This place used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 mt above sea level.  The establishment of numerous tea estates made Ooty famous. Lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands and miles and miles of tea gardens greet the passengers on most routes. 

Sightseeing in Ooty -

Ooty Lake: Ooty Lake stays in the heart of Ooty with its L shape construction. It is the best place for boating and the summers are primly wonderful.

Doddabetta Peak: Doddabetta peak is the highest known peak in the region of Ooty and its altitude is more than 2,623 meters.

Tiger Hill: One of the most charming places in Ooty is the Tiger Hill. This beautiful spot lies to the east of the hill station and towards the lower end of the Doddabetta peak. It is located at a distance of about 16km from the main town. You can enjoy a trek upto Tiger Hill. At the site there is a drinking water reservoir which meets the water requirements of the town. 

Botanical Gardens: Who doesn't know about the Botanical Gardens? It's the best garden ever known in India and is a great tourist destination. It is located on the hillock of Ooty which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It has a wide span of more than 50 acres and is spread along the Dodabetta peak, which is the highest peak in the region of Ooty.

Mukurti Peak: Mukurti peak is amongst the array of mountains in the southern plains of kerala. The place consists of mountains surrounded by great plains on all sides where one can enjoy the beauty of the mountains from the plains and the beauty of the plains from the hillocks. The mukurti peak is about 2553 km in height and is a wonderful place to be in. There are small huts in the place where one can halt and enjoy the culture in association with the nature. 

Mukerti National Park & Lake: Mukerti National Park is situated in the southern region of the Nilgiri and is spread across the whole eastern region too. The park is an abode for a large number of animals

Pykara Lake & Pykara Falls: Pykara Lake and the fall are on the path going from Ooty to Bangalore and are situated close to mudumalai. The lake is a wonderful example of nature's beauty and is a paradise on earth. One would definitely love boating in the wonderful lake and the pykara falls close to the lake is a fantastic place where one can enjoy photography. 

Holy Trinity Church: Churches are ubiquitous with Ooty, but the one that forms an important cultural representation of the city is the Holy Trinity Church. Rightly marked as one of the oldest landmark of the city, the church is Tudor in appearance and is marked by stained glass windows, intricate carvings and quiet cemeteries. 

St.Stephens Church: St. Stephen Church is the Gothic church of the place and is one of the best known colonial structures of Ooty. The church was constructed and carved totally from wood and is the best architectural model from wood. The coolness in the church is wonderful as the whole place is made of wood. It's indeed a great experience staying a closet made from the pure wood obtained from Tipu Sultan's palace and was brought at this place with the aid of series of elephants.

Sanctuary Avalanche: is situated in the Nilgiri hills.The national park is situated about 67 kilometers away from ooty and is a wonderful place for people who love wild animals.

Mountain Train: An added attraction for the tourists is the mountain train journey on a ratchet and pinion track which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam and wends its way through many hair-raising curves, fearful tunnels and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams and tea gardens. 

How to reach-

By Air: Coimbatore airport is the nearest airport and is around 105 km from Ooty. A number of private airlines give provide services to Coimbatore. Coimbatore is well connected with many south Indian cities by air including Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai and Hyderabad.

By Train: Mettupalayam, which is 47 km away from Ooty, is the nearest major railway station. There are regular train services from Coimbatore and Chennai to Mettupalayam. Mettupalayam and Conoor are connected to Ooty with toy trains .Taxis are available from Mettupalayam to Ooty.

By Road: Ooty is well connected with all most all south Indian cities by bus. There are regular bus services from Mysore, Bangalore, Madurai, and Kanyakumari and also from many cities in Kerala. State owned and private vehicles ply on this route. Many tourist services providers offer package trips to Ooty from many south Indian cities.