A paradise town in the southern region of India, Ooty delivers and surpasses everything you had imagined for the place to be. From its divine natural beauty to the experience of the trips described in the past, this truly is an epitome of the phrase ‘heaven on earth’. This article walks you through the introduction of this famous hill station and also guides you to the places and things worth visiting and doing to make your trip more enjoyable and worthwhile.
Ooty, a small beautiful town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri hills. Also the district capital of the Nilgiris district, Ooty’s actual anglicized name is Udhagamandalam, which is further also called Udhagai or even Ootacamund, although it is universally known as Ooty. Originally occupied by the Todas, the area came under the rule of East India Company at the end of the 18th Century and today, the town’s main source of economy is based on tourism and agriculture, along with manufacture of medicines and the obvious photographic films.
Also dubbed “queen of hill stations”, Ooty is like a honeycomb that the bees, in the form of tourists and travellers swarm to. The pristine beauty and that have been talked, read and seen so much of in pictures and conversations have been an aching fantasy of many people to fulfill. Ooty is one such location that every travelling person has associations to, which makes it easier for travellers or tourists to check places to visit, things to do and hotels in Ooty with tariff by going online and making their bookings accordingly as per their convenience. Ooty serves as a heavenly weekend getaway for people living in cities nearby who can make the trips to and fro by road and enjoy the road trip getting to witness the awe inspiring sight of the approaching hill station paradise and their destination. Another good thing about Ooty is its climate. The pleasant, temperate climate throughout the year adds another plus point to this abode of divine beauty.
Ooty is as close as you get to mother nature to feel, see and experience her beauty in plain sight. As fascinating as this place is, there are numerous sites you could visit or be a part of and do something in Ooty. Here are some of the places definitely worth a visit if you ‘really’ want to be satisfied with the thought of having explored Ooty to the best.
Ooty Botanical Gardens – Stretch over an area of about 22 hectares, this botanical garden maintained by the Horticulture department of the state has over 650 species of plants and trees including a fossil of a tree believed to be over 20 million years old. A summer festival is held here every year in the month of May showcasing the talents of localities through cultural programs and flower shows.
Doddabetta peak – Standing tall at an altitude of 2,623 metres, the Doddabetta peak is the highest vantage point around Ooty. If the view from the valley down leaves you awestruck, imagine the view from the top! Make the trip up together with your friends or family and simply let the beauty sink in.
Ooty rose gardens and Sims park – One has a large variety of roses blooming in all its glory in various colours while the other shelters rare plants and trees. Both totally worth a visit if your thirst for beauty has still not worn out.
Tea factory – Ooty has its own share of tea gardens and factories. Although it may not reach the density with which it is done in Assam and Darjeeling, the two places where most of the tea for domestic consumption and export is produced, Ooty offers you all the full experience of being part of a tea garden and the beautiful process it goes through until the final produce is obtained.
The other things you should definitely do on your trip is go on hikes and trekking along the hills, travel on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) with colourful wooden coaches which is widely regarded as a modern piece of moving art, go for horseback rides and buy the real unadulterated famous chocolates. Ooty is famous for its chocolates, and while you can get the processed chocolate bars with added sugar and flavouring in some shops, the best way to savour its taste is to try the unadulterated chocolate chunks.
Ooty living up to its flourishing tourism industry, has also been trying hard to continuously come up with new ways to make the stay of the travellers easier. In this regard numerous hotels have been mushrooming up in this small hill station town and although there is no airport in Ooty itself, the Coimbatore international airport is just less than 4 hours away with flights into Coimbatore from Singapore, Sharjah, Colombo and most parts of India including Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore with major airlines like Kingfisher, Indian Airlines, Jet Konnect, Indigo, Spicejet , Air India and Go Air flying on a regular basis.
Living in a clustered city with the air desecrated by pollution, Ooty will be a breath of fresh air. Literally. A holiday location with the natural scenic beauty in a convenient location makes this place a perfectly good destination to enjoy and relax from the busy life of the city without going too far.