Ooty

Kotagiri Village scene

Ooty, short for Ootacamund (an anglicized name for Udhagamandalam), is a popular hill resort in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India.

The name Udhagamandalam is derived from the TODA word "othakal-mund" which means "house in mountains". Ooty stands at 7,347 feet above sea level in the Nilgiri mountain range. It was founded in the 19th century by the British, and served as the summer headquarters of the Madras Presidency.

Understand

Located in the mountainous range called the Nilgiris ("Blue Mountains"), it draws swarms of tourists every year. The weather is quite pleasant at a mean of 15-20°C around the year, dropping to lows of 0°C during winter. The landscape is marked by rolling hills covered with dense vegetation, smaller hills and plateaus covered with tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees. Many portions of the hills are preserved as natural reserve forests, and special permits will be needed to camp in noncamp sites. Ooty is not the destination in itself, as much as it is the focal point of attraction. Auto touring the surrounding country side is certainly a must do. Unfortunately, the hill town suffers from overcrowding and erosion of natural resources. Tourism has placed an enormous strain on the natural resources resulting in pollution, water shortage and roads.

The hilly region also houses smaller towns like Coonoor and Kotagiri. These smaller towns are a better choice to visit and spend time in, since they are off the beaten path, yet less than 1 hour away from Ooty. They enjoy the same natural climes and prices are a lot cheaper.

Get in

By plane

The Coimbatore airport is the closest to the hills at 3-1/2 hours by road. There are flights into Coimbatore from Singapore, Sharjah, Colombo and most parts of India including Mumbai (Indian Airlines, Jet and Indigo), Chennai (Spicejet, Air India, Indigo and Jet) and Bangalore. The Mysore airport is about 4 hours away from Ooty by road. The road trip is quite scenic from either airport.

By train

The hills are connected to by a nightly train. The Nilgiri Express (Train No. 2671) leaves from Chennai at night, and reaches Mettupalayam (which Indian Rail spells Metupalaiyam), a small town at the foothills of the Nilgiris early the next morning. The train The Nilgiri Mountain Railway leaves Mettupalayam at 7.10 pushed by a small steam powered historic locomotive that is a remnant of Swiss engineered trains imported in the late 1800s. The steam train is much smaller, and can only accommodate a portion of the passengers that disembark at Mettupalayam.You have to book separate ticket for this journey (tickets can be booked through IRCTC(www.irctc.co.in) like any other rail ticket booking.), although many prefer the faster route of taking a cab or a bus from Mettupalayam.

The steam train takes a very scenic route, and the pace of travel will let you take in the beautiful scenery at leisure with stops at stations for the engine to take on water(the journey takes about 5-1/2 hours compared to 2 hours by road). The train uses a rack and pinion system to haul itself up steep slopes, and also to prevent the train from sliding down when stopping. The train is pushed from behind. There are brakesmen at the rear of every carriage who will apply and release hand powered brakes individually for that carriage. The train often travels only at 5 - 10 Kmph, allowing some adventurous passengers to disembark from the train and walk along the train. This practice is not recommended and can be dangerous, besides there is a good chance that the train will speed up, and you will be unable to get back on board.

If you don't have a confirmed ticket of that toy train then you would not get the chance to board in it as railways issue limited say only 30 tickets on the spot at mettupalayam starting at 5AM, and at 1PM at ooty for the full stretch journey from mettupalayam to ooty, and make sure that you have gained nearer position to the ticket window before it opens.

By bus

There are buses and shared taxi vans that can be boarded from most parts of India to Ooty. If you don't want wake up early to take the train from Coimbatore, plenty of buses are also going to Ooty. The Coimbatore "new bus station" has frequent bus service to Ooty via Mettupalayam, and it takes around 3-1/2 hours to get there. However buses are not every comfortable and often crowded. The lack of air conditioning in the buses hurts till it reaches the hills. One can also avail taxi from the same "new bus stand". On the way back in morning, some busses make a 10-15 minute stop over at Mettupalayam for breakfast. From the "new bus station" it takes about 25minutes by (another) bus to reach the Coimbatore railway station. From Kozhikode (Calicut) there are two government buses daily, leaving 05.00 and 07.00, travel time is about 6 hours. Mysore is served few times a day, too. From Kannur there is a KSRTC Bus starting at 7:30AM everyday and a Tamil Nadu Bus at 10PM everyday reaching ooty at 4PM and 7AM next day respectively.

By car

The Nilgiris are in Tamil Nadu, but it is quite near the borders of neighboring states Karnataka and Kerala. The hills consequently can be reached from within Tamil Nadu by travelling up a heavily forested winding road, with many sharp hair-pin bends. The road trip from any state is quite scenic, although the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam-Coonoor-Ooty road (i.e. the Tamil Nadu route) is the most travelled and well maintained. All roads to the Nilgiri hills are toll roads, although the tolls are quite nominal.

One can also avail taxi from the Coimbatore "new bus stand", they agree to go for Rs. 2500/- (negotiable) when reserved and Rs. 600/- each on sharing basis, four people share an Omni (Maruti Van). In case a hotel has been per-booked, they often have contracts will taxis to provide pick-ups to and from Coimbatore for Rs 2000/-.

Ooty is 284 km from Bangalore by road. The journey takes about 8 hours, depending on the condition of the road. One can take a shorter route for which a diversion has to be taken at Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary. This route will take you past the small towns of Masinagudi and Kalhatti. This route will curtail the distance to Ooty by about 50 km. Keep in mind that this road is closed at night as it passes through the jungle, so you may actually have to spend a few hours at the check post which is closed invariably at night. Only good drivers should take on this road as it is very narrow and steep.You'll find some eateries and a fuel station in the town of Masinagudi. There are some wonderful resorts around Masinagudi town where one can rent a cottage. These places are a good weekend getaway for rest and relaxation. There are eating places between Bangalore and Mysore, and within Mysore, but from Mysore to Ooty one should carry some food, as there are very few restaurants. Start early if you can so that the drive through Bandipur and Mudumalai forest can be done leisurely taking in the occasional animal sightings.

Distance from Ooty to various cities:

• Coonoor (17 km)
• Kotagiri (28 km)
• Coimbatore (89 km)
• Coorg (225 km)
• Kodaikanal (236 km)
• Munnar (282 km)
• Bangalore (297 km)
• Calicut (187 km)
• Mysore (126 km)

Get around

Taxis, tourist cabs, auto rickshaws are available in plenty. There are no standard rates except tourist cabs. Rickshaws charge a minimum of Rs 30. Town buses are also available to all important places. Conducted sight seeing tours are arranged by the private operators and the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC). There are around 3-4 different day trip routes/packages available. Bus day-trip cost around Rs 125-150 and taxi day-trip cost around Rs 900-1100. Even if you arranged the taxi through the hotel (even TTDC), please verify with the hotel and operator before the trip that there are no hidden costs. Because the taxi drivers demand high parking fees extra and lunch, which is already paid for. The bus/taxi drivers get commission from remote restaurants and shops and they are overpriced, try avoiding such restaurants. Both bus and taxi will take tourists to some remote high-priced restaurant for lunch, try not to eat in such places because the food is cold, overpriced and place is not clean beyond the facade, and you will end up paying for taxi driver's lunch too.

Also avoid auto drivers recommendation they will take you to the hotels for accommodation where they get 20% commission which will be already added in your room tariff without your knowledge.

See

• Annamalai Temple - Annamalai Temple is a situated about 20 km distance from Ooty. This place has grown as a famous temple of Lord Muruga, known as 7th Hill house of the lord. The view from the Temple is really awesome. There is an observatory at the top of hill for the public to enjoy the magnificent panoramic view.

• Boating at Pykara - It's an awesome experience. Though the rate of boating is little bit high (minimum is Rs.400) but still it is worthy. Fresh air, good feeling and good view.

• Doddabetta peak - The Dodabetta Peak stands at an altitude of 2,623 meters. It is the highest point in the district, making it possibly the best vantage point around Ooty. It is merely 10km from Ooty so you can simply grab your camera and head straight to the peak, and click amazing pictures of the valley below. Many say that on a clear day, which is honestly not that often, one can see far off areas, even the plains of Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore.you can get there by catching a bus from ooty bus stand which will just charge you 10 Rs. but will have to walk about 3 km. from the stop where the bus will drop you. you will enjoy the way up the peak, if you love walking.

• Dolphin's Nose - The Dolphin's Nose View point is just 10km from coonoor central.You can enjoy the views of the roads and tea farms.

• Echo Rock - Some called it as 'Lambs rock" naturally took the shape of a lamb. Go through a very small forest and then you can see the rock.

• Falls at Pykara - It is an interesting place near the pykara village. Bathing is not advisable here as there is a danger of drowning. Whirlpools are common here Currently no water is there at Pykara waterfalls.

Fernhills palace

• Fern Hills Palace - Be sure to visit this palace turned hotel of the Mysore Maharaja. Extremely beautiful place and quite affordable tea-snacks and slightly expensive buffet dinner. The palace and it's estate is beautiful and are open to guests. It's a must visit. The locals often will call it Mysore palace to avoid confusion with the Fern Hill Hotel.

• Hidden Valley

• Historical Dam with Power station at Pykara

The Government Botanical Garden

• Ooty Botanical Gardens - If you are on a sightseeing tour to Ooty, you might want to visit the Government Botanical gardens, which were laid out in 1847.The picturesque gardens that are maintained by the Horticulture department of the state, cover an area of about 22 hectares. The Gardens have well over 650 species of plants and trees, including a fossil of a tree, which is believed to be more than 20 million years old. The garden is very popular with nature lovers and those who long to walk among greenery and see rare ferns and shrubs up close. If you are in Ooty in the month of May, then you can also be a part of the summer festival, which is held here annually. The festival holds flower shows and various cultural programs showcasing the talent of the locals and the renowned artists.

• Ooty Rose gardens - its an amazing and very large area garden. You can enjoy varieties of roses there. The roses bloom only for 2-3 months a year (not sure when), so going there off-season is not very interesting. If interested can buy the seeds and plants also.

• Pine forest - Its a natural beauty. After the end of the forest a lake is there. Be careful while walking as the path has slope.Down the slope lies the waters of Kamaraj-sagar Dam.

• Shooting point One very nice place is that. Don't miss it. The view is very pleasant.

• Sims Park (Coonoor) - Similar to ooty botanical garden, very rare plants and trees are present. The park is famous for the fruit show it hosts annually during summer festivals.

• The Tea Factory - Several tree gardens and factories are there. On the way you will get lots of them. They will approach you with free tea taste and offer some tea packets to buy. But be cautious if you don't have much knowledge about tea, better not to buy from them as the packet tea has not the same taste as they gave you to taste.The spices quality is not so good.

• Wax World - (Wax Museum) - Its a private investment not supported by Govt. Don't expect much like other foreign wax museum which are helped by tourism authorities for advertisements and promotions. But for sight seeing its good. More attraction is the very old house, where the museum is set up. Candles are available. But it is suffering from funds for expansion so they request tourists to visit so that they can get help from them, which is the only form of support.

Do

Most travel agents / hotels conduct guided tour packages that will bundle you into a bus, and tick off the most important and hence crowded "tourist" spots in the area. Some hotels also arrange for private cars like Indica, TATA Sumo.

• Enjoy the weather.
• Travel on the railway. The charming Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), blue and cream with wooden coaches and large windows, is widely regarded as a marvel of engineering.
• Go for long walks and hikes.
• Visit a tea plantation and if possible a tea factory.
• Ooty is famous for its chocolates, and the best place to have them is at King's Star. They have around 4 outlets in Ooty and are the first chocolate makers in Ooty. (the shops are run by the 3rd Generation of the family)
• Travel the country side in a 4x4.
• Catch a round of golf at the Gymkhana Golf course (membership or introduction required)
• Visit the local Army cantonment - the Madras Regimental Center and the DSSC (Defense Services Staff College).
• Visit terrace farmed cabbage fields around Ooty.
• Visit the Mudumalai forest sanctuary (1-2 days minimum).
• Visit the Needle industries which is around 6km from maintown Ooty in Ketti.
• Visit 9th mile and also the 6th mile where lot of movies are shot:-)
• Visit the Municipal Market and shop for fresh local fruits.
• You can get farm fresh carrot on the way.

• Horse back riding. It's popular here. In one hour you can go around the lake or longer rides you can visit countryside around Ooty. Some knowledge of horses would be good as the guides are local men who don't speak too much English, teaching is minimal. On top of the price you have to pay for guide. usd 4/hour. 

Buy

Ooty and Nilgiris are well known for a variety of local products like tea, eucalyptus oil, chocolates, spices and gourmet cheese. There are a lot of shops that deal these products, though you have to be careful you get an authentic product.

• Green Shop is an extension of the Keystone Foundation that has been working in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve over the last 15 years (since 1995) with indigenous communities on eco-development initiatives. and makes available their handicrafts and products like bee honey, bee wax and other hand-crafted artifacts. They also stock excellent gourmet cheeses like Gouda, Colby, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Haloumi and Herb Cream Cheeses made by Acres Wild Cheesemaking Farmstay in Coonoor. They also have a bee museum that is certainly worth a visit as they show documentaries on wild bees and honey collection.

• Shivani Stores is an old and reputed shop on Commercial road that stocks good Ooty chocolates, honey, spices and gourmet cheese from Acres Wild Cheesemaking Farmstay, Coonoor.

• C-Store is a part of the reputed Nilgiri Petroleum Company, famous for its pizza, burger, panneer fingers, samosas, bombay sandwiches, vada pav and cutlets. What's more? They are all mom-made. You will also find home made chocolates, honey, spices, herbal oils, tea and other local products in addition to products that cater to your travel needs.

Visit Taj Bakers, Main Bazaar, Ooty. For traditional Ooty Biscuit called (Varkey)and other bakery items like home made chocolates, cakes etc.

Eat

There are various restaurants in Ooty, mostly offering South Indian food, but some offer North Indian food.

One can also obtain some Chinese/Indo-Chinese food from restaurants such as Wang's kitchen, Shinkows and Western food such as pizza and sandwiches from chains like Hot Breads. Try avoiding Shinkows since most of the items are overpriced and the staff there is rude. Do not miss trying Ooty's famous buns, varkis, cakes, and other baked goods, as well as fruit and nut chocolates. Try Modern Stores and Kingstar Bakery.

• 1 Hotel Shri Velmurugan (Hotel Velmurugan), Walsham Road, Green fields (On the road connecting Alankar Theatre (in Ettines road) and the Commercial Road), ☏ +91 423-2444968, 9944817139NOCC, gokulkumar186@gmail.com. 7AM to 11PM. Enjoy delicious vegetarian & non-vegetarian food, tea, coffee and snacks. Moderate. 

• Earl's Secret, Kings Cliff. 

• C-Store, C/O Niligiri Petroleum Company, Charring Cross (heart of ooty), ☏ +91 423-2442447. 

Drink

The Nilgiris is famous for Tea.

Hotel Blue hills on Commercial Road. Best Non-veg hotel in Ooty. Serving biriyani and other dishes for more than a decade.

• Krishan Prabhas. lower bazaar, near bus stand, ooty 

Sleep

There is no dearth of accommodations, with many hotels and inns that cater to every budget. Accommodations are no more expensive than most cities in India, and the popular Indian hotel chains have a presence here.

Hotel Darshan, near Lake Boat House, 0423 2452288,2443378,2443807, hoteldarshan@yahoo.co.in 1.25 km from the bus stand and railway station. 34 rooms facing the lake, restaurant, room service, 24 hrs hot & cold water, in-house laundry, carpeted rooms, cable TV, parking, camp fire, doctor on call, travel desk, group accommodation available for small and large groups. 900 and up.

• Sunshine Inn Mobile - 99433-33323 or 98942-96961

Three-star property with 70 rooms. Includes a restaurant, room service, in-house laundry, and travel desk, and car parking is available inside the hotel premises. Season tariff starts from Rs.1800 + tax.

• Reflections Guest House. A short walk along the main road - turn right coming out of the train station, or left coming out of the bus stop (which is opposite the train station). It is tidy and with good views of the lake and hills. Stayed there in September 2010 at cost of Rs550/night for upstairs room. Location is very good - short walk to train station and bus stop, short walk to boat house, Thread Gardens and other tourist attractions. The food in the restaurant is good value for its price and nicely cooked. The owners are helpful and professional, and the common spaces make it a very friendly place to stay - I made several friends in my 3 nights there.

• Sherlock Hotel. A newly renovated colonial villa several kilometers away from the town with breathtaking views of the surrounding hills and warm and friendly service. Rooms have cozy fireplaces and cost between Rs. 1875 and Rs. 3000 depending on size and view. The restaurant alone is worth a visit serving outstanding continental food and also murgh boti masala and mint paranthas. Several short walking trails start nearby. A trip to Ooty is worth it just for a stay at this hotel.

• Hotel Savoy from the Taj Group is one good option.Sitting firm on a rising hill, the Hotel sprawls over six acres of landscaped gardens, offering colonial style cottages that were built between 1834-1865. Colorful flowerbeds merge to form a multi-coloured quilt around the cottages, adding to their gentle refinement and old English Charm. A quiet retreat, the Savoy Hotel offers a little pocket of paradise.

• Hotel Sinclair, Gorishola Rd, ☏ +91-0423-2444309, fax: +91-0423-2444229, ooty@sinclairshotels.com. Great view of Ooty and surrounding hills. 5 minutes drive to go to the town market and restaurants. The hotel has its own restaurant and a bar.

Complete renovation in progress December 2011 but should be completed by end Feb 2012. from Rs. 2000 to 10000. 

• Hotel Maneck, Main Bazaar, ☏ +91 2443494. Very central hotel near horse race track with good economical restaurant on basement. Both hotel and restaurant are under Jain management. The rooms start from INR 1200 ( ~ 22 USD ) 
• Sullivan court, Near Rose Garden. 5 Star Luxury Hotel of Ooty. Most famous hotel, best rooms, part of ITC Hotels India. 

• Hotel Tamil Nadu Its a very reasonable rate govt. hotel with a value for money. Good south Indian food is available, but if you want other variety of food better go for other restaurants. Standards rooms cost 1000/- per night. Online booking facilities are available also. Go to ttdc page for online booking
• Colonial Heritage Bungalow amidst picturesque gardens and lawns right near the heart of Ooty. All the rooms have wooden flooring and panelling, Victorian furniture and bay windows overlooking the lawn. The bathrooms are large with modern fittings. All the rooms have a TV with cable connection.

The garden surrounding the bungalow is large enough for families to enjoy some outdoor games or to also relax under the garden umbrellas. The garden has walnut, tomato, peach and passion fruit trees and two quaint waterfalls crafted from springs. Local sightseeing, trekking, pick-up from nearest railway/ bus station or airport can be arranged on prior request. The bungalow is located barely a 10 min walk from the Ooty town centre. This homestay is a 100 year old Colonial bungalow on one acre of land, only a km away from Ooty town. The owners live on the premises on the upstairs portion of the bungalow. This homestay is ideal for families with children or for groups of friends. 

• A simple & quiet place in the residential parts of Ooty. This Guest House has four double rooms, a kitchen, dining and a large terrace. The cottage is rented out as a whole and not individual rooms, so that our guest can enjoy their privacy.

The common living room has a TV and there is a large well maintained front lawn lined with a flower bed where you can enjoy both your morning tea and your evenings. There is enough space on the property to park two cars. Extra cars can be parked outside. The caretaker speaks Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. A cook can be arranged for the duration of your stay at approximately Rs.500 a day and a Tourist Guide for about Rs.400 per day. 

• Fully furnished three bedroom heritage bungalow in Ooty each with its own fireplace. Built in the early 1900's, this property in Ooty is a fully furnished colonial building with three bedrooms, each with its own fire place, a living and dining area and a well manicured garden, perfect for a bonfire or a barbecue.The entire bungalow is laid out with antique teak and rose wood furniture.

There is a fully functional kitchen with an in house chef. Usage of the kitchen is charged for at Rs.100 per day and food can be paid for at actuals directly at the accommodation. The accommodation is located about 10 min away from Ooty station and is just off the main town. 

• This Apartment - styled homestay is located close to many sight-seeing places in Ooty. This Homestay is close to the famous Rose Gardens, Charring Cross, Botanical gardens, shopping centers and the bus stand in Ooty.

There are 5 rooms in total, 2 of which are Deluxe rooms situated on the ground floor and three of them are Luxury rooms located on the first floor. Both the floors are independent of each other with a spacious hall and dining area. The rooms at this Homestay are spacious, tastefully furnished, clean with en-suite bathrooms and western toilets. 

• 1 United-21 Paradise Ooty (United-21 Ooty), Woodbrook, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu - 643 224, India, ☏ (022) 6184 1444NOCC. United-21 Paradise is hill resort in Ooty by Panoramic Group which offers budget cottages. 

Homestays

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• Bison Valley Row Homestay
• King’s Cliff
• Mango Tree Bungalow
• Rustling River
• Tiger Hill Cottage

Go next

• Kodanad Viewpoint in Kotagiri
• Bandipur National Park
• Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary