Udagamandlam (Ooty) - Beauty Unparalleled

Udagamandlam or Ooty as it is colloquially known, is the most visited tourist destination and hill stations of Tamilnadu. It is the capital of Nilgiris districts. Ooty is located in an amphitheatre like valley of four hills. These hills are Doddabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill and Club Hill. The blue colored Strobilanthes flowers are found in liberal quantities which has give the name to the mountains. The city attracts a large number of tourists every year. Since it is the only place with a Rack Railway in India, the place has also been declared a World Heritage Site.

Places to visit in Ooty

The first thing that you should see in Ooty is the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, the only rack railway system in India which was developed by the British people during the days of the Raj. Apart from that you should visit the Botanical Gardens located on the slopes of Dobabetta. These gardens are spread across 50 acres. You should also visit the Government Museum located on Mysore Road. There are a number of tribal artifacts at display in this museum.

Another important place to visit is the Ooty Lake. In the year 1825, the then Collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan made a lot of efforts to get the work on this lake started. Whereas the primary purpose of Mr. Sullivan was to make an irrigation tank, he would not have imagined in his wildest of dreams what a great tourist attraction the mere irrigation ditch would become. Today it is among the most frequented tourist destinations of Ooty. The Rose Garden is another place in Ooty which is worth a visit. It is located at a distance of 4 kms from Charring Cross. An amusement park is located on the way to boathouse which would keep the children involved.

Must Do When In Ooty

There are a number of things which you must do while you are in Ooty. The place is heaven for you if you are involved in trekking. The place can provide you all the equipment that you would need for trekking. You would also not want to miss out on the Boat House which provides a great way to enjoy boating in sunrise or sunset.

Another important place that you would love to visit in Ooty is the Fernhills Palace which was the summer residence of the Maharaja of Mysore. It has since been converted into a palace museum. An entry ticket would have to be purchased. Standard ticket is INR 50 but if you are a foreign national, be prepared to pay much more.

The cuisine of Ooty is typical Tamil with hints of British cuisine still present in it. You would also like to visit the nearby places including Lovedale which is home to the prestigious Lawrence School. Wildlife enthusiasts would like to visit Mudumalai National Park located nearby. Other nearby places are Conoor and Kotagiri. Both of these are less commercialized and see lesser number of tourist but are equally beautiful.