Top 10 Interesting Things todo in Ooty

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Ooty or Udhagamandalam, famously known as the queen of hill-stations, has been hailed as one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. This small picturesque city offers a

variety of things to do to her visitors. Once in Ooty, you will be greeted by its lofty mountains, scenic grasslands, miles of tea gardens and a very benign crowd, which will

make your stay a memorable one.

Let’s discover some interesting things to do in Ooty.

About Ooty

• Take a long walk through the variety of exotic plants that adorn these gardens or lie down and relax on the well-maintained lawns.

• Spot the famous fossilized tree trunk, said to be about 20 million years old, which has been the site for the shooting of many Bollywood songs.

• If you are here during the month of May, catch the flower show during the “Summer Festival”.

A visit to the Botanical Gardens

• While at Ooty, take a trip to Conoor via the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, commonly known as the “toy train”.

• Its delightful wooden coaches and large windows speak of old world charm. It’s perhaps called the toy train because the slow speed lets you greet the children outside while enjoying the ride.

• The train stops at regular intervals so you can hop out and have a quick photo session with friends and family.

The Nilgiri Toy Train Ride

• Ooty is truly gifted with a pleasant climate all year round and hence becomes the perfect spot for sports enthusiasts.

• There are a number of opportunities ranging from hiking and trekking to mountain biking, angling and hand gliding.

• Angling is a famous pastime here, owing to the numerous water bodies that flow through the Nilgiris.

Angling in Ooty

• Have a wonderful half an hour boating experience in the Pykara dam and lake. It’s a nice, clean huge lake, worth visiting on a sunny day.

• There are a variety of boats available, also a restaurant and necessary toilet facilities. The lake looks mesmerizing during the Christmas season.

• As the lake is located just outside the city it’s comparatively less crowded and makes for a good picnic spot too!

Boating at Pykara Lake

• Get a panoramic view of the landscape from the highest peak of Tamil Nadu. The Doddabetta Peak is perched at the altitude of 2623 metres and is located 10 kms from Ooty.

• In fact, there is an observatory at this peak which offers excellent views of the plateaus. As far as the name of the peak is concerned, it originated from the Kannada words “dodda” and “betta”, meaning big and mountain respectively.

View from the Doddabetta Peak

• Ooty’s Rose Garden is the largest in the country and home to around 1919 varieties of roses.

• The unique collection includes Hybrid Tea Roses, Yakimour, Polyanthas, Miniature Roses, Papagena and Floribunda.

• Step on the observation platform at the garden and view the entire rose garden at a glance! The garden has roses according to the season.

Rose Gardens – a feast for the eyes

• Near the Avalanche Lake, about 30 km from Ooty, is Mullimund- a small toda village with traditional toda huts. The todas are a close-knitted tribal community who survive mainly by cattle herding.

• Their dwellings or the toda huts are low, semi-barrel shaped with a small entrance and no windows.

• The todas are simple, religious people, who are the ingenious inhabitants of the city.

Into the Toda Hamlet

• It is the establishment of numerous tea estates which made Ooty famous.

• 25 Kilometres from Ooty is Glen Morgan tea estate, a beautiful tea garden with toda tribe establishments and a lake at the foot of its base.

• One can even see the distant planes of Mysore and the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary from here. The drive to Glen Morgan is laden with eucalyptus and wattle plantations.

Glen Morgan Tea estate

• There is a place called Charring Cross in the middle of the town. Shopping enthusiasts can pick up things like silver trinkets, shawls, nilgiri tea, medicinal oils and handmade local chocolates from here.

• Once you are exhausted with all the shopping and sightseeing activities, indulge yourself in scrumptious meals at local restaurants. Try the Chettinad chicken pepper which is a specialty of the city.

Shopping and eating at Ooty

• This is a nice place to stop for a few pictures. Huge tracts of land, captivating views makes this place a great spot for clicking snaps, which you can later frame and hang in your drawing room.

• You can also walk right up to the top of the hill and experience the fantastic view. It’s definitely the place where nature poses for you. So don’t forget to bring your camera for the 9th Mile!

Snapshots at the 9th Mile

Where To Stay1. Destiny The Farm Stay

Destiny is a completely self-sufficient farm on the edge of wilderness, comprising of a valley, hills, a silken lake and an entire world in itself. With eco-friendly farming methods and its wealth of vegetables (cabbages, carrots, tubers), herbs, dairy products & fruit, it is the closest one can ever get to nature. The farm has around 10-11 horses, cattle, spa, BBQ , fishing pond, vegetable and flowers plantations etc. There are lot of activities included like Trekking, horse riding, fishing , Bon fire, musical night etc which guests will find very enjoyable. Click here to know more

2. Bamboo Banks Farm & Guest House

At the foothills of the Nilgiris besides the Avarahalla stream, with a magnificent view of the famous blue hills, lies Bamboo Banks farm & Guest house. Spread over 40 acres of undisturbed nature, with 4 detached cottages providing you with modern amenities, a swimming pool set in scenic surroundings , and homemade food to suit your palate, Bamboo Banks is the ideal place for a weekend getaway. Bamboo Banks was started in 1974 making us pioneers in the area. Click Here to Know more

Centrally located in Ooty town on a hill, Raceview was recently acquired by Stay Simple and has since undergone extensive renovations and changes in an effort to bring it on par with our standards.Ooty has a mean teamperature of 15°C-20°C dropping to lows of 0°C in the winter.Government Botenical Gardens,Nilgir Mountain Railway,The Nilgiri Library,Doddabetta peak.Annamalai Temple,The Rose Gardens,Wax World,The Tea Factory,Simspark-Coonoor,Echo/Lamb’s Rock-Coonoor,Boating at Pyakara Lake,Shooting Point,Pine forest,and horseback riding in the countryside.The outdoorsy holiday would find activities such as trekking,rock climbing and leisurely walks in the hills to be an exhilarating break.

Click here to know more

3. Bamboo Banks Farm & Guest House

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