Accommodation and Connectivity

The nearest airport to Ooty is Coimbatore at a distance of 105 kms. Ooty is connected by train services also. The Blue Mountain Express connects Ooty to Mettupalayam located at a distance of 47 kms. Ooty could be accessed from most of the towns and cities of neighbouring Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Ooty has a wide range of hotels, guest houses and lodges for the tourist to choose from.

Tourist attractions

The Tea Plantations

Like a thick layer of skin , tea gardens are spread all along Ooty's landscape. Brought to the Nilgiris in 1860's, Ooty has now become one of the major producers of tea in India. Whether a steep ascent or a sharp fall, the tea plantations hold firmly Ooty's fertile soil and provide the viewers a splendid scenery.

The Blue Mountains

Surrounded by four majestic hills-Doddabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill and Club Hill, a walk past Ooty's roads gives a mesmerizing view of these blue mountains. White clouds hanging by the mountain ridges further adds to the beauty of the place.

The Ooty Lake

The calm waters of this lake naturally attracts visitors to it. The lake always remains abuzz with activity. There is a boathouse while rowboats and motorboats are available for hire. Maintained by the Tamil Nadu Development Corporation , it remains open from 8 AM to 6 PM. Sitting on the edge of the lake to watch the sunset of Ooty is a tremendous experience.

Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Garden of Ooty, established in 1847, has a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and plants. And the fragrance of the flowers is really intoxicating.One of the great surprises of the place is a fossil tree trunk that is believed to be 20 million years old. It may be added here that eucalyptus trees are an integral part of Ooty's landscape. The trees are in such great numbers that they even support a small oil industry here.

The golf course

The golf course of Ooty attracts some of the most avid golfers of the nation. Other sport activities like Tennis and car racing are also very popular here.

Excursion delights

Coonoor and Wellington

These are two beautiful places near Ooty which many tourists love to visit and even halt for the night. The scenic beauty of these two places is as good as Ooty, if not more. There are many tea plantations here too.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

One would have to travel 67 kms from Ooty to reach this beautiful animal habitat spread over an area of 321 sq km. Wild elephants, a great variety of birds, cats, snakes and deer are found in this wildlife sanctuary.

Doddabetta Peak

It is the highest peak in the Nilgiri chain of mountains standing majestically at 2623 m. From this altitude, the beautiful landscape below could only be seen to be believed.

Avalanche

India's largest radio telescope is stationed here .The Hindustan Photo Films factory here manufactures sensitized photographic materials.

It must be admitted that there is not much to write about Ooty's specific monuments or tourist destinations. Rather, Ooty should be described as a nature bank holding in its lap some of the most beautiful treasures of nature.