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An Ooty trip promises much for travel hungry souls and why not! After all, Ooty is known as one of the best hill stations to visit in the country and offers a pristine and calm ambience that will soothe the mind and help one de-stress from the hectic
Ooty is known as Udhagai in Tamil and is one of the famous destinations you could visit in your lifetime. During the colonial era, the Britishers spent their weekends in the cradle of the valleys of Ooty. Famous for its soothing and serene environment, it makes one of the best places to unwind from your hefty office hours. If you are curious as to what to do in Ooty you can spend your time getting engrossed in the beautifully carved hills and the many places available for sightseeing.
Ooty has got you covered in helping you spend your perfect weekend or your memorable tour in Tamil Nadu in engaging things to do in Ooty. Some of the amazing activities for you to try are:
One of the best minimalistic trekking places for you to be in 2019 would be the avalanche lake. You can spend the day exploring the dense jungles and go on a journey of exploration of the beauty that it holds. If you wish to visit the lake at its brim of beauty, the monsoons are for you. Another scenic beauty is the flowers that bloom around the lake. Campsites are an option you could choose if you have trekking as an option on your mind. Warm clothes are also a must and precautions for leeches should be taken as the monsoons are the seasons of leeches. The lake is full of fishes and is a perfect spot for you to spend quality time fishing with your family.
A highly recommended destination of visit and one of the most engaging things to do in Ooty would be to go on a boat ride at the Ooty Lake. It is a popular activity in Ooty and will give you an experience of a lifetime. There are a variety of boats found in the lake and you can choose any one, of your choices. There are also many shops in the lake that make up an amazing market on the water and you could buy your favourite souvenirs to take home.
The Ooty Lake and the Avalanche Lake are a perfect destination for cycling around. The calm breeze and beautiful lakes are a perfect place to cycle and rest for the day. Apart from this, if you are too tired of cycling the entire day, there are little shacks serving the extravagant local food of South India where you can fill your tummy from. There are also resorts nearby the lakes that would allow you to catch a siesta if you are not too tired.
Out of the many things to do in Ooty, you could take a walk to the Botanical Gardens which are a famous Ooty attraction. The Botanical gardens have almost 650 species of flower and there is no reason for you to miss it. Taking a light walk around the mesmerizing beauty of the Botanical garden will surely cheer up your day.
You have often driven across noisy cities and traffic jams. The idea of driving on a serene road, full of calmness and the lowest of the population around, shall surely fascinate you more than anything. You could have a destination or not, but if you decide to have one, the Dolphin’s nose is the place to be. It is 1500 meters above the sea level and has a beautiful scenic view and it should be on your to-do list for sure.
The hills in Nilgiri are the ultimate destination for tea and coffee plantations because of its optimum weather. A walk through the plantations in upper Ooty is both relaxing and educational at the same time. There are a number of tea factories here which are open for tourists and they give their own tea tours. One can know all about tea plucking and roasting from here and also buy tea if they want to. The same can be said about some of the coffee plantations here. Filter coffee, brewed from freshly ground local coffee beans, is so aromatic that you are sure to come back for more. Visit the Tea Museum in Ooty to known about the history of tea cultivation in this region and the traditional ways of brewing tea. It is situated on Doddabetta Road and entry is INR 250 per person. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm.
Riding the Nilgiri Hills Toy Train is quite an experience in itself. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 46 km toy train ride will take you through mountain tunnels cut deep into the hills, around picturesque waterfalls and lush peaks. The toy train route here is over a century old and booking for the train ride should be made well in advance because it is always in great demand. The train ride starts from Mettupalayam and ends in Ooty and it surely one of the best experiences as far as commuting is concerned! The best thing is that the ride costs merely INR 100 per head and so it is a perfectly viable fun thing to do without overstepping the budget. You can hear all sorts of birds and the sounds of distant waterfalls on your train ride.
The Doddabetta Peak is the highest point in the Nilgiri Hills and adventure sports enthusiasts and trekkers find the hike to its peak quite exhilarating. The peak stands at an altitude of 8606 feet and once there, it will offer panoramic views the likes of which you would have seldom seen. There is a telescope house nearby which offers views of the other mountains and the quaint villages and towns situated at the distance below. Depending on the time of the year you are visiting, you will get to experience misty mountains, flower laden valleys, lush meadows or dreamy rains during the hike up to the peak. The hike promises something new and splendid at every turn. The best time to visit is of course, during March and April, when the sky is clear and sunny. The hike is only INR 10 per head, and the trail is open from 8:30 am to 6:30 am.
Those who want to find out more about the traditional way of life of the people native to this region, must visit the Toda huts. The Todas are the traditional tribes of Ooty and they have wonderful thatched homes, with rounded roofs. Their huts, however, do not have any windows and it requires one to bend to enter through the only door. Even in the small walls, there are often motifs to be seen that are handmade. The interior of the huts comprise of mostly one room, with a partition of sorts to be seen in some of the larger huts. It is a great way to find out about the lifestyle of the erstwhile local community here.
If you are visiting Ooty during the summer vacations, especially in May, then you just cannot miss out the Summer Festival in the city. The hills, because of the altitude, are cool and pleasant and many flowers bloom at this time, which is the crux of the Summer Festival here. Flower shows are the main attractions, while there are boat races held in the various lakes of Ooty. The entire ambience is very festive and the city teams with tourists. The main streets have stalls lined up and the restaurants almost always have queues, with people waiting to taste local delicacies made from fresh fruits at this time of the year. It is a good idea to book hotels well in advance if you think of visiting Ooty at this time of the year.
Yes, Ooty has quite a few pubs in town and if you are visiting the hill city with your friends, this is a great place to indulge in some good old pub hopping. The pubs are, of course, almost always full around Christmas and New Year. There are quite a few renowned pubs in town like Valley Bar, Canterbury Bar and Selbournes Bar. The last of these is known for its chic ambience and it is also frequented by the foreign tourists. Be sure to arrange for a ride back to your hotel after a night of pub hopping, although some of the pubs try to arrange for transportation on request, and depending on the availability.
Ooty is one of the best places to indulge in a chocolate tour because homemade chocolates here are famous. The chocolates are made from locally grown chocolate beans, though some varieties are imported. There are many family owned chocolate businesses in Ooty which still make chocolates according to their ancestral recipe. Tourists come from far and wide to nibble on the delicacies made from dark and white chocolates, and which are often filled with nuts, raisins and caramel. They are a great item to carry back home with you and special packaging is done for those who buy them in bulk for travel.
Apart from the guide above on the fun activities in Ooty, there are places that you can casually visit and explore yourself or with your family. The Tamil Nadu museum is an amazing spot to explore for that informative day out with the kids. The Doddabetta hills and a forest reserve in the famous Nilgiri Mountains, at 2637 meters above sea level, is another popular tourist spot you can visit.
If you are a connoisseur of tea, Ooty is the place where you can twitch your love for tea. You should and must visit the Tea Factory, that gives you a full tour of how tea is processed and other such brilliant information. You could also visit the place with the Toy train, under the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. In approximately 5 hours, the Toy train covers 46 kilometres and make sure you have a swift and pleasant ride of Ooty. Apart from this, there is a garden strictly for rose lovers and it is one of the exotic places to be. The Government Rose is located on the sides of the Elk Hill and is about 2200 meters above the sea level. Hybrid tea roses and Floribunda are exclusively found here and are one of the places you should visit.
Ooty will give you a lot of options when it comes to accommodation and it is a wonderful place to travel even if you are on a budget. The streets around Doddabetta Road or Main Bazaar have quite a few budget options where rooms are available at modest rates. You can also book rooms according to your liking from the Oyo app. The rooms with a view of the hills are of course, the most in demand. You can also book hotels depending on the distance from the main square, or the station.
Since the crowd of tourists that come to Ooty is very cosmopolitan, the phenomenon is also reflected in the food here. Being a British town, the traditional English breakfast is served in many restaurants in Ooty. There are of course, various blends of tea and coffee to sip on. Try out traditional South Indian thalis in the local eateries. There are bakers who also sell fresh bread, cakes and chocolates and their numbers increase manifold during Christmas and New Year.
The best time to visit Ooty is of course, during the months of April to June. The hills always provide a respite from the dust and heat of the plains and tourists come in large numbers during the summer months. The boarding schools around Ooty also shut down and so children are seen with their parents on the road in huge numbers.
However, the weather of Ooty is so pleasant, that practically, the place is fit for visiting round the year. The monsoons can be a bit tough because of the road conditions, but if one is willing to take a small risk, then visiting Ooty in the monsoons is a great idea. Because it is considered off- season, the city is free from the hullaballoo of the tourists and the hills are lush and green as it can be. The play of cloud and sunshine on the distant valleys will let you enjoy a whole new experience.
The winters bring their share of fun, and Christmas and New Year in Ooty is source of real joy. The churches in Ooty are decked up and the restaurants and eateries are full to the brim for the cakes and chocolates. The streets are lighted up and the night air is fun and wonderful, with many bands coming to perform here as well.
So no matter which time of the year you visit in, Ooty will always give you something to remember and you will always love coming back to the city for new experiences each time.
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April 15, 2024 
