Located in the Nilgiri Hills, Ooty is a resort town that falls within the boundaries of Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India. It falls within the tropical zone which makes the place pleasant and green throughout the year which is why it is one of the most cherished tourist locations in Tamil Nadu. Going down the historical lane, Ooty was the summer resort town for the British Colonials which is why it also has places that connect it with the British era. It still retains a working steam railway line and has toy trains as well to add on the offerings of this place. Ooty is not just a place for leisure seeking tourists but is also a place ready to be explored by nature lovers and enthusiasts. It offers lakes, waterfalls, hills and hillviews, gardens and historical essence all at one place.
Who does not love flowers? Ooty is known for its greenery which makes it hard not to include the famous gardens for a refreshing and colorful trip. Botanical Garden, Rose Garden and Thread Garden(showcase plants and flowers made by threads) are the popular locations which you can include in your itinerary for a leisurely experience.
Starting with the title lake of this resort town, Ooty Lake, there are other mind-blowing lakes too which are situated on a distance from Ooty including Avalanche Lake and Emerald Lake. With a picturesque view and cool locations, these lakes fill up your Ooty trip with calm and serene beauty.
To explore the places which give you social media worthy shots, Ooty has some vantage points for your much deserved quality time on a trip. These points include Doddabetta Peak, Needle View Hillpoint, Dolphin’s Nose, Tiger Hill and Wenlock Downs. All providing views which provides a freshness of perspectives everytime.
A place is never fully seen without exploring its cultural treasures. Well, not so different for Ooty too. To know more about the culture of Ooty, going to Toda Huts, Stone House and Tribal Research Centre can be the right locations for you to explore. Not to mention the stories these places can tell you about the tribes of Nilgiri District.
The climate conditions of Ooty make it a go-to-place throughout the year. Be it summers, winters, spring or monsoon; with the different ideas of travelling and exploring, Ooty fits in perfectly. However, to divide it according to months and make it easier to choose, these three divisions can help in planning the perfect trip.
June to September is the Monsoon time which can be both a beautiful time to see the most breathtaking views of greenery and rain clouds in Ooty; however, it can also become a bit hard to explore Ooty because of the heavy rains at times. For the ones who like exploring more than sitting and sipping tea, it’s better to choose one of the other two points.
Ooty is already a cool hill station and during this winter months the temperature drops down more. October and November can provide the greenery from the Monsoons and the coolness from the approaching winters. During December or January, the temperature can reach the mark of 10 to 5 degree celsius, making it a pleasant and cool time for exploring the town.
After winters, comes the spring season in Ooty, and makes February and March worth going to the hilltops and exploring the awe inspiring views. For summers too, Ooty remains a cool location and the temperature keeps fluctuating between 15 to 30 degree celsius according to the time of the day.
Ooty is one of the famous locations in South India which makes it well connected with the buses coming from Bangalore, Mysore or Chennai for an overnight journey. The road to Ooty is well maintained and is also good for road trips depending on how much adventure one is seeking.
Mettupalyam railway station is the nearest railway to Ooty at a distance of 47 km. One can also take any route either Coimbatore or Chennai, as both go via Mettupalyam. After Mettupalyam, one can choose to travel via toy train to reach Ooty and add on to their experience of travelling amid the green landscapes.
Coimbatore International Airport is the nearest airport to Ooty which is located in Peelamedu. The distance from the airport to Ooty is around 87.2 kilometres which can be covered in about 2.5 hours. One can also choose the other three airports in Bangalore, Calicut or Kochi and choose rail or road ways from there to reach Ooty.