Top 10 Interesting Things to do in Ooty

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.

1)      A visit to the Botanical Gardens

Take a long walk through the variety of exotic plants that adorn these gardens or lie down and relax on the well-maintained lawns. The gardens are home to a unique collection of imported shrubs, roses and eucalyptus.

Ooty Botanical Garden

Fossil Tree Trunk (Photo: Panoramio)

Spot the famous fossilised 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” and enjoy various cultural programmes.

2)      The Nilgiri Toy Train Ride

Nilgiri Toy Train (Photo: Claudine Beaujean)

Nilgiri Mountain (Photo: Claudine Beaujean)

While at Ooty, take a trip to Conoor via the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, commonly known as the “toy train”. This fairy-tale like ride will enthral you with the view of captivating scenery along the way! 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. Considering the terrain of the region, the toy train is a great way to reach Conoor.

3)      Angling in Ooty

Water Bodies – Ooty (Photo: Rashmi)

Fishing in Ooty (Photo: Rashmi)

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. Fishing in Ooty will take some back to their childhood days and those summer vacations when a fishing rod was an invariable part of an English day out.

4)      Boating at Pykara Lake

Pykara Lake – Boat House (Photo: Gowrysankar Shanm)

Boating at Pykara Lake (Photo: Suresh)

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. If possible, try speed boating which is a craze here. 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!

5)      View from the Doddabetta Peak

Doddabetta Peak, Ooty

Telescope House at Doddabetta Peak (Photo: Team BHP)

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. If you are a photographer, you will fall in love with the enchanting views this peak has to offer on a clear sunny day! 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.

6)      Rose Gardens – a feast for the eyes

Ooty – Rose Garden (Photo: Nita Patel)

Large Variety of Roses at Rose Garden, Ooty (Photo: Nita Patel)

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. For instance, if you visit the garden during the month of March, there might be just 5-10 roses in the whole garden. So based on the month you visit Ooty, decide whether it is worth going to the gardens.

7)      Into the Toda Hamlet

Toda Huts (Photo: Ludwig Pesch)

Traditional Toda Huts (Photo: Jan Samuel)

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. The shawls embroidered by them are a favourite buy among the tourists. 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. However, their population has been diminishing owing to modern influences.

8)      Glen Morgan Tea estate

Glenmorgan Tea Estate – Tea Garden (Photo: Tania)

Glenmorgan Tea Estate (Photo: Tania)

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. 3 kms down the hill, at Singara, is the Pykara Power house, which you can reach through the mechanical rope trolley. 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. All in all, it’s the perfect place for tea buffs.

9)      Snapshots at the 9^th Mile

Snapshots at the 9th Mile – Ooty

9th Mile in Ooty (Photo: Nandhu Laxmanan)

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 9^th Mile!

10)   Shopping and eating at Ooty

Charing Cross

Fountain at Charing cross

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 speciality of the city.

Lamb’s Rock (Photo: Shinow Baby)

Dolphin Nose Point, Ooty

Sim Park – Ooty (Photo: Jamil Sayed)

Thread Garden – Natural Looking Artificial Garden (Photo: Simon Lasrado)

The Honey and Bee Museum, Ooty

While at Conoor, hire a taxi and ask the driver to cover Lamb’s Rock, Dolphin Nose Point and Sim’s Park, among other places. Also check out the Thread Garden and the Honey and Bee Museum.

No need to carry a lot of warm clothes to Ooty as the place offers pretty affordable winter wear with jackets costing as less as 100/- If you are there during the months of January-February, you’ll have a lot of regional festivals to enjoy! Bon Voyage!

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