One of the highest ranking tourist spots in the country, Ooty, is often referred as to the Queen of Hill Stations. The city of Udhagamandalam is abbreviated as Ooty and sits atop 7440 ft from the sea level and is one of the jewels offered by Tamil Nadu tourism. It is not very far from cities like Coimbatore (89 km), Mysore (128 km), Coonoor (18 km) and Kozhikode (158 km) and thus, makes for a perfect getaway for an extended weekend. It does not matter whether you are on a 2 days expedition or 5 days one, your travel guide will include various tourist places in Ooty and Coonoor as both of these places are amongst the best tourist spots.
The land has a rich history too. Initially owned by the tribal group of Todas, Tipu Sultan ceded this land to the British in 1799. Since then, it was considered the Madras Presidency’s summer capital. The ten collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan started developing the town and transformed it to what it is today and started the Teak, Cinchona and tea plantations.
There are several destinations you should visit Ooty tourist place. Some of them are very popular and most commonly travelled while others are not entirely so. A few of these must-visit places are listed below so that you can get the best of your time in Ooty.
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The Nilgiri Mountain Toy train
If you are destinied to travel ooty and want to visit the maximum places to visit in 3 days trip, then you must take a ride on the Niligiri Mountain Toy Train as it takes you across the entire town at one go. It is regarded as one of the major tourist attractions of Ooty. The train travels a total of 46 km through the mountain ranges. The toy train route is one of the most scenic and picturesque train routes in the country. The ticket ranges from Rs 205 in the first class to Rs 15 in unreserved category. Listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, the Toy Train was started in 1899 and is considered in most of the packages offered by travel sites.
Botanical Garden in OotyÂ
The garden covers 22 hectares of land and is a nature lover’s delight. One of the significant features of this garden is the Toda hill where you can get acquainted with the culture of the Toda tribe. Established in 1848, the garden houses exotic trees such as Monkey puzzle tree, paperbark trees and the one of a kind cork tree. It also has a fossilised twenty million-year-old tree which is a must watch amongst the best tourist places in ooty. The entry fee for this terraced garden is Rs 30 for adults and Rs 20 for kids.
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Ooty Lake
The site is located not more than 2 kms away from the main city; the beautiful Ooty Lake is spread out over a total of 65 acres. The Ooty Lake is one of the real vacation spots in Ooty. Spread over a moderately gigantic region, the lake is encompassed by thick backwoods on 3 sides. If you are an adventurist, then there are ample of activities that you can undertake such as sailing on the lake and paragliding which is done in the area. It additionally has a pleasant little outing spot on its bank and gloats of a Deer stop too.
Ooty Lake is amongst the top toured places when you are on a family vacation and wants to travel along. For the inquisitive, the lake was roughly built between the years 1823-1825 by John Sullivan, the originator of Ooty, by breaking down the mountains and finding a way out for the river to convert it and provide water to this magnificent lake. The lake is honoured as the most innovative mankind lake as the source of water is natural and a special procedure was undertaken in order to bring perfection. You cannot afford to miss the name of this incredible lake on your list of tourist places in ooty and coonoor which you should visit.
Doddabetta
Located about 10 km from the main city, the place offers a 360 degree aerial view of Ooty and Kotagiri. There is an observation tower too where you can take excellent photos of the valleys underneath. The entry fee is Rs 6 per person. One should definitely visit the place as the place has ample to offer its tourists. The picturesque Nilgiris and the enchanting Panaromic view of the city will make you fall in love with the city once and for all.
The tea garden is the prime tourist attraction as the Doddabaetta tea garden takes pride to flaunt the procedure of tea making from extracting leaves to bringing it to your home. You can also enjoy a complimentary cup of tea over there which is a way to greet the guests on their tea estate. Exciting, Isn’t it? Make sure to crosscheck that any trip which you book should have Doddabetta as a location on their iternary planner as you can’t afford to miss the serenity gifted by the nature. Generally, Doddabetta is included amongst the top places to visit in ooty in 2 days; whether you travel with a touring company or you hire a local guide package after reaching the city.
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Hidden Valley
If you are interested in some adventurous trekking, then you must check out the Hidden Valley located about 15 km from Coonoor. After walking through the dense green forests, the panoramic view of the mountains will give you peace of mind like no other experience. There is no separate fee for entering this valley, however, it is suggested you hire a tourist guide.
Upper Bhavani Lake
Situated around 50 kilometers from Ooty, the Upper Bhavani Lake is one of Ooty’s fine privileged insights. The blue waters that crisscross tranquilly through the green mountains, offers a standout amongst other perspectives of the woody regions. In case you plan to visit the place in the early hours, the fog and the mist here make for a sentimental area and in the event that you cherish photography, the edges caught here will abandon you puzzled! Â The place is ideal for a peaceful outing as you absorb the nature and the serenity. Whenever here, do set aside opportunity to visit the close-by Bhavani Temple and The Sholas (the Cauliflower valley). The place is amongst the most visited places and is listed in most of the tourist packages to ooty and coonoor.
Kalhatti Falls, Bellikal
Often considered a paradise for the ornithologists out there, the lake usually attracts elephants. The waterfall which is 400 ft tall is found on the southern end of the Sigur Plateau. You can hike along the circumference of the lake and set up a small picnic in the lap of nature.
The Wax Museum
Ever heard that India has its own Wax Museum and that too one which is 142 years old? Surprised? Though it’s true; India is home to various amazing tourist places and one of them is the Wax Museum located in Ooty. Home to various wax statues of our yesteryear leaders and renowned personalities, the museum was built in a mansion 142 years back. If you enjoy art, than this museum has enough in store to offer you.
From Famous Actors to Indian Freedom Fighters and From Former Ministers to current famous Page 3 personalities, the museum has something to be excited upon. Though the statues are not that lavish as the one located in Madame Tussauds, but definitely it is our own, hence, it matters a lot. The museum is the brainchild of an IT engineer, who ran from pillars to post and made sure that the heritage and culture of ancient world is passed to the next generation in a unique way. Not many travel and tour companies include this place on their list of ooty tourist place, but the unique concept definitely deserves a visit in its appreciation.
Ooty offers many other scenic tourist spots being one of the leading tourist stations in the country where nature’s miracles are still somewhat left untouched.
The Second World Memorial ParkÂ
Inspired by the International Memorial Park in USA, this memorial was built and dedicated to the brave soldiers who rose to martyrdom in the battle of Second World War. The memorial is located 18 kms far off from ooty. Though today Madras regiment from Indian Army has taken over the handling of this memorial and displays here the airplanes used during the wars at that time. The main attraction of the site includes the memorial wall on which the name of the soldiers are engraved in golden ink who lost their lives during the battles named World War 1, World War 2, Indo – Pak Battle and the most recent Kargil War. The memorial can be visited free of cost, and with so much they returned to us , it is worth to pay a visit to all those who lost their lives for us.
The Awesome Temples
Ooty is not just home to hills, but to a lot of ancient temples as well. From ancient temples such as Sri Venkatesa Perumal Temple to Murugan Temple located on the Annamalai hills, Ooty is a place where you find solace. Though it is a small city, it has anonymous things to be explored and awesome places which can leave you with enthralling memories. The place has some churches which are built pre-independence and some which were built way back in 1800 BC. Annamalai Temple located on Annamalai Hills is one of the temples which are mostly included in places to visit in ooty in 2 day’s
expedition as the place is said to be home to the goddess of rain. People come here in search of solace and to observe nature’s beauty at its best.
Toda HamletsÂ
Ooty is a place located in southern India. Before the East India Company invaded Ooty, Toda was the community which used to live in Ooty. They were used to live in huts which have now become a tourist attraction for people, as these huts were made of mud and sand but were made via a technique that it stood without being damaged even in the worst of weather conditions. There are a few people who belong to the Toda community who still reside in Ooty and nearby areas, and are famous for hand-woven shawls.
The Toda hamlets are the last few huts located as a memorial of the community. Nearby the huts, famous Toda Temple is also located. The place and the community was known as peace lovers and very friendly to the animals. Ancestors were used to impeach that this community was also able to speak with animals and hence were their best friends. Keep a day free to visit this place which is amongst the oldest of all the tourist places in ooty and coonoor and has a historical story attached to every hut which is left for the future generation.
How to Reach There?
If you are travelling by plane, take a bus or taxi from Coimbatore airport to the city. While travelling by rail, it is suggested that you board a train from Chennai, Bangalore or Mysore to Mettupalayam, which is the closest station to Ooty. You can also take a bus from all these major cities directly to Ooty. In order to commute inter-state, you can opt to have a self-driving car or can also go for the toy train; all of it depends on budget and how many days you have to explore this beautiful city of hills for.
Even after listing many attractions, nearly 100+ places are left which one can explore on the trip to Ooty and Coonoor. To explore it to the fullest, one needs time and a perfect guide which can make their experience wonderful by breaking the language barrier which can be the only problem one can face on the majority of tourist places in ooty and coonoor.
