Ooty is a hill station steeped in colonial history and curiosity. Hidden well from the casual glance, you happen to stumble upon it. That's how it was for us anyway, and we're glad we did. In among the high peaks of the Nilgiri Hills mountain, you'll find the hill station. Surrounded by unyielding natural beauty hearts beat in leaps and bounds.
Of course, it's hypnotic staring out from your guesthouse early morning. It's an outdoor playground unlike any you'll have ever experienced in India. Coming to Tamil Nadu in India's Western Ghats to the north could be one of the best decisions in your life. With Kerala backwaters to the south. It's the perfect place to visit in Ooty for adventure enthusiasts.
Keep reading to discover why you should include Ooty, Tamil Nadu on your travel bucket list. Aside from the natural beauty, and cool fresh air? It's your chance of grasping a piece of old British colonialism. Those days of the British Empire are long over of course. Yet you immediately feel the revival upon visiting the hill station.
Sure, many hill stations in India have the old colonial facade for modern times, but Ooty is special. It's one of the better hill stations to visit.
At least, it's one of the most popular in India, for domestic and international tourists. Returning to the "why" you must visit, there is the hiking and camping. The fishing on the lake and its water activities. It's one of the conditions of visiting you must book a guided tour of the surrounding area. The only way to appreciate India's magnificent beauty, is a tour.
It's no coincidence because the British would choose to build hill stations. The air is cooler, which is perfect for escaping India's extreme heat. Plus, nature is great for mindful relaxation, resulting in amazing weekend getaways.
Most definitely, yes Ooty is worth visiting. Even before you arrive in the town, at the destined hotel, the landscape captivates you. The rolling green hills blanketed in tea plantations, dense forest, who could not fall in love? Ooty, and in fact the wider Tamil Nadu state is a top destination for those who are:
If you relish glamour, such as modern shopping malls and saloons. The extravagant luxe of rich restaurants, Ooty may not be your cup of tea. But there is room for persuasion. Because Ooty is a marvelous two-day getaway, and the town does have many top-quality hotels. You receive great service, always and in fact, great service is customary in India.
Are you not a fan of camping? No matter, because you would still enjoy the long walks through the many trails leading out of town. Especially early morning and late evening. Those are the best times for strolling on the outskirts of the town.
Early mornings seeing the mist covering the forests are invigorating. These are the unmissable moments that set you up for an amazing day.
Whilst many couples leave it until their last night before going for an evening walk for it can be romantic. Dress down for a 2D1N stay and enjoy the best of India's nature. Ooty is so peaceful and quiet. Far from being hot as what it can be in one of the cities, perfect for ultimate relaxation.
The hill stations are all about "me time", revolving around spa, jacuzzi and yoga. If that's what you want.
Coimbatore International Airport is the closest airport for arrivals aiming for Ooty. Although it's possible to fly in direct, we didn't. The visit to the hill station was a short trip from the south, whilst holidaying in Kerala. Many Indian trains can be a lot slower in comparison to average train speeds found in Europe. An overnight sleeper is quite acceptable.
The best option to while the hours away, sleeping. And do expect US$10 tickets, great if you are backpacking in India, you'll be grateful of the budget cost? The airport facilitates easy access to this amazing hill station and surrounding area:
Train journeys throughout India are the cheapest form of transport, when on a budget. Do note flight prices are much more. To lower your outgoings, it's best to plan ahead and know when you could be flying. Then book your tickets in advance, and hotel of course, to gander any savings.
Once clear of the airport you can grab a taxi without too much trouble for the 110km journey to Ooty Town. Traveling time shouldn't be more than 90 minutes, for US$25 one time only. The bus service is cheaper, and half as much again. Don't worry about the journey being boring for the kids, it won't be, that's a promise.
The scenery is spectacular. Very beautiful, every minute of the journey is about staring out of a window. In other words, those 90 minutes disappear before your eyes.
It could be you are holidaying in Bangalore, and took a few days out to travel south to experience Mysore City? In any case, if you find yourself in Mysore City there is no reason not to continue traveling south, onto Ooty Town. Or, in fact you may feel you want to travel north on leaving Ooty Town, to arrive in Bangalore via Mysore. Either way, it's only a few hours from one destination to the other.
But take our advice and travel between Bangalore, Mysore and Ooty by hire taxi and not bus or train. The distance by road using a taxi is only a few hours, 3 at most but travel by bus or train and your journey time will double. You hire a taxi from Ooty to Mysore, and then hire another taxi to take you to Bangalore from Mysore. So, Mysore City is your pit stop to eat something and freshen up.
This amazing hill station town, Ooty is situated in the Nilgiri Hills. Many of India's great hill stations are at high elevation. The heights offer you a great escape to much cooler places. And Ooty Town is no different. The Nilgiri Hills are at an elevation of over 2,200 meters. Part of a significant bio-diverse, beautiful scenic landscape home to over 400 tigers.
Off the Nilgiri Hills mountain range, Ooty is a vibrant, nature rich hill station.
Waking up early morning to walk outside with your hands wrapped around a cup of tea is so surreal. it's a dreamy experience: so, uplifting and perfect. All day long it's bliss and heading towards the evening, feelings of romance flourish. Strolling through the tea gardens close to your homestay, dazzles and enchants.
Rather difficult to say where to begin, because there are so many things in and around the town of Ooty. It's a safe bet though, a lot of the action revolves around the natural world this town harbors. You have the rolling hills:
India's hill stations are all about a great adventure and keen explorers will fall in love instantly with Nilgiri Hills. One of the best, most popular lake destinations is surely Pykara Lake and its waterfall. This is the most popular, we learnt from our homestay hosts and is well worth visiting yourself. The lake is positioned some 20km east of the town and is best reached by hiring a taxi.
Alternatively, you can get to the lake by train from the town's Udagamandalam Railway Station.
On the lake, as with most lakes in India, you can rent a boat to go out onto the lake for a easy going time. The boats are very cheap to rent and usually the rent time is for 30 minutes, but you can negotiate with the boat owner. It's our recommendation an hour at most is quite enough to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the lake. The lake has rowing boats, motorized boats and speedboats.
There's something for everyone, but you will have an enjoyable time. Afterwards you can head off on the 2km trail to the waterfalls.
If you're unsure of where to go, ask one of the locals about where the falls are. They'll point you in the right direction. The waterfall is open from 08:30 and it's best to arrive as early as you can, and not arrive in the late afternoon. That's because the gates to close by 17:30 hours. Expect to pay around about INR10 for entry per adult. The waterfall has a viewing platform above, and at a distance from the many cascades.
The waterfalls themselves are not high in height but the water flows over rocky boulders.
It isn't recommended you leap from them, into the pools. Whilst we did see a few locals swimming in the larger pools, the current is fast flowing in most places. You should respect any body of water, so swim at your own peril are our thoughts. The walk to the falls is easy for those who are fit and healthy, and the scenery is beautiful.
If you're looking for a pleasant experience after enjoying the lake, seek out the trail.
What we've failed to mention thus far, is in many hill stations there are horse rides. The best thing to do is go on a guided tour on horseback before returning to civilization and the big city. One more popular destination is Ooty Lake which happens to be exactly 2km from the town center.
Can you imagine how nice it is to arrive at the lake on horseback? It is, and by late afternoon you want to walk back before temperatures drop too far. The walk back is easy and so quick once you set off in earnest.
All around the lakes there are trekking trails. They encourage you to explore off the beaten track, which is one reason why we love India's hill stations. During the monsoon season, it's the peak season for the hill stations. In fact, the monsoon is the best time actually for adventure enthusiasts craving for more.
There are many tiger sanctuaries and reserves all over India. It is fortunate that there's a tiger reserve close to the town for wildlife fans. It's a chance to catch sight of one of these amazing creatures in their natural, wild environment. As opposed to seeing them in held in captivity.
It's a forest safari delight most people would relish, especially for family groups.
The reserve has the option of a jeep safari or an elephant safari. We baulk at the thought of mistreatment of animals, and you for certain do so as well, so opt for the jeeps. Each one-hour tour of the park may cost you in the region of US$55 which covers the occupants of the jeep. We never did catch sight of a tiger and everyone we chatted with afterwards didn't either.
Disappointed? Yes, but not surprised because these creatures are so rare. On other safaris in India, we've seen the Bengal Tiger on at least two separate occasions.
There are so many things to see and do in Ooty, it isn't possible to experience everything. Those other things we missed out on include:
On the face of it, it's easier hiring a taxi to get to Coonoor Town early in the morning. Spending time looking around and then head back to Ooty late afternoon. But on the heritage Nilgiri Mountain Railway instead of by taxi.
On the way back it's said to be a restful end to the afternoon as you are gently:
The train journey lasts a little over an hour, returning you to Ooty Town.
Pro Tip 1: If you are in town, it's somewhat easy to hire a taxi. If you're staying out of town, enquire with your homestay about hiring a taxi. Ask them about costs involved for specific trips.
Pro Tip 2: Carry local currency with you when heading to any hill station, as not all places accept US dollars. Luckily, Ooty Town does have working ATMs but not all hill stations do, be aware of this and plan ahead. Take adequate cash with you.
Still not convinced Ooty is for you? Don't panic. India has other hill stations and lesser-known places of interest for the traveler. See our link below for our other travel guides:
Read Also: Top Hidden Places to Explore for a Holiday to India
It depends.
Are planning on renting a motorbike during your Tamil Nadu holiday? If so, you are on an Indian road trip, which is amazing. It's best to visit during the summer months, which are March, April, May and June as the roads are free from flooding. If you want the best possible experience of the nature, it's better to visit during the monsoon season.
That's the period you get to see the best of the waterfalls, when in full flow they're unmissable. The monsoon months, especially August are the quietest times free from heavy crowds. You've far more freedom of movement without the jostling.
Ooty's monsoon season begins the middle of July and lasts well into October. Although many of the attractions remain closed for the monsoon, it's the best time in fact. You have the chance to be in among the peaks to experience the best of the low-lying cloud cover.
That is, if you've ever dreamt of "being in the clouds", and who hasn't?
Then travel to Ooty in August for this once in a lifetime experience.
All year round the climate in Ooty is favorable for enjoying a holiday, even when it's the monsoon. The summer month temperature does rise, even in Ooty despite the elevation. And yet you'll not face the extremes of 119°F found elsewhere in India. April has the highest temperatures, in the mid-60's Fahrenheit.
That's 18° Celsius for our European readers. In other words, very favorable.
Immediately following the summer, is the monsoon season. The heaviest rainfall is in full swing by July. With the greater rainfall, the temperatures cool, to lows of 53° Fahrenheit. In our experience, this isn't as terrible as it seems. Being ready and prepared is vital:
Also buy a small umbrella before arriving to Ooty. You can pick up an umbrella from a market. For your essential Ooty packing list, consider the following items:
The list is by no means exhaustive of course. India is a tropical country the climate is very much warm year-round. That's very true even during a) any monsoon and b) traveling to a hill station. The weather, day to day is unpredictable, thus don't depend on local weather forecasts.
Pack what we've suggested for your trip, and you'll enjoy the area for a holiday experience in among nature. It's very likely you will be exploring, not trekking per se so it's advisable to also pack a pair of boots, for certain.
Sooner or later your enjoyment of Ooty will fall to what length of time you have for the town. Exactly how many days should you commit yourself to? Either go with a 3D2N or a 4D3N itinerary. Try to be as flexible as you can. Aim for the latter if possible because a 2D1N stay isn't long enough. If you're not staying longer, you could lose out on so much.
As our travel guide suggests, there is stunning beauty all around the Nilgiri Hills. India is famous for gorgeous hill station lakes and waterfalls. To top off your break, Ooty has many manicured gardens, so beyond doubt there's a lot for you to see and do.
Pro Tip 3: Pack with minimal plastic bags and plastic packaging. That's because plastic is frown upon in Ooty Town. The use of plastic throughout the Nilgiri Hills is not encouraged.
Now there is no excuse for you not to visit Ooty Town. There are many cities within easy distance by flight and by overnight sleeper train. There are the colonial period buildings that are now in use as hotels. Choose either a homestay or a town hotel. A large part of coming to one of India's hill stations is the charms of European architecture.
Even if you choose not to stay in the town, and many tourists don't, there are the homestays. They're as charming as the hotels, located throughout the rolling hills. Ensuring you absolute peace and quiet, the solitude you relish go for a homestay.
You'll have no trouble finding accommodation within a good budget for you and your family.
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