Oktatabyebye

The Stone House or the Kal Bangla: An important landmark of Udhagamandalam, the "Kal Bangla” was Ooty’s first ‘pucca’ building/house Now the Chamber of the Principal of the Government Arts College, it was earlier the residence of Mr. John Sullivan, the then Collector of Coimbatore who is credited to have transformed this once quaint town into a thriving summer resort for the British.

The Government Botanical Gardens: Founded in 1847 by the Marquis of Tweedale to promote the study the various flora in and around Nilgiris, these beautifully laid out gardens covering an area of about 55 acres is now looked after by the Horticulture department of the state.

With over 650 species of rare plants and trees, including the 20 million year old fossilized tree, the botanical garden is also a haven for the avid bird watchers. The main highlight of the garden is its summer festival and the Flower show held in the month of May.

The Rose Garden: Another nice place to visit especially in the winters when around more than 1000 varieties of roses are in bloom, the Rose Garden located in the heart of Ooty town is a beautifully laid out  in terraces with rose tunnels, pergolas and bowers with rose creepers.With over five terraces covering a total area of over four hectares , the garden boasts of one of the richest collections of roses in the country  viz ., Hybrid Tea Roses, miniature rose, Floribunda, Ramblers, roses of unusual colors like black and green etc.

Ooty Lake: An irregular 'L' shaped lake that provides ample boating options amidst picturesque settings. The Ooty Lake is an artificial lake that was constructed during 1823-1825 by John Sullivan. At the end of the lake there is a children's park, a deer park, a mini-garden and local ponies for joy rides.
 

Doddabetta: The ‘Big Mountain’ in the local the Badugu Language, Doddabetta located some 10 kms from Ooty at the   junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats is Ooty’s highest mountain. Perpetually covered with mist, the Doddabetta peak surrounded by dense Sholas trees gives a superb view of the entire area and is an amazing sunset point and an excellent place to go for hand gliding.

Kalhatty Falls / Kalahasti Falls: 13 kms from Udhagamandalam on the Udhagamandalam - Mysore Kalhatty Ghat road, see the waterfall as the water cascades down from a height of 122m. The falls are also good for hiking, bird Watching and trekking.

Kandal Cross Shrine: About 3 Kms from the Ooty Railway station is a Roman Catholic Shrine, referred to as the "Calvary of Tamil Nadu". Established in 1933, the shrine is an important pilgrimage center for the Nilgiri Catholics. It is believed that the cross has miraculous powers and can cure the sick, bestow heavenly blessings, peace and joy to the visiting pilgrims and tourists. Its annual feast is held on the 3rd of May every year and special Novena Prayers and Holy Masses are offered every Friday.

Pykara Falls (21 kms): Located on the Ooty-Mysore road, the Pykara Dam, the falls and the reservoir are worth a visit. Nearby the falls is the Wenlock Downs, a vast grassy meadow- a popular picnic spot.

Mudhumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (65 kms): A good place to spend time with wildlife, the 321 sq km Mudhumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a large number of animals including the Elephant, Gaur, Python and Spotted Deer. The sanctuary is also has a sizeable presence of the avian species including some migratory water birds.

Avalanche (28 kms): A scenic lake of breath-taking beauty, Avalanche is surrounded by thick Sholas trees, impenetrable by sunlight. Avalanche is one of the best spots for Trout fishing and bird watching.
Read travelogue on Avalanche

Coonoor (19 kms): Situated on a lower ridge of the plateau at an altitude of 1858m. Coonoor is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiris.

Masinagudi (35 kms): An elephant corridor famous for its scenic beauty.

By Air:The nearest airport is in Coimbatore. A taxi from here to Ooty will take 3-1/2 hour and do negotiate on the fare.

By Rail: The nearest broad gauge railway head is Mettupalayam at 46 kms.

From Mumbai: The Kurla-Coimbatore Express (1013) leaves daily from Kurla station on the Central Railway in Mumbai.

From Bangalore: The daily Bangalore Kanyakumari Express (6526) is a good option. For early risers, the Bangalore-Coimbatore Inter-City Express, another daily train, is a good bet.

From Chennai: The Chennai-Coimbatore-Kovai Express (2675) and the Chennai-Mangalore West Coast Express (6627) have a daily service. Chennai-Coimbatore Shatabdi Express (2023) leaves daily except on Wednesdays. Another daily is the Chennai-Mettupalayam Nilgiri Express (6605).

From Kochi: The Cochin-Guwahati Express (5623), which leaves on Tuesdays. A more frequent option is the Cochin Barauni Rapti Sagar Express (5011) which leaves every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday

By Road: Ooty is connected by good roads and the trip through the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam- Coonoor-Ooty route is truly awesome for its scenic beauty. There is a regular bus service from Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Cochin and other neighbouring cities. The journey from Bangalore takes about 8 hrs (284 km) depending on the condition of the road though a shorter route through the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary which will take you past the small towns of Masinagudi and Kalhatti route will curtail the distance to Ooty by about 50 kms. However, this road is closed at night, so be ready to spend a few hours at the check post which is invariably closed at night. A few eateries and a fuel station can be found at Masinagudi. There are some wonderful resorts around Masinagudi town where one can rent a cottage.
See driving directions from Bangalore to Ooty

Best time to visit Ooty: Ooty is a year round destination though April to June and September to November are the best.