Ooty: Queen of the hills

A hill station of South India

This blog is about the most famous hill station in South India which is Ooty in Tamilnadu. It is known as Queen of the Hills and one of the most favourite summer destinations in South India.

I heard that Ooty is famous for honeymooners & couples💑, Well I noticed the same when I went solo on this trip 😁. But Ooty made me surprised with its beauty, it looks so beautiful in Monsoon. 

To enjoy Ooty and nearby places usually takes around 4-5 days. However I had planned a short trip of 2 days in June end and the weather was awesome, most of the time it was drizzling there. 

Ooty offers many tourist attractions and all are so well maintained, I really liked the beauty of Nilgiri hills in Ooty, and Monsoon has given its extra touch increasing its beauty.

I will say picture-perfect frame you will get everywhere in Ooty.

When you plan to visit Ooty, it becomes necessary to visit other nearby places also, like Coonoor, Pykara, Madhumalai.

For sightseeing in Ooty, one can book a vehicle with a guide or book a group tour.

During my trip, someone suggested a group tour and after enquiring I found it really good and cheapest one. You just have to pay a little amount and they will show you around the places.

So I will say if you travelling solo or with 2-3 members then this group tour you will find budget-friendly. But yes, maybe at some spots you will feel time restrictions as you have to meet the group people back at a decided time after visiting. But still, it is manageable during short trip.

As it was my solo trip to Ooty. So, to roam in and around Ooty, I planned through Group tour operated by some travel agent. Easily available almost at every hotel. Although charge varies a little bit only and itinerary is almost the same as planned by them. Only entry tickets, we have to pay extra wherever applicable.

There were few package for day tour:

1. Ooty & Coonoor

2. Pykara & Madhumalai 

3. Pykara & Filmi chakkar

All these tours start around 9:00 AM and end around 6:00 PM -7:00PM.

Charge is almost somewhere between 250 to 400 for different package

Day 1:

Tour that I booked 1st day was going to show me places in Ooty, pykara, filmy chakkar for 250 rs which covered below places:

1. Rose garden: when we reached, it started raining heavily suddenly. So arranged an umbrella quickly and then visited Rose Garden in the rain. But it was a good experience, everywhere was greenery and varieties of rose flowers.

2. Filmy Chakkar / golf link: no entry just need to see from outside

3. Kamsagar dam: no entry, only can be seen from outside

4. Pine forest: It was just an open pine forest, no entry fees, but was good for relaxing.

5. Pykara waterfalls: here need to walk a little bit to reach the waterfalls. But yes it was totally worth walking.

After visiting above places, Now it was lunchtime around 2 pm. After finishing lunch, we started again for sightseeing.

6. Pykara boating- here I will recommend a speed boat instead motor boat. It was fun there in speed boat ride.

7. Wenlock downs 9th-mile shooting point: I loved this place, well maintained, full of green grass and sloppy hills, as it was a shooting point where many movies are filmed. I too got good clicks of mine😎 at this place only.

After this, they dropped us near our Hotel around 7 PM.

Day2:

This group tour I have booked in 300 rs for Ooty & Coonoor sightseeing which covered below places:

1. Ooty lake & Ooty thread garden:

Visiting thread garden doesn't take much time, but I loved it, as it was something different I have seen. where all varieties of flowers and plants were handmade with thread and preparing it took 12 years, quite long. 

2. Botanical garden: this garden is must visit place in ooty, and so well maintained. Varieties of plants, flowers, herbs, shrubs there. And also another good thing you can buy the plants to take with you for your home or for office desk at cheap rate.

3. Military and MRC: just seen from outside 

4. Tea garden at Coonoor: when you come ooty or coonoor, visiting tea garden and getting photo shoot in the garden becomes must.

Ooty is one of the few hills in India that has ideal conditions for tea to grow.

After visiting above places, It was lunchtime around 2 pm.

5. Dodabetta peak (suicide point): Dodabetta peak is the highest point of ooty, and we felt this also, as once reached at this place, suddenly felt too much cold comparatively. Weather was different at this place, little foggy, cold and drizzling.

6. Tea factory: I really liked the tea factory tour, which was actually highlight 😍of the day for me, where we can see the complete process of tea preparation and also at the end we get served a tasty tea to enjoy. And also we can do shopping for varieties of Tea, chocolates and essential oils from outside shops of tea factory.

After this, they dropped us near our Hotel around 7 PM and later I caught my train for return, oops 😬  Bus...as my train ticket was still in waitlist after chart preparation. Then I quickly booked my Bus ticket for return journey till Chennai 🙃. 

As I had limited time for this trip so I couldn't visit Madhumalai this time, may be I will visit separately it soem other time.

Tea Garden in Coonoor(picture taken by one of the couple😁)

Rose Garden

Wenlock downs 9th-mile shooting point

Entry at "Wenlock downs 9th-mile shooting point"

Wenlock downs 9th-mile shooting point

Wenlock downs 9th-mile shooting point

Pykara Speed Boating with 1 stranger couple 😀

Accommodation:

There are various accommodation options lodges, hotels, homestays and hostels, so you can book online or offline.

But yes during the peak seasons like summer, prefer online booking in advance as Ooty gets packed by that time with the crowd.

During my trip, I booked stay at "Green Apple Resisdence" which is some 450 m far from Ooty Bus stop. It was good hotel, lady manager there was helpful. And for sightseeing, group tour was arranged by this hotel. 

Beautiful colourful plants in Botanical garden

Botanical garden

Botanical garden

At Botanical garden..
This Indian map (made of different grass and plants), everytime It reminds me that I am really very far away from my home town 😑)

Tea Garden in Coonoor

At Tea Factory

At Tea Factory, where we get to know about the whole process of Tea Making.

  

Below Images for Day tour pacakge, which most of the tour operators or hotel guys provide

One thing I missed in Ooty was a Toy Train Ride, it is a Unesco World heritage site. So if anyone has time then take a train ride too.

Toy train runs between 

* Ooty to Coonoor / Connor to Ooty 

* Ooty to Mettupalayam / Mettupalayam to Ooty

But advance booking is required (like 1-2 months advance) during peak season, through Irctc it can be booked.

How to reach Ooty (Udagamandalam): 

Mettupalayam: is the nearest railway station or bus station.

Further to reach Ooty from Mettupalayam, many options are available, bus, cab or toy train.

you can reach Ooty in just 2 hour maximum by cab or bus. But yes toy train takes approx 4:30 hour time. 

I reached Mettupalayam bus station by walk (4-5 min walk only) from Mettupalayam railway station and then took Bus for Ooty.

Best time to visit Ooty: 

Throughout the year, weather is pleasant in Ooty, However you will feel different in every different season. 

Click below 👇 for short video:

Ooty trip- short video

If any other information need, drop in a comment below or reach my instagram handle (instagram @shweta.traveler). I would love to reply. 

Keep travelling!  😄