Places to Visit
Ooty or Udagamandalam is a hill town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. It is also the headquarters of the Nilgiri district. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu. Ooty is known as the Queen of Hill Stations. The official name is Udagamandalam. The British called it Ootacamund; Ooty is short for it. It was developed as the summer headquarters of the Madras Presidency during British rule. It has been listed as one of the World Heritage Monuments. The name Udakamandalam is derived from the words ‘Othakal’ and ‘Mund’ which means house in the mountains in the Toda language. It is also said to have been derived from the word Patk – Mund.
The Nilgiris range that includes Ooty is a plateau about 35 miles long, 20 miles wide and about 6550 feet in average height. It is situated between the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. The southern part of the foothills of the Nilgiris is surrounded by the river Bhavani. The northern part is the Moyar River. It joins the Bhavani River near Dannayankota. Bhavani Sagar Dam is constructed in one part. To the west is Wayanad. On the eastern side, the Pykara River forms the boundary.
Best Time: April to June and October to January
Here are some must-see places within and around Ooty.
The Nilgiris range that includes Ooty is a plateau about 35 miles long, 20 miles wide and about 6550 feet in average height. It is situated between the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. The southern part of the foothills of the Nilgiris is surrounded by the river Bhavani. The northern part is the Moyar River. It joins the Bhavani River near Dannayankota. Bhavani Sagar Dam is constructed in one part. To the west is Wayanad. On the eastern side, the Pykara River forms the boundary.
Best Time: April to June and October to January
Here are some must-see places within and around Ooty.
| Places to visit | Distance (KM) |
|---|---|
| Nilgiri Railway (Taken as center point) | 00.00 |
| Karnataka Siri Horticulture Garden | 01.20 |
| Virgin Earth | 01.30 |
| Thread Garden | 01.80 |
| Ooty Lake – Boat House | 01.80 |
| Thunder World | 02.80 |
| Wax World | 02.80 |
| Gymkhana Golf Course | 03.30 |
| Rose Garden | 05.00 |
| Govt. Botanical Garden | 05.00 |
| Stone House | 05.90 |
| Toda Temple | 07.80 |
| Benchmark Tea, Chocolate Factory And Museum | 08.20 |
| Pine Forest Ooty | 08.30 |
| Kamaraj Dam | 09.30 |
| Dodabetta | 11.50 |
| Kalhatty Waterfalls | 12.60 |
| 6th Mile Shooting Point | 12.70 |
| Ketti Valley | 14.20 |
| Wenlock Downs Shooting Point | 14.90 |
| Emerald Lake | 17.00 |
| Avanche Lake | 19.70 |
| Pykara Waterfalls | 20.50 |
| Pykara Lake | 21.50 |
| Sims Park Coonoor | 22.80 |
| Glenmorgan Dam Reservoir | 23.70 |
| Lambs Rock | 27.00 |
| Dolphin Nose Viewpoint | 31.50 |
| Mukuruthi National Park | 32.70 |
| Catherine Waterfalls | 38.50 |
| Needle Rock Viewpoint | 41.00 |
| Mudumalai National Park | 41.20 |
