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.

Places to visitDistance (KM)
Nilgiri Railway (Taken as center point)00.00
Karnataka Siri Horticulture Garden01.20
Virgin Earth01.30
Thread Garden01.80
Ooty Lake – Boat House01.80
Thunder World02.80
Wax World02.80
Gymkhana Golf Course03.30
Rose Garden05.00
Govt. Botanical Garden05.00
Stone House05.90
Toda Temple07.80
Benchmark Tea, Chocolate Factory And Museum08.20
Pine Forest Ooty08.30
Kamaraj Dam09.30
Dodabetta11.50
Kalhatty Waterfalls12.60
6th Mile Shooting Point12.70
Ketti Valley14.20
Wenlock Downs Shooting Point14.90
Emerald Lake17.00
Avanche Lake19.70
Pykara Waterfalls20.50
Pykara Lake21.50
Sims Park Coonoor22.80
Glenmorgan Dam Reservoir23.70
Lambs Rock27.00
Dolphin Nose Viewpoint31.50
Mukuruthi National Park32.70
Catherine Waterfalls38.50
Needle Rock Viewpoint41.00
Mudumalai National Park41.20
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