My first memory of Ooty, charm of the Nilgiris, goes back to the high-school days. Colour TV was still new to our household. And, ‘Chitrahaar‘, a weekly program featuring Bollywood songs was very popular those days. The scenes of Bollywood actors dancing on lush green hill slopes and lakesides was often a talking point. And invariably, Mom would expertly tell us (from her knowledge gained from a weekly news-magazine)- ‘this is shot in Ooty’.
Those days Bollywood had three favorite outdoor locations- Kashmir, Goa and Ooty! So, these three locations were painted in my mind as must-see places in India. Thus, when I first planned for a trip to Ooty, how could I forget Mom! (In fact, she has been part of the trips to Kashmir and Goa as well). To complete the troika, Bablu, my cousin also joined in from Kolkata.
The schedule:
It was December 2017; winter apparently is the best time to visit this part of India. We had a memorable road trip together starting in Coimbatore, then Coonoor and Ooty, drove through Mudumalai National Park & Bandipur Tiger Reserve and culminated in Mysore. Then we parted ways. While they proceeded to Bangalore and then to Bhubaneswar; I moved to explore north Karnataka including Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole and Bijapur. From Bijapur, I took a night bus to Pune to meet a few friends before flying back to Delhi.
Though this article is focused on Ooty, let me also share the experience of that entire road-trip giving a holistic view of the region. So, I will cover the experience of Coimbatore briefly, and Coonoor and Ooty in some detail. Moreover, other places on this route are important enough to have separate articles on (for another day).
Coimbatore
I reached Coimbatore first, early in the morning from Delhi, and decided to visit Isha Yoga Center (Sadhguru’s Ashram) in the vicinity (30 kms). I hired a local taxi for half day. Though I have not done any Yoga/ Meditation course anywhere, I am generally interested in the age-old practice, and the philosophy associated with it.
I have visited a few such Ashrams across India to learn about their methods. Sometime back, I had bought a few books by Sadhguru, and especially liked the “Inner Engineering” book. But in the last few years, I have lost interest in his philosophy because I feel that a lot of it is coloured by right-wing political motives.
The entry to the Ashram was not so impressive, but it was spread across a huge forest area and gave a peaceful vibe. Inside the Ashram, there was a temple and a meditation center. But it is the huge Shiva statue (that they call Adi Yogi) that is popular in social media, and has become the symbol of the Ashram. I noticed people from all walks of life, and all age groups visiting the Ashram. I spent about 2-3 hours at the Ashram, and came back to the hotel.
Bablu and Maa reached Coimbatore from Bhubaneswar in the afternoon. We visited a local temple over a hill in the evening. Though I don’t remember the name of the temple now (perhaps Marudhamalai temple), the night view of the city from the temple was pretty good.
Coonoor
Next morning we hired a taxi and left for Ooty, via Coonoor. Situated 20 kms away from Ooty, Coonoor is the quieter version of Ooty. Most of the crowd throng Ooty, and visit Coonoor as a day trip. In fact, if Ooty is charm of the Nilgiris, Coonoor plays a major role in that tagging.
Situated within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghat mountain ranges, both Ooty and Coonoor are almost replica of each other. Verdant hills and valleys, lush green forests, beautiful tea estates, small waterfalls and lakes abound. In fact, they should actually be considered one place.
Coonoor highlights:
Though there are quite a few lovely places around Coonoor, we chose two parks (Kattery and Sim’s), Dolphin’s nose view point, a tea garden, Lamb’s rock and Murugan coffee factory.
At the Dolphin’s point, you get an amazing view of the Niligiri hills and the entire valley with a waterfall (Catherine falls) at a distance. There is a tea garden just beside the Dolphin’s nose. We spent quite some time at the tea garden taking lovely pictures. The thin trees among tea plantations make for a very scenic photo-opportunity. It was perhaps Mom’s first time seeing tea leaves live; thus, she was visibly quite excited!
At the Lamb’s rock point, we ventured into a forest, and had a good view of the Coimbatore plains and Nilgiri hills. Very near to the Lamb’s rock is the Murugan coffee factory. It was my first experience of seeing coffee beans being converted into coffee powder. They make some local chocolates too.
Both the parks- Kattery park and Sim’s park are beautiful, and worth spending hours appreciating the pretty landscape and colourful vegetation.
Coonoor needs at least two days to explore properly. So, we missed out a few lovely spots like the Droog fort (Tipu Sultan era), Law’s falls, Catherine falls, Ketti valley, Hidden valley, Rallia dam, Wellington lake & golf course, All Saint’s church, St. George’s church, Highfield tea estate, and Guernsey tea estate. In retrospect, I guess, I had actually underestimated Coonoor. I have to be there again for a longer period, slowly enjoying the subtle things it has to offer. I heard it has a rich tribal culture as well.
Ooty, charm of the Nilgiris
Now, coming to the center of this article- Ooty, charm of the Nilgiris. We reached Ooty just before sunset, and checked in at the hotel Mayura Sudarshan, a lovely property on the foothills of the Nilgiris. There is a big beautiful park in front of the property accentuating its scenic beauty multiple times. We kept taking morning and evening strolls across the park; thus, the hotel itself became a destination for us. We spent two nights and two days there- first day for local sight-seeing, and second day for a day trip to Pykara lake and falls.
Ooty, charm of the Nilgiris is among the few hill stations established by the British in south India. When Tipu Sultan handed it over to the British in the later part of the 18th century, they thought of developing it as a summer resort for its officers and army. John Sullivan, the Collector of Coimbatore in those days, took great interest in establishing road connectivity to Ooty. Slowly, the place became popular among residents from nearby places, and the native Toda tribals went further away towards Pykara. In the post-independence period, it has become one of India’s most well-known hill stations.
Note: In local language, Ooty is called Udhagamandalam or Ootacamund. Like with many other places in south India, the British made the name shorter for easy pronunciation.
Why do I call Ooty as charm of the Nilgiris?
The Nilgiri mountain range are composed of small mountains, or hills which are endearing and charming rather than overwhelming. Ooty is at the center of all attractions in this region. The flora and fauna together with the landscape, especially the tea gardens and blue hills make Ooty the charm of the Nilgiris.
Local Ooty sight-seeing
Ooty lake:
Botanical Garden:
Doddabetta Peak:
In order to have a panoramic view of the Nilgiris, we drove 9 kms up to the Doddabetta peak (2637 mts or 8651 ft). It’s the highest peak in the Niligiri range, and the fourth highest peak in south India. Doddabetta means the big mountain in local Badaga language (“Dodda” means big, “Betta” means mountain). On that day, the sky was covered with thick clouds. In spite of that, or/and maybe because of that, the view from the peak was amazing!
St. Stephen’s Church and Lord Murugan Temple:
At the fag end of the day, we visited two religious shrines- the old St. Stephen’s Church and the Lord Murugan Temple. Established in 1830, St. Stephen’s Church is among the oldest in the area. Lord Murugan temple, situated over Elk Hill is popular for its impressive 40-feet statue of Lord Murugan. It resembles the more famous statue of the Lord Murugan at the entrance of Batu caves in Indonesia. Here too it looks quite amazing with a picturesque backdrop of the hills and forests.
Things we missed out:
Among the major attractions we missed out are: the Nilgiri mountain rail (UNESCO World Heritage) | Kamaraj Sagar Dam | Fernhills palace | Toda huts. As much as I tried to fit in the mountain rail into the itinerary, I couldn’t, mainly because of timings. However, the next time I am in Ooty, I will definitely have the experience of the Nilgiri mountain rail, and visit the Toda huts.
Ooty day-trips
Ooty, charm of the Nilgiris is a great base location for amazing day-trips like Coonoor, Mudumalai NP, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, and Pykara river- falls- lake trip. We had done Coonoor earlier, and the National Parks come on the way to Mysore (our next destination). So, we planned for the Pykara route for the day.
Pykara Lake:
Pykara river rises from the Mukurthi peak near Ooty, and on the way, it forms a lake due to a dam built for hydro-electric purpose. This is a beautiful lake in natural lush-green forest setting. With a boat-house and tourist facilities, the lake is a great hang-out option just 20 kms away from Ooty. On the way to Pykara lake, there are a few interesting view points like the Movie-shooting locations, a pine forest, a golf course, etc where we stopped over to relish the natural beauty, and take lovely pictures.
Pykara Waterfall:
A few kms north of the lake, the Pykara river dives to form a series of beautiful waterfalls. The best of them falls down to 61 meters. It’s a slow walk down to the waterfall view point from the last drivable village.
Mudumalai National Park and Bandipur Tiger Reserve:
At about 55 kms north of Ooty, on the way to Mysore, is Mudumalai National Park. With an area covering 321 sq. kms, this NP is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, and a Tiger Reserve as well. Bandipur is also among the top tiger reserves in the country. Thus, we will write separate blog posts to do justice to these important sites.
Travel tips - Ooty, charm of the Nilgiris
Best time to visit:
Even though it’s a hill station, because it’s in south India, general temperature remains comfortable through out the year. The winter average lowest temperature is 6 degree C; and the summer average highest temperature is around 20 degree C. So, one can choose to visit Ooty at any point of time. We visited in end-December, and it felt pretty warm in the day, and not-so-cold at night. If you don’t want rains to hamper your trip, you may avoid July to September months, the monsoon times.
How to reach:
Flight: The nearest airport is at Coimbatore, about 100 kms (3 hrs drive) away.
Train: The nearest railway station is at Mettupalayam, about 40 kms away.
Bus: Regular bus services from nearby cities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Moving around:
For moving around in local Ooty, auto-rickshaws are available. One might choose taxis for comfort, or need. For day-trips, taxis are preferable because the locations are a little off-route. However, for Coonoor, local buses are frequent.
Where to stay:
Some budget stay options: Hotel Lake View | Astoria Residency | Karpagam Homestay | GoStops Ooty (hostel) | Hotel Green Apple | Willow Hill | Time Palace Residency | FabHotel Reflections | FabHotel Khems |
Where to eat:
Le Cafe | Willy’s Coffee Pub | Earl’s Secret | Toda Cafe | Ooty Coffee House | Place to Bee | Nahar’s Sidewalk Cafe | Cocoapods | The Garden Cafe | Hotel Pankaj Bhojanalay | Hyderabadi Biryani House | Adyar Anand Bhawan | Ascot
A Concluding Note
The Himalayas give the north Indian hill stations (Darjeeling || Dalhousie || Mussoorie) a majestic aura. On the other hand, the Western Ghats give Ooty and other south Indian hill stations a poetic charm. Ooty, along with Kodaikanal, Coonoor and Coorg are especially beautiful in the monsoon with a verdant look. However, more people visit them at the peak of summer to have that much-needed respite from the heat of south India.
So, with this visit my wish of seeing Ooty for myself was fulfilled. What about you? Have you visited this charming hill station in the Niligiris yet? If yes, please share your experience. What did you like the most about the place?
Jayvanti Einjen
Wonderful place. I like it
stampedmoments
Thank you so much!
Let’s visit Ooty sometime together 🙂
Lalitha sridharan
Suvendu super writing and awesome place. I have visited most of the places mentioned. Let us plan our next non farm meet here.
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Lalitha for your kind words.
Yayyy! Next non-farm retreat here! Great idea 🙂
Dhara
I had experienced exactly much of what you penned down but my missed out list is longer than yours. This post has put Ooty and Connor back on my must visit list
stampedmoments
Yayyy! Glad that you liked.
Yes, true, experiencing Ooty and Coonoor in one visit is gonna be unfulfilling always.
We also plan to visit again soon 🙂
Thanks for your feedback, and sharing your experience.
Sajith
Beautiful place…
It always welcomes and whenever we visit we will get refreshed….
Love to visit again and again.
stampedmoments
I am sure you have visited multiple times.
It’s a serene place. In fact, I loved Coonoor more in some ways.
Hopefully, we will visit Ooty sometime together.
SOUMEN CHATTERJEE
Well the 1st thing that attracts is travelling with your mom where she was really excited to see tea garden at Coonoor. The entire blog is just awsome. The 1st visit was Coimbatore and visiting Satguru ashram might be awsome getting inner peace and truely said the Yogi statue at Isha Yogi Center is quite famous in social media. Next destination was Coonor where the 2 parks (Kattery and Sim’s) might be quite interesting.Dolphin’s nose view point, a tea garden, Lamb’s rock and Murugan coffee factory are some of the attraction that I read in the blog.
At the Dolphin’s point, you get an amazing view of the Niligiri hills and the entire valley with a waterfall (Catherine falls) at a distance. There is a tea garden just beside the Dolphin’s nose.
Next was OOTY which we all know the famous star Mithun Chakraborty has his own hotel and estate and did u get a chance to visit? Ooty has some major tourist attractions that I read may that be Botanical garden, Ooty lake,Ooty
Doddabetta Peak, St Stephens Church, Lord Murgan temple, Pykara lake and waterfall and yes one day trip also have some must see point.
The travel details are quite well articulated for even for a person who don’t have travelling experience can easily visit. Overall just loved it.
stampedmoments
I also heard about Mithun da’s hotel, but didn’t get a chance to visit.
Overall, it was quite an amazing experience with Mom.
Coonoor especially is such a lovely quaint place!
Would love to visit again, especially to see the Mountain Rail.
Thanks mate for being a continuous supporter of this blog.
iraivan
higly interesting and informatiewe. i visited the place several years back, but now only know, after reading it , the exact details of the places that i had been once … thank you Suvi excellent job…..
stampedmoments
I am glad that I brought those nostalgic feelings in you.
Thank you so much for your encouraging words.
Shrusti
Enjoyed reading this so much, especially the side notes on Bollywood and Isha(fully agree with your POV )
stampedmoments
Hey! Thanks for going through the blog, and giving some feedback. It’s most helpful.
As I go along, I will keep expressing opinions/ perspectives more in my posts.
Please keep in touch 🙂
Sweta
Iam definitely going to visit. And you explained everything so beautifully. Great help thank you.
stampedmoments
Glad to know that you liked.
Thanks for your kind words.
Keep in touch 🙂
sonia
All places are awesome and you describe all places very briefly. 😊
stampedmoments
Thank you so much!
Welcome to the world of Stamped Moments! 🙂
Sara hevia
Fantastic report👏🏻👏🏻, beautiful place
stampedmoments
Thank you so much!
Do have it on your itinerary when you visit India 🙂
Girija
Suvendu well written. Awesome that you could cover many places. One mind blowing site is Kodanadu view point from where the mountain view resembles English movie Mckanna’s gold. On a clear night one can see lights of Mysore. Do visit next time
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot for the suggestion (Kodanadu); I had not even heard of before this!
Yes, next time.
Glad that you liked.