Top Things to do in Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
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10 Things to Do in Ooty (Udhagamandalam) That You Shouldn't Miss
Popularly referred to as Ooty, this gem among southern hill resorts is covered in eucalyptus and pine trees and coffee and tea plantations. On a clear day, it's possible to see as far as the Mysore plateau from Dodabetta Peak, the district's most prominent viewpoint. The Stone House, a landmark 1822 bungalow, and St. Stephen's Church are remnants of the area's first British settlement. Also noteworthy: formal botanical gardens, a children's mini-garden and a contemporary art collection.
Restaurants in Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
1. Upper Bhavani Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 283 reviews
Reviewed By amit12300
Beautiful place, clean blue water in lake, reserved jungle area, beautiful nature, climate & excellent view. I saw animals in jungle, clicked pictures & fantastic place to enjoy with your friends & family. Bus & jeep available by forest department for visit, this place charges applicable Rs. 300 per person, amazing experience.
2. Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By gopinath m - Chennai (Madras), India
Any person who would like to experience what life is - should travel the NMR train once atleast in his life. This would bring fantastic reality despite the train commutes slowly but through the rough terrain with a regular interval break. The Journey till conoor is really great one which takes around 4 hours. the little one in your family will also enjoy. Kindly book the ticket in advance and getting seat on travel day is not suggested. Moreover the train should run on your travel day!!
3. Emerald Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 208 reviews
Reviewed By EkMusafir - Pune
This lake is about 18 km away from Ooty, on the same road which goes to Avalanche Lake. You have to have your own transport or hire a cab to visit this lake. You have to take a right turn towards the Emerald Dam but don’t enter the dam premises. A small road leads to a narrow bridge which crosses the channel connecting the two lakes, Emerald and Avalanche. Stop awhile to soak in the views from the bridge. On the right is the Emerald Lake and on the left is the Avalanche Lake, surrounded by pristine Forests and hills. You can walk down to both the lakes from the side of the bridge and wet your feet in the waters. We used Google Maps to help us find the way.
Emerald Lake is very beautiful. The calm water of the lake reflects the green foliage of the surrounding forest and hence gets an Emerald color. There is no pollution and no crowds, being a little distant from Ooty town. Bring your picnic basket and enjoy, but please don’t leave the garbage behind.
We carried on further beyond the bridge till we reached the Red Hills Resort. This resort is another 8 km uphill along a narrow country road, surrounded by tea Gardens, and located on top of a hill, overlooking the Emerald Lake. It is a heritage bungalow and is being run as a home stay. You have to have prior bookings if you wish to stay. Unfortunately, we could not get lunch here, since there were no other guests at the resort, but the caretaker did serve us a mug of steaming hot coffee.
It was a very enjoyable drive from Ooty to Emerald and back.
4. Avalanche Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 394 reviews
5. Pykara Lake
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Aanchal26 - New Delhi, India
Should definitely visit here. Very clean & nicely maintained lake with lots of boating options to choose from. We did speedboat for 2 & it was amazing experience.
6. St. Stephen's Church
Overall Ratings
4 based on 212 reviews
Reviewed By LONGJOHNSILVERSS - Scotland, United Kingdom
Take a walk around the cemetery behind the church. Almost all of the graves are British military personnel or their wives/families. Young officers who died at the age of 23 in 1835, Was it conflict or jungle fever? Fascinating part of colonial history.
7. Shooting Point
Overall Ratings
4 based on 523 reviews
Reviewed By Amith P
The shooting point is on your way to Pykara Falls, so it is advisable to club this with other nearby attractions. We stopped here on our way back from Pykara, to catch the sunset. Even at 6PM, there was a good crowd spread out evenly across the hillock. The view was really worth the short climb.
Self-Drive Tip:
Look out for bisons or other animals on the road, when you are driving early morning or late night. It is advisable to trail behind other vehicles, as the road is a bit lonely.
8. Ketti Valley View
Overall Ratings
4 based on 123 reviews
Reviewed By KulwantSingh - Noida, India
The views of Ketti Valley is the first thing which visitors love to witness, The views of Ketti Valley can be enjoyed from certain ear marked points on the main Ooty-Coonor road.Good to get out from your vehicle to enjoy the valley views and capture some fantastic snaps for your memories .
9. Botanical Gardens
Overall Ratings
4 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By abhimanasu - Mandya, India
Located in the city and usually in weekend and also in the summer holidays it is very crowded . Various variety of flora , trees , small ponds with lotus flowers gives beautifull scenic view and good got photographer if it is not crowed.
Entry fees is 30 RS and parking fees is very expensive ,for car it's 80rs .very costly and parking lot is not well maintained..
10. Sanctuary Avalanche
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 148 reviews
Reviewed By Anand G - Kochi (Cochin), India
It is not very clear why it is called a sanctuary. There are two end points inside one which the forest department vehicles will take to in which you can see the Amman Temple, a very steep Waterfalls beside and a good view of the lake and the second untrodden path where you are likely to encounter herds of wild elephants. Since we could use own vehicle (of an NGO working in that area), we explored the dangerous second path only to beat a hasty retreat on realizing the proximity to a herd of elephants as indicated by the spoors. In between we ha a couple of close encounters ith a bison and an antelope which made it a bit exciting. Access from Ooty and the unspeakable roads to the location along with nothing fanciful inside all put together makes it not exactly a must visit. Of course, one's back bones should be strong enough to to withstand the terrible roads to try this out. Not exactly a must se.
