Ooty Travel Guide: Lake, Gardens, Doddabetta and How to Plan Your Stay

The Nilgiris lie at the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Ooty is the main town; Coonoor is 19 km from it and Kotagiri 31 km, according to the district administration. The sights below are in Ooty itself, on the roads out of it and down the hill at Coonoor. None of our current trips stops in Ooty, so this is a reader's guide; for the whole state, see our Tamil Nadu travel guide.

Government Botanical Garden

The Udhagamandalam municipality says the English-style terraced gardens were founded in 1847 by the Marquis of Tweeddale, who brought in a horticulturist from Kew. They cover about 22 hectares and hold about 1,000 varieties of plants, shrubs and trees, and a flower show is held every year in May. Government House (Raj Bhavan), built in 1877, stands on the Doddabetta ridge near the garden; the municipality says it is used only for official entertaining, while its grounds are open to visitors, so check access before you go.

Ooty Lake

The collector John Sullivan built the artificial lake in 1824, according to both the municipality and Tamil Nadu Tourism. Row boats, paddle boats and motor boats are on hire, and a deer park lies on the bank. Tamil Nadu Tourism calls it a much sought-after attraction, so expect crowds in the season and go early if you want the water without a queue.

Doddabetta

The Nilgiris district site gives Doddabetta's height as 2,623 metres and calls it the highest peak in Tamil Nadu, about 10 km from the Ooty bus stand. The name means "big mountain" in the Badugu language. A telescope house run by the state tourism development corporation gives wide views, and the district site praises the sunset from the viewpoint. Mist can hide the view, so check the sky before you drive up.

Pine forest and Shooting Point

Tamil Nadu Tourism says the pine forests are about 15 minutes from the town centre, woodlands that are often veiled in mist and suit a slow walk. Shooting Point, which the tourist board pitches to film fans, is an open stretch of green meadows and rolling hills under thin fog.

Pykara

The Pykara is the largest river in the district and is sacred to the Todas, the district site says. Its last two falls, of 55 and 61 metres, are about 20 km from Ooty. Pykara Lake is about 21 km out on the Ooty to Mysore road, with boating and a restaurant, and Wenlock Downs, a wide grassy meadow on the way, is a favourite picnic spot.

Emerald Lake, Avalanche and Upper Bhavani

Avalanche is 28 km from Ooty on the road past Emerald Lake towards Upper Bhavani. The district site describes thick shola forest, views over the Avalanche valley and its reservoir, and a wide variety of birds. Tamil Nadu Tourism calls Emerald Lake a lake framed by Nilgiri peaks and tea plantations that most travellers have yet to find, and Upper Bhavani a blue reservoir formed by a dam on the Bhavani river.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

The railway climbs 46 km from Mettupalayam to Ooty through Coonoor, and Tamil Nadu Tourism calls it the only operational rack railway in India. UNESCO added it in 2005 to the Mountain Railways of India, the World Heritage property that began with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. For times and tickets, use IRCTC or the National Train Enquiry System (NTES); our Ooty toy train guide covers the ride itself.

Coonoor: Sim's Park, Dolphin's Nose and Lamb's Rock

Coonoor is 19 km from Ooty on the same railway. Sim's Park was inaugurated in December 1874 and named after J. D. Sim; it covers 12 hectares at 1,768 to 1,798 metres and hosts the annual vegetable and fruit show. Dolphin's Nose, about 12 km from Coonoor bus stand, is a rock jutting out over ravines with a view of St Catherine's Falls, and Lamb's Rock, about 8 km from Coonoor, is a favourite picnic point.

Tribal Museum

At M. Palada, 10 km from Ooty central bus stand and railway station on the Avalanche road, the Tribal Museum shows ornaments, weapons, utensils, baskets, model huts and other objects from about 36 tribal communities of Tamil Nadu. The district site gives the opening as Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, with a lunch break from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, on government working days. Check before you go.

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Mudumalai covers 321 square kilometres where Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala meet. The district site puts it about 67 km from Ooty by road via Gudalur, and lists elephants, gaur, tigers, panthers and spotted deer among its wildlife. Visits are governed by the Forest Department, so check its current rules before you plan a day there.

Tamil Nadu Tourism says Ooty can be visited at any time of year but is best from March to June. IMD Chennai's climate tables do not include Ooty itself, so the nearest guide is its Coonoor station, lower down the same railway; Ooty is higher and so cooler still.

At Coonoor, daytime highs stay between 20 and 25°C all year and nights fall to about 10 to 11°C in December and January. January and February are the driest months, at 37 and 54 mm. October and November are the wettest, at 345 and 373 mm, when the north-east monsoon is active, and even March to June see 72 to 121 mm a month, so pack a rain layer in any season. The Botanical Garden's flower show is in May. For the rest of the state, see our guide to the best time to visit Tamil Nadu.

• By air: Coimbatore International Airport. Tamil Nadu Tourism says it is about 88 km away; the Nilgiris district site says 105 km, and 89 km from Coimbatore by road.
• By train: Mettupalayam is the nearest broad-gauge station and Coimbatore the major junction. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway runs from Mettupalayam to Ooty; check times and book through IRCTC or NTES.
• By road: the district site gives Mysore as 160 km via Gudalur, Calicut 187 km via Gudalur, Bengaluru 290 km, Cochin 281 km via Coimbatore and Palakkad, Chennai 535 km via Mettupalayam and Salem, and Kodaikanal 265 km via Coimbatore and Palani. Buses run from Coimbatore, Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Calicut, Mysore and Bengaluru.
• E-pass: see "Before you drive up" below.