OOTY; A PLEASANT COZY RETREAT FOR ALL SEASONS.

Udhagamandalam or otherwise popularly called as Ooty is regarded as the queen of hill stations. Nestled in the Nilgiri Hills at an altitude of 2240 meters, the town is blessed with pleasant climate all year round making it the easiest place to turn to when in need for a vacation. Ooty is known for its beautiful lakes, waterfalls, vast botanical gardens, evergreen forests, valleys. coffee and tea plantations as well as trees like conifers, eucalyptus, pine and wattle that dot the hillside.

A homely cottage is the best way to enjoy your extended slow paced vacation at Ooty. KSTDC’s Mayura Sudarshan Ooty, located amidst the verdant surroundings of Fern Hill, easily accessible from both the bus stand and the railway station, will be an ideal home base for your trip. Enjoy a room with a view of the scenic landscape, savour the delicacies offered at the multi-cuisine restaurant and saunter around Karnataka horticulture garden for free while staying at the property.

If you are in the mood to camp out, go for treks to great sunset spots or boating rides, explore local eateries, markets and nurseries, the staff at the reception, who are locals themselves can guide you to the best spots. KSTDC also offers the option of designing a customized tour package according to your interests, for this, enquire at the front desk or fill in the details in the link below to plan out your exclusive package.

Package Tours

For reservations/ enquiries, please log on to www.kstdc.co or call Mob: 8970650070/75 Tel: +91 80 4334 4334

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN OOTY

Government Botanical Garden

This garden, situated on the lower slopes Doddabetta was laid out in 1848 and designed by the architect William Graham McIvor. It covers an area of 22 hectares across the slopes on the hill. The gardens, which were established by European residents for the purpose of supplying vegetables at a reasonable cost, now hosts well maintained lush green lawns and exotic species of flora.

The Cork tree, which is probably the only one of its kind in India, the paperbark tree, monkey puzzle tree, and a 20 million year old fossilized tree (presented by the Geological Survey of India) all add to the uniqueness of the botanical park. A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held every year in the month of May.

Rose Garden

This garden was established in 1995 to commemorate the Centenary Flower Festival. The Rose Garden is situated on the lower slopes of the Elk Hill on the north-western side, facing the Udhagamandalam town. The garden, located at a distance of about one kilometer from the Udhagamandalam railway junction and bus terminus, is easily accessible by roads. The park is home to nearly 20,000 plants from 2241 varieties.

Ooty Lake

This artificial lake was formed in 1824, by Mr. John Sullivan the then Collector of Coimbatore is one of the major attractions in the town. Located over an area of 65 acres, the Tourism Department took possession of the lake for boating activity in 1973. A boat ride on the lake is a quintessential part of every tourist’s itinerary.

Deer Park

Located on the fringes of the Ooty Lake, the park which covers over 22 acres of land was inaugurated in 1986 and is maintained by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. It offers a unique opportunity to observe and study the wildlife in their natural habitat. A part of the park is open to the public.

Governmen1t Museum

The Government Museum, founded in 1989, is situated on the Ooty – Mysore Road. The exhibits feature tribal and ecological artifacts of the land as well as sculptural art and craft displays of Tamil Nadu.

Doddabetta

Doddabetta, which literally means a big mountain, is the highest peak located at a height of 2634 meters, in the Nilgiris and is just a 10 kilometers drive from Udagamandalam bus terminus. Surrounded by dense sholas, Doddabetta is placed at the meeting point of Western and Eastern Ghats offering beautiful vistas of the Nilgiri Hills. The telescope house set up by the Tourism Department helps the visitors to view the entire district from this point.

Pykara Lake and Waterfall

The lake and waterfall is 21kms from Udhagamandalam on Mysore Road. Fenced sholas, toda settlement, undisturbed grassy meadows, the Pykara dam and boat house are other popular attractions in the area.

Kalhatti falls

The 100 feet high waterfall, located on the Kalhatti slopes is just a 13 kilometer drive on the Udhagamandalam – Mysore-Kalhatty ghat road. Panthers, bison, wild dogs, spotted deers, sambar deers and different varieties of birds are found on the Kalhatti – Masinagudi slopes.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

Located at an elevation of 1140 meters, the sanctuary spread over 321 sq kilometers is at the tri point junction of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Tropical evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, teak forest, and secondary grassland swamps are found here.

Coonoor

Coonoor is a popular hill station situated at an altitude of 200 ft above the sea level and 17 Km from Udhagamandalam. It is a small town with a pleasant climate. The main attraction here is Sim’s Park, a well-maintained botanical garden that houses several varieties of plants that aren’t found in other hill stations. View points and picnic spots around Coonoor include Lambs Rock, Lady Canning’s Seat, Dolphin’s Nose, St.Catherine Falls, Law’s Falls, Ralliah dam and Droog.