Ooty (Ootacamund) the Queen of the Hill Stations, also known as Blue Mountains is one of the most beautiful hill stations in India. This hill station has splendid green downs and lofty hills of extraordinary scenic beauty and is endowed with a salubrious climate similar to the English summer. Located in the Western Ghats at a height of 7,500ft. Ooty nestles in an amphitheater created by four majestic hills-Doddabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill and Club Hill. These hills are part of the Nilgiri ranges that are really the meeting point for the Western and the Eastern Ghats. Ooty has become more of a ‘honeymooner’s paradise’ and a de-facto filming location. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like conifers, pine and wattle dot the hillside of Ooty and its environs. While visiting you will also come across many eucalyptus trenches. The fresh smell of eucalyptus trees in a trendy and clement breeze will make you psychedelic for sure. The funnel-shaped blossoms covering the hills in floral profusion and the lavender-blue flowers spread over the mountains will pack you with memories for a lifetime.
OOTY LAKE
Covering an area of around 65 acres, the Ooty Lake is a manmade lake formed in 1824 under the British. It features a boathouse which offers boating facilities to the visitors and is famous for hosting boat races during the summer month of May.
DODDABETTA PEAK
A visit to Doddabetta Peak was the reason I went to Ooty in the first place. I had heard a lot about the picturesque Nilgiris and the amazing views this place has to offer. The place stands at a height of around 8,650 feet and makes it the highest peaks in south India. This place offers amazing trek spots and plenty of quiet and picturesque locations to solitary wanderers like me.
You might want to pack some really good pair of binoculars when you reach this place to enjoy it to the fullest. There is a small eatery placed here courtesy of the tourism department of Tamil nadu that offers some okay tasting food at a cheap price.
PYKARA RIVER
Known as a sacred place for the Toda people, Pykara River flows through the plateau and form several cascades and waterfalls. The Pykara falls are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ooty and are famous for the shola trees, Toda settlements and wildlife
MUDUMALAI NATIONA PARK
Also known as a famous Tiger Reserve, the Mudumalai National Park is a home to several wildlife and bird species. The Bengal Tiger, Leopards, Indian Bison, Asiatic Elephants and several other rare species of birds and animals can be found here.
BOTANICAL GARDENS
The place is amazing for photographers and casual visitors alike get a supply of food and drinks or you can also buy some snacks at the gardens. I visited this place because of my photographer friends and was totally amazed due to the amount of greens and flowers around me under an amazingly cool weather.
TODA HUNTS
The last remaining bastions of the Todas, the huts are located by the Ooty Botanical Gardens. Although several Toda people have abandoned these huts in the recent years, these remain one of the most interesting specimens of Ethnic architecture of southern India.