Ooty in Tamil Nadu - queen of India's hill stations

With a population of a bit over 88,000, Ooty (its full name is Udhagamandalam) is one of South India's top summer destinations thanks to its mild, eternally springlike climate and myriad attractions. An all-day train ride or road trip (and just over 4½ hours by plane) from Tamil Nadu's state capital Chennai (formerly known as Madras), it's known as the  "Queen of the Hill Stations." These are the towns that during the Raj - the period of 1858 to 1947 when India was a British colony - were developed as refuges from the heat of summer, and in fact Ooty was the summer capital of the colonial-era Madras region.

That legacy has left it with a number of Its appealing attractions amidst its rolling green and pine-clad hills, such as Ooty Lake, a botanical garden, a lovely rose garden, Wenlock Downs, Doddabetta Peak, Emerald Lake, Avalanche Lake, Pykara Dam, and Pykara Falls. And its annual Tea and Tourism Festival in January and Summer Festival in May attract visitors in huge numbers. Here are five of Ooty's essential attractions:

read post

You need to be a member of Tripatini to add comments!

Join Tripatini

Email me when people reply –