Discovering Ooty – A Hill Station in Tamil Nadu

I was born in the east, spend most of my life in the north and right now residing in the west. Just to be clear, all in India. I got the chance to explore South Indian states for a very brief time. It was all during my training days when I was staying in Mysore (a city in Karnataka).

Any weekend or long holiday we got, we would utilize it to the fullest. Be it just a day trip to Coorg, or a visit to the Karanji Lake in Mysore itself, or going for a two-day trip to Wayanad. Never missing a chance.

Tamil Nadu is one of the adjoining states of Karnataka. When I was first suggested of Ooty by my friends, I was not quite sure. As I am more of a beach person and Ooty is a hill station. But of course, that does not mean that I would give up on a chance to see a new place.

A bit about Ooty

Ooty is one of the most popular hill stations in South India. Officially, it is known as Udhagamandalam, but I don’t think so anyone except the people living here knows about this. Even I got to know while starting to write this post. 

It is also known as “India’s Switzerland”. I really don’t understand why Indian cities have to be compared with other countries. Similar to Ooty, Coorg is given the name of “Scotland of India”. I mean every place has its own beauty. So why compare?

Anyways, so here is a list of few places to visit in Ooty that I have been to myself. In the same sequence.

Ooty Lake

Timing: 9 AM – 6 PM
Entry Fee: Indian – INR 13/ Foreigner – INR 560

Lakes in mountains have such a beautiful and scenic view. This was no less than any other lake. Except for the crowd. 

Ooty lake is one of the most popular and most visited places in Ooty. Even when I visited, this was our first stop. Right after we reached and dropped our bags at the hotel, we hopped in auto and made our way here. 

Along with enjoying the beauty of this vast lake, this place also offers boating services. With a typical option to choose from 2-people or 4-person boat, you can enjoy a 20-30 minutes ride. Of course, you need to paddle yourself.

Lucky for us, the weather was so damn pleasant. Clouds were hovering above with little to no sun. Otherwise, it might have turned out to be similar to my ‘not so pleasant’ boating experience at Karanji lake in Mysore. I literally felt roasted at that time.

But I never knew to be lucky enough to escape the heavy downpour that started that day. I mean we had just reached the shore and were getting off the boat that it started raining like crazy. Literally like crazy. 

People usually don’t like it when it rains during their vacations, but I somehow enjoy it. The weather quite soothes down due to rainfall. 

Apart from boating, there are many more rides here. Somewhat like a mini amusement park. The whole arena is filled with rides and various food stalls. And even a convenience store. 

You can easily spend half of your day here if you are not on a tight schedule. Perfect for an outing with your family. 

Thread Garden

Timing: 9 AM – 5 PM
Entry Fee: Adult – INR 30/ Child – INR 15
Camera Fee: Still – INR 50 / Video – INR 100

This garden really has a very unique name. I mean the name itself suggests that it is a garden made of threads. Right? Well yeah! It is totally made of threads.

I was literally blown away when I entered the hut. Each and every flower, leaf and stem are made of threads with support items such as wires and canvas. A total indoor artificial garden. It is a piece of art.

Many people might skip this place as like ‘It’s not a real garden’ or something. But trust me, if there is anything that is very rare to see in the world, never miss a chance. And it is just opposite to Ooty Lake. Everyone visits Ooty Lake. So, take some time and give this garden a try too. You will not regret it.

Doddabetta peak

Timing: 7 AM – 6 PM
Entry Fee: INR 10
Camera Fee: Still – INR 10 / Video – INR 50

This is a pretty fun one. Or I should say the adventure one. If you love mountains and heights, this is one of the same kinds of place. Just a bit of addition of crowd.

I mean even the start of the trail for the peak is filled with so many stalls and vendors. Selling every kind of goods from shawls to toys to a variety of food items. Literally felt like a flea market. Somehow the charm of that place seemed to be lost on all the people.

Even though the path is a bit rugged, the trek to the summit is very easy. So, families with small kids can also enjoy this trek without any worries. The peak is just around 500m from the parking area. Really not much. But once you reach the top, the view you get is just amazing.

So, there are a lot many things here to see. A telescope house, a bird-watching area, a small park with rides and even a restaurant. 

The telescope house had a huge line. I mean people were literally lined up for quite a long distance. I am not sure how good a view you might get from there as I did not go for it. But it seemed like a total bummer. 

Even the bird watching area was so crowded. I went in that open area designated for bird watching only to see lots and lots of elderly people with their huge lens camera and that proper nature green colour attire that usually I see on Discovery channel.

I enjoyed hanging at the park. I felt like a child again enjoying even the smallest of the moments. Altogether, it actually felt like a picnic to me. You arrive, walk for a bit (in this case trek), take in the surroundings, enjoy some time with your loved ones, have some food, and return.

The Tea Factory and The Tea Museum

Timing: 9 AM – 6 PM
Entry Fee: INR 10

Ooty is famous for its tea plantations. The weather, as well as the terrain here, is very appropriate for cultivating tea. And since there is tea growing all around, a tea factory is bound to be found. 

Here in Ooty, this particular tea factory also acts as a museum where you can go in and see the process of how the tea is prepared to be sold in the market. From the fresh tea leaves to rolling, drying and many other stages, to finally packing them up in bags for selling. 

At the end of the tour, they also provide a sample of their best-selling tea. Well, that is just a marketing process but it feels nice to be offered something for free. Right? 

And, of course, you can buy teabags here too.

Tips and Advice

Even though I have been to Ooty just once, these are just some basic advice that I would give to you from my own experience.

• Always carry an umbrella. It can be used to shield you from the sun as well as the sudden downpour that might happen.
• When you visit the Doddabetta Peak, carry sufficient water. Even though there is a restaurant up there but places where there is a scarcity of option, they will rob you.
• Do not buy tea at the tea factory. I know you might feel like this is the place of origin and stuff. But they are just way overpriced.
• Visit the Thread Garden. Definitely!