At a distance of 1 km from Ooty Bus Station & Railway Station, Ooty Lake is an artificial lake situated in the beautiful hill station of Ooty. It is one of the most visited tourist places in Ooty and also one of the popular places to represent Ooty Tourism. It is also one of the top attractions you must include in Ooty packages.
Ooty Lake was built by John Sullivan in 1824 AD, the then Collector of Coimbatore. Covers an area of 65 acres with an average depth of 40 feet, the lake is fed by the mountain streams in the Ooty valley. The lake was originally intended to be used for fishing with ferries being used to travel across the lake. It gradually shrunk from its original size giving place to the current bus stand race course, and the lake park.
The lake is surrounded by groves of Eucalyptus trees with a railway line running along one shore. Situated amidst beautiful valleys, Ooty Lake is a major landmark in the town and is the prime attraction in Ooty. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation on behalf of the Tourism Department took the possession of the lake in 1973, for providing boating facilities as a tourist attraction.
The lake also has a boat house attached to it which makes boating one of the most popular things to do in Ooty. The Ooty Boat House offers various boating facilities include row boats, pedal boats, motor boats etc. In the month of May, boat races and other entertaining events are organized for two days as a part of Summer Festival in Ooty. There is a Mini Garden with an amusement park for children with a toy train next to the Lake.
There is a large parking area with several shops selling woolen cloths and toys. Horse race is available outside the lake. There is a flower garden near the exit that also sells variety of flowers and seeds.
Boat Club Timings: 8 AM to 5.30 PM.
Entry Fee: Rs. 10 for Person, Rs. 560 for Foreigners, Rs. 30 for Camera, and Rs. 125 for Video
Boating (30 Mins): Rs. 160 for 2 seater Pedal Boat, Rs. 200 for 4 seater Pedal Boat, Rs. 180 for 2 seater Row Boat, Rs. 450 for 8 seater Motor Boat
At a distance of 3 km from Ooty Bus Station & Railway Station and 4 km from Ooty Lake, Ooty Botanical Gardens is a beautiful garden situated on the foothills of Dodabetta Peak in Ooty. Maintained by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department, Ooty Botanical Gardens is one of the top places to visit in Ooty and also one of the best botanical gardens in India.
The Botanical Gardens in Udhagamandalam was laid out in 1847 AD. It was designed by the architect William Graham McIvor under the supervision of George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale, the then Governor of Madras. The original purpose of the Botanical Gardens was to promote and study the various flora in and around Nilgiris. Now, it is open to the public as a park that can be enjoyed by visitors.
The garden spreads over an area of 22 hectares with more than 650 species of flowers and trees. The garden has a terraced layout and is divided into several sections, namely Lower Garden, New Garden, Italian Garden, the Conservatory and the Nursery. It houses a thousand species of plants, shrubs, ferns, herbal, bonsai plants and trees. The Botanical Garden is home to several rare species of trees such as the cork tree, the monkey puzzle tree, and the paper bark tree. The cork tree is probably one of its kinds in India.
The highlight of the garden is a fossil tree that is believed to be 20 million years old. Another attraction here is the Toda tribe settlement towards the top of the garden, which gives the visitors an insight into the lives and culture of Todas. The Botanical Garden is also a heaven for bird watchers where a variety of birds, both seasonal and year-round residents, can be sighted.
Every year in the month of May, a flower show is conducted at the Ooty Botanical Gardens for two days. Indian and Japanese flower arrangements, vegetable carving, flower rangoli, Bonsai and floral decorations are the major attractions at the festival.
Ideally, the month of May is the best time to visit the Botanical Garden, as there are several exhibitions and other programs organized, which draws many tourists to the venue.
Timings: 8 AM to 6.30 PM
Entry Fee: Rs.30 for Adults, Rs. 15 for Children, Rs. 50 for Camera & Rs. 100 for Video
At a distance of 9 km from Ooty, Doddabetta is a mountain peak situated on the Ooty - Kotagiri Road in the Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu. Literally means Big Mountain, Doddabetta is the highest point in Nilgiri Mountains and also one of the popular places to visit in Ooty. It is among prime place to visit on a Ooty trip.
Situated at an altitude of 2623 m, Doddabetta is regarded as one of the highest peaks in South India, which lies at the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats. The area surrounding Doddabetta is mostly forested. Sholas cover the hollows of its slopes. Tall rhododendron trees, flowering sub-alpine shrubs and herbs are common, even very near the peak. One can have a magnificent panoramic view of the landscape, beautiful valley, plains of Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore from the peak.
The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation manages a Telescope House in the Doddabetta Peak which enables the visitors to get a better view. This TTDC Telescope House gives a complete view of the surrounding landscape. There is also a TTDC restaurant, which caters to the taste of the visitors. The area around the peak is a reserved forest and is home to many endangered species of flora and fauna. Tourists can also indulge in trekking at the Doddabetta Peak.
There is road access to the summit. There are frequent bus services to Doddabetta Peak from Ooty.
Timings: 7 AM to 6 PM
Entry Fee: Rs. 10 for Person
At a distance of 9 km from Ooty Bus Station, Kamraj Sagar Dam, also known as the Sandynalla Reservoir, is a very quiet and scenic dam situated on the slopes of the Wenlock Downs in Ooty. It is one of the top Ooty tourist places and also a must include in every Ooty Tour Package.
The dam, built on the Kamrajar Lake, is spread over 400 acres and is situated on the way to Wenlock Downs & Pykara. The dam is a monsoon fed water body and measures about 6 km in length. The dam and the serene location make it a heavenly place and a favorite haunt for the nature lovers. It is also a popular destination with honeymoon couples because of its picturesque natural beauty. It is a popular shooting location in Ooty.
There are several walking trails around the lake and visitors can also explore several tourist places in the area through these walking trails. The surroundings of the lake are home to variety of birds which include peacocks, storks, kingfishers, cranes, herons and sunbirds can easily be spotted in the area. The animals that are seen in this area include wild boars, Indian bison, barking deer, monkeys, mongooses and leopards.
There is a pine forest adjacent to the main road through which the reservoir is accessed. Pine trees spread across several acres is a nice place to take snaps & famous shooting spot as well. You need to walk down through the slopes (around 200 meters) of pine trees to reach the banks of the reservoir. The path is very steep and slippery in monsoons. There are horses on hire for those who find it difficult to trek the slopes.
Timings: 9 AM - 6 PM
At a distance of 16 km from Ooty, Wenlock Downs is a vast expanse of grassy meadow located on the way to Pykara in Ooty, Tamilnadu. It is one of the most scenic places in Ooty and also one of the best Ooty tourist places. Along with Ooty Lake, this place is most commonly represented for Ooty Tourism.
Wenlock Downs is a spectacular meadow named after Sir Arthur Lawley's sibling Beilby Lawley, third Baron Wenlock. The downs spread majestically across 20,000 acres of rolling lands that seems to be stretching endlessly. The entire place is covered with Shola forest. More popularly known as the Shooting Point, Wenlock Downs has two popular movie filming points known as Sixth Mile and Ninth Mile named so because of they are located at 6 miles and 9 miles away from Ooty.
The extensive grassland of Wenlock Downs was once used as hunting ground by the British and Europeans. Today, Wenlock Downs home to the Gymkhana Club, the Hindustan Photo Films Company and a Government Sheep Farm.
The journey from Ooty to Wenlock Downs takes one to the most serene excursions from Ooty. The Wenlock Downs are perfect for walking and hiking amidst this elegant landscape. The peak offers breathtaking views of the Nilgiris and is one of the best places to watch the nature of Ooty. The view of a lake (formed by backwaters of Pykara) from Wenlock Downs is very scenic. This place is usually visited while going to Pykara with 30 minutes - 1 hour of additional effort.
Timings: 9 AM - 6. 30 PM
At a distance of 2 km from Pykara Lake and 23 km from Ooty Bus Stand, Pykara Falls is a majestic waterfalls situated on Ooty - Mysore road in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. This is one of the best waterfalls near Bangalore and also one of the most popular Ooty tourist places. It is another popular attraction not to miss in a Ooty tour package.
Pykara Falls is formed by Pykara River on the downstream of the Pykara Dam. The falls drops down into two sections with height of 55 m and 61 m through multiple layers on the rocky bed providing a unique beauty to the stream. The waterfall amidst the dense forest is a treat to watch. It is one of the must visit places for honeymoon couples and nature lovers during their Ooty trip. During rainy season, the waterfall is in full bloom. There are barricades setups along the waterfall view point for the safety of the tourists.
Swimming is possible at upper cascades, but not recommended as the path is filled with sharp rocks and depth of the water is very less. Swimming lower part of Pykara Falls is dangerous and is mostly closed in the monsoon season to avoid accidents. The falls offer best views in monsoons and post monsoons.
The best time to see the falls is in July. The falls can be reached by little moderate walk (5-10 mins) on well laid path from the parking location.
Timings: 8.30 AM - 5. 30 PM
Entry Fee: Rs. 5 for Person