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.

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Mudumalai National 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

Laid out in 1848, the government Botanical Gardens is located at the slopes of the Doddabetta peak. The terraced garden is maintained by the Tamil nadu horticultural society and covers an area of 22 hectares. The best time to visit the place is anytime except the monsoons. Now this place will be the first thing the people would mention when you visit ooty, and well, in my opinion it is pretty awesome.

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Tea Factory

Small and nice, tea factory that is frequented by tourists who visit ooty, although not much to do here, but it was quiet a new experience to me when I visited the place. You can smell the aroma of the fresh tea leaves as soon as you near the place. I love how machines process the fresh tea leaves and package it. There’s also a shop where you can buy the tea processed at the factory. They also provided tea prepared from the freshly processed leaves and it tastes amazingly fragrant. This is a good place to show to the kids as well and I’m sure they’d be delighted.

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.

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Avalanche Lake

The reason I came to ooty was to actually visit the aforementioned Doddabetta peak but wasn’t quite satisfied with amount of indulgence I was seeking with the nature. Although It was suggested by a local there and wasn’t on my itinerary, this place made me love my visit to ooty. Located in the heart of the Nilgiris 28 kilometers from ooty, Avalanche lake is certainly a wanderer’s haven. The surrounding landscape is simply mesmerizing. You can camp beside the lake in tents and enjoy trout fishing. There’s also a hatchery located nearby where you can get the fishing rod and other fishing equipment at. It’s an amazing trek location that made me stay here for 2 days at this place. The place derives its name from a landslide that occurred sometime in the early 1800’s.

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.

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Emerald Lake

Although the lake is off limits for the visitors, the emerald lake is located in midst of a reserve forest. The lake can be viewed via a viewpoint on the dam located nearby.

Ooty Mountain Railway

Declared as a UNESCO world heritage site, the railways were built by the British in 1908. The trains are still powered using the traditional steam engines.

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