3 DAY TRIP FROM BANGALORE | BEST OF OOTY & COONOOR

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.

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 .....

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, .....

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.

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 .....

At a distance of 4 km from Ooty and 12.5 km from Coonoor, Ketti Valley View Point is a popular vantage point situated on Ooty - Coonoor Road in Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu. It is one the most beautiful sightseeing places in Ooty and also one of the top places to experince Ooty Tourism.

As the name suggests, the view point provides a panoramic view of the Ketti Valley, the largest valley in the Nilgiris, and its beautiful surroundings. Ketti Valley is home to several tribes, such as Todas and Badagas. There are over 14 villages in this valley that belong to the tribes of Badagas. These tribal people are experts in cultivating fresh vegetables and fruits in the valley.

Also known as Switzerland of Nilgiris, the Ketti Valley is a heaven for nature lovers and photographers. The view of Ketti from the viewpoint is majestic and often compared .....

At a distance of 4 Kms from Coonoor Railway Station, Sim's Park was laid out in 1874 by Mr.J.D. Sim, then Secretary to Government and Major Murray, acting Superintendent of the Nilgiris forest. Sim's Park is one of the prime places to visit in Coonoor.

Spread over 30 acres of land, it was started as a pleasure resort for the residents and visitors, and later developed into Garden. This park cum botanical garden contains many species of trees and shrubs not found in Ooty.

Sim's Park has wonderful landscaped gardens & walkways lined up with beautiful flowers spread across and variety of flower plants collected from different parts of the country. There is a lake situated inside the park that offers boating facility as well.

Annual Fruit and Vegetables show is held every year in May here attracts tourists in large numbers.

Timings: 8.30 AM - 6 PM

Entrance Fee - Rs 5 for adults and Rs 2 for children. Still Camera - Rs 35, Video camera - Rs 250.

At a distance of 8 Kms from Coonoor Railway Station (on the way to Dolphin's Nose), Lamb's Rock is situated in Burliar village and it is one of the favorite picnic spots from Coonoor and also one of the best places to visit in Coonoor.

Named after Captain Lamb who attempted to open a path to this place, the rock drops down several hundred feet to disappear in thick jungle below. The plains of Coimbatore and surrounding valleys offer magnificient views from this spot.

This place demands moderate level trekking (Trek duration not available).

At a distance of 12 Kms from Coonoor Railway Station, Dolphin's Nose is a wonderful viewpoint with picturesque views of the Hills of Nilgirs. It is one of the most visited Coonoor tourist places.

Situated near Tiger Hill, this place is ideally visited in the morning (after 9 AM to 11 AM) for better views of the surroundings. A view of the distant Catherine falls can also be captured from here.

This place demands moderate level trekking.

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 .....

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 .....

At a distance of 22 km from Ooty, Pykara Lake is a placid lake situated on Ooty - Mysore road in Tamilnadu. Pykara Lake & Dam is one of the best places to visit in Ooty and an ideal place to experience beautiful boat ride.

Pykara Dam built on Pykara River amidst dense forest is a beautiful destination offering breathtaking scenery. Pykara is the largest river in Nilgiris district. Pykara Lake is a blessed lake for the Todas, the local tribe of Nilgiris. This is the best place to relax and admire the beauty of nature. The dam is near the main Ooty - Gudalur road and includes a power station. Often referred as one of the oldest power plants in South India, the Pykara Power Station still functions and generating about 60 megawatts electricity. It was declared as a heritage plant in 1997, triggered the establishment of more hydro-electric power stations in the state. .....

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 in Ooty and also one of the most popular Ooty tourist places.

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 .....