Want a weekend gateway to forest areas from Bengaluru-Look no further -Wayanad in Kerala and the adjacent district of Karnataka that is Coorg is waiting for you. When the monsoon calls it quits leaving a trail of fresh air and green aura, that’s when you should be here, seeing overflowing Iruppu Falls, the gigantic Cauvery river at Talacauvery, the tea estates in Wayanad, and beautiful treks like Pakshipatalam or Brahmagiri trek.
15 Reasons why you must visit Ooty and Coonoor:
- Ooty is one of India’s most visited year destinations and should be on your charts if you make it to south India.
- You could go boating in the beautiful Ooty Lake or to Pykara lake to enjoy a boat ride in paddle boats, motorboats, or rowing ones with your friends or family. Cycling and horse riding around the lake is equally enjoyable.
- The Nilgiri Toy Train, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a must rail journey in India, starting from Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam and crossing about 250 bridges and 16 tunnels. You can halt at places like Coonoor, Wellington, and Lovedale on the way to Ooty.
- Four hundred feet Kalhatti Falls in Bellikal is known for lush greenery around the falls and birds unique to this region.
- Visit Doddapetta park, which houses the highest point, the Doddapetta peak offering beautiful views of Nilgiri hills and Chamundi hills and the sunset through telescopes and binoculars.
- Coonoor, another hill station near Ooty, is famous for its tea plantations and is at a good height of about 2000 meters offering splendid views of the valleys and vast hilly regions.
- Dolphin’s Nose is located about 1500 m above sea level and is one of the most frequented places by tourists in Coonoor. There are canyons and valleys with lush green hills, along with a clear view of the Catherine Falls.
- Three kilometers from Coonoor, Highfield Tea Factory, is a place for tea lovers to learn how tea is processed, packaged, and shipped. You can also get some tea for your friends and family, chocolates, and eucalyptus oil.
Location: Ooty is 300 km south of Bengaluru via Mysuru and 600 southwest of Chennai via Erode.
Tourist Attraction on the spot:
Ooty: Ooty Boat House, Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Doddabetta Peak Telescope house, Nilgiri Mountain Railway Line; Coonoor: Pykara waterfalls, Sim’s Park, Catherine Water Falls, Rangaswamy Peak
Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:
You can visit Wayanad, Coorg, Mysuru, Thrissur, and Kozhikode as excellent destinations.
Distance Charts:(Ooty)
- Delhi(2510 km)
- Mumbai(1260 km)
- Hyderabad(900 km)
- Coonoor(20 km)
- Kodaikanal(260 km)
- Munnar (240 km)
- Cochin(270 km)
- Mysuru(220 km)
- Chennai(550 km)
- Bangalore(330 km)
- Rameswaram(450 km)
- Kanyakumari(510 km)
How to Reach Ooty and Coonoor:
Road Routes:
Bengaluru/Chennai-Erode-Coimbatore-Coonoor-Ooty(rail route)/Bengaluru-Mysuru-Ooty.
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:
1)Ooty and Coonoor are pleasant hill stations throughout the year-I was here in May, and the climate was just mindblowing. So hop in anytime monsoons from June to September are better avoided.
2)Hotels can get damn expensive and scarce in summers, which is the peak season, so get yourself a booking or hard luck. Off-season getting a hotel is no big deal, even with no booking.
3) Some tours are organized to see tourist spots at Coonoor and Ooty. Check them out on relevant sites and travel agents in and around Ooty.
4)Buses are an excellent way to travel to some tourist spots and in and out of big cities to and fro Ooty. They are economical and have a good frequency.
5)Food at restaurants can be damn costly. What can save you bucks is having idli-dosa on the streets or small hotels-They are tasty authentic, and cheap! However, North Indian hotels will be a lot more expensive.
RAIL: Nearest railway stations are Ooty as well as Coonoor. There’s a toy train plying between Mettupalayam and Ooty, and Mettupalayam is connected to Coimbatore by a broad gauge line.
ROAD: You can come from pretty much anywhere to Ooty. TNSTC and KSRTC have excellent bus services directly to Ooty.
Map:-
Chennai-Erode-Coimbatore-Coonoor-Ooty road route
Bengaluru-Mysuru-Ooty-road-route
Time to Visit:
Except for rains-June to August-anytime is fine.
Spend Time With:
Family, Friends, Solo, Couple, Groups
Food and Lodging:
Food isn’t an issue but is costly, especially if you ask for out-of-context north Indian cuisines. Grab idli dosas, and you’ll do fine. Talking about hotels-in peak seasons, it’s not easy to get cheap, and the best hotels-its full jammed. Better book in advance through Goibibo, Makemytrip, or the Yatra website; that will save hassle and bucks.
Expense:
A 2 day wholesome trip in Ooty and Coonoor will cost:
Food: INR 150/person/day(3 times a day)X2
Transport: There are shared tours happening-you. I need to do a bit of google search -take it as INR 1000. Else you can hop for bus services for main spots only which will cost INR 500.
Lodging: INR 800/day X2 (1 day in Ooty and other at Coonoor)
Entry Fees include various places (varies): Assume INR 300 as there are entry fees on several sites (including boating on sharing basis)
Total: 3300 INR(INR 3800 if a shared tour is taken, which is a better way to go)
Nearby Attractions(Ooty)
- Chennai(560 km)
- Madurai(280 km)
- Kalpetta(120 km)-Wayanad
- Madikeri(250 km)
- Bangalore(330 km)
- Highways(340 km)
- Ponmudi(530 km)
- Kodaikanal(260 km)
- Munnar (240 km)
