Hill Stations Tamilnadu – Trekking Information “Ooty”
,Udhagamandalam (Ooty) offers several trek routes, which vary in distance, altitudes and trkterrain. There is a base camp at Parsons valley, from where one can start trekking to various points within Western Ghats. The down hills of Western Ghats on the North ends up with meeting the extensions of Eastern Ghats, where the sprawling Mudumalai Sanctuary lies which opens vistas for adventure tourists.
Trekking pamphlets are available with the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association (NWLEA). There are guides who have sound knowledge of certain areas. If necessary, their services may be hired. And for further details contact the Tourist Information Office at Charring Cross, Ooty.
Hang-Gliding courses are also organised during March to May every year, with the assistance of the Department of Tourism. Contact the Tourist Officer, Ooty for assistance.
Angling Goad Trout, Carp and mixed water fishing is possible in various streams and lakes of Ooty. The Assistance Director of Fisheries issues the fishing licence.
About Ooty Tourism
Ooty, the colloquial of Ootacamund, is a popular hill station of South India in the Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu. Also known as Udhagamandalam, it is a municipality and the district capital. The town lies at an altitude of 2286 m and has been remarked as the ‘queen of hill stations’ by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.Ooty covers an area of 36 sq km and contains the highest point of Southern India, the Doddabetta Peak. The name of the place was derived from the Toda word ‘othakal-mund’ that means ‘the house of mountains’.
The Ooty Lake is a major attraction of the hill station and is popular for boating. Another famous attraction includes the Government Museum, which contains the history of the Nilgiri District. Other popular tourist attractions of Ooty include the Deer Park, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Rose Garden, Ooty Botanical Garden, the Stone House, etc.,,,,
The natural surroundings of Ooty include landscapes, dense forest reserves and national parks. This hill station is popular for its tea farming as well as oil extraction industry, wherein the oil is obtained from its eucalyptus trees, lemon grass, geranium, clove and camphor.
The Nilgiri Range originally belonged to the Chera Empire but later came under the area and control of the Ganga Dynasty and Hoysala Empire, ruled by King Vishnuvardhana. After this, the great Tipu Sultan ruled the place, but the British took it over immediately in the 18th century.
Ooty has also been named as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and used to be a popular summer retreat of Britishers during the colonial days. The beauty and significance of the Nilgiri Hills was covered in a book written by Jacome Forico, who was the first European to visit the place, in 1603.
The destination also experiences a wide array of festivals and events all year long that depict its cultural identity and history. Most of the popular festivals of India including the Buddhist and Hindu ones are celebrated in Ooty.
The significant festivals include the Summer Flower Festival held at the Botanical Garden that remains the main highlight of the place, during the season. In addition, the Tea and Tourism festival held in January every year also attracts thousands of tourists.
A major attraction is the mountain train journey to Ooty on a ratchet and pinion track. The journey covers 46 km and the train starts from Kallar, near Mettupalayam and passes through steep curves and long tunnels along deep ravines full of green vegetation, streams and tea gardens.
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