Endowed with a profusion of natural beauty and a balmy climate, Ooty is the obvious summer getaway of Tamil Nadu. Tucked in at 2285 metre in the Nilgiri hills, Ooty has much to offer by way of colonial remeniscences and natural wonders. Churches, coffee estates and colonial clubs still preserve the charm of the yesteryears. The Ooty Lake and the Botanical Garden are must see places on the regular visitor's itinerary. And once you escape into the countryside, the rolling 'shola' forests, the indigenous wildlife and some very picturesque picnic spots like Upper Bhavani and Porthimund Dam, are bound to capture your heart. Avoid the summer high season if you can because the overcrowding stretches the town's civic facilities to its limits.

NOTE: Coonoor, Ooty's twin city, is equally pleasant but less crowded. Getting to Ooty/Coonoor can be fun if you take the narrow gauge Blue Mountain Express train from Mettupalayam (connected to Chennai) which winds its way along the misty blue mountainside.

BASICS

STD Code: 0423.

Rail: Mettupalayam
Road: Major Distances:
Mettupalayam-- 46 kilometres
Coimbatore-- 90 kilometres
Masinagudi-- 25 kilometres
Mysore-- 160 kilometres
Best time: High season is 1 April to 15 June. Winter is cold but pleasant.

Accommodation: Plenty of hotels. Move out of the town's centre, into a couple of kilometres in the hillside, if you want to escape the noise and pollution.
TTDC Youth Hostel (Tel: 43665), Reflections Guest House (Tel: 43834), Hotel Tamil Nadu (Tel: 44370), Hotel Khems (Tel: 44188), Nilgiri Woodlands Hotel (Tel: 42551), Hotel Dasaprakash (Tel: 42434), Savoy Hotel (Tel: 44142).

Local Transpor: Taxi, autorickshaw, cycle-rickshaw.

Shopping: Spices, eucalyptus oil, tea and coffee.

Contact: Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation
Hotel Tamil Nadu, Ooty
Tel: 44370