Our plan called for a two-night stay in Ooty with half-a-day
set aside for the Ooty Toy Train Trip 
and the rest for sightseeing within Ooty.
This worked fairly well, although there is definitely things to do, if one has
more time. 
Ooty lacks a resort hotel - options that come close include a good
heritage place called Savoy by Taj, Gem Park Hotel which was formerly a Holiday
Inn, and Sinclairs Retreat. In the 3-star and below categories, there are a
large number of choices. Economical alternatives include the YWCA Guest House
and the TTDC Youth Hostel both of which are blessed with great locations. In
terms of restaurants, choices are aplenty although high-end options are
generally lacking. At the low end, there is a Saravana Bhavan for South Indian
food near Charing Cross which has a good rating. Nahar Hotel and a Gujarati
restaurant (both on Main Bazar Road) are good economical choices as well. 
For
pure vegetarian fare, the Nahar Niligiris Hotel at Charing Cross has several
options: Chandan (North Indian food), Garden Restaurant (South Indian cuisine)
and Side Walk Café (Italian). Also, Thendral Restaurant or Ooty Coffee House,
both near bus-stand are good choices as well. Preethi Multi-cuisine restaurant
next to Ooty Gate is a good eclectic choice. 
At the high-end, choices include
the restaurants at the Gem Park hotel and Savoy. The Jade Garden restaurant at
Gem Park is rated the best Chinese restaurant in Ooty. Shinkow's is a popular
economical alternative and offers authentic Chinese fare - the best way to
locate the place is to ask for St. Stephen’s Church and take the road on the
opposite side (Commissioner’s Road) - a classic Higgin Bothams building and a
large government building flag this street and further down at the first
junction to the right is Shinkow's - it is very well-known and a unique thing
about this place is the way they take your order: the waiter presents you with
a pen and a slip of paper to write down the order.
Other major attractions in and around Ooty include St.
Stephens Church established in 1829 and designed by architect John James
Underwood as one of the first buildings by the British, Rose Garden (seasonal),
and Pykara Falls & Pykara Lake located around 20KM from Ooty. Attractions
in the neighboring town of Coonoor include Sim’s Park, Dolphin’s Nose, Katery
Falls, Lamb’s Rock, Law’s Falls, and Droog View Point.
Related Posts:
Last Updated: 01/2013.
and the rest for sightseeing within Ooty.
This worked fairly well, although there is definitely things to do, if one has
more time. Ooty lacks a resort hotel - options that come close include a good
heritage place called Savoy by Taj, Gem Park Hotel which was formerly a Holiday
Inn, and Sinclairs Retreat. In the 3-star and below categories, there are a
large number of choices. Economical alternatives include the YWCA Guest House
and the TTDC Youth Hostel both of which are blessed with great locations. In
terms of restaurants, choices are aplenty although high-end options are
generally lacking. At the low end, there is a Saravana Bhavan for South Indian
food near Charing Cross which has a good rating. Nahar Hotel and a Gujarati
restaurant (both on Main Bazar Road) are good economical choices as well. For
pure vegetarian fare, the Nahar Niligiris Hotel at Charing Cross has several
options: Chandan (North Indian food), Garden Restaurant (South Indian cuisine)
and Side Walk Café (Italian). Also, Thendral Restaurant or Ooty Coffee House,
both near bus-stand are good choices as well. Preethi Multi-cuisine restaurant
next to Ooty Gate is a good eclectic choice. At the high-end, choices include
the restaurants at the Gem Park hotel and Savoy. The Jade Garden restaurant at
Gem Park is rated the best Chinese restaurant in Ooty. Shinkow's is a popular
economical alternative and offers authentic Chinese fare - the best way to
locate the place is to ask for St. Stephen’s Church and take the road on the
opposite side (Commissioner’s Road) - a classic Higgin Bothams building and a
large government building flag this street and further down at the first
junction to the right is Shinkow's - it is very well-known and a unique thing
about this place is the way they take your order: the waiter presents you with
a pen and a slip of paper to write down the order.
The first item in our itinerary was 
Deer Park on the way
to Honeymoon Boat House. 
The place has no entrance fee! There are a large
number of Samba Deers and some caged barking Deers on offer here - the location
next to the lake is pristine and offers great views of the main gate house area
of the lake. 
The honeymoon boat house is far less crowded compared to the main
gate house but services are minimal: one can rent a boat (Motor boats - Rs 385
to Rs 700 for 20min, Row boats - Rs 140 for a 5-seater for 30min, and Pedal
boats - Rs 90 to Rs 140 for 30min), 
go for a short walk along the side of the
lake, or shop at the TTDC (Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation) Nursery
for flowering plants at the entrance. There is a park with slides for small
children and a small but beautifully maintained garden here as well. The main
gate house area of the lake is the center of most of the activity around the
lake - entrance fee is Rs 5. It has a restaurant overlooking the lake, a large
and popular lawn area, boating, children’s rides, horse riding, etc ticketing
counters and several retail outlets - the items popular with tourists
include chocolates, eucalyptus oil, hand-embroidered textiles, and tea.
Deer Park on the way
to Honeymoon Boat House. The place has no entrance fee! There are a large
number of Samba Deers and some caged barking Deers on offer here - the location
next to the lake is pristine and offers great views of the main gate house area
of the lake. The honeymoon boat house is far less crowded compared to the main
gate house but services are minimal: one can rent a boat (Motor boats - Rs 385
to Rs 700 for 20min, Row boats - Rs 140 for a 5-seater for 30min, and Pedal
boats - Rs 90 to Rs 140 for 30min), go for a short walk along the side of the
lake, or shop at the TTDC (Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation) Nursery
for flowering plants at the entrance. There is a park with slides for small
children and a small but beautifully maintained garden here as well. The main
gate house area of the lake is the center of most of the activity around the
lake - entrance fee is Rs 5. It has a restaurant overlooking the lake, a large
and popular lawn area, boating, children’s rides, horse riding, etc ticketing
counters and several retail outlets - the items popular with tourists
include chocolates, eucalyptus oil, hand-embroidered textiles, and tea.
Botanical Gardens (established 1848) is the most
popular spot in Ooty after the lake. 
Hours are 8:30AM to 6:30PM with admission
around Rs 30. Private parking is available next to the gardens for around Rs 50
- curio and other touristy shops flank either side of the road. The gardens are
a great option to spend upwards of two hours. It is spread over more than 50
acres and is divided into five parts: lower garden, new garden, Italian Garden,
Conservatory Fountain Terrace, and Nurseries. The gardens host around a thousand
species of both indigenous and exotic plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, and
bonsais. 
The bhaji in the caffe inside deserve special mention as it was
exceptionally good. It rained while we were there resulting in a good taste of
hail. Curio shops are at the entrance and inside as well. Governor’s House (Raj
Bhavan) overlooks the garden but the entrance to that area is out-of-bounds to
public. There are several elevated platforms that provide a great view of the
garden area. Other highlights of the gardens include a
fossil tree trunk
exhibit (from 20 million year old rock per the Geological Survey of India),
McIvor Fern House considered the crown jewel of 
Victorian Architecture in the
area (in honor of W.G.McIvor from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew who set up
the place in the 1840s), Heritage Gate Building (built in 1859 and renovated in
1995 for the centenary flower festival), an elevated Italian Garden area,
British era cannons, and statues and other tributes to Jayalalithaa, the Chief
Minister. Several large lawn areas, ponds with lilies, and several carpet-bed
designs with different themes (map of the Indian Union, Ashok Chakra, etc) dot
the area.
Hours are 8:30AM to 6:30PM with admission
around Rs 30. Private parking is available next to the gardens for around Rs 50
- curio and other touristy shops flank either side of the road. The gardens are
a great option to spend upwards of two hours. It is spread over more than 50
acres and is divided into five parts: lower garden, new garden, Italian Garden,
Conservatory Fountain Terrace, and Nurseries. The gardens host around a thousand
species of both indigenous and exotic plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, and
bonsais. The bhaji in the caffe inside deserve special mention as it was
exceptionally good. It rained while we were there resulting in a good taste of
hail. Curio shops are at the entrance and inside as well. Governor’s House (Raj
Bhavan) overlooks the garden but the entrance to that area is out-of-bounds to
public. There are several elevated platforms that provide a great view of the
garden area. Other highlights of the gardens include a fossil tree trunk
exhibit (from 20 million year old rock per the Geological Survey of India),
McIvor Fern House considered the crown jewel of Victorian Architecture in the
area (in honor of W.G.McIvor from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew who set up
the place in the 1840s), Heritage Gate Building (built in 1859 and renovated in
1995 for the centenary flower festival), an elevated Italian Garden area,
British era cannons, and statues and other tributes to Jayalalithaa, the Chief
Minister. Several large lawn areas, ponds with lilies, and several carpet-bed
designs with different themes (map of the Indian Union, Ashok Chakra, etc) dot
the area. Other major attractions in and around Ooty include St.
Stephens Church established in 1829 and designed by architect John James
Underwood as one of the first buildings by the British, Rose Garden (seasonal),
and Pykara Falls & Pykara Lake located around 20KM from Ooty. Attractions
in the neighboring town of Coonoor include Sim’s Park, Dolphin’s Nose, Katery
Falls, Lamb’s Rock, Law’s Falls, and Droog View Point.Related Posts:
- Ooty Toy Train - Nilgiri Mountain Railway - Trip Report.
- Coonoor Sunvalley Homestay Review.
- Ooty Trip Report.
Last Updated: 01/2013.
1 comment :
It is very nice information. If anyone interested for trekking they could visit OOTY Hidden Valley Jungle Camp (www.ootyhiddenvalley.in) as well. You could connect at +91 99940 67000 for more details.
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