A famous hill station in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Ooty is located deep within the famous Blue Mountains (Nilgiris) at an altitude of around 2240 meters above the sea level. Not many people are aware of the fact that this unique specimen among all hill stations in India has never been a part of any ancient kingdom. The area was once inhibited by the Todas, a tribal community. Later on, the British took control of the area and transformed it into a hill station.

The town as it is today was transformed from a tribal land into a hill station by John Sullivan. He was the Governor of Coimbatore at that time. John took extreme care in maintaining the natural balance of the area and tribal people too, cooperated well. Thanks to John’s efforts, Ooty continues to attract nature lovers and those seeking a tranquil hideout from the noisy city-life even today. Sadly, John was later punished by the British government for being ‘extra-kind’ to the tribal community in the region.

Located just about 80km from Coimbatore, Ooty or Udhagamandalam as it is locally known, personifies the enchanting beauty of the hills. Tea plantations, dense pine and eucalyptus forests and sprawling grasslands make Ooty a perfect getaway for people wanting to chill out in the lap of Mother Nature and neutralize all their worries minutes after they get here.

Ooty has one of the best botanical gardens in India. Spread over 22-acre land, this botanical garden was first laid out in the year 1847. Along with a 20 million year old fossil tree on display, the garden houses more than one thousand different species of trees, plants, shrubs, bonsai and herbs.

Connected to several major South Indian cities by road and rail, Ooty is easily accessible and thousands of people make it their transient home every year. Refreshing memories of spending time in the nature compel visitors to head back to Ooty several times in their lifetime.