Avoiding Ooty ?

michaelb77

As I'll go to Calicut (Kozhikode), I'm considering a little trip to Ooty (Udhagamandalam), to relax and get a nice view of the Western Ghats and possibly do a bit of trekking...

However, I've noticed, while reading posts on this forum, that some people advise to avoid Ooty...

Is there anything bad I should know about this hill station ? Is it possibly too touristy or too full of touts ? Any other particular problems ?

Michael

docgirl2005

Hi there,

My husband and I got married in India so afterwards it seemed sensible to go close by for our honeymoon. We chose Ooty. My husband is from Tamilnadu and says that Ooty has changed alot since he was a child. Its much more commericialized now and less green and lush. The hotel we stayed at was the Savoy Ooty, I have to admit it was lovely area. But some parts of Ooty are very run down and not a very relaxing experience. I really recommend you going to Kodaikanal also in TN. I heard its less commerical and less developed. The last vestiges of the glorious old Ooty are present, but keep in mind its fading fast. I did however get some lovely almond, eucaluptus, and sandle wood oils and scents which are famous in that area..Another hotel we had dinner at was the Holiday Inn Gem Park..which had a lovely romantic dining room...Hope this helps!

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docgirl2005

The pic is from Savoy Ooty...nice place...get one of the larger cottages..its quite romantic...

pkalra

I would agree with docgirl.

I'm planning to go to OOTY soon to experience the Nilagari Train [ toy train] dont miss it , while u r there

SHIMLA

You may avoid Ooty, but do visit Conoor and Wellington.

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India Edge

We stopped overnight in Ooty on the way to Mysore from Kochi. A pretty area but the haze and stink from garbage burning was pretty heavy when we were there. There's a cute little park there too but all in all, no big deal. Would have done the toy train if we'd had a bit more time...
-Greg

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iyou

The area around Ooty is almost completely deforested. It's not a particularly appealing place for treks, at least in my opinion. As others have already indicated there's a substantial amount of pollution as well. But the town itself has some nice walks, with lovely old architecture, and of course the climate is nice. Really nice botanical garden, too. All in all a bit of a mixed bag.

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john.sw

A couple of years ago I would have agreed that Ooty was a bit of a disappointment, but the town has really made an effort to clean up since then.

I was in Ooty three weeks ago (March 2005) and the streets are cleaner than they were two years ago, and I didn’t see any litter at the top end of town at all!

At the bottom end of town, by the Bus Station, it is a different matter – still grubby, but it is a vibrant, living part of town.

The great thing about Ooty is that you can be in a tranquil haven in the countryside within a few minutes and the scenery is breathtaking!

In my opinion, Ooty is a far preferable destination to Kodai.

rangss

Kodai is commercialized too.

You must visit Ooty specifically for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. It is an enchanting steam train to Ooty. But go only upto Conoor as someone suggested. At Coonoor, the steamer is taken off and replaced by a diesel. Also Conoor is far prettier than Ooty. The tea gardens are quite relaxing.

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SHIMLA

Agree fully.

I may add that Wellington- that tiny, charming military town- is also worth a visit.

artwallah

I didn't know about Coonoor when I took the toy train up from Mettapalyam in February, so went to Ooty. It was OK, but not the quiet hill station I was expecting. We ended up going back and forth to Coonoor a lot, either on bus or on the train again (it ran 2 times/day, not just once as the books all said). It took about an hour, and next time, I'd stay in Coonoor. The thing is that the area near the train station is pretty awful--very congested and chaotic and ugly--and you need to go to Upper Coonoor to find the nicer areas. Once up there, I think it is much better than Ooty.

emjoi

Ahh well.
I picked out Ooty as a place to visit after our time in Chennai.
The Indians we are travelling with seem keener to go to Kodai.
The trip to Kodai is longer and involves sitting on a bus of 3 hours (And as a 6'6" guy, that's not fun in any country). Which destination would you prefer?
The idea of just going to Coonoor is tempting.

If time was a bit tight, would we be better to just skip the hill stations all together and put more time into places like Cochi and Maduri?

rab

I liked it in Ooty. The rail trip was awesome by the way, an amazing trip. I liked the gardens there, a lovely and well kept park at the top of the town.

I remember it was cold in November when we were there.

It was a bit scruffy in parts but was a good honest hill-town. We got less hassle there and got good bargains for hotels and meals.

Try it out if only for the absolutely awesome train ride from Mettupalayam.

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rab

I just read your last post...

There is an excellent connecting overnight train from Chennai to Coimbatore and Mettupalayam which links in with the Toy Train.

It is a "must do" journey if you are in Chennai and want to travel that direction and are short of time.

nishaharan

Which side of the train is closer to the scenery going up? Is Velan (aka Ritz) a good warm place to stay? Thanks