Ooty

samirofdelhi

I am thinking of going to Ooty next July/August. What is there to see/do in Ooty? Is it a place where one can relax and sit by a pool but also enjoy the views and cultural aspects? Can anyone recommend accommodation on a budget of around Rs, 1600-2000 a night. I would like a swimming pool preferably.

jujuma

I hope someone can correct me, but I'm not sure Ooty is the place for the stay you described. We normally go to Ooty as a day trip, so I'm not all that familiar with the hotels, but I can't imagine that many would have a pool. It's relatively chilly in Ooty (not for a Londoner, of course) and a lot of the tourists seem unlikely to swim.
I like the hotel that's on the Fernhill Palace grounds because it evokes the colonial period rather prettily. Normally we have a meal there, and I've looked at the rooms. Definitely no pool, but the grounds are nice and it would be relaxing. If I ever had to stay in Ooty overnight it would be there (I think I have a flier from them somewhere, and I'm pretty sure that the price is more than what you're looking for, but I'll hunt for it to confirm if you like) or someplace else away from the town. You might be able to get a hotel in town in your price range, but the town is really not a nice place at all, just cheek-by-jowl tourist shops and traffic, even in the off season.
When we go, we like to visit Fernhill Palace (Woodeyar summer home being converted into a hotel, predicted to be ready in one month for the last six, but still interesting) and St. Stephen's Church (beams apparently from Tippu Sultan's destroyed palace, interesting plaques dedicated to the old colonials), and then have the driver get us away from the town to some scenic overlooks. (Actually, we often go to the botanical garden as well, but I don't necessarily recommend that.)
Probably the nicest thing to do in and around Ooty would be to go hiking in the woods, but that's not my forté, so I'll hope someone else can tell you how to go about that!

capt_mahajan

Ooty is overrated. Places like Conoor and surroundings are better.

I cant remember seeing any swimming pools in Ooty, but I just passed through and looked around for less than half the day before deciding I didn't like it much.

If you do want to stay around Ooty, go upto Lovedale, just a few kilometers away. There are one or two small hotels there, nice rooms and view.. we paid around 2000 but this was five years ago, in peak season. Sorry cant remember the name.

Except for the swimming pool and the monsoon season, Coorg may be a better place to relax, in my view.

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MG1558

Hi,

Planning to drive down to Ooty next month but don't want to stay there. Is there any nice place, relatively less crowded, to stay around Ooty - may be one-two hours drive away?

Nick-H

Coonor is much nicer climate-wise. It is just high enough to escape the heat of the plains, without being high enough to be cold.