subject: Heaven On Hills Ooty [print this page] Ooty is an eternal beauty that needs no introduction. The benchmark of hill attractions has been the love of nature and peace lovers. Established by the British as a summer resort and provincial capital in the 1800s, Ooty is the ideal mixture of colonial marvel, natural beauty and cultural diversity. Despite the fact that tourists love to visit Ooty during the summer, Ooty is best when it is tasted cold and when it is crowded less. Here are some of the very well-known that you should visit during off-season and why.
The Doddabetta Peak
This is the second highest point and the highest reachable point in all of South India and it is magnificent. During off-season, especially the monsoon (June-November), this beautiful mountaintop is crowned with super cool fog. It constantly drizzles or rains mostly during summers at the top of the hill and the view of the valleys down below is just amazing. Most of all, you would find waiting for a bunch of clouds down the hill to get a glimpse of civilization below very exhilarating. And most of all, the kind of junk food you get around this place is heavenly that alone would be worth the visit.
The Botanical Garden
This is perhaps the most visited place in Ooty. Year around millions of people visit the botanical garde, particularly during the famous flower show it is packed with people. And that is exactly why you should not visit this place at that time. This garden is huge and is one of the biggest and oldest botanical gardens in the world. If you are a nature lover or if you like some quiet time with yourself and your loved ones, you should visit this place when it is not crowded and laze around for a while.
The Lake
The lake again is very crowded in the summers and is almost as noisy and suffocating as any big shopping mall, only more open. The ideal time to take a boat ride is the winter. Since the water is literally very dirty and has a marshy bottom, you would not obviously try to dive in. The survival rate is zero anyways. During winters, the wind is icy-cold and the sun is warm around here and boating will be perfect at this time. Plus you get it all for cheap price too.
The Valley View
Not a lot of guides would want you to go here, but this is a must-visit place. On Coonoor main road, on top of a hill is a view point called the Valley View, which is named for the same reason. This places gives you an amazing view of the second largest valley, the Ketti valley. Monsoon , though, will pouring down will be best because, you will not find a lot of people offering prayers at the amazing Ananeya temple on top and you wont have sun scorching down on you (there are very less trees to provide you shades). So if you are up for climbing a little bit you should definitely visit this place.
All of these places can be visited on a single day, so if Ooty is only a part of your overall itinerary in this trip. Then these four are what you should not miss.
