subject: Coimbatore To Ooty - From Silk Industry To Green [print this page] Coimbatore, popularly called Kovai, is the second largest city of Tamil Nadu. A major commercial hub, Coimbatore is often referred to as the 'Manchester of South India'. Coimbatore is an important textile and manufacturing centre of Tamil Nadu and the south. Some major industries based in Coimbatore are software services, education and healthcare among others.
Coimbatore was under the rule of various dynasties like the Cheras, the Cholas, the later Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire and the Madurai Nayaks among others. Coimbatore developed to its present status by capitalizing on the textile industry boom. It has also benefitted from the fact that it is well connected by road, rail and air with all major towns and cities in India.
Ooty, also known as Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam, is a popular hill station situated in the Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu. Ooty is popularly called the 'Queen of Hill Stations'. Ooty, with its natural landscapes, dense forest reserves and national parks is also famous for its tea plantations and oil extraction industry, which extracts oil from eucalyptus trees, lemon grass, geranium, clove and camphor among others.
The major attractions in and around Ooty includes Government Rose Garden, Ooty Botanical Gardens, Ooty Lake, the Stone House, Toda huts, Fernhills palace, the Ooty Mountain Railway, St. Stephen's Church, Wax World, Ooty Golf Course and the Tribal Museum, to name a few.
Coimbatore and Ooty are separated by a distance of mere 88 kilometers. Hence the best way to reach Ooty from Coimbatore is by road. In fact, roads are the only mode of direct connectivity between both the places. Ooty does not have an airport or a railway station. The nearest railway station to Ooty is at Mettupalayam, which is connected with Coimbatore. There are regular trains which run between Coimbatore and Mettupalayam. From Mettupalayam, one can proceed to Ooty by the Nilgiri Mountain Rail (popularly called toy train) or by bus. The mountain rail is added to the list of UNESCOs World Heritage Sites.
Alternatively, one can also board bus from Coimbatore, which will take approximately 2 hours to reach Ooty. Both government and private agencies operate buses from Coimbatore to Ooty and different types of buses are also available from here. People who travel on a shoe string budget, lone backpackers and other tourists will find that the buses are quite comfortable for travel.
Other than these, hiring a cab is also an excellent option to travel from Coimbatore to Ooty. Though expensive, taxis are best suited if one is travelling with family consisting of elders, infants and invalids. The taxis may cost one to the upwards of Rs 2,000 to 4,000 for a return journey. But they ensure that the journey is comfortable and enjoyable.
