Ooty is a mountain village in the region of Tamil Nadu in India, which lies 2,200 meters above sea level. Nearby you will find many forests and tea fields where you can walk in the coolness. Discover the best things to do in Ooty. We wrote down 6 activities and attractions for you.
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How to get to Ooty?
From Bangalore you can get to Ooty directly by bus but we recommend making a stop in Mysore first. From Mysore, take a scenic bus route to Ooty. In fact, there are vans driving right through Bandipur National Park where you can spot elephants, deer and even tigers. So you get a kind of free safari during your travel day. Be sure to check carefully if the bus passes through Bandipur before purchasing tickets.
Continue reading below the images to discover the best things to do in Ooty.
1. Lake Ooty
Around Lake Ooty you can take a nice walk. In addition to hiking around Lake Ooty, you can also go boating on the lake. You will find boat providers everywhere, you can just walk there and get in.
2. Botanical gardens in Ooty
We surprisingly liked the botanical gardens in Ooty. Because of the nice climate, you can take a nice walk through the forest and conifers. The flowers in the greenhouse are not very special but it is a fun activity. Enjoy the sunshine and the view on a bench, play a game or read a good book. Entrance to the botanical gardens in Ooty costs 100 rupees (€1.10) per person.
3. Visit a tea factory
Ooty is known for its many tea fields. It is not as beautiful as Munnar, but still cool to see the tea fields. Visiting a tea factory is obviously recommended. This gives you all the background information on how the leaves are transformed into the tea you are served. This tea factory (open in Google Maps) gives you an inside look from A to Z. For 10 rupees (€0.10) per person, you can enter. At the end of the short tour, of course, you will be served a nice cup of tea, with milk and sugar since Indians always drink tea this way.
Tip: You can have a very nice breakfast or lunch near the tea factory. You sit on top of a van where the food is prepared in while you enjoy the beautiful view. On the way to the tea factory, you will automatically see the van named Sunset Restaurant.
When you walk out of the tea factory you immediately walk into the next building. This is where chocolate is made. You only see a small part of the process but you can buy delicious chocolate here at reasonable prices.
4. Chocolate Museum
Another thing Ooty is known for: its many homemade chocolates. In every store you see the bins where you can choose the most delicious chocolate. If the mini tour of the tea factory is not enough for you, you can also visit the chocolate museum. Here you get a more extensive tour where you see the many facets of chocolate making. The chocolate here is very expensive compared to the other places you can buy it, though. This is definitely the most delicious thing to do in Ooty.
Tip: read all about India’s budget here: how cheap is India really?
5. Adventure park
Next to the tea factory is a small adventure park. Among other things, you can zipline, climb, bungee swing and take a big jump and walk across a sky bridge. There are different packages to choose from, you can make combinations of the activities to do. You pay between 800 and 1,500 rupees (€9 – 17) for these packages.
6. Go hiking in the area
Because this destination is high and therefore cool, it is a wonderful destination for getting out into nature. Hiking is one of the best things to do in Ooty. Go hiking through the tea fields or forests. The climate is nice and cool which makes for really good hiking. Ask at your accommodation for the best trails or start hiking yourself.
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