Overview
Ooty (short for Udhagamandalam) is a resort town in the Western Ghats mountains, in southern India's Tamil Nadu state. Founded as a British Raj summer resort, it retains a working steam railway line.
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Description
Ooty, 'Queen of Hill Stations', mixes Indian bustle and Hindu temples with beautiful gardens, an international school, and charming Raj-era bungalows (which provide its most atmospheric accommodation). It may be a bit hectic, especially its messy center, but it doesn't take long to escape into quieter, greener areas where tall pines rise above what could almost be English country lanes.
Other reminders of its colonial past include Stone House, a 19th-century residence, and the circa-1829 St. Stephen’s Church. Its 55-acre Government Botanical Garden lies on the slopes of Doddabetta Peak.