• Andrew's TravelsSouthern IndiaTraveler
    Statue of Ranjiv Gandi outside Ooty station
    Charring Cross, a major road intersection in Ooty; the Adams Fountain is a public display fountainStreet sceneSt Stephen's ChurchTibetan MarketEntrance Gate to the Government Botanical GardensA welcoming statue insideThe Heritage BuildingsThe Explore Travel GroupThe JJ Pillar pillar was erected to mark the centenary year of the annual flower show in 1995The Italian GardenThe Italian GardenThe Italian Garden from the other endFlower arrangementFlower arrangement; a map of India and Sri LankaTopiary in the shape of a peacockLarge CactusPlant sculptureIn the Greenhouse

    Ooty (short for Udhagamandalam)

    February 4, 2025 in India ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We walk into Ooty from the railway station. Ooty was known as the Queen of the Hill Stations and as "Snooty Ooty" because officials from the British East India Company came to rule from here in the 18th century to escape the lowland heat.

    We have a walk round, but the main focus is to visit the Government Botanical Gardens, occupying 64 hectares in a terraced layout on the lower slopes of the Doddabetta peak; they are extremely attractive; see captions on photos for details.

    We leave Ooty and drive towards Bandipur National Park (in the state of Karnataka) via the Mudumalai National Park (still in Tamil Nadu); the two parks border one another via the same forest and the two states are separated by a bridge over a small river. We do see some wild animals en route.

    We check into our lodge style accommodation near Mangala village in the Bandipur National Park and watch Sir David Attenborough's "Wild Karnataka" natual history programme (2019) before a late buffet meal.    Read more