Ooty

The haven for adventure tourists, Ooty offers a number of facilities for adventure sports such as trekking, hiking, rock-climbing and hand gliding. Often referred to as 'the Queen of Hill Stations', Udhagamandalam or Ooty is situated in the lap of the Nilgiri ranges. At an altitude of 2290 m above sea level, it is just 105 km away from Coimbatore and has a salubrious climate. A blue misty haze envelops the range, giving it a divine look. Ooty passed hands from Tippu Sultan to the East India Company from Tipu Sultan by the treaty of Srirangapatnam in 1799. Though it was in 1603 that the first European visited the Nilgiri hills by the name of Rev. Jacome Forico who was a priest, it was not until 1822, that Ooty was finally founded. John Sullivan, the Collector of Coimbatore, is credited as its founder who encouraged settlement here by building a Stone House, today known as 'Kal Bangla'.

Today, Kal Bangla is used as the Chamber of the Principal of the Government Arts College while the base camp at Parsons valley offers several trekking points within Western Ghats. Wildlife enthusiasts would certainly enjoy the trip to the sprawling Mudumalai Sanctuary nearby. Amateurs may choose to join hang-gliding courses at Ooty that are organized every year from March to May along with fishing camps. One needs license for fishing and angling in the various streams and lakes of Ooty and the main catch are usually Goad Trouts, Carps and mixed water fishes. However, it is the sprawling tea estates that have earned the real fame for Ooty and the annual Tea and Tourism Festival held in January here has gained international repute. The tea lovers from all over the world come here to witness the occasion. Ooty also offers beautiful and interesting treks with natural surroundings that can be chosen according to the desired distance, altitudes and terrain.