Ooty Excursion : Places nearby Ooty - Tamil Nadu

Places to visit nearby destination - Ooty

Avalanche

At about 28 km from Ooty lies Avalanche, a nature lover’s paradise. Here you can find a beautiful lake that is home to a wide variety of birds.

Coonoor

Located at a distance of 17 km from Udhagamandalam, Coonoor is the first of the three Nilgiri hill stations. Coonoor has an equable climate that makes this small town a popular hill resort. The main attraction here is the Sim’s Park, a well-maintained botanical garden.

Kalhatty Waterfalls

About 100 feet in height, the Kalhatty falls are located on the Kalhatty slopes at about 13 km from Ooty. In addition to the enchanting view presented by the falls, you can also have a look at wildlife that exists in the Kalhatty–Masinagudi slopes. The wild species include panthers, bison, wild buffaloes, wild dogs, spotted deer, sambhar, and different types of hill birds.

Kotagiri

About 28 km east of Ooty lies the quiet village of Kotagiri, the oldest of the three Nilgiri hill stations. The hill station is relatively calmer than the neighbouring Ooty and Coonoor. Kotagiri is surrounded by tea estates and tribal Kota settlements.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

One of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in South India, the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at about 67 km from Ooty. It is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve along with Bandipur National Park in Karnataka and Wynad Sanctuary in Kerala. Wildlife in Mudumalai is very similar to other sanctuaries in Nilgiris. The predominant species in this region are bonnet macaque and common langur. Tigers and leopards also reside here but are a rare sight. Other important species are giant squirrels, flying squirrels, elephants, gaurs, sambhar, chital, barking deer and mouse deer. The birds in the sanctuary include racket-tailed drongo, black woodpecker, parakeets, barbets, mynas, cuckoos, Malabar trogon, Malabar grey hornbill, crested hawk eagle, and crested serpent eagle. An elephant camp called Theppakkadu is located within the sanctuary where you can find a rest house. You can also find accommodation at Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation’s Youth Hostel and rest houses in Masinagudi, Abhayaranayam and Kargudi and the Bamboo Banks Farm.

Mukurthi

While in Ooty one should not miss a visit to Mukurthi, which situated at a distance of 36 km from Ooty. Here you can have a look at the majestic Mukurthi Peak. The flora and fauna of this area bear similarity with that of Himalayas. It is believed by the local Todas here that the souls of the dead and the sacrificed buffaloes move on to the next world from this sacred place. The Mukurthi Lake, which is 6 km in circumference, lies in the vicinity.