Called the Queen of Hill Stations picturesque, green Udhagamandalam better known, as Ooty is the most popular hill station in the South. Located in the Western ghats at a height of 2240m, Udhagamandalam is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district where the two ghats ranges meet. Nature has been generous with this region, which is by far the most beautiful in the state. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like confiers, eucalptus, pine and wattle dot the hillside in Udhagamandalam and its encirons. Summer temperature is rarely higher than 25°c with a minimum of 10°c and winter is are distinctly cooler with a high of 21°c and a low 5°c. Curiously enough, this slice of paradise remained unknown to the great southern dynasties and it took the British to discover it in the early 1800s. They were, however, not the first inhabitants of this land as a tribe called Todas had been living there long before the British came, claiming that the Nilgiris had been their home since time immemorial. But the credit for modernising Udhagamandalam and making it accessible goes to the British who constructed the first railway line in the area and made it the summer capital of the Madras Presidency.

Ooty with smaller hill stations of Coonoor - 19 kms and Kothagiri 31 kms from Ooty are the other hill stations of this district. Nilgiri is India's first biosphere. It has been declared as one of the 14 'hotspots' of the world beavke of its unique bio-diversity. Nilgiri presents a truly breath taking kaleidoscope of visual treats and soul stirring experience.

Trekking : There are excellent opportunities for trekking in the Nilgiris with a country rising from 300 metres in the North and South to 2600 metres in the West. It is possible to enjoy some of the most magnificent sceneries in the world; observe Wildlife in its many forms: study a great variety of tropical plants and trees; in a wide range of usually favourable climatic conditions.

Trekking area is divided as per the geographical regions with very different climatic conditions like the Western area with a temperate climate consists of montane wet temperate forests, the North and Eastern region with a tropical climate consists of dry deciduous broad leaved and scrub forest.

How to get there

Air The nearest airport is Coimbatore (100kms), which is connected to Chennai, Bombay and Bangalore. Rail Udhagamandalam on the narrow gauge railway is connected to Mettupalayam, which is directly connected to Coimbatore and Chennai. Road Udhagamandalam is connected by good motorable road. It is 535 kms from Chennai (via Salem, Mettupalayam), 89 kms from Coimbatore.