Ooty — Queen of Hill Stations

Ooty (Ootacamund, officially Udhagamandalam) is the "Queen of Hill Stations" — located at 2,240 meters in the Nilgiri Mountains and founded by the British as a summer residence to escape the unbearable heat of the plains. Temperatures remain pleasantly between 10–25 °C year-round.

The greatest experience is the journey: The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (UNESCO World Heritage) is one of the last rack railways in Asia. The 46 km route from Mettupalayam to Ooty passes through 16 tunnels and 250 bridges, through misty tea plantations and dense forests. The journey takes 5 hours and is one of the most spectacular train routes in the world. Tickets: 30 ₹ (2nd class) to 300 ₹ (1st class) — booked out months in advance!

In Ooty itself, the Botanical Garden (founded in 1848, 30 ₹) is worth a visit, a lush garden with over 1,000 plant species, fossilized tree trunks, and the annual Flower Show in May. The Ooty Lake offers boat rides (100 ₹, 30 min.), and the Doddabetta Peak (2,637 m, highest point of the Nilgiris, 8 km from Ooty) offers a panorama of the entire mountain range on a clear day.

The tea plantations around Ooty produce some of India's best teas. The Tea Factory & Museum in Dodabetta offers tours and tastings (200 ₹). The surroundings are excellent for hiking: the Avalanche Lake Trail (24 km from Ooty), the Upper Bhavani Region, and the Mudumalai National Park (at the foot of the Nilgiris) with tigers, elephants, and gaur.