That was the title that the British Raj conferred upon the south Indian town of Ootacamund, back in the colonial days. It does quite deserve the praise: situated in the serene Nilgiri Hills, at an altitude of around 2 kms above sea level, Ooty (as it is commonly known) is stunningly beautiful with its deep green valleys, lofty mountains, great lakes and gardens galore.
The Victorian Architecture, left behind by the colonials, adds a certain "european" charm to the place. It's quite a sight to watch the fog-enveloped town being woken up by the early morning sunlight!
The Botanical Gardens in Ooty is a definite must-see. This 22-acre lush green spread exhibits a very unique set of flora due to the town's diverse terrain and cool climate. Light afternoon showers can make the wild flowers look ever-so-fresh and gorgeous.
KSRTC's Airavat A/C Volvo service provides a very comfortable and easy mode of travelling to Ooty from Bangalore. The eight-hour trip to the hill-station can be just as amazing as the destination itself - the giant pine trees by the road side and the vast green-ness of the Nilgiris can really lift your spirits, err...in case the hairpin curves haven't sickened you yet!
You may also want to check out some of the genuine "victorian styled" manor-resorts - their all-wooden styled rooms, with smoky chimney's and beautiful gardens sort of complete the absolute "Ooty" experience.
If you liked the pics on this post, head over to my Ooty set on Flickr for more.
