Neilgherries. Review on Ooty

Updated : 01.03.2009

If you like the English country side, you would enjoy Ooty. It is a small town which unfortunately has witnessed unplanned growth.

The shrubs and rabbits were imported by her majesty !! Avoid the lake at any cost. Perhaps a short drive to the opposite side, near to the deer park would give you the much required tranquility.

The dark chocolates at Modern store. This shopkeeper knows how to treat customers and he

has a range of pure home made stuff which are worth the money and I would rate them at par with Thorntons and Godiva. Foot longs and local last forest honey. Green tea to sooth yourself

Food is quite bad overall. Kurinji's offers decent veggy food. If you are around during X'mas, a buffet at Savoy is delightful. Nahar is excellent for Thali meals. Dhaba express serves fairly decent stuff.

Recently tried Abi's fried chickens - Home made food makes excellent takeaways but the general

cleanliness is disappointing (At least provide good uniforms to the boys)

Lucky if you have an affiliation at the Gymkhana club cause the ambiance is brilliant and the food is great and the 19th golf-hole is worth visiting.. Snooker was invented here by Neville Chamberlain.

Fishing is fun provided you are willing to walk across the golf course and make it to the sixth mile. Make sure that you carry enough of bait.

There are some demanding trek routes which make an ideal spot for a family picnic. Safer to go there in groups as there has been recent reports of mugging.

The public library has a rare collection of books and is worth visiting. The antique furniture shop offers intricate designs, though $$$. You can always bargain with Naresh.

There are many brilliant drives including Kalhatty, Avalanche (group recommended), Portimund, Emerald, Parsons valley and Kotagiri.

Dharman is the caretaker of the Orchid farm at Avalanche and his duty is to collect exotic plants from the nearby forests, which are named by a botanist. He lives on a paltry salary, supporting a family of 3. His knowledge of the forests are impressive and he is always willing to take you on a short trek across the catchment area and can talk about the leeches and the tigers that frequent the area. There is a scottish trout hatchery nearby

The best way to enjoy Ooty is to be outdoors - far from all the crowd