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Ooty
/ Kodaikkanal
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Called the 'Queen of the Hill Stations', picturesque, green
Udhagamandalam better known as Ooty is the most popular hill station in
the south.
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Botanical Gardens
A variety of exotic and ornamental plants adorn this garden which is
the venue for the flower show held in May every year. There is a fossil
tree trunk, which is 20 million years old.
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Lake
This artificial lake was constructed in 1824 by Mr.John Sullivan, the
then collector of Coimbatore. Boating is possible from 0800 hrs to 1800
hrs on all days. The lake garden and toy train rides are other
attractions.
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Government Museum
The government museum, Mysore Road, Udhagamandalam has items of
tribal objects, ecological details and representative sculptural arts
and crafts of Tamilnadu.
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The Mukurthi Peak & Mukurthi National Park
Mukurthi peak is about 40 Km from
Udhagamandalam. The Mukurthi
National park is located on the southeastern corner of the Nilgiris
plateau. The area contains a viable population of Nilgiri
Tahr(Hamitragus hilocrius). The Silent Valley is located on the western
side of these ranges. Fascinating feature of the Mukurthi Sanctuary is
its endemism and relationship with the Himalayan flora and fauna.
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Pykara
Situated about 21 Km on the Udhagamandalam - Mysore road, Pykara has
Toda settlements, well-protected fenced sholas, undisturbed grassy
meadows and a rich wildlife habitat. The Pykara Dam and the reservoir
attracts many tourists.
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Glenmorgan (17 Km)
There is an electricity board (E.B.) Winch that carries staff from
Glenmorgan view point to the power house at Singara. All four Km of the
Winch track passes through undisturbed sholas and wild life habitat.
Prior permission of E.B. authorities should be obtained to enter the
view point zone. There are about ten Toda (tribal) settlements.
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Upper Bhavani
Ten Km from Korakundah and about twenty Kms from Avalanche. Some of
the best sholas like the Thar Shola lies en route. The area is an
undisturbed wildlife habitat. From Bangithappal via Sispara, one can
trek to the Silent Valley.
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Avalanche
Located at a distance of 28 km from
Udhagamandalam, there is a
beautiful lake, which is surrounded by thick Shola. There are places
where the shola is so thick, that even sunlight does not penetrate!
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Doddabetta
This is the highest peak (2623m) in the Nilgiris and is 10 Km from
Udhagamandalam. It lies at the junction of Western and Eastern ghats and
offer beautiful vistas of the Nilgiri hill ranges. There is a telescope
house run by the TTDC.
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Highlighting Features
 Trekking
Hang Gliding
Angling
Udhagamandalam has a miniature railway connecting it with the lowlands. The
trains with their quaint yellow and blue carriages are not as tiny as they
seem. The unique feature of this line is the toothed central rail onto which
the locomotives lock on steeper slopes. Also unusual is the little locomotive,
which is at the back, pushing rather than pulling from the front. Each of the
three or four carriages has its own braking man, who sits on a little platform
of each carriage and, whenever appropriate, waves a red or green flag.
Coonoor
It is located 19 Km from Udhagamandalam on the way to
Coimbatore. It is the
second largest hill station in the Nilgiris. It stands on a lower ridge of the
plateau at an altitude of 1858m.
Dolphin's Nose
- 12 Km from
Coonoor. While
you enjoy the climate, you can also take a glimpse of the Catherine falls from
here.
Lamb's Rock
(8 Km.) - The Lamb's rock is a
sheer precipice of several hundred metres and commands a good view of the
Coimbatore plains.
Law's Falls (7 Km.) - It is situated in the
ghats of the Coonoor forest range. The height of the falls is about 180 feet.
St. Catherine Falls - Located 8 Km from
Coonoor. These falls are breathtakingly beautiful.
Sim's Park - This park-cum-botanical gardens
contains many species of trees not found in Udhagamandalam. The annual fruit and
vegetable show is held in May.
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