Visitor Information
- Famous For: Tourism, Boating, Horse-riding, Cycling, Photography and Learning
- Entrance Fee: The entrance fee is 12 INR per head. Still and video cameras are allowed at 50 INR and 145 INR respectively. The prices for the boat rides are: (a) 170 INR for 2-seater pedal boat (b) 260 INR for 4-seater pedal boat (c) 250 INR for 3+1 seater row boat (d) 290 INR for 5+1 seater row boat (e) 560 INR for 8-seater motor boat (f) 680 INR for 10-seater motor boat (g) 990 INR for 15-seater motor boat. The kids train ride costs 10 INR per head.
- Visiting Time: The timings are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Visit Duration: The duration may vary depending on the type of activity. For instance, boating takes 20 to 40 minutes approximately.
Also, known as Ootacamund, Udhagai and Udhagamandalam, the hill station of Ooty is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. Nicknamed as The Queen of Hill Stations, Ooty houses several tourist attractions. The boat house established in the Ooty lake is the major tourist attraction. The beautiful water body is lined around by sky high eucalyptus trees and is a visual delight. Boating in the azure waters with your kith and kins is sure create moments of magic.
Traveller Tips
- Make sure your wearing comfortable clothes to enjoy horse-riding and cycling.
- You can spend more than half a day here, to tick off all the activities. Eateries are available.
- The Ooty boat house is always packed. So be prepared to wait in the queues.
- To avoid extreme crowding, avoid going in the weekends.
Things to Do
- For kids, there’s a mini train ride costing 10 INR per head.
- You can enjoy the Horror house, 7D cinema and mirror house at 100 INR per head.
- Other activities such as Columbus, dashing car and break dance are worth trying and cost 50 INR per head.
- Try visiting the thread garden opposite the boat house, to gain knowledge on different flower species.
- Rowing or pedaling a boat over the serene Ooty lake, should be your top most priority.
- Cycles are rented at reasonable fares, and you can cycle your way to glory along the lake’s periphery.
- For the adventure lovers, give a shot at horse-riding.
- Photography lovers can click superb shots of water birds and the tall eucalyptus trees.
- Several shops line the Ooty lake where you can buy eucalyptus oils, chocolates, shawls, etc…
Availability of Guides
One can explore the Ooty lake by oneself and no special guides are required. If you still require a guide, choose a tour package where the travel agency arranges for tour guides.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Ooty lake is during the hot month of May, if you want to witness the splendid boat races conducted here as part of the May Summer Festival. In general, you can visit the lake anytime of the year from January to June or October to November. To beat the summer heat, Ooty is the perfect destination. So, summers vacations are the apt time to make a trip to Ooty.
How to Reach
The nearest airport to Ooty is the Coimbatore airport. From there, one can take a taxi to reach the venue. Mettupalayam is the closest railhead to Ooty. From the railway station one can board the Nilgiri mountain train or a taxi to reach Ooty. The Ooty lake is only three kilometres from the Ooty city and one can hire a cab to reach the lake area.
Interesting Facts and Trivia About the Ooty Lake
- The Ooty lake is an artificial lake spread over a vast area of sixty-five acres.
- The lake was constructed by John Sullivan in 1824.
- The maximum width and length of the lake are 140 metres and 2,500 metres respectively.
- The Dil Deewana song from the film Maine Pyar Kiya, was partially shot here.
- This location has also been used in the 2009 movie, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
Nearby Attractions
- Thread Garden
- Doddabetta
- Botnical Garden
- Rose Garden
- Nilgiri Mountain Railway
- Pykara Lake and Falls
- Tea Estate View Point
- Wax Museum
- Thunder World
Nearby Restaurants
- Ascot Multi Cuisine Restaurant
- Place to Bee
- Adyar Anandha Bhavan
- Cocoapods
- Hotel Dharshan
- Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant
- Hyderabadi Biriyani House
- Yummy Restaurant
To redeem yourself from the monotonous everyday life, the Ooty lake comes as a savior. When you feel the urge to hang out with friends and family, choose to travel to the Ooty lake and get immersed in the bliss that nature offers.
