| Locations |
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| » Mount Abu |
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| Brief of Mount Abu |
| Mount Abu is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan state in western India. It is located in Sirohi district. The mountain forms a distinct rocky plateau 22km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is Guru Shikhar, at 1722 meters above sea level. It is referred to as 'an oasis in the desert', as its heights are home to rivers, lakes, waterfalls and evergreen forests. |
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| Tourist Attractions |
The town of Mount Abu, the only hill station in Rajasthan, is located at an elevation of 1220 meters. It has been a popular retreat from the heat of Rajasthan and neighbouring Gujarat for centuries. The Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1960 and covers 290 km² of the mountain.
Mount Abu is home to a number of Jain temples. The Dilwara Temples are a complex of temples, carved of white marble, that were built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD. The Lun Vasahi Temple were built in 1231 AD by the brothers Vastupal and Tejpal, who belonged to the Porwal Jain community. They were ministers of Raja Vir Dhawal, a local ruler of Gujarat.
The Achalgarh fort, built in the 14th century by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, stands nearby.
Nakki Lake is another popular visitor attraction of Mount Abu.There is the Toad Rock on a hill near the lake. Raghunath Temple and Maharaja Jaipur Palace are also on hills near Nakki Lake. |
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| Transportation |
| The nearest railway station is at Abu Road, in the lowlands 27 km southeast of Mount Abu town. The station is on the main Indian Railways line between Delhi and Ahmedabad. Can reach easily from Aburoad to Mountabu easily. |
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| Hotels of Mount Abu |
| Heritage Hotels in Mount Abu |
» Cama Rajputana Club Resort
» Hotel Connaught House
» Hotel Jaipur House
» Hotel Kesar Bhawan Palace
» Hotel Kishangarh House
» Palace Hotel Bikaner House
» Palanpur Palace
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| Economy Hotels in Mount Abu |
» Hotel Hillock Mount Abu
» Hotel Hilltone Mount Abu |
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| » Goa |
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| Brief of Goa |
Goa is India's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.
Panaji (also referred to as Panjim) is the state's capital. Vasco da Gama (sometimes shortened to Vasco) is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the influence of Portuguese culture. Portuguese first landed in Goa as merchants, in the early 16th century, and conquered it soon after. The Portuguese overseas territory existed for about 450 years, until it was annexed by India in 1961.
Renowned for its beaches, temples and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot. |
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| History |
| Goa's known history stretches back to the 3rd century BC, when it formed part of the Mauryan Empire. It was later ruled by the Satavahanas of Kolhapur, around 2000 years ago it was passed on to the Chalukya Dynasty, who controlled it between 580 to 750. Over the next few centuries Goa was successively ruled by the Silharas, the Kadambas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani, rulers of Deccan India. The Kadambas, a local Hindu dynasty based at Chandrapura, (present day Chandor - Salcete), laid an indelible mark on the course of Goa's pre-colonial history and culture. |
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| Geography and Climate |
| Goa encompasses an area of 3,702 km² (1,430 sq mile). It lies between the latitudes 14°53'54" N and 15°40'00" N and longitudes 73°40'33" E and 74°20'13" E. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau. The highest point is the Sonsogor, with an altitude of 1,167 meters (3,827 feet). Goa has a coastline of 101 km (63 miles).
Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a warm and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 °C (95 °F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Most of Goa's annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September.
Goa has a short cool season between mid-December and February. These months are marked by cool nights of around 20 °C (68 °F) and warm days of around 29 °C (84 °F) with moderate amounts of humidity. Further inland, due to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few degrees cooler. During March 2008 Goa was lashed with heavy rain and strong winds. This was the first time in 29 years that Goa had seen rain during March. |
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| Flora and Fauna of Goa |
| Forest cover in Goa stands at 1,424 km², most of which is owned by the government. Government owned forest is estimated at 1224.38 km² whilst private is given as 200 km². Most of the forests in the state are located in the interior eastern regions of the state.
Goa's wildlife sanctuaries boast of more than 1512 documented species of plants, over 275 species of birds, over 48 kinds of animals and over 60 genera of reptiles.
Goa's state animal is the Gaur, the state bird is the Ruby Throated Yellow Bulbul, which is a variation of Black-crested Bulbul, and the state tree is the Asan.
The important forests products are bamboo canes, Maratha barks, chillar barks and the bhirand. Coconut trees are ubiquitous and are present in almost all areas of Goa barring the elevated regions. A large number of deciduous vegetation consisting of teak, sal, cashew and mango trees are present. Fruits include jackfruits, mangos, pineapples and blackberries.
Goa has many famous National Parks, including the renowned Salim Ali bird sanctuary. Other wildlife sanctuaries include the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Molem Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Madei Wildlife Sanctuary, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary located on the island of Chorao. |
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| Tourism |
| Tourism is Goa's primary industry: it handles 12% of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summer time (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays. Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity inland. In 2004, there were more than 2 million tourists reported to have visited Goa, 400,000 of which were from abroad. |
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| "We have now started promoting medical tourism and are targeting the European market to Goa for treatments ranging from cosmetic and plastic surgery, dentistry and orthopaedics. We are promoting Goa as an alternate destination to Kerala." |
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| Transport |
| Goa's sole airport, the Dabolim Airport, is both a military and civilian airport catering to domestic and international airlines that stop en route to other Indian destinations. In addition to regular flights, the airport handles a large number of chartered flights. Goa receives International flights from Dubai, Sharjah and Kuwait in the Middle East and from the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia during the charter flight tourist season. Dabolim airport is serviced by the following carriers - Air India, Indian Airlines, Air Deccan, Kingfisher airlines, Go air, Spice jet, Jet Airways besides Charter flights from Thomas Cook (condor) etc.
Goa's public transport largely consists of privately operated buses linking the major towns to rural areas. Government-run buses,. However, public transport in Goa is less developed, and residents depend heavily on their own transport, usually motorised two-wheelers. Goa has two National Highways passing through it. NH-17 runs along India's west coast and links Goa to Bombay in the north and Mangalore to the south. NH-4A running across the state connects the capital Panjim to Belgaum in east, linking Goa to cities in the Deccan. The NH-17A connects NH-17 to Mormugao Harbour from Cortalim, and the new NH-17B, once complete will be a four lane highway connecting Mormugao Harbour to NH-17 at another location, Verna, via Dabolim airport. Goa has a total of 224 km (139 mi) of National highway, 232 km (144 mi) of state highway and 815 km of district highway.
Goa has two rail lines — one run by the South Western Railway and the other by the Konkan Railway. The line run by the South Western Railway was built during the colonial era linking the port town of Vasco da Gama with Hubli in Karnataka via Margao. The Konkan Railway line, which was built during the 1990s, runs parallel to the coast connecting Mumbai to the Malabar Coast. |
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| Places to Visit in Goa |
» Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary
» Dona Paula - a popular beach.
» Fort Aguada Calangute
» Old Goa, home of famed sixteenth century churches, convents and monuments
» Ponda taluka, the temple heartland of Goa
» Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
» Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
» Candolim |
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| Must See Following Beaches |
| Anjuna Beach - Close to the Chapora Fort, its key attraction is a magnificent Albuquerque Mansion built in 1920, flanked by octagonal towers and an attractive Mangalore tile-roof. Anjuna was the second-home (and main location) of the hippies in Goa, in the 1960s and 1970s, after other destinations like Calangute got more "crowded" for them. It is still venue of a (vastly-changed, more mainstreamised) flea market held each Wednesday. In the nearby village of Arpora, two colourful Saturday night bazaars are held in the non-monsoon seasons. This is still part of "alternative" Goa, though charter and other tourists also visit the place in increasing numbers to "get a feel of the hippy years". |
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| Palolem Beach - A scenic beach in extreme south Goa. Getting a bit crowded. Good eating options. Turning pricey though (by local standards). The rocks and islands off its schore are definitely scenic. |
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| Patnem Beach - A small and quiet beach in Canacona taluka |
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| Vagator Beach - A beach in Bardez, neighbouring Anjuna |
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| Morjim and Asvem - Two quieter beaches in extreme north Goa's Pernem taluka |
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| Mandrem Beach - Another beach in extreme north Goa's Pernem taluka |
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| Candolim and Sinquerim - Beaches in North Goa's Bardez taluka. Once humble fishing villages. Now the crowded concretised coast of North Goa. Goa's Benidorm. Or quickly getting to be as crowded. |
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| Colva Beach - This beach's spectacle of sea, sand and sky blend in a enchanting natural harmony, weaving their magic spell on the visitors. Known for its scenic beauty. This is part of Salcete, Goa's only Catholic majority sub-district. Once a very hospitable area, now relations are getting monetized thanks to tourism. |
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| Calangute Beach - aka Queen of all Beaches in Goa. Once highly rated. Now crowded. Expect traffic jams along the main crowded street. |
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| Baga Beach - A family-beach and charter tourist destination just outside Calangute. |
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| Chapora - Home of the Chapora fort. Close to Vagator and Anjuna beaches. Also site for a fishing jetty where trawlers (introduced into Goa in the 1960s and 1970s, amidst protests from traditional fishermen, who were affected by them) bring in their catch. |
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| Drink |
| Alcoholic Beverages - The popular alcoholic beverages in Goa are Beer and Wine. There is also the local liquor, Fenny, which is quite potent and strong. It comes in 2 flavours, Cashewnut and Coconut. |
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| Popular Bars |
» Montego Bay Goa, Beach shack on Morjim Beach, Open till midnight.
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Zanzibar, beach shack on Baga. Early till midnight
» The Alcove, overlooking Ozran Vagator Beach - Also good place to eat (Open Till Midnight)
» Tito's, Baga Beach. A popular night club in goa (Open Till 10.00 pm)
» Shores Bar, Anjuna Beach. Open Till 11PM. |
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| » Udaipur |
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| Brief of Udaipur |
| Udaipur is a city and a municipal council in Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar, and the administrative headquarters of Udaipur District. It is also known as the City of Lakes and Venice of the East. The Pichola lake, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar in this city are considered some of the most beautiful lakes in the state. It is known for its Rajput-era palaces. Particularly famous is the Lake Palace, which covers an entire island i the Pichola Lake. Many of the palaces have been converted into luxury hotels. |
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| Climate |
| The climate of Udaipur is tropical with the mercury staying between a maximum of 42.3°C and a minimum of 28.8°C during summers. Winters are a little cold with the maximum temperature rising to 28.8°C and the minimum dipping to 2.5°C. |
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| Transport |
| Udaipur is well connected to the world through land, rail and air. |
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| Road |
| The city falls on the Golden Quadrilateral, lying midway between Delhi and Mumbai on National Highway (NH) 8; it is around 650 kilometres from either metro. The roads in this part of the country are paved and fit for proivate vehicles. One can either drive from Jaipur (around 6 hours) or Ahmedabad (3.5 hours), or take a Rajasthan Tourism bus from India Gate in Delhi. It also falls on East West Corridor which starts from Porbandar and ends at Silchar and is intersecting the Golden Quadrilateral and shares the common space from Udaipur to Chittor. |
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| Air |
| Dabok airport, also known as Maharana Pratap Airport, is 24 kilometres from the city centre. Daily Indian Airlines flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad, Mumbai & Delhi. There are daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur on Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines. The airport is going through modernisation project and will soon have a new terminal building with an additional 4 stands.[citation needed] The airport has been confirmed as an International airport by the Government of India. |
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| Train |
| Train connectivity is established between Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad through trains run by Indian Railway. Recently Udaipur got connected with Delhi, Kota and Mathura with the "Mewar Express" on broadgauge tracks. In August 2007 Udaipur was connected with Kolkatta, by the "Ananya Express". A train has also been introduced between Mumbai and Udaipur via Vadodara, Ratlam and Chittorgarh. Udaipur lacks direct connectivity to South India, and one has to reach it either via Kota or Ahmedabad. |
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| Places to Visit In Udaipur |
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| City Palace Udaipur |
| Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. |
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| Lake Palace |
| Originally known as the Jag Niwas, took three years to build and was inaugurated in 1746. Nothing but marble is used in the composition of this palace. Lake Palace is now a luxury hotel owned by Taj Group of Hotels. |
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| Jag Mandir |
| Another island in the Lake Pichola, which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father. |
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| City Palace and Museum |
| Pratap Museum, While entering the City palace the straight way go to the Government Pratap Museum housed with old sculptures and inscriptions. The antique paintings of Mewar, the turban of prince Khurram later on called Shah Jahan, who built the world famous Taj Mahal has also been displayed here as a token of friendship of Maharana Khazan Singh. Next to Fateh Prakash Palace, houses glass and mirror works. |
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| Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal |
| A museum of folk arts. Also hosts puppet shows in its auditorium. |
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| Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Magri |
| Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak". More details are available at Maharanapratap.net, a collection of facts and figures on Maharana Pratap and his life. |
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| Sajjangarh Fort |
| The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around. |
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| Sukhadia Circle |
| Sukhadia Circle (Square), Udaipur, a large roundabout in the city's northern suburb of Panchwati, on the road to Ranakpur and Mt. Abu. The centrepiece of the Circle is a large, three-tiered fountain just over 21 m. high, with scalloped dishes surmounted by a wheat-ear motif, representing prosperity. Illuminated at night, it is now a well-known landmark. |
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| Fateh Sagar Lake |
| Fateh Sager Lake is a vicinity for young lovers, it is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh, As lot of destruction was caused by heavy rains.In the year 1993-1994,the water vanished from the lake and again in the year 2005-2006, the lake regaind its water.The lake is tried directly to connect with mansivacal dam so that it doesnot suffer any type of water problem again in future. |
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| Lake Pichola |
| The Sapphire Udaipur : Lake Pichola is a lake that has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh. |
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| Saheliyon-ki-Bari |
| Sahelion Ki Bari' was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. |
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| Udaipur Solar Observatory |
| Asia's only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatehsagar (Location: 240 35.1' : 730 42.8' ) and the main office building is located at its NW-shore near Bari Road - Rani Road Junction. |
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| Gulab Bagh & Zoo |
| A rose Garden laid out by Maharana Sajjan Singh is situated near the palace on east side of LakeGulab Bagh & Zoo Pichhola. A library in the garden has a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, chinkara and many wild animals and birds are being kept. |
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| Dudh Talai |
| A "Rock Garden" from where one can enjoy sunset view in Lake Pichhola and panoramic view of old city. |
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| Ahar Museum |
| Located about 2 km east of Udaipur is a cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of Maharanas cremated there. One cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. |
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| Shilpgram |
| The crafts village, located north west of Udaipur, Shilpgram hosts crafts fair every year which is one of the biggest in India, people from different states in the country hold their stalls showcasing their art and crafts work. |
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| Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral |
| The Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Udaipur. |
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| » Mahabaleshwar |
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| Brief of Mahabaleshwar |
| Mahabaleshwar is a city and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a hill station located in the Western Ghats range. With one of the few evergreen forests of the world, it served as the summer capital of Bombay province during the British Raj.
Located about 120 km southwest of Pune and 285 km from Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar is a vast plateau measuring 150 km², bound by valleys on all sides. It reaches a height of 1438 m (4710 ft) at its highest peak above sea level, known as Wilson/Sunrise Point.
Today, Mahabaleshwar is a popular holiday resort and honeymoon spot, and an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. It is the site of Mahabaleshwar Temple. Many tourists visit nearby Panchgani. After the construction of a new highway, it is only a five-hour drive from Mumbai. Mahabaleshwar is also known for the honey and strawberries produced here. One can visit strawberry farms to enjoy the real flavour of the fruit. It is said that the climate of Mahabaleshwar is ideal for strawberries and mulberries. One can also get a taste of "Strawberries with Cream" or "Mulberries with Cream".[citation needed]. |
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| Places to Visit in Mahabaleshwar |
| Although there are close to 25 'Points' in Mahabaleshwar, lots of these points would give you the same view (of mountains/valley) from a slightly different angle. The following are a must: |
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» Arthur's Seat
» Marjorie Point
» Kate's Point
» Bombay Point (Sunset Point)
» Elephant's head Point
» Lingamala Falls (best viewed from behind Surya Resort)
» Mapro Farm |
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| » Ooty |
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| Brief of Ooty |
Ooty pronunciation is a city, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. |
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| Climate |
| Located in the mountainous range called the Blue Mountains or Nilgiris, Ooty draws a large number of tourists every year. The weather is quite pleasant at a mean of 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 °F) year round, dropping to lows of 0 °C (32 °F) during winter. The hill town suffers from rampant commercialization and various other ecological and infrastructural issues. |
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| Tourism |
| The landscape is marked by rolling hills and plateaus covered with dense vegetation, tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees. Many portions of the hills are preserved as natural reserve forests, and special permits are needed to camp outside of campgrounds. Ooty is more of a focal point of attraction for tourists, who also undertake auto tours of the surrounding countryside. |
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| Places of Natural Beauty |
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| Doddabetta Peak |
| The highest point in the Nilgiri Hills, offering spectacular views over the town and district. There is road access to the summit. There is a reserved forest area around the peak. |
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| Ketti Valley |
| There is a view point called "Valley View" on the main Ooty to Coonoor road. |
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| Ooty Golf Links |
| A forested and grassy area, partially home to a golf course |
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| Pykara Lake Boat House |
| The most accessible of all the nearby lakes. A boathouse and picnic area has been developed to provide access to this area. Most of the remainder of the lake is within a reserved forest and off limits to visitors. |
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| Wenlock Downs |
| This is a grassland area typical of the original bioscape of the Nilgiris. It has gently undulating hills, and is often compared with areas in the British isles such as the Yorkshire Dales. This is a popular film shooting area, particularly two areas sitauted approximately six and nine miles (14 km) out of Ooty on the main Ooty to Pykara road (also known as Mysore Road). These locations are accordingly named "Sixth Mile" and "Ninth Mile". |
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| Kamraj Sagar Lake |
| On the way to Pykara. A nearby lake bordered by pine forests. |
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| Mudumalai National Park |
| Situated at a lower altitude and easily accessible to visitors. It borders the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka |
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| Mukurthi National Park |
| A large protected area generally not accessible to visitors. It also contains a lake and peak of the same name. |
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| Pine Forest |
| Taking a bus from ooty bus stand to thalakunda or any bus to mysore will take you to this place called pine forest. |
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