The Nilgiris are centered around the Hill Station of Ooty.

Whilst Ooty, at the top of the Nilgiri Hills, may sometimes be covered in cloud, the lower lying areas, such as Masinagudi and the Mudamulai Wildlife Reserve, at the bottom of the hills, are more likely to be bathed in sunshine.

Ooty, or Udhagamandalam as it is now named, has a proud and prestigious history that is reflected in her architecture and social life. There a race course, a boating lake, and superb golf club, a gymkhana club, the famous Ootacamund Club and the Ooty Hunt.

As well as the famous Botanical Gardens, Ooty also boasts an award winning Rose Garden, several international boarding schools, and a Collector who has ensured that Ooty is now among the cleanest and litter-free hill stations in India!

The Nilgiris enjoy the beauty of the tea estates with their Gravellia Robusta (Silver Oak), the sheep on the downs, the beautiful and unspoilt Pykara Lake and falls, the peaceful forests of blue gum trees, and a thriving agricultural sector producing carrots, cabbages and a wide range of other vegetables that go all over India.

Up in the hills you can drive for miles without seeing another vehicle, but you will see panthers, leopards and jackals, jungle fowl, water buffalo and deer. There are wild elephants and if you don't see a tiger, you can see its droppings - a salutatory reminder that these beasts still roam wild in the Nilgiris.

Tribal people live in small villages around the Nilgiris and they maintain their traditional ways. There is also a tribal museum and research centre that teaches you about the Toda, Kota, Irular, Kurumba, Kattunayakan and Paniyan people.

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