Ooty short for Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam is perhaps one of South India's most popular hill stations, situated in the Nilgiris Hills at an altitude of 2,240 m. Spread out along a high plateau, Ooty is set among the Nilgiris or Blue Mountains, covered with green forests and valleys, tea plantations, streams and mountains. The term Nilgiris came about because of the blue haze, which the hills seem to be enveloped in, and Ooty is one of the best places to experience this sight.

The district on the whole, gets its main income from the tea industry. An important annual Tea and Tourism festival is held at Ooty every year. One of the most charming ways to get to Ooty is by the Nilagiri mountain Railway (NMR) that chugs its way up the hill-side and lets you take in all the surrounding beauty.

The name Ootacamund may have originated from the Toda word othakal-mund, which means house in the mountains. Historically, the Nilgiris Hills were ruled by the Chera Empire between the 11th -12th century, followed by the Ganga and Hoysala dynasties. In the 18th century it came under the rule of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, before he finally surrendered it to the British.