The Maharaja of Mysore’s exquisite Anglo-Indian summer palace is full of totally over-the-top princely colonial style. All 19 rooms are gigantic suites, with antique furnishings, teak flourishes, tiled floors, fireplaces and hot tubs. Some are pristine, others need a paint job. You can play billiards, stroll the forest-fringed grounds and dine beneath wood-carved ceilings. The Maharaja himself stays here sometimes.
Fernhills Palace
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.47 MILES
In the foothills of the Nilgiris, this newly enlarged 765-sq-km wildlife reserve is like a classical Indian landscape painting given life, with chital…
2.17 MILES
Established in 1848, these pretty 22-hectare gardens are a living gallery of the Nilgiris' natural flora. Keep an eye out for a typical Toda mund (village…
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Muthanga)
28.54 MILES
The location of the eastern entry gate to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, accessible by two-hour jeep safari only.
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17.7 MILES
This park covers 880 sq km and was once the Mysore maharajas’ private wildlife reserve. It's noted for herds of gaurs (Indian bison), chitals (spotted…
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2.62 MILES
If you're interested in the Nilgiris' tribal communities you'll love this slightly scruffy, erratically open museum, with its fascinating exhibits on…
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11.94 MILES
Just 2km north of Kotagiri centre, the house built in 1819 by Ooty founder John Sullivan has been refurbished in bright red and filled with fascinating…
1.62 MILES
Perched above Ooty's centre, immaculate pale-yellow St Stephen’s, built in 1829, is the Nilgiris' oldest church. It has lovely stained glass, huge wooden…
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1.48 MILES
This quaint little haven in a crumbling, earthy-red 1867 building houses more than 30,000 books, including rare titles on the Nilgiris and hill tribes,…
Nearby Ooty (Udhagamandalam) attractions
0.66 MILES
Set between trees at the eastern end of Ooty Lake, simple St Thomas' dates back to 1870.
1.48 MILES
This quaint little haven in a crumbling, earthy-red 1867 building houses more than 30,000 books, including rare titles on the Nilgiris and hill tribes,…
1.62 MILES
Perched above Ooty's centre, immaculate pale-yellow St Stephen’s, built in 1829, is the Nilgiris' oldest church. It has lovely stained glass, huge wooden…
1.66 MILES
With terraced lawns and over 20,000 rose bushes of more than 2000 varieties – best between May and July – the Rose Garden is a sweet place for a stroll,…
2.17 MILES
Established in 1848, these pretty 22-hectare gardens are a living gallery of the Nilgiris' natural flora. Keep an eye out for a typical Toda mund (village…
6. Tribal Research Centre Museum
2.62 MILES
If you're interested in the Nilgiris' tribal communities you'll love this slightly scruffy, erratically open museum, with its fascinating exhibits on…
3.39 MILES
About 7km east of Ooty, Doddabetta is the highest point (2633m) in the Nilgiris. On clear days, it's one of the best viewpoints around; go early for a…
8.29 MILES
Upper Coonoor's 12-hectare Sim’s Park, established in 1874, is a peaceful oasis of sloping manicured lawns with more than 1000 plant species from several…