Ooty
Spread across 55 acres on the slopes of Doddabetta Peak, the Government Botanical Garden in Ooty is one of the finest botanical gardens in Asia and a non-negotiable attraction for any Ooty trip. The garden houses over 650 plant species including a 20-million-year-old fossilised tree, rare tree ferns, a Neelakurinji section, and a formal Italian garden — making it far more than just a pleasant walk. The annual Summer Festival of Flowers held here in May is a riot of colour and fragrance.
The Upper Garden section near the Toda hut is less crowded and contains some of the garden's rarest specimens — most casual visitors miss it entirely.