I live in Coimbatore which is in a state called Tamil Nadu in India. Ooty is approximately a two hour drive from Coimbatore. I would call Ooty the place where 'the hills reside'. The weather is cool and really helps you to relax and calm down (especially if you have a hectic work life).
Having been to Ooty a handful of times, some places that I do recommend you visit if you're new there is:
1) The Tea Factory and the Tea Museum - There are over 50 different types of tea you can buy that are locally made. Also, you get to see how tea leaves actually become tea. It is very insightful.
2) Rose Garden - It is filled with roses! You see so many varieties of roses. They are so beautiful, especially when there are so many colours of roses. You can also buy rose plants there which is great cause I bought quite a few that are still in my home.
3) Home-made chocolate - Ooty is known for it's home-made chocolate, they are sold almost everywhere in Ooty, so if you gets your hands on them, do check it out!
This time when I went to Ooty, I travelled with a friend. If you're travelling in a big group, I would recommend booking your accommodation through Airbnb. As my friend and I travelled together, we stayed in a hotel, which was a safer option. Before you book an accommodation, do check out how far it is from the town, so it is easy for you to grab a meal or any essentials if needed (you don't want to be extremely disconnected to the town).
What did we do? Well, we just enjoyed nature. My friend and I have travelled to Ooty on several occasions, so this time we decided to just relax. So our trip was more like a staycation. We actually travelled in the month of March, so the weather was very pleasant. We planned a two day trip and pretty much just explored places near our hotel. There are a lot of lakes in Ooty, and if you're new to Ooty you could go check them out. Boating is always an option is for you if you go to a lake, but personally I would not recommend that. Depending on where you are staying in Ooty, do talk to the locals to get a better idea of any activities or places you could visit near by. This helps you come across places that are not that 'touristy' that you could explore more.
If you're in Ooty for a short period of time, I would suggest you to rent a car so you could drive to places easily. If you're planning to stay for a longer period, do travel on the local buses. You get to see more places while travelling on the bus and the view is so worth-it! In my case, as most of the places were close by our hotel, my friend and I went by walk to most of the locations. We also preferred to walk over using transportation, but yes, feel free to decide which option is more convenient for you.
If you're into photography, some tips would definitely be to wake up early to catch the sunrise as well as to take some good pictures. Ooty is extremely beautiful especially during sunrise and sunset. So if you're near a peak (like Doddabetta Peak) or a mountain (like Nilgris), then the experience is even better.
Many people consider Ooty to be an over-rated travel location. For me however, I feel like if you do a proper research into the place you choose to stay, and the near by destinations, you could definitely make your trip a less 'touristy' one and a more exploratory one.
Nonetheless, Ooty is one of the most beautiful hill stations I have been to as a child and have such fond memories of the place. So do make the most of your time there and just relax :)
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