Ooty Lifestyle: Ooty, or the Queen of Hill Stations as named by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, fits the bill for a perfect getaway from the fast paced city life. From being a sleepy city with people leading simple normal lives, Ooty has really come a long way. One walk around the town and you find people from all walks of life going around with their business day in and day out. With a lot of pharmaceutical companies and other such industries making their presence felt recently, Ooty is undergoing a slow transformation into a business hub. But none of this happens at the cost of the scenic charm that Ooty possesses since time immemorial.
Ooty also boast of a number of world class boarding schools which have been counted among the best in the country (though they are on the expensive end for a small town). The local people lead a simple lifestyle. Tourism still remains the greatest source of income for the people in Ooty. The local inhabitants of Ooty are quite down to earth and extremely helpful lot.
If you see some local guides who can speak five or six different languages including one or two foreign languages don't be surprised. This only proves their belief in the age old tradition of "Atithi devo bhava (Sanskrit: अतिथिदेवो भव; English: 'The guest is equivalent to God' or 'Be one for whom the guest is God')" and they try not to inconvenience their guests in any way.
As far as accommodation is concerned you are assured to find a place that fits your tastes and specifications. Ooty caters to all the sections of the society, be it low budget hotels for the middle class Indian family or high end Ooty resorts for the elite society. You will also find many comfortable home stays for the lone traveler, who wants to experience the hospitality of the local population first hand and at the same time who is also mindful of the money he has with him. Home stays also provide you the option of tasting the home made local cuisines, which are extremely tasty and healthy as well, since they are cooked at home.
Since Ooty is frequented by tourists from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu a large chunk of the local population can understand, if not speak, all the three languages (Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil). Since the place is visited by a lot of foreign tourists as well throughout the year, a lot of people speak fluent English as well. Communication will not be a problem for sure, if you are lost some place and trying to find your way back. Besides, the people are so very friendly and hospitable and ever ready to help a person in need.
In fact, after travelling through roads lined by tall pine trees, crossing rolling hills and lush green fields, when you have a hot cup of filter coffee with a local inhabitant a sense of fulfillment and ultimate satisfaction fills your soul, for no special reason. A perfect start to the journey which will take you through the dense forests of Nilgiris and through waterfalls and trek paths in the company of Mother Nature.
