12 Indian Towns That Feel Like Foreign Countries

11. Ooty (Udhagamandalam) — English Garden Town in the Nilgiris

Ooty, nestled in the Nilgiri Hills, offers botanical gardens, manicured lawns, and colonial-era cottages that give the town a genteel, garden-town quality reminiscent of English countryside retreats. Tea estates and eucalyptus groves slope down toward small settlements, and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway—another UNESCO-associated heritage train—adds to the town’s genteel travel charm. Mornings often begin with mist and long walks in well-tended gardens, while local markets sell tea, homemade chocolates, and local handicrafts that feel right at home in this climate. For pleasant weather and floral displays, October through March are favorable months to visit. State tourism notes and heritage features identify Ooty’s colonial parklands and tea landscapes as prime contributors to the international-like atmosphere many visitors enjoy.