The Government Botanical Garden in Ooty spreads across 22 hectares of hillside below the town, laid out in 1848 under the direction of the Marquis of Tweeddale. The terraced design runs down the slope in a series of formal lawns and themed sections: a fernery, a fossil bed, an Italian garden, and extensive beds of the hybrid roses for which the Nilgiris are famous.
On weekdays the garden is tranquil, the paths mostly empty, the dhobi butterflies flitting between the dahlias. Weekends and school holidays bring enormous crowds from the Tamil Nadu plains — try to arrive early if you're visiting then. The Flower Show held here every May draws huge numbers and fills every hotel in town. Entry fee is modest; allow at least two hours.