Emerald Lake

I am going to be honest, I am still not sure if Emerald lake was where we finally ended up at.The lake is a must visit, and the one I visited is right behind the Emerald Dam. The journey upwards is a narrow road, barely enough space for one Tempo Traveller, but luckily a lot of people do not visit the place. The beauty of the place is the clear waters and the serene around the lake. What's also special about the place, is that there are barely any people, and it's almost like your private lake. A picnic at this spot would be great and a great place to hang out. You can also take a walk on the dam.At one point before reaching the lake you get a view point from where the three lakes are visible, and it's a great view point.It's around 1-1.5 hours drive from Ooty, and athe view and calm around is worth it. Avalanchi lake is right around and close by according to maps.The water is clear, and swampy if you get into the water. However the water tasted great!A must visit in Ooty, and everything one seeks away from the chaos of a city.

Ooty has many tourist-y places to visit. The Rose Gardens, The Botanical Gardens, Doddabetta Peak etc. We chose to give them a skip and head to the lesser explored ones. Our first choice was the Emerald and Avalanche Lakes. About 45 minute drive away from the city - people hardly visit these two adjacent lakes.The drive from Ooty to the lakes was a mesmerizing one, roads winding through many tea gardens, offering breathtaking views of the Nilgiris and the Lakes. Those who come here, mostly go to the couple of lake view points. I would highly recommend that you take the unpaved road just before the bridge near the Emerald Dam and drive till the end of that road. From there, you can take the path down to the shore of the lake. We were there for about an hour and had the entire place to ourselves. It was so peaceful and serene!