With the people of Kolkata and surroundings enjoying Durga puja holidays, those of Karnataka celebrating Dussehra and residents of Tamil Nadu taking a Ayudha Puja and Vijaya Dhasami break, this hill station is swarming with tourists.
Scenic spots like the Government Botanical Garden (GBG), the Ooty Lake and Dodabetta Peak here and Sim’s Park and Dolphin’s Nose in Coonoor are teeming with tourists. The majority of them are from Karnataka and Kerala. The Deputy Director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), A. Ameer Haja, told The Hindu that all the guesthouses inside the reserve are full. He said that they had been booked about a fortnight ago.
Stating that the demand for elephant and van safaris was heavy, he said that the inflow of tourists would be more than usual for another week. The Joint Director of Horticulture, N. Mani, said that over the next few days the number of persons visiting the Government Botanical Garden was expected to double.
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Stating that 3,600 entry tickets had been sold on Friday, he said that it had jumped to 7,000 on Saturday. At the Sim’s Park also there was a spurt. With all the flowers in full bloom the GBG was wearing an attractive appearance.
Meanwhile, a few tourists who spoke to The Hindu said that a lot more needs to be done on the civic amenities front. Regretting “there is no respect for pedestrians on the main roads”, they felt that footpaths should be widened.