Emerald Lake
Emerald Lake
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
259 reviews
Excellent
139
Very good
84
Average
26
Poor
5
Terrible
5
Hemant K
Bengaluru, India29 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
Emerald lake is beautifully nestled lake in hills close to avalanche lake, but as it is outside the restricted area and no regulation available people have trashed and spoit this place.
Written 6 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vaib13
Mumbai, India33 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
Better than any other attractions in ooty. it is some 25 kms from ooty town center. the lake is deserted to take food, drinks in you car to make it a trip. you can spend good 2-3 hrs at the lake side eating, chatting and cooling off peacefully.
Written 25 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jagga
Bengaluru, India233 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
When we visited the Emerald lake, my first thought was, why do people go to Switzerland. We have it all here in India. As of now, it was neat and clean. If we can maintain this, we can attract lot more visitors. The view is amazing.
Written 18 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
G A
India2,640 contributions
Feb 2012 • Family
Emerald village is approx. 30km from Ooty via Ithalar and the Good Shepherd School. It is a small settlement comprising tea estates, carrot and potato fields and a housing colony of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board that owns the Emerald lake and dam.
The stunningly beautiful high altitude Emerald lake at 1995m is surrounded by peaks of the Nilgiri mountain range of the Western Ghats.
Emerald and Avalanche lakes are in fact one huge water body with two dams bearing their respective names, divided by a small bridge at Surukipalayam. The vast reservoir is a part of Tamil Nadu's Kundah Hydro Power Project. Currently visitors may not enter Emerald Dam without permission. Entry is allowed at the Avalanche Dam next door though no photography is permitted here. My advice is to skip the boring dams altogether and enjoy the lake instead.
Trout fish are abundant in these lakes but be warned that fishing is not allowed without a permit, though you will see locals having a go here and there along the lakeshore!
Emerald is the perfect place for long walks or a days picnic. Better to pack your hamper or buy food from the basic eateries at Emerald. Those who want to stay here have a choice of high budget Red Hills and Destiny Farms - both beyond the bridge at Surukipalayam, or very basic accomodation at Emerald village or at Annanagar just beyond Surukipalayam bridge. If you can swing it, then the Forest Rest House at Avalanche is the best place to stay, though that is on the Avalanche side of the lake and in a restricted area.
Though there are no official restrictions on setting up your own camp by the lake shore, if the forest department officials see you, they will encourage you to dismantle your tent and seek accommodation elsewhere.
Public buses ply at regular intervals from Ooty or you can hire a taxi for the day or self drive. If you have a permit and a vehicle, you can drive further to the Avalanche part of the lake which is even more beautiful and surrounded by dense forests. Or go beyond the Red Hills resort to Porthimund (permit required) and all the way to Parsons Valley which is another pretty lake.
This is a must visit for anyone coming to Ooty.
I have been here several times and look forward to more visits.
The stunningly beautiful high altitude Emerald lake at 1995m is surrounded by peaks of the Nilgiri mountain range of the Western Ghats.
Emerald and Avalanche lakes are in fact one huge water body with two dams bearing their respective names, divided by a small bridge at Surukipalayam. The vast reservoir is a part of Tamil Nadu's Kundah Hydro Power Project. Currently visitors may not enter Emerald Dam without permission. Entry is allowed at the Avalanche Dam next door though no photography is permitted here. My advice is to skip the boring dams altogether and enjoy the lake instead.
Trout fish are abundant in these lakes but be warned that fishing is not allowed without a permit, though you will see locals having a go here and there along the lakeshore!
Emerald is the perfect place for long walks or a days picnic. Better to pack your hamper or buy food from the basic eateries at Emerald. Those who want to stay here have a choice of high budget Red Hills and Destiny Farms - both beyond the bridge at Surukipalayam, or very basic accomodation at Emerald village or at Annanagar just beyond Surukipalayam bridge. If you can swing it, then the Forest Rest House at Avalanche is the best place to stay, though that is on the Avalanche side of the lake and in a restricted area.
Though there are no official restrictions on setting up your own camp by the lake shore, if the forest department officials see you, they will encourage you to dismantle your tent and seek accommodation elsewhere.
Public buses ply at regular intervals from Ooty or you can hire a taxi for the day or self drive. If you have a permit and a vehicle, you can drive further to the Avalanche part of the lake which is even more beautiful and surrounded by dense forests. Or go beyond the Red Hills resort to Porthimund (permit required) and all the way to Parsons Valley which is another pretty lake.
This is a must visit for anyone coming to Ooty.
I have been here several times and look forward to more visits.
Written 10 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arun Murthy
Bengaluru, India138 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
The Emerald lake is located in beautiful surroundings. The drive to the lake is not so good, but one can enjoy superb views at many places en route. You can't go on the dam.
Written 9 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darshan M
84 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
This is so remote from the town of ooty but it is a must visit place for a traveller who would like to extract something out of the ooty visit.The lake is calm serene and scenic.Be there for a long time a you feel so much addicted to nature.
Written 26 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Murtuza E
Pune, India108 contributions
May 2014 • Family
These two are probably are the 2 most hyped places on the internet in the vicinity of Ooty. It is said that these two lakes are very beautiful and even comparable to the lakes of Ladakh. At the same time it is said that whatever is written on the internet should be taken with a pinch of salt and the eulogies written about this place are testament to this fact. Our excitement to visit these 2 lakes started increasing with the reduction in distance to reach Ooty. The first thing that one needs to keep in mind while travelling to these places is the long & nearly tiring drive. Not only does it seem endless, the condition of the roads also leaves a lot to be desired especially if you don’t have a hummer to tame the wells (not potholes) in the roads.
The real clincher is the really long wait that you have to endure (can be more than 2 hours at times) to wait for the government controlled transport (buses or jeeps) to take you to Avalanche lake. You have to admit that the final destination is quite beautiful. However, that seems more like a consolation prize because of 2 reasons. Firstly, the actual lake is around 100-200 feet below your position & secondly, since you are on a government controlled time table you really can’t hike down to the actual lake. Even if you do manage to reach the waters, you’ll have like 5-10 minutes before you have to make the hike back up. To summarize, this is just not worth the time & money that you spend to reach the palace. All relevant people speaking in Tamil do not help matters.
I would suggest that you give this place a miss and spend time elsewhere.
The real clincher is the really long wait that you have to endure (can be more than 2 hours at times) to wait for the government controlled transport (buses or jeeps) to take you to Avalanche lake. You have to admit that the final destination is quite beautiful. However, that seems more like a consolation prize because of 2 reasons. Firstly, the actual lake is around 100-200 feet below your position & secondly, since you are on a government controlled time table you really can’t hike down to the actual lake. Even if you do manage to reach the waters, you’ll have like 5-10 minutes before you have to make the hike back up. To summarize, this is just not worth the time & money that you spend to reach the palace. All relevant people speaking in Tamil do not help matters.
I would suggest that you give this place a miss and spend time elsewhere.
Written 1 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
riyaf
Kochi (Cochin), India13 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
It's on the way back from Dodabetta and you will already have seen the upper bhavani lake. So in comparison to that it's not so great. Also you can just see it from the hilly road side whereas the lake is far far away. Don't miss it as it is on the way back from doddabeta and the pics will come out real good. I would recommend the place only if you are going that way otherwise you can easily skip it.
Written 9 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EkMusafir
Pune, India2,219 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
This lake is about 18 km away from Ooty, on the same road which goes to Avalanche Lake. You have to have your own transport or hire a cab to visit this lake. You have to take a right turn towards the Emerald Dam but don’t enter the dam premises. A small road leads to a narrow bridge which crosses the channel connecting the two lakes, Emerald and Avalanche. Stop awhile to soak in the views from the bridge. On the right is the Emerald Lake and on the left is the Avalanche Lake, surrounded by pristine forests and hills. You can walk down to both the lakes from the side of the bridge and wet your feet in the waters. We used Google Maps to help us find the way.
Emerald Lake is very beautiful. The calm water of the lake reflects the green foliage of the surrounding forest and hence gets an emerald color. There is no pollution and no crowds, being a little distant from Ooty town. Bring your picnic basket and enjoy, but please don’t leave the garbage behind.
We carried on further beyond the bridge till we reached the Red Hills Resort. This resort is another 8 km uphill along a narrow country road, surrounded by tea gardens, and located on top of a hill, overlooking the Emerald Lake. It is a heritage bungalow and is being run as a home stay. You have to have prior bookings if you wish to stay. Unfortunately, we could not get lunch here, since there were no other guests at the resort, but the caretaker did serve us a mug of steaming hot coffee.
It was a very enjoyable drive from Ooty to Emerald and back.
Emerald Lake is very beautiful. The calm water of the lake reflects the green foliage of the surrounding forest and hence gets an emerald color. There is no pollution and no crowds, being a little distant from Ooty town. Bring your picnic basket and enjoy, but please don’t leave the garbage behind.
We carried on further beyond the bridge till we reached the Red Hills Resort. This resort is another 8 km uphill along a narrow country road, surrounded by tea gardens, and located on top of a hill, overlooking the Emerald Lake. It is a heritage bungalow and is being run as a home stay. You have to have prior bookings if you wish to stay. Unfortunately, we could not get lunch here, since there were no other guests at the resort, but the caretaker did serve us a mug of steaming hot coffee.
It was a very enjoyable drive from Ooty to Emerald and back.
Written 9 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
padmini1947
Ooty (Udhagamandalam), India4 contributions
Apr 2019 • Friends
Beautiful place inside deep forest. We took a Jeep from forest department. The ride was for 2 hours and it was totally worth it.
Written 13 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I want to spent a night in the Govt bunglow, how can I book this bunglow?
Written 3 September 2022
Hi, do wee need any forest official permission to visit lakes and also can we take our own taxi there?
Written 12 May 2019
Nop. You can go there without any permission. But cars cannot go till the lake. you may have to walk a bit.
Written 13 May 2019
What is d best timing to visit emerald lake n Avalanche lake ?
Written 24 October 2018
Hriday R
Chennai (Madras), India
Is it safe to travel during Nov -Dec 2018 ? Travelling with family.
Written 3 September 2018
Yes indeed. As such personal safety wasn’t an issue, due to monsoon and heavy rains place was rather deserted. By Nov- Def you would have roads in better condition and a resort near lake may also be functional. Take a local guide or driver with you - who would know places thoroughly
Written 4 September 2018
is any mode of transportation available to go back to Ooty from emerald lake ??????
Written 27 August 2017
I am going to ooty on march 25 with my wife. Is Emerald lake a safe place? And please guide me about the route we have to take to reach near the lake (assuming we have to walk a bit from car park)
Written 18 March 2017
It's pretty safe. If you're relying on Google map, make sure you added Fern Hill train station in the suggested route. Else, you may end up driving through some crazy narrow lanes which are steep as well - I'm the unfortunate one experienced this and while returning from the lake, I just added a stop, Fern Hill train station and voila!
I've reviewed this lake and added coordinates of a narrow bridge which separates both the Avalanche and Emerald lakes. It's a bliss to drive up there. I'm on mobile and couldn't get it though. Finally, there's no parking space as such, but you can leave the car off the road, there's plenty of space and walk down a few hundred meters to touch the water!
Written 21 March 2017
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