Ooty, Tamil Nadu
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage train, does more for a child under ten than any theme park ride. The toy train from Mettupalayam to Ooty climbs through 16 tunnels and 250 curves at a pace slow enough for small faces pressed against the windows. Beyond the train, the Government Rose Garden has over 2,800 varieties and enough open space for children to run without hitting anything valuable. Altitude sits at about 2,240 metres, high enough for cool air, low enough that altitude sickness is almost never a concern for young children. The drive from Coimbatore airport takes roughly two and a half hours on a clear day.
