COONOOR
COONOOR
is the first hill- station you
reach when you leave the hot and humid plains of Tamil Nadu. The next two
enroute are the well-known Ooty and the lesser
known Kotagiri. Coonoor lies
at a height of 1850m and is in the main a tea planter’s town. Situated 27km
north of Mettupalayam and 19km south of Ooty, it is serviced by the Niligiri
Blue Mountain Railway. This is a good place for a short stay, perhaps an
extended weekend vacation.
Coonoor is not as commercialised as Ooty. It offers splendid, panoramic views of
the Niligiri mountains and its hills and valleys are strewn with lush, green tea
bushes and eucalyptus trees {the Niligiri mountain range is home to 40% of
India’s plant species}. There is a quaint hill market
which hawks leaf tea and essential oils. Most of the beautiful scenery of
this small town has been captured on film for innumerable Indian movies. So
don’t be surprised if you find yourself thinking that the hills and
valleys look very familiar – they are! The only element missing will be the
gyrating “extras”. Although the height of summer is the peak tourist season
, the winter months {Nov – Feb} are enjoyable in their own way.
Coonoor
is divided into Lower Coonoor and Upper Coonoor. In Upper Coonoor , you can
visit SIM’S PARK which is a 12 hectare botanical garden housing hundreds of
rose varieties and over 1000 other plant species such as ferns , pines , camellia
and magnolia. It is open daily 8am-6.30pm and the entry fee is Rs. 5. There
is an Annual Fruit Show at the Park in the last week of May.
The PASTEUR INSTITUTE lies opposite Sim’s Park. It is famous for its research
on rabies.
There are a few viewpoints to be visited. DOLPHIN’S NOSE
{10km.} is commonly featured in Bollywood movies thanks to its spectacular
views of St. Catherine’s Falls and the Coonoor and Kotagiri streams. An early
morning visit and a walk in the densely wooded area are the most enjoyable.
LAMB’S ROCK {5km.} is both a vantage spot and a picnic area which is reached
via an old British path. It overlooks the ravines and plains up to Mettupalayam.
If you want to visit a tea plantation, contact the United Planter’s Association
of Southern India {UPASI} at Glenview. An Annual Tea and Tourism Festival is
held in January.
Trekking opportunities are available in plenty; hotel front offices will provide
information and sometimes make arrangements.