Monday, March 19, 2018

Coonoor In Tamil Nadu - Quaint Little Hill Station in India

State - Tamil Nadu

Location - 20 km from Ooty / 71 km from Coimbatore

Altitude - 6000 ft above sea level

Serves as - Hill station, Prime tourist destination in Tamil Nadu

Famous for - Nilgiri Tea Plantations, Hill station, Picnic spot



Beautiful Coonoor Valley



About Coonoor


Located at the distance of 20 km from Ooty is the city of Coonoor which serves as the second largest hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu. Known as one of the most popular places of visit in Tamil Nadu, Coonoor is located at the height of 6000 feet above sea level. Coonoor is best known for its Nilgiri tea plantations, lush landscapes, misty weather, spectacular scenery, ravines, deep majestic valleys and gushing waterfalls. The signature British style cottages and bungalows of Coonoor takes you down the memory lane and allows you to revisit history. Compared to Ooty, Coonoor is much quieter and relaxing. It is becoming quite popular among tourists, given their preference to Coonoor over Ooty. Ooty is more urbanized compared to Coonoor. For tourists visiting Ooty, Coonoor serves as a one day picnic spot.



Coonoor during Spring



One can enjoy the Coonoor - Ooty journey through the oldest mountain railways in India - The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, which offers an amazing traveling experience and is been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is so much to visit and enjoy in Coonoor. Bird watching is considered to be one for the most enjoyable activity in Coonoor, given the spectacular varieties of birds such as babblers, larks, cuckoo, robin, vultures, eagles and song birds. The annual Tea & Tourism Festival attracts thousands of tourists from all around the world to Coonoor. Similarly the Annual Fruit & Vegetable Festival is also quite popular in Coonoor.



Nilgiri Mountain Railway Connecting Coonoor to Ooty


Best Time to Visit Coonoor


The best time to visit Coonoor is from March to June and September to October. Visit to Coonoor should be avoided during monsoon. The peak season time for Coonoor is from April to June given the vacations.

What To Do in Coonoor


Soak in the panoramic beauty

Enjoy the visit to Nilgiri tea plantations.

Enjoy nature trails

Enjoy bird watching

Enjoy trekking in Coonoor

Visit the lush landscapes and scenic beauty of Coonoor

Enjoy the Nilgiri Mountain train journey.

Visit the best places in Coonoor

Enjoy the local festivals

Festivals in Coonoor


The annual Tea and Tourism Festival attracts travelers and tourists from all over the world to Coonoor. The Annual Fruit & Vegetable Festival is also quite popular in Coonoor.



Sim's Park in Coonoor

What To Shop In Coonoor


Tea, Tea, Tea

Spices

Organic food products such as honey and fresh-made jams from peach, pear, mulberry and passion fruit

Aromatic oils such as lavender and eucalyptus

Gourmet gift items such as chocolates, aromatic teas and cheese

Shadow-work bedsheets

Embroidered clothing items such as pillow cases, towels, cushion covers and bed-sheets from handicraft emporiums

Warm fabric clothing such as scarves, shawls and sweaters

Antique tea-sets, table and other items

Toda jewelry



Coonoor Tea Estates




Places of Interest in Coonoor


Sim's Park


Spread over an area of 30 acres, Sim's Park is one of the most delightful places to visit in Coonoor. This park is located 4 km from Coonoor Railway Station and is usually crowded during peak season. Sim's Park serves as a nature park cum botanical garden as it houses and exhibits innumerable species of flora which otherwise are rarely sighted in Ooty. Sim's Park boasts of it's landscapic walkways and lush scenic surroundings. Sim's Park also has a lake which offers boating facility to tourists. The annual Fruit and Vegetable Festival is hosted in Sim's Park every year. This park is open all days throughout the season.

Timings - 8:30 am to 6:00 pm

Park Entry Fees for adults - INR 10

Park Entry Fees for children - INR 2

Charges for Still Camera - INR 35

Charges for Video Camera - INR 250

Laws Falls


One of the most popular attractions of Coonoor is the Laws Falls which is located 5 km from Coonoor Railway Station. The Laws Falls can be accessed through the Coonoor - Mettupalayam road. The Laws Falls roars through multiple cascades, breaking several times within the rocky mountain range and falls at a height of 30 feet,  emerging into a pool. It's popularity among tourist is huge, given the waterfall's beauty amidst the scenic surroundings. This waterfall manages to draw large number of tourists, especially post monsoons. The access road is beautiful to drive on and the ride is enjoyable. There is no entry fee for Laws Fall and should be visited during day time.


Laws Falls in Coonoor


Lamb's Rock


Lamb's Rock is one of the most popular Coonoor's Suicide Point and best visited picnic spot. Reaching Lamb's Rock is a thrilling trek which offers a scenic expanse of the majestic landscape full of tranquility. The place got its name Lamb's Rock from Captain Lamb who revamped the whole place during British Raj. This place is also known as Echo Rock. It is mostly popular as a film shooting area. The drive to Lamb's Rock is enjoyable and the winding narrow road is fenced by tea ad coffee plantations on both sides.  Most popular activities to enjoy at Lamb's Rock include trekking, photography and viewing the beautiful landscapes. There is no entry fee to visit this place.

Dolphin's Nose


Dolphin's Nose is one of the popular picnic spot in Coonoor and is located 7 km from Coonoor Railway Station. Dolphin's Nose is a rock situated 5075 feet above sea level and it is named so because the tip of the peak resembles the nose of a dolphin. The rock formation of the Dolphin's Nose is enormous  and once you are here you can view the deep ravines and gigantic mountains on the both sides of this point. The hairpin turns and tea plantations add beauty to the existing panorama. The journey to Dolphin's Nose through winding roads, dense jungles and tea estates is scenic and relaxing. With clear and bright skies, one can get a glimpse of St. Catherine Falls from here. Activities like horse riding can be done here. There is no entry fee for Dolphin's Nose.


Dolphin's Nose in Coonoor


Katary Falls


Located 10 km from Coonoor is the third largest waterfall of Nilgiris District - The Katary Falls. Katary Falls falls from a height of 180 feet. The view is panoramic as the waterfall gushes amidst lush vegetation from a high mountain cliff. Reaching the Katary Waterfalls is difficult and one can access the Katary Waterfall by trekking. Katary Waterfall is at it's best during monsoon and post monsoon with gushing water and misty mountains.  The Kateri Hydroelectric System on this waterfall is India's first hydel power plant.



Winding roads view from Lady Canning's Seat of Coonoor




Lady Canning's Seat


Lady Canning's Seat is one of the popular view point of Coonoor. Located 8 km from Coonoor on the same road ahead of Lamb's Rock, Lady Canning's Seat offers mesmerizing view of the scenic surroundings which comprises of lush green Nilgiri hills, misty atmosphere, dense tea estates, meandering village roads, Lamptons Peak, Doorg Fort and a beautiful vintage mansion amidst the greenery. This popular point of Coonoor got it's name because it was the favorite spot of Lady Charlotte Canning, wife of Lord Canning. It is said that Lady Canning used to spend most of her time sitting here and admiring beauty of the surrounding valleys. Lady Canning's Seat also offers few trekking options for avid trekkers. Activities that can be enjoyed here include trekking and photography. There is no entry fee for Lady Canning's Seat. The place could be little foggy at early morning. The best time to visit Lady Canning's Seat is from 8 am to 6 pm.




How to reach Coonoor


The Peelamedu Airport in Coimbatore is the nearest airport for Coonoor. Coonoor is 71 km from Coimbatore and 32 km away from Mettupalayam. There are no direct trains from Coimbatore to Coonoor. The best serving option is to hire private cabs from Coimbatore to Coonoor. Hiring cabs or private taxis from Coimbatore to Coonoor is pretty expensive. The only cheapest way to travel to Coimbatore is by mountain train or to hire private taxis from Mettupalayam. One can travel to Mettupalayam from Coimbatore by Nilgiri Express and hire a private taxi from here to Coonoor. The distance from Coimbatore to Mettupalayam is 33 km.  MTP UAM PASSR(Nilgiri Mountain Railway) is the only train that ply between Mettupalayam to Coonoor.

Coonoor is located 20 km from Ooty. Coonoor is connected to Ooty by the famous meter gauge railway - The Nilgiri Mountain railway. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Ooty to Mettupalayam ply regularly to Coonoor.  There are multiple train timings for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway that ply regularly between Coonoor Railway Station to Ooty Railway Station  and Coonoor Railway Station  and Mettupalayam Railway Station.

Learn more about How to Reach Ooty

Distance from Peelamedu Airport to Coonoor - 77 km

Distance from Calicut International Airport to Coonoor - 110 km

Distance from Coimbatore city to Coonoor - 71 km

Distance from Mettupalayam to Coonoor - 32 km

Distance from Ooty to Coonoor  - 20 km

Image source - Google

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