MOUNTAIN ESCAPES
| COONOOR |
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| Coonoor guide >>> Coonoor travel guide and tourist information on
Coonoor, how to get to Coonoor, also details on sightseeing in Coonoor, best time to visit
Coonoor and accommodation in Coonoor |
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Charming, pretty Coonoor is an uncrowded
little hill station in the Nilgiris, in Tamilnadu. The green hills of Coonoor are radiant
with tea plantations, gardens and flowers. The whole hill station has an unpolluted,
unhurried grace, making it quite the place for a peaceful sojourn. Though the town has
traditionally been overshadowed by big brother and popular neighbour Ooty, Coonoor is
definitely less commercialised and has a more predictable climate.The drive to Coonoor is
breathtaking and winds around a dozen hairpin bends. The market and commercial heart of
the town is in Lower Coonoor and the residences are clustered in Upper Coonoor. Most of
the bungalows are old-fashioned with lattice windows, red tiled roofs, manicured lawns and
rose bushes.
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Sim's Park in Upper Coonoor
is a beautifully landscaped garden in the middle of a ravine. A profusion of trees,
flowers, shrubs and ferns pepper the woods, right down to the lake at the bottom of the
ravine.
Coonoor has many panoramic lookout points along the hillside. From Lamb's Rock,
a pretty picnic spot 6 km out of Coonoor, there is a breathtaking view of the gaping
Burliyar ravine, and the green ghats rising out of the Mettupalayam plains. A little
further is Lady Canning's Seat, the lookout point favoured by the
viceroy's wife, and Dolphin's Nose, an interesting rocky outcrop. A
series of falls - St. Catherine's Falls, Law's Falls and Kateri
Falls- gush over cliffs and canyons, carving deep chasms in the rock face. The
ruins of Droog fortress is a wonderful summit for bird-watchers and you have a truly
spectacular view of the plains all around. So come
to Coonoor and get one step closer to heaven...
Getting to Coonoor
Coonoor is 300 km from Bangalore, 110 km from Coimbatore and 18 km from Ooty. The nearest
airport is at Coimbatore, from where you can drive up to Coonoor in about 2 hours. Lower
Coonoor is connected by mountain rail and bus to Ooty. While the train journey is scenic,
the buses are crowded and a little unpredictable.
Within Coonoor you can hire cycles or take auto-rickshaws.
Best time to visit Coonoor
Though Coonoor is a year-round destination, the best time to come here is in winter -
October to March, after the monsoons are over. The winters see cool days and chilly
nights, but the summer can be warm and rainy.
Accommodation in Coonoor
There are a few hotels and tourist lodges in Coonoor, and the Club, where you can find
decent accommodation. If you are lucky enough to be invited, most tea estates in Coonoor
have private guesthouses that make wonderful retreats. |
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