tamilnadu

HILLSTATIONS OF TAMIL NADU

Coonoor:

Coonoor (Tamil : குன்னூர் )is a town and a municipality in the Nilgiris district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for its production of Nilgiri tea. Recently it has experienced a growing networked economy and a significant influx of tourists.

Coonoor is located at an altitude of 1,800 m above sea level, and is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri hills. The verdant Coonoor is an ideal base for a number of trekking expeditions leading into the Nilgiris. You can trek to discover and explore the major tourist attractions that are located within the reach of Coonoor.

One of the popular trekking trails leads Tourists to Lamb’s Rock that is 9 km from Coonoor. Lamb’s Rock overlooks the Coimbatore plains, providing a spectacular view of the tea and coffee plantations. A little ahead of Lamb’s Rock is located the Lady Canning’s Seat that offers a panoramic view of the Nilgiris.

Tourist can trek from Lady Canning’s Seat to Dolphin’s Seat, which is located 12 km from Coonoor. Also, you can trek to Law’s Falls, which is located 5 km from Coonoor. You can then trek from the falls to Droog that is located at a distance of 13 km from Coonoor.

Droog is also known as Pakkasuran Kottai. You will find the ruins of a 16th century fort in Droog. The fort is located at a height of 750 m, and there are innumerable medicinal springs in the vicinity.

Coonoor provides the traveller with the panoramic view of the lush green Nilgiri hills, with its ravines, valleys, and waterfalls. Bird watching is a popular pastime in Coonoor, as the area boasts of a large variety of species like cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, Nilgiri verditer, etc. Travellers can take a walk through the tea gardens. There are number of hiking trails around Coonoor. Travellers can enjoy the exhilarating and unique ride on the toy train that connects Coonoor with Mettupalayam and Ooty. The trip provides some breathtaking views of the Nilgiri hills in all its natural glory.

Other Attractions:

Sim's Park:

The Sim's Park is an important place to visit in Coonoor. Spread in an area of 12 ha, the park has a collection of over 1,000 plant species, including magnolia, pines, tree ferns, and camellia. The botanical garden is partly developed in the Japanese style and derived its name from J. D. Sim, the secretary of the Madras Club in 1874. The key attraction of the park is the annual fruit and vegetable show held in May.

Pomological Station:

The institute is a research centre of the State Agricultural Department for persimmon, pomegranates, and apricot.

Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint:

The Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint is 10 km from Coonoor and is a spectacular spot to visit. It not only provides a panoramic view of the vast expanse of the Nilgiri Hills but also of the famous Catherine Falls.

Lamb’s Rock:

On way to Dolphin's Nose, about 5½ km from Coonoor, lies Lamb's Rock, another vantage point to view the fantastic landscape and the tea and coffee plantations.

Droog:

At a distance of 13 km from Coonoor, Droog takes one into the past, with the ruins of a fort, which was once used by Tipu Sultan in the 16th century.

Law's Falls:

The majestic falls are 5 km from Coonoor, on the way to Mettupalayam.

Ooty:

The famous hill station of Ooty, also known as the queen of hill stations is 19 km northwest of Coonoor. Ooty is an immensely popular tourist destination. Like Coonoor, Ooty is also set amongst the green settings of the Nilgiri hills and is famous for its lake, gardens, and colonial architecture. You can enjoy a number of outdoor activities like horse riding, trekking, hiking, and boating in Ooty.

Katary Falls:

It is one of the most admirable places in the world. It can be said as the centroid of the Nilgiris district. It is positioned at the centre. The main place of attraction is the power station which supplies a power of 1000KW of power every five hours and pumps water as a raw material to Cordite factory Aruvankadu which is the backbone of the Indian military weapons.

Kodaikanal:

Kodaikanal (Tamil: கோடைக்கானல்) is a cityin the hills of the taluk division of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination. It's a lot cooler in temperature than lower elevation cities such as Chennai.

Kodaikanal was established in 1845 as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains.Much of the local economy is based on the hospitality industry serving tourism.

Ooty:

Ooty , short for Ootacamund   (officially, Udhagamandalam (Tamil: உதகமண்டலம்) sometimes abbreviated to Udhagai Tamil: உதகை), is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. Udhagamandalam is the official Tamil name for the town. Ooty stands at an approximate height of 7,500 feet (2, 286 m) above sea level.

Tourist and historical landmarks:

Some of the important tourist / historical landmarks of Ooty are as listed below.

• Ooty Botanical Gardens:

The 22 Acre Botanical Garden was laid out in 1847 and is presently maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The original purpose of the "Botanical Gardens" was purely academic: to promote and study the various flora in and around Nilgiris. Now, it is open to the public as a park that can be enjoyed by visitors. The Botanical Garden is a lush green and well maintained Botanical garden. A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held every year in the month of May at this garden. The garden also has a 20 million year old fossilized tree. One can find a diverse variety of flora, ranging from rare trees like the cork tree, the paper bark tree, and the monkey puzzle tree, flowering bushes and plants, fern house consists of ferns and orchids. Another major attraction is an Italian-style garden bordering a pool. The place is also an ideal location for bird watching.

• Ooty Lake & Boat House:

  This is an artificial lake built by John Sullivan. It used to be much larger than its present size of 4 km² and is 2.5 km in length, and encompassed the present bus stand and race course as well as much of the present market. Boating is the major attraction at the lake. The boat rise allows visitors to enjoy the serene environs at a laid-back pace. The lake is bound by grooves of eucalyptus trees which augment the scenic beauty of the area. Next to the lake there is a Mini Garden with an amusement park for children and a toy train.

• Stone House:

This was the first "Pukka" house in Ooty(now called old Ooty), built by John Sullivan. It is situated inside the premises of the Government Arts College. It now houses the government office.

• Toda Huts:

There are a few number of Toda Huts up in the hills of Botanical Garden were Todas still dwell.

• Railway Station:

The railhead of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. The station itself is part of this World Heritage Site. Ooty Railway station offers a unique glimpse of the British raj built railways.

• St. Stephen's Church:

This one of the oldest churches in the town, it architecture is essentially old style with tall spires. It is located near the District Court house building.

• Wax World, Ooty:

A wax museum that houses life-size look-alike wax statues of personalities of Indian history, culture and heritage housed in a 142 year old bungalow

• Ooty Golf Links;

A forested and grassy area, partially home to a golf course.

Tourist spots around Ooty:

Ooty is situated in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Many of the forested areas and water bodies are off limits to most visitors in order to protect this fragile ecosystem. Some areas of the Biosphere Reserve have been earmarked for Tourism Development, and steps are being undertaken to open these areas to visitors whilst conserving the area. Much of Ooty has already been damaged by rampant commercialisation as a result of tourism. Some of the most prominent tourist spots around Ooty are as follows:

• Doddabetta Peak:

The highest point in the Nilgiri Hills, offering spectacular views over the town and district. There is road access to the summit. There is a reserved forest area around the peak.

• Tea Plantations:

Tea plantations are present at a lower altitude and attract a large number of tourists by their picturuesque nature.

• Ketti Valley:

This valley is referred to as the 'Switzerland of Southern India' due to the year-round pleasant climatic conditions. There is a view point called "Valley View" on the main Ooty to Coonoor road.

• Pykara Lake Boat House and Pykara falls:

This is the most accessible of all the nearby lakes. A boathouse and picnic area has been developed to provide access to this area. Most of the remainder of the lake is within a reserved forest and off limits to visitors.

• Pine Forest:

Situated between Ooty and Thalakunda. This tourist destination known as pine forest (locally also known as pinus forest) was once featured in the Tamil movie song "Deena". It is a small downhill region where pine trees are arranged in an orderly fashion.

• Wenlock Downs:

This is a grassland area typical of the original bio scape of the Nilgiris. It has gently undulating hills, and is often compared with areas in the British isles such as the Yorkshire Dales. This is a popular film shooting area, particularly two areas situated approximately six and nine miles (14 km) out of Ooty on the main Ooty to Pykara road (also known as Mysore Road). These locations are accordingly named "Sixth Mile" and "Ninth Mile".

• Kamraj Sagar Lake:

This lake is situated on the way to Pykara lake.

• Mudumalai National Park:

Situated at a lower altitude and easily accessible to visitors. It borders the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.

• Mukurthi National Park:

A large protected area generally not accessible to visitors. It also contains a lake and peak of the same name.

• Needle hill view point:

A viewpoint situated between Gudalaur and Pykara.

• Parsons Valley Reservoir:

This is the primary water source for the town and is mainly in a reserved forest and is thus largely off-limits to visitors.

• Emerald Lake:

This lake is situated near the town of the same name. There is a view point near the dam. The rest of the are is mainly in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors

• Avalanche Lake:

Adjacent to the Emerald lake, this picturesque lake is mainly situated in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors

• Porthimund Lake:

This is mostly situated in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors

• Upper Bhavani Lake:

This lake is within the Mukurthi National Park and also largely off limits to visitors.

• Kalhatti Waterfalls:

This waterfall plummets down from a height of 122 m. There is an ancient temple named Veerabhadreshwara Temple here which is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

 Valparai:

Valparai (வால்பாறை in Tamil) is a Municipality in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Valparai is located 3,500 feet above sea level on the Anaimalai Hills range of the Western Ghats.Valparai is at a distance of 95 kms from Coimbatore

Though popularly known as Cherrapunji of South India, Valparai remains somewhat untouched. Owned mostly by private tea companies, a large part of the area is out of bounds for tourists. Interestingly, the Govt. of Tamil Nadu with the assistance of the Govt. of India has taken initiatives to promote tourism and develop infrastructure such as hotels, amusement parks etc to attract visitors

Yelagiri:

Yelagiri is a hill-station on the Vaniyambadi-Tirupattur Road, midway between Chennai and Bangalore Located at an altitude of 1,050 metres (3,500 ft) and spread across 30 km², the Yelagiri village (also spelt Elagiri at times) is surrounded by orchards, rose-gardens, and green valleys.

How to Reach:

The nearest airport to Yelagiri is the Chennai International Airport which handles both domestic and international flights. Reaching here, one can hire a taxi to reach Yelagiri. If you are coming by train from Bangalore, Chennai or Coimbatore then you will have to get down at Jolarpettai Junction which is the nearest railhead to Yelagiri.

From Bangalore, get on to Hosur Road, national highway 7 and head towards Krishnagiri. The 4-lane National Highway is excellent and you should make it in less than 2 hours. At Krishnagiri, there's a toll-gate manned by the National Highways Authority. Pay your toll and at the second flyover (don't go over the flyover), take the service road towards the left. This road goes to Chennai. Take the left and for the next hour or so, drive on NH46. You'll come to another toll-station. Pay and drive for a few minutes till you see Vanni Matriculation Higher Secondary School. Further up you'll see a sign 'Elagiri' (36 km) indicated by a 'U' turn arrow and that you need to keep left, take the 'U' turn, go under the bridge and on to the road towards Thirupathur. That's the road you need to get on to. Drive for about 7 kilometers. On the left, you'll see a big sign board 'Tamilnadu Tourism Department Welcomes You'. Turn left at this junction, there's a sign board pointing towards yelagiri

Yercaud:

Yercaud is a hill station near Salem, Tamil Nadu, India in the Servarayan range of hills (anglicized as Shevaroys) in the Eastern Ghats. It is at an altitude of 1515 metres (4969 feet) above the mean sea level. The town gets its name from the lake located at its center - in Tamil "Yeri" means "lake" and "Kaadu" means "forest". Yercaud is known for coffee plantations and orange groves. It also has an orchidarium run by the Botanical Survey of India.

The highest point in Yercaud is the Servarayan temple. Hence the Yercaud hill area is called Shevaroy Hills.

Yercaud is also known as Poor mans Ooty.