In the lap of nature and the Niligiri Hills Coonoor is a picturesque hill resort. Since long the hill resort of Coonoor has attracted the holidaymakers, nature lovers, adventure seekers, film directors et al alike. The rich flora and fauna add to the beauty of the hill resort. The other famous hill resort of the Nilgiris is that of Ooty/ Udhagamandalam/ Ootacamund. Besides nature spots Coonoor offers opportunities for adventure sports like trekking and hiking too. In the summer months the hill resort is crowded with refugees from the hot and dusty plains.

Location

The famous hill resort of Coonoor lies in the lap of the Niligiri Hills. In fact Coonoor is located is an altitude of 1800 m. Geographically speaking, Coonoor lies at the head of Hulikal ravine.

In the lap of nature and the Niligiri Hills Coonoor is a picturesque hill resort. Since long the hill resort of Coonoor has attracted the holidaymakers, nature lovers, adventure seekers, film directors et al alike. The rich flora and fauna add to the beauty of the hill resort. The other famous hill resort of the Nilgiris is that of Ooty/ Udhagamandalam/ Ootacamund. Besides nature spots Coonoor offers opportunities for adventure sports like trekking and hiking too. In the summer months the hill resort is crowded with refugees from the hot and dusty plains.The hill resort of Coonoor has attracted people since long. It was way back in 1819 that the British were attracted to its temperate climate. The beauty of the nature accelerated its popularity. The settlements, tea plantations and the railway line followed the British at Coonoor. Till date the hill resort remains popular with the tourists.

Sites to Visit

The hill resort of Coonoor has several places worth visiting. In order to enjoy the beauty of nature you must visit the Sim's park. The beautiful park is spread over twelve hectares of land. While in the Park you can check out as many as one thousand species of plants. There are the magnolia, pines, tree ferns and camellia, which are worth seeing. It is a nice idea to capture the beautiful botanical garden in cameras and videos since photography is allowed inside the park. Sim's Park is the venue of the fruit and vegetable show held each year in the month of May. It is mentionable that the Park gets its name from J.D. Sim who was the secretary of the Madras Club in the year 1874.

Close to the Sim's Park lies the Pasteur Institute. The Pasteur Institute was founded way back in 1907. The institute is renowned for its research in the field of developing vacancies against diseases like rabies and polio. Since it is not a public place in Coonoor you need to follow the timings decided for visiting the institute. You may seek approval of your visit from the Director of the institute. The guided tour of the institute is indeed an experience in itself.

Then there is the landmark of Pomological Station in Coonoor. The Pomological Station is in fact a research centre of the State Agricultural Department. The centre carries in research for persimmon, pomegranates, and apricot. The Bird watchers visiting Coonoor will be delighted to spot species like the cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, Nilgiri verditer, etc.

Sites Near By

The hill resort of Coonoor has several excursion options. While holidaying in Coonoor you may plan up a trip the sites near by that are worth visiting.

Around five km from Coonoor are the lovely waterfalls of Law's Falls. Tourists heading towards Mettupalayam should not miss the Law's Falls.

Less than six km from the hill resort of Coonoor is the vintage point of Lamb's Rock. From the Lamb's Rock you may check out the spectacular sights of the surrounding landscape. There are several tea and coffee plantations that add beauty to the vintage point.

At a distance of ten km from Coonoor is the Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint. The natural beauty of the Dolphin's Nose viewpoint attracts several tourists. At the viewpoint you may enjoy the wondrous vistas of the Nilgiris. Plus refresh your senses at the famous Catherine falls.

Besides nature spots there is the excursion to Droog. Droog is a place of historic importance. Just thirteen km from the hill resort of Coonoor Droog is trip in history. At Droog you must visit the 16th century Fort of Tipu Sultan that lies in ruins now.

In the Niligiri Hills itself besides Coonoor there is the other popular hill resort of Ooty. Ooty is nineteen km away from Coonoor and us also known as Udhagamandalam and Ootacamund. There are several places of tourist interest in Ooty like its lake, gardens and structures revealing colonial architecture. For the adventure seekers Ooty offers opportunities for boating, horse riding, trekking, hiking et al.

What to Buy

Holiday without a shopping spree is certainly not complete. So while holidaying in the hill resort of Coonoor you must pick up the South Indian artifacts. There are several renowned shops in Coonoor from where you may buy the artifacts. These Artifacts make excellent purchases as gift items and souvenirs from Coonoor.

How to Reach

Local transportation within and around Coonoor is not a problem. You may choose from taxis, buses and auto-rickshaws that are readily available in Coonoor at reasonable rates.

The Airport at Coimbatore caters to the air transportation to Coonoor. It is the nearest airport to Coonoor, at a distance of 71 km. The hill resort of Coonoor has a toy train station. Coonoor lies on the toy-train line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty (19 km). The toy train leaves Mettupalayam for Ooty and reaches Coonoor in between. You can enjoy the train ride though it often gets disrupted due to the monsoons. The excellent road network links Coonoor with other important places. There are regular bus services that link the hill resort of Coonoor with Coimbatore and Ooty.

Best Time to Visit

Coonoor experiences cool and pleasant weather all through the year. The hill resort has summer months from April to June, which are mild. Though the winters that last from November to February and are cool. Between July and September the southwestern monsoons hit Coonoor. Thus making the time from October to March the best to visit Coonoor.

Where to Stay

Accommodation options are easily available in Coonoor. There are several luxury, deluxe and budget hotels that cater to the needs of the tourists to Coonoor.

Fairs and Festival

The hill resort of Coonoor hosts several interesting festivals. Firstly there is the annual fruit and vegetable festival that is hosted at the Sim's Park. Tourists from across the globe get attracted to the festival organized in May each year.

Then there is the tea and tourism festival hosted in Coonoor. The annual festival attracts tea connoisseurs from the world over in January at Coonoor. It is noteworthy that the hill resort of Coonoor lies in the Nilgiri Mountains that are renowned for tea plantations. Some of the better-known tea brands from Coonoor are the Orthodox, CTC and Green Leaf.