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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 trekking and 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.
Coonoor is a city and a municipality in The Nilgiris District in the state
of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a small quiet hill town in the Nilgiri hills in
southern India. It has a reputation for being a reality-defying idyllic
Shangri-La of sorts. However the growing networked economy and the rampant
influx of tourists to the region in the past few decades have eroded this
image of Coonoor to some degree.
Coonoor hills are among the more scenic spots in Tamil Nadu and consequently
attract enormous amounts of tourists during the hot Indian summer months.
The town’s infrastructure often finds itself unable to handle the tourist
inflow, and life turns especially chaotic when the local horticultural
society holds its annual “Fruit Show” at the peak of the tourist season
hosted at Sim's Park.
Culture :- Coonoor’s dominant demographic is a healthy mix of
religions, languages and cultures - caused by the tourists who decide to
retire here. Christianity is a dominant minority religion with many locals
practicing Christianity along with Hinduism or Islam.
Economy :- Coonoor's economy relies primarily on the seasonal tourist
traffic during the summer months and on the tea industry year round. The
town is the second largest in the Nilgiri hills after Ooty, the district
head quarters.
The massive private tea plantations that surround the hills produce fresh
green tea leaves which are picked, processed and packaged in bulk in local
factories for sale at auction houses in Coonoor.
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HOW
TO REACH
By Air - Coimbatore airport is nearest to Coonoor, it has daily flights to
and from Madras, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum.
By Rail - Toy train route between Mettupalayam and Ooty has Coonoor in its
route. Another alternative is from Coimbatore, it takes around 3 hrs to
Coonoor.
By Road - Regular bus services from Coimbatore,Ooty and Kotagiri makes
Coonoor well connected.
WHEN TO GO
Best time to travel Coonoor is October To March.
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WHAT TO SEE |
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Sim's Park :- Sim's Park is an important place to
visit in Coonoor. It is a 12-hectare park having a collection of over
1,000 plant species including magnolia, pines, tree ferns and camellia.
The botanical garden developed partly in the Japanese style got its name
after J. D. Sim, the secretary of the Madras Club in 1874. The key
attraction of the park is the annual fruit and vegetable. |
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The Pasteur Institute :- It is very near to the
Sim's Park. The Pasteur Institute came into existence in 1907. It
specializes in the research for vaccines for rabies and polio.
The institute can be visited only on Saturdays. However, on other days,
one can visit the institute with the prior permission of the Director of
the Institute. The tour of the Institute is guided. |
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Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint :- The Dolphin's Nose
Viewpoint, which is 10 km from Coonoor. It is an important place to
visit. It not only provides a panoramic view of the vast expanse of the
Nilgiri hills but also of the famous Catherine Falls. |
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Lamb's Rock :- Lamb's rock is situated about 8 km
from Coonoor. It provides guest an awesome view of Coimbatore plains.
From here one can view the tea and coffee plantations of coonoor. |
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Pomological Station :- It is an institute working
as a research center of the State Agricultural Department for persimmon,
pomegranates and apricots. |
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St. Catherine Falls :- There are two falls and is
about 5 km from Kothagiri on the way to mettupalayam Road. The upper
fall 250 feet is the second largest in the Nilgiris Beautiful view of
forest and woodlands, ever green tea garden and Mettupalayam plains can
be seen from here. |
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Kodanadu View Point :- It is located i18 km from
Kothagiri. The Kodanad Tea factory is situated here. A beautiful view of
the river major dividing the Nilgiri’s and Erode District. And also can
see Tamil nadu & Karnataka Borders. This is best view point on the Blue
Mountains and provides Good view on a bright sunny day. |
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Mukkurthi National Park :-It is located on the
high altitudes of the Nilgiris, interspersed with temperate sholas. This
park is also a part of Nilgiri Bio-sphere reserve and situated 40 km
from Udhagamandalam. Trekking routes exist from Parsan valley, Portimund,
Pykara etc. Trout fishing is recommended in the rivers and lakes of
Mukurthi. |
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WHERE TO EAT
There are few good restaurants in town.
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