Coonoor-The popular get-away (Photo Gallery)

Every place along the 'Blue Mountain' belt has the characteristic romantic appeal to the senses. 1,800 metres above sea level, this is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiris, surrounded by tea plantations. Coonoor is on the toy-train line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty. A popular pastime is bird watching, as an extensive variety of birds can be spotted. The main attraction is the Sim's Park; a small well maintained botanical garden that has several varieties of plants. It is about 19 kms from Ooty. The British developed Ooty as a very popular hill station for them to avoid the devastating Indian summer.

Getting there:
Air:
The nearest airport is in Coimbatore, 100 km away. You can catch a direct flight to Coimbatore from Chennai, Kozhikode, Bangalore and Mumbai. Indian Airlines flies Delhi-Kochi via Mumbai and Coimbatore.

Rail:
Nearest broad gauge railway head is Mettupalayam (46 kms). Major broadgauge railway junction is Coimbatore. It is connected with all major cities. Mettupalayam to Ooty, is connected by a Mountain Railway which is 4 hours journey.

Road:
Ooty is well connected by good roads. There is a regular bus service from Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Calicut, Kanyakumari, Tanjavur, Tirupati and Cochin. Buses ply regularly to Mudhumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Kotagiri, Coonoor and Doddabeta.

Accommodation:
MGM Hill Worth Resorts - Deluxe, Riga Residency, Wellington, Taj Garden Retreat, The Kurumba Village Resort

Weather and Best Time To Visit:
Temperature: In summer: maximum - 25oC, minimum - 21oC. Winter: Maximum - 10oC, Minimum - 5oC.
Its climate is milder than Ooty and the weather remains pleasantly cool throughout the year.

The best time to visit is between April and June and September - November.