coonoor

Coonoor is located in the western part of Tamil Nadu and is just 19 kms from Ooty. It is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri Hills. There is a wide variety of wildflowers and birds and is also a popular spot for trekking and hiking. You will find vast expanse of tea plantations and there is a toy train which connects Coonoor with some of the other hill stations of Nilgiris. It is situated at an altitude of 1850 m above sea level and so the weather remains very pleasant throughout the year. The main attraction at Coonoor is the Sim's Park which is well maintained botanical garden that has several varieties of plants. It is called a paradise for Bird Watchers and provides travellers a panoramic view of the lush green Nilgiri hills. A number of birds like pipits, thrushes, cormorants, parakeets and skylarks can be seen in this area.

Tourist Attractions

The Sim's Park

The Sim's Park is spread over an area of 12 hectares and has an amazing collection of over 1,000 plant species like the magnolia, pines and camellia. It is a well maintained botanical garden. The park was developed partly in the Japanese style and it got its name after J. D. Sim, the secretary of the Madras Club in 1874. The main attraction of the park is the annual fruit and vegetable show held in May.

Nilgiris

The Nilgiris have hill stations at various altitudes, it is a very popular destination for tourists as there are cloud-kissing peaks, forests, streams, green plains, drops, valleys and glades. Nilgiris district is spread around 2,500 sq kms. The Nilgiris and tea gardens of Coonoor together complete the picture of Coonoor. The Nilgiris radiate the beauty of tea gardens and the hill station of Coonoor reflects the true colours of nature.

The Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint

Located at a distance of some 10 kms from Coonoor the Dolphin's Nose provides a panoramic view of the Nilgiri hills. There is another viewpoint called the Lamb's Rock near it located at a distance of around 5 kms.

Mamallapuram

Mamallapuram or otherwise called Mahabalipuram is located at a distance of 58 Kms from Chennai. There is the very famous seventh century Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram. This temple was built by the Pallava King, Rajasimha and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Shiva. The other attractions at the place is Arjuna's Penance, Mahabalipuram Caves, the Rathas and Krishna Mandapam.

Travel

Coonoor is well connected by a good network of roads with Ooty, Coimbatore and Kotagiri. There is a toy train connecting the toy train with the hill stations of Ooty and Mettupalayam.