Discovering Kotagiri And Exploring Ooty & Coonoor

A lesser known cousin of Ooty and Coonoor, Kotagiri is situated at a towering elevation of 1793 metres above sea level. This relatively small and unexplored hill station in the Nilgiris with scenic trek trails, has a beautiful ambience and positive aura. The name Kotagiri translates to “mountain of the Kotas”. The Kotas are a shy, reluctant and steadily dwindling artisans’ tribe who have been living in Kotagiri for centuries.

Kotagiri is first location in the Nilgiris, which was discovered and converted into a settlement by the British Government. The colonial influence is distinctly visible in the architecture of its buildings and churches. You are almost transported to the Victorian era as you walk through the streets of this quaint town. It was from here that Ralph Thomas Hotchkin Griffith, the son of a Christian missionary, set about to translate the Vedas into English.

Reaching Kotagiri

Coimbatore International Airport is the closest airport to Kotagiri. Board a flight to Coimbatore and then either take the Kotagiri Ghat route or travel to Coonoor from Coimbatore and then divert from there to Kotagiri. Kotagiri is at a distance of approximately 75 kms from Coimbatore Airport. I hopped into a cab from airport that took me through Mettupalayam and Aravenu to reach the scenic Kotagiri.

Travelling by road is one of the best options to reach Kotagiri. The place is approximately 29 km from Ooty and 19 km from Coonoor. The Kotagiri Ghat route, which is the oldest known route to the Nilgiris from the plains, is the best way to get around.

Accommodation

There are sufficient accommodation choices available in Kotagiri. Browse through MakeMyTrip.com or Booking.com to find an accommodation that suits your mood and budgets. Homestays, Guest houses, Luxurious resorts, Kotagiri has something for everyone.  

I checked in to Nahar Retreat and Spa, which is centrally located yet in the lap of nature offering peace and solitude. The property is well maintained with a vast lawn and clean rooms. The vegetarian fare is palatable. The management however is stickler for timings and rigid when it comes to serving before or after the fixed times. It isn’t something preferred by those who prefer to holiday at their own pace. For me the lawn was the highlight where I spent good time soaking in the view of the valley, natural beauty of lush green forests, aromatic tea plantations and misty mountain peaks.

Exploring Kotagiri

Kotagiri is endowed with lush green flora and fauna accentuated with a grey blue skyline that makes the floral colour pops stand out in the Nilgiris. Located in the heart of emerald hills enveloped in shola forests, Kotagiri is much more peaceful, quieter and more beautiful than other popular hill stations in the region. Plush with tea estates and surrounded by the never-ending mountain ranges, Kotagiri is a fine example of heaven with its eternally scenic landscape sprinkled with Victorian architecture.

I hired a local cab to take me around the place. The driver, Selvan doubled up as a guide and photographer as I set about to explore the gems of Kotagiri, Ooty & Coonoor; one place at a time over two days…. Tamil & Hindi music in the car, made my experience even more entertaining!

Passing through Kota temple and massive tea estates owned by Jaya Lalita, I set about to explore the first destination for the day. 

Kodanad View Point: At an altitude of about 1793 m above sea level, Kotagiri is blessed with ample viewpoints. The Kodanad View Point is one such famous place that mesmerized all its visitors with beautiful sceneries of the Nilgiri ranges. You get a panoramic view of the Catherine Falls, the Rangaswamy Peak, the Dolphin's Nose, the Moyar River and the Bhavanisagar Dam all interspersed with the lush green landscape of the tea estates.

Catherine Falls: Located at Aravenu, which is at a distance of 8 km from Kotagiri on the Mettupalayam Road, this double cascading waterfall was named after the wife of M. D. Cockburn. The couple was among the first settlers in Kotagiri and also responsible for initiating the cultivation of coffee here. Dropping from an elevation of 250 ft, Catherine Waterfall is the second highest in the entire Nilgiris. The falls come down to further join the Kallar River and is fondly called Geddhehaada Halla, which in translation means "foothills of the Dale River". This scenic and fun trek trail to Catherine Falls is through tea gardens and descending mud road scattered with pebbles. Enroute, you meet local villagers, weirdly colored domestic cats and cattle and birds. 

John Sullivan Memorial: John Sullivan Memorial is located at Kannerimukku, 2 kilometres from the centre of the Kotagiri town. John Sullivan was the first English civil servant to settle in Ooty and the reason why the Nilgiris are the way they are today. The Memorial was constructed on what was once his residence. Known as the Pethakal Bungalow, it now houses the Nilgiris Documentation Centre as well as serves as the Nilgiris Museum. Caretaker Gayathri was more than happy to take me around the place. The memorial also has on sale products made by local tribes and artisans to support and encourage rural livelihood.

Longwood Shola Reserve Forest: I couldn’t explore the Longwood Shola trail as it was shut by the time we reached. Spread across 116 hectares, the place has a dense, thick cover of evergreen forests and is home to a variety of animals such as the flying fox, Indian bison and others. The reserve forest is the only remaining natural shola forest of the region.

Elk Falls: While this is one of the touristy destinations of Kotagiri, the hotel manager and Selvan both advised against visiting the place. They said the waterfall didn’t have enough water and wouldn’t do justice to its real splendour that must be witnessed. Located at a distance of 7 kms from Kotagiri, the Elk Falls is an ideal gateway to experience lush greenery and cascading waterfalls at one stop. The best time to visit the place is during the monsoon when the waterfall transforms itself into a cascading beauty.

Ooty: The Queen of Nilgiris has a scenic and colorful skyline. At a distance of approx. 29 kms from Kotagiri, Ooty is a popular destination, which can be explored in half a day.

I couldn’t visit the Doddabetta peak as the road was closed for repairs. Located at an altitude of 2623 meters, Doddabetta Peak is the highest peak in the Nilgiris. Covered by dense sholas, this peak is a trekker’s paradise. The view from the top of the peak is absolutely mesmerising with a captivating view of the valley around. 

Homewood’s Tea & Chocolate Factory was open to visitors but not operational due to it being a weekly off day. In Ooty, I visited Botanical Gardens, Rose Gardens, St. Stephen’s Church and the Ooty Lake / Boat Club. 

Spread over 55 acres of land, Botanical Gardens is one of the most popular places to see in Ooty. The Fossil Tree Trunk that is said to be around 20 million years old, is a unique attraction at the Botanical Garden. The garden is divided into five different sections such as Fern House, Lower Garden, Italian Garden, Conservatory and Nurseries.

The 19th century St. Stephen’s Church is a must visit for its architectural beauty and religious importance. The simple exteriors of the church accentuate the stained glass paintings inside. Folklore has it that the timber used in the construction of this church was brought from Srinangapatna as well as from the Tipu Sultan’s Palace.

Ooty Lake is an artificial lake that was built for fishing purposes. The Boat Club near the lake is popular for boating. Tourists can enjoy a refreshing ride on its serene waters.

Coonoor: From the Queen of Nilgiris (Ooty), I moved on to explore the second largest hill station in the wonderful Nilgiri Hills. At an altitude of 1930 meters, Coonoor is just 19 kms from Ooty. To reach Dolphin’s Nose, I drove through the picturesque Wellington Cantonment and its Golf Courses.

Along the way, I passed through Sim’s Park, which is a park-cum-botanical garden with beautiful terraces and colourful flowers, lawns and rockeries. Botanists from all across the globe are enthralled by this park that has a wonderful treasure trove of some exquisite plant species in the world.

The route to Dolphin’s Nose, which is about 1,500 meters above sea level, is through thick, dense canopies of shola and eucalyptus trees. The dense jungle is peppered with lush green tea gardens and sharp hairpin turns and beautiful mountain peaks. On a rainy day, the drive was proving to be all mesmerizing and dreamy as I kept spotting Victorian houses in midst of tea gardens on this scenic route. The playlist only added to the experience.

Dolphin’s Nose: The gigantic and unprecedented rock formation of Dolphin’s Nose is set in midst of the Blue Mountains (Nilgiris) with enormous canyons on both sides. Visit the Dolphin’s Nose viewpoint to enjoy an unobstructed, panoramic view of Catherine waterfall, Nilgiris Hills, quaint villages and clouds rolling in over the mountain valleys…. Catch a sunrise or a sunset here as you outline the shapes of Lamb’s Rock, Tiger Hills and Sleeping Lady. The experience and the view is breathtakingly beautiful.

The yet unblemished and non-commercialized Kotagiri left me in awe. Evenings for me was about savouring my “Me-Time” in the green lawns of Nahar Retreat and Spa with some piping hot masala chai. 

Watching the grey and white clouds sail to embrace the lush green mountains feels so peaceful. It was soothing to hear the sound of birds chirping, crickets and toads calling and the church bells ringing at sunset that made the rainy evenings that turned nippier. 

Filling my lungs with the unpolluted, earthy fragrance of the grass and foliage and trees and I returned home from my Kotagiri, Ooty & Coonoor trip with memories of a place, which can inspire writers and poets with its rich green manicured hills and the colonial culture.