Kotagiri town and Nehru Park
The nearest town, with cafés, a market, ATMs and Moddy’s homemade chocolates opposite Nehru Park.
Directions
Area guide
Kotagiri, Coonoor and Ooty from one base
Drive times are from the cottage, measured on Google Maps.
01
Near Kotagiri
Tea estates, shola forest and viewpoints over the plains.
Longwood Shola
One of the last patches of native shola forest, and an Important Bird Area with Nilgiri endemics such as the laughingthrush and wood pigeon.
Entry needs Forest Department permission. Ask us to check before you go.
Directions
Catherine Falls
A tall double-tiered fall seen across the valley from the Dolphin’s Nose side, or from the road head above it. Best from July to November.
The trail to the base is steep and unmarked. Go with a local guide, and skip it in heavy rain.
Directions Kodanad View Point
The eastern edge of the Nilgiris, looking down to the Moyar river, Rangaswamy Pillar and the Mysore plateau.
Go in the morning for clear air; afternoons often cloud over.
Directions
Rangaswamy Pillar
A lone rock pillar beside a peak sacred to the Irula people, seen best from the Kodanad road.
Directions02
Coonoor
Gardens, tea factories and cliff viewpoints.
Highfield Tea Factory
Watch withering, rolling and drying, then taste the teas at one of the best-known factory tours in the hills.
Directions
Sim’s Park
A Victorian botanical park in a ravine, with rare trees, a small lake and the fruit show each May.
Directions
Coonoor station and the toy train
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage line, runs through Coonoor between Mettupalayam and Ooty.
Book on IRCTC; seats sell out weeks ahead in season.
Directions
Lamb’s Rock
A short walk through tea to a cliff with views over the Coimbatore plains.
Directions
Dolphin’s Nose
A rocky headland above a deep gorge, with Catherine Falls across the valley.
Directions03
Ooty
The main hill-station sights. Start early to avoid weekend traffic.
Doddabetta Peak
At 2,637 m, the highest point in the Nilgiris, with a telescope house and wide views on a clear day.
Directions
Government Botanical Garden
Terraced lawns, glasshouses and a fossil tree, laid out in 1848. Home of the May flower show.
Directions
Ooty Lake
Boating on the town lake. Busy, but popular with children.
Directions
Pine Forest
Tall, straight rows of pine on a slope above the Kamarajar dam, on the road towards Pykara.
DirectionsDay plans
Four simple itineraries
We can build a plan around your dates and arrange a cab and guide.
A slow day
- Morning walk through the estate
- Breakfast on the lawn
- Longwood Shola or Kotagiri town
- Sunset from the cottage, bonfire and barbecue
Coonoor loop
- Highfield Tea Factory
- Sim’s Park
- Lunch in Coonoor
- Lamb’s Rock and Dolphin’s Nose
Ooty classics
- Leave by 8 am
- Doddabetta Peak
- Botanical Garden
- Ooty Lake, back before dark
The eastern edge
- Kodanad View Point at mid-morning
- Tea tasting at Kodanad estate
- Rangaswamy Pillar view
- Kotagiri chocolates on the way home
Getting here
By air, rail or road
By air
Fly to Coimbatore (CJB). From there it is about two hours by car up the Mettupalayam–Kotagiri ghat road. We can arrange a cab.
By rail
Take a train to Mettupalayam, then the toy train to Coonoor, or a cab straight up. Coonoor station is 30 minutes from the cottage.
By road
From Mettupalayam, take the Kotagiri ghat road. It has far fewer hairpin bends than the Coonoor road. At Kotagiri, follow the Coonoor road for about 7 km to West Brooke.
| Place | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kotagiri town | 7 km | 11 min |
| Coonoor railway station | 15 km | 30 min |
| Ooty railway station | 22.5 km | 45 min |
| Mettupalayam railway station | 40 km | 1 h 10 min |
| Coimbatore Junction | 76 km | 1 h 55 min |
| Coimbatore airport (CJB) | 76 km | 2 h |
| Kochi | 263 km | 5 h 45 min |
| Bengaluru | 346 km | 8 h |
| Chennai | 536 km | 10 h 20 min |
Google Maps, without heavy traffic. Allow longer on summer weekends and in rain.
Practical
Before you travel
Nilgiris e-pass
Tourist vehicles registered outside the Nilgiris need a free e-pass from epass.tnega.org. Apply before you set out.
epass.tnega.orgPlastic-free district
Single-use plastics, including PET water bottles, are banned across the Nilgiris, with fines and checks at entry points.
Medical help
Government Hospital, Kotagiri: 04266 271309. Government Lawley Hospital, Coonoor: 0423 2231050. Ambulance: 108.
Weather
- Dec – Feb 9–19 °C Clear, crisp and dry. The best views, and frosty nights.
- Mar – May 14–23 °C Warm days and cool nights. Peak season, with the Ooty flower show in May.
- Jun – Aug 13–20 °C South-west monsoon. Green, misty and wet; waterfalls in full flow.
- Sep – Nov 13–20 °C Rains ease, then return in October. Quiet roads and lush tea.
What to pack
- Warm layers and a jacket all year
- A rain jacket from June to November
- Shoes with grip for the estate and trails
- A refillable water bottle
- A torch for the walk to the car
- Insect repellent and sunscreen
- Any medicines you need