Coonoor

The serene hill station of Coonoor lies in the arms of the Nilgiri Hills. In fact Coonoor is located at an altitude of 1800 m. Geographically speaking, Coonoor lies at the head of Hulikal ravine.This picturesque retreat is covered by grassy meadows, tea bushes, a profusion of sunflowers, marigolds and rhododendrons, all growing wild. Coonoor is essentially a small tea garden town where the weather remains pleasantly cool throughout the year.

Links with the world Coonoor does not have an airport of its own. The nearest airport is in Coimbatore. Coonoor is on the toy-train line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty. The toy train leaves Mettupalayam for Ooty at 7:45 am and arrives at Ooty at noon. The total time taken on the return trip back to Mettupalayam is about 3½ hours. However, this train service is often disrupted during the heavy monsoon season. Coonoor is well connected by bus with Ooty, Coimbatore, and Kotagiri.

Sim's Park

The 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 show held in May.

The Pasteur Institute

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.

 Pomological Station

The institute is a research center of the State Agricultural Department for persimmon, pomegranates, and apricot.

Accommodation

Coonoor is strategically located and is bestowed with the natural extravaganza of luxury. Regal and memorable ambience echoes with beauty & brilliance. The city of Coonoor offers it's visitors a gamut of hospitality which includes following hotels; Monarc Ritz, Ritz Road ; near Sim's Park, Blue Hills, Mount Road ; 1 km from central bus stand, Sri Lakshmi Tourist Home, Kamrajpuram, Rock by, Taj Garden Retreat, Hampton Manor , run by Taj group, YWCA Guest House, Wyoming, near the hospital.

How to Reach Coonoor

Local transportation within and around Coonoor is not a problem. You may choose from taxis, buses and auto-rickshaws that are readily available in Coonoor at reasonable rates.

The Airport at Coimbatore caters to the air transportation to Coonoor. It is the nearest airport to Coonoor, at a distance of 71 km. The hill resort of Coonoor has a toy train station. Coonoor lies on the toy-train line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty (19 km). The toy train leaves Mettupalayam for Ooty and reaches Coonoor in between. You can enjoy the train ride though it often gets disrupted due to the monsoons. The excellent road network links Coonoor with other important places. There are regular bus services that link the hill resort of Coonoor with Coimbatore and Ooty.