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Based on our travel preferences we are basically divided into two categories – A Mountain lover or a Beach lover. Well, I have always been a mountain lover. As a kid, I was always more fascinated by mountains than the beaches. I always dreamt of living in the mountains somewhere sipping a cup of hot coffee.
So, the mere thought of visiting mountains makes my eyes gleam with joy. It was in the year 2019 when I finally got a chance to visit the mountains. In this blog, I am about to share one of my favourite travel experiences I have had in the mountains of Nilgiris.
Pre-Visit Excitement
It was the year 2019, and our family had planned a trip to Bangalore. Since my parents had to attend my brother’s convocation ceremony at Christ University so the trip was planned accordingly. Hence, we made a 2-day plan to visit Coonoor and Ooty.
It was a usual summer day in Banglaore with the day temperature rising up to 35 degrees centigrade. I was extremely excited about the upcoming trip to Coonoor. I made sure everything was on point so that we could leave on time for the bus station.
An Unexpected U-Turn by the weather
But as the evening progressed the weather took a U-turn. It got all stormy and cyclonic. The wind started blowing at the speed of 90 km per hour. The furious storm started uprooting trees in no time. The sight outside was that of a total ruckus. We had to leave for the bus station by 9 pm but due to the incessant rainfall, there’s no taxi or cab available for hire.
A sense of fear and worry struck me. I thought to myself,” This can’t be happening right now. I have been waiting for this trip forever, it can’t be cancelled like this at the last moment.” But despite all this, I held on to hope and finally after so many repeated cancellations we were able to book a cab. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. But the battle wasn’t conquered yet.
Getting to the bus station
The storm slowed down a little but was still blowing at a raging speed. We were just hoping for the cab to arrive as soon as possible so that we don’t miss out on our bus. The bus had to leave for Ooty by 10:30 pm and it was already 10 pm by the time we boarded the cab. By this time, I had lost all hope to reach the bus station on time.
The driver was trying his best to find the most commutable road for us to reach the bus station on time. But every road we entered had tree logs and electricity wires fallen on the ground. The sense of anxiety crept over me. I wanted so badly to reach the bus station to board the bus. After commuting from one route to another, we finally reached the bus station.
Upon reaching the bus station we rushed to catch the bus as fast as we could. By this time, the storm has slowed down to a great extent but the outpour was still heavy. We finally breathed a sigh of relief to find the bus hadn’t reached the station due to continuous outpour. We had to wait for 1 and a half hours for the bus. My anxious mind finally settled into a state of calm.
Huge sigh of relief
Finally, at 11:30 pm the bus arrived and we settled well into our bus seats. After so much chaos and commotion, we happily reached Ooty. We reached Ooty at 7 am and as soon as I looked around I could feel the mountain vibe of all around. The joy of finally reaching Ooty could be easily made out by the glee on my face.
Travel from Ooty to Coonoor
There is something about the hill stations that bring our inner-child out. Due to the coolness of the air, the aroma of chocolates and essential oils infused in the air, I felt an overly sense of excitement. Now, you might be wondering why the smell of chocolates and the aroma of essential oil was present in the air? It’s because Ooty and Coonoor are famous for producing handmade chocolates and essential oils.
Coming to our trip’s schedule, we spent the 1st day visiting Coonoor, another hill station located at a distance of 20 km from Ooty. We booked a cab and the person driving it was also our tour guide. He was a middle-aged uncle who was extremely warm and polite throughout the journey. He made sure we visited all the famous tourist spots in Coonoor.
Various Tourist spots we visited in Coonoor
Though there are numerous famous tourist hotspots in Coonoor, we could visit only a few famous ones due to the limited time we had. Here are the 4 famous tourist spots we visited in Coonoor:
Highfield Tea Estate
Highfield Tea Estate is a 50-year-old tea factory where different varieties of tea are grown in a large tea estate. The grown variety of tea is then processed and manufactured in the factory. It is a must-visit place for all tea lovers. The estate being surrounded by the eucalyptus trees also had eucalyptus oil processing facilities in the estate. There is also a souvenir shop in the estate where you can buy various types of teas and eucalyptus oils. We bought green tea and masala tea from there.
Doddabetta Peak
Doddabetta is the highest mountain peak in the Nilgiri Hills located at a height of 8650 feet from the ground level. In order to reach the top, you need to climb the steep stairs but let me tell you it’s all worth it. The 360-degree view of the entire Ooty and Kotagiri City from the peak’s top is truly magnificent. The view of clouds floating in the air, the beauty and depth of the entire peaks and valley, and the sight of the sunset will leave you with a memory for a lifetime.
Dolphin’s Nose View Point
Dolphin’s Nose View Point is one of the most visited tourist places in Coonoor. It is a gigantic rock located at an elevated location that can be reached by walking through the curvy roads. We decided to walks through these curvy roads to reach the top and it was absolutely worth the effort.
The place was surrounded by tea plantations which gave a mesmerising view when we viewed it from the top. The clear 360-degree view of the ravines, canyons and valleys made it worth climbing such height. We also caught the glimpse of the setting sun which proved to be “the icing on the cake”.
Sim’s Park
Being a nature lover Sim’s Park was clearly my favourite spot of all places we visited in Coonoor. Spread across 30 acres of land, the botanical garden has thousands of plants and trees of various exotic species from various parts of the country. The park is meticulously divided into various sections based on the type/variety of plants.
The park contains numerous varieties of colourful flowers, vegetables and fruits plants, medicinal plants along with the trees of various exotic species. This sight of beautiful flowers embedded in a row will leave you awestruck and will completely refresh you from within.
Our shopping in Coonoor
You can buy various souvenirs from Coonoor. We bought handmade chocolates of different flavours and types from a local shop in Coonoor. The best part of it was no matter what shop we entered we were offered different types of chocolates for sample testing by the shopkeeper. Being a chocoholic, this is was the best part of the entire trip for me. I would highly suggest you buy these chocolaty delectables when you visit Coonoor.
We also bought different types of essential oils like eucalyptus, orange, lemon, cinnamon, tea tree oil etc from a local shop by the roadside. Name any variety of essential oil, you can find it here. We also bought different types of teas like green tea, cinnamon tea, masala tea, apple tea etc from another local shop in Coonoor.
Conclusion
If you are an avid traveller and a mountain lover like me, Coonoor is the place for you. I highly suggest you visit this hill station once in your entire lifetime. All in all, this trip left me with countless memories of a beautiful and serene landscape the memory of which will last me my entire lifetime.
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