Namita Gupta struggles to find another colour on a weekend getaway to Coonoor, Tamil Nadu's second largest hill station lined with lush tea estates and thick eucalyptus forests

Type: Leisure
Best from: Bengaluru
You need: 2 days

You are going to be starved for colours on this holiday. That's if you are driving down to Tamil Nadu's second largest hill station in the Nilgiris from Bengaluru. Green is the only hue you are offered, although in a million variations. The road is lined with lush tea estates, green pine and cedar trees, the thick eucalyptus vegetation lending an aromatic quality to the air, and a stray bison or giant Malabar Squirrel leading you to jam your brakes because it has suddenly decided to cross the road.


Don't leave Coonoor without taking a walk through one of the many tea
estates that dot the hill station

The nippy weather tends to fuel even the most frugal appetites, and so, before we set out to explore the popular weekend getaway, a scrumptious snack was in order. At our homestay, we had an angel in the guise of a cook. There was nothing Sindhu couldn't make well, but her Kozhi Curry, Beef Roast, Meen Moily, Veg Stew, all wolfed down with freshly steamed Appams, made a meal fit enough for the Gods. It wasn't surprising then that the visitor's diary had a jotting by an expat guest named Robert who lamented: "Why did I have to marry Linda? Sindhu's cooking could keep any man happy."u00a0

If you do manage to lift yourself from a lazy chair after a hearty meal (we succeeded after several tries), take a walk down to the Ralliah Dam just off the Coonoor-Kotagiri road. A naturalist's dream, the area is home to rare birds and trees. Don't forget your binoculars. The rare Advadab and a dozen Bulbuls were within distance, but it was spotting the giant Malabar Squirrel, a native of the Nilgiris, nibbling on green beans, that thrilled us.u00a0


Locals sell fresh carrots at the market

On our way back from the dam, we decided say hello to Peter uncle, an 84-year-old gentleman who owns the last house on the hill. Because the world is shrinking, and you can't escape celebrities (or their relatives, as in this case), we realised he was musician Leslie Lewis' (of Colonial Cousins) father-in-law.

The local market is a good pit stop if you want to pick up fresh packs of tea and spices. The Nonsuch is the best variety of local tea you can buy, and gets its unique name from the fact that there is 'no-such' tea to match its taste.

The Sim's Park downhill was hosting the annual fruit show that weekend, and was bustling with locals and tourists amid a sea of colourful fruit and vegetables.

We stayed at: Eden Garden, a homestay that offers a 360-degree view of the Western Ghats from its cottage windows. The Tudor-style English architecture spiked with influences from Kerala lend it an inviting warmth.

The natural rose wood flooring and sun-drenched patio give it a colonial charm.

No televisions here; just the sound of crickets and cicadas as the evening sets in.

Getting there
By road from Bengaluru, allow at least 6 hoursu00a0 driving time. Regular bus services run between Coimbatore, other cities in Tamil Nadu and Coonoor. From Bengaluru, take the Mysore road, continue via Maddur and Bandipur. The nearest airport from Coonoor is Coimbatore Airport, at a distance of 70 kms.