2 Days in Kotagiri. A magical hill station.

History of Kotagiri:

The Nilgiris, one of the oldest mountain ranges in India, is a component of the Western Ghats and is located where Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka meet. There are three hill stations in this district: Ooty, Coonoor, and Kotagiri. Two Europeans, Mr. Whish, and Kindersley, who served as the Collector of Coimbatore's aides in 1818, found Kotagiri near Rengaswamy peak. The then-Collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan, had a keen interest in this region of the nation. On July 31, 1819, he established himself there and filed a report with the Board of Revenue. This is a fact that has been documented. However, there is still ongoing research on this subject as the trail was used by Indian traders for many years, possibly centuries before, Tipu's Armies had traveled through Malabar from Mysore via the same way, and these villages had been Nelliyalam Rani's residence for a very long time before the arrival of the Europeans. 

Nilgiri district had been a locale for tribal people including the Toda, Kota, Badaga, Kurumba Irulas, Paniyas, and Mullukurumbas. Some claim that the term "Kotagiri" itself refers to the hill of the Kota tribes, while few assert that the cultural histories of Kotagiri and Kodanad are interwoven with those of the Todas. 

If you are planning to get out of the city for a winter break and knock a beautiful hill station around south India then, a trip to Kotagiri is a must. With a perennially cool climate, it remains pleasant throughout the year offering tourists the best holiday experience. We a group of 17, set off for Kotagiri from Chennai on a road trip, to adopt a peaceful, eco-friendly lifestyle for two days.  

How to Reach Kotagiri: 

• If you're flying, Coimbatore, which is 69 kilometers away and has good connections to all major cities, is the closest international airport.
•  If taking the train, the closest station is at Coimbatore, to Kotagiri. Ooty is connected to Mettupalayam by narrow-gauge Toy Train. 
• If traveling by road, it takes 535 km to reach Kotagiri from Chennai via Salem, Mettupalayam, 69 km from Coimbatore, 290 km from Bangalore, and 281 km to reach from Cochin via Palakkad, Coimbatore 

Where to stay:

Visiting Ooty has been on my priority list for a long time. If you can resist your uncompromising urge to stay in Ooty and can end up staying around Kotagiri, you're going to love it here and would never regret it. Being off a beaten town, Kotagiri won't be crowded even in high season. Stay here is kind of affordable around Rs 3000 to Rs 7000 for a day. 
Traveling as a group we were self-sufficient to entertain ourselves hence we stayed far from Kotagiri town near Kodanad viewpoint at Paradise Peak Cottage which was already 18 Km away from Kotagiri town. The rooms were neat and spacious, the windows facing the beautiful valley offering a mesmerizing view of the Kodanad. The force of the wind was felt better around this location making us feel colder when compared to other places in Kotagiri. If you decide to stay around Kotagiri town then, Green nest resort is a good place to stay.

Flowers outside our Hotel

 Itinerary: 

This two-day itinerary includes the most beautiful mountain views, impressive cliffs, and Paradise lakes.

Reaching day: 

It was around 6:00 PM when we got to Kotagiri, and it was really cold. It took me some time to acquaint myself with the surroundings. We checked in, stretched, put on warmer clothing, and then spent the rest of the evening indoors. Excited for the next day, to explore outside, went to bed early.

Day 1: (Kotagiri/Tea Museum/Chocolate Museum/Avalanche Lake)

The next morning, I got up with all excitement to see outside, it was a stretch of magnificently photogenic green mountains and a beautiful sunrise.

The view around our hotel.

We had also reserved a bus and started traveling through Ooty to Avalanche Lake as part of the day's itinerary. After making a few pit breaks for snacks in Kotagiri, we arrived at Ooty's Tea Museum and Chocolate Museum.

Tea and chocolate-making process.

It was a quick stop, Both the museums were nearby and there was a play arena as well, we took a tour around the museums, educating ourselves on the origin and history and the making process of tea across multiple cultures. They gave us a sample of tea with freshly ground leaves, and there were a few stalls selling tea, aroma oils, and different types of chocolates too.

We continued our drive. Crunching a juicy orange carrot is so common in Ooty where carrot cultivation is so prevalent and produces 200 to 500 tons of carrots daily. Driving through the cabbage and carrot plantations, watching the farmer’s harvest continuously, and taking in the bizarre scenery of Emerald Lake will offer you the most dramatic scenery you have seen in the whole country.

When we reached avalanche lake, we were in awe of the view, perfect for a 360-degree panorama in the shot of every corner, The lake was created by a significant landslide. With a large variety of flowers and the adjacent mountains are also home to waterfalls that further enhance the attractiveness of this already alluring setting. After monsoons, anglers are allowed to trout fishing. While some of us began snapping photos and others went for walks around the lake, the kids were playing on the lawn.

Avalanche Lake.

We went on a quick 30-minute safari, so don't expect to see any wild creatures. However, we were able to see the Avalanche Dam and Lake from a higher vantage point, and we had an earthly experience driving on a rocky mountain road through the forest. As the light faded, it was time to go back. It took us two hours to return. And when we arrived back at our hotel in Kotagiri, we were quite exhausted.

 If you get altitude sickness as I do, consider your options before taking a bus up a mountain. I got sick on the way back, but that shouldn't take away from the breathtaking journey as a whole. 

If you have an eye for photography then driving through these extraordinarily beautiful mountains is worth it, you can even drive from Kotagiri to Ooty and return via Coonoor to Kotagiri.

Day 2: (Kodanad viewpoint /Kil Kotagiri)

On Day 2, we only intended to visit nearby locations and take a stroll around our neighborhood. The entire day, we moved too slowly. We took a short walk to the nearby Kodanad viewpoint, where we watched the sunrise.

The trail between our hotel and Kodanad viewpoint

Kodanad estate viewpoint.

We drove to Kil Kotagiri after breakfast. It is one of the uncharted territories. There was nothing but locals, their homes, villages, and daily routines. We didn't have any stops scheduled, but the drive itself should be enjoyed. We passed through tea gardens on both sides of the road. After an hour of very slow driving and frequent pauses, we arrived in Keel Kotagiri. 

Pictures from the drive to Kil kotagiri.

Then, while we were driving back, we noticed a smell of eucalyptus and found they were manufacturing eucalyptus oil at home   They had a tiny factory close by where they produced clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and Oil of Gaultheria. We considered ourselves fortunate to have found this location as we were able to independently observe their plant and the oil-making process. We purchased a bottle of each of these oils, and we left the place. 

Process of producing Eucalyptus oil.

Last day:

We went on an early morning walk around our hotel. We observed a typical workday in a little hill village, with a friendly dog wandering next to us and a distant view of a yellow school bus traveling up the hill road. Hearing the locals discuss whether the noise they heard on their rooftop the night before was made by a tiger or a leopard was so fascinating.

We took our morning walk here.

Tea stall in a neighborhood residential area

 The residents were quite welcoming. One lady came over to us, grabbed us some chocolates, and wished us a happy new year, making us adore this spot even more.

Our 2-minute stroll led to a vast open area, and we had the impression that we were standing above the clouds as we descended a tiny hill with a carrot crop and water droplets from spray irrigation gleaming in the early sun rays. We inhaled deeply and concluded it was time to return to the hotel and make our way home.

As expected, it was a quiet trip leaving that lovely location but still, we were inspiring ourselves to return home and preserve the memories. 

Kotagiri is popular and for good reasons, Though Kotagiri doesn't have many of the events decked up, they still have so much to offer to tourists. The clear skies, crisp air, ideal weather, twinkling stars at night, and picturesque landscapes with valleys scattered with brightly colored cottages. Not overplanning and not trying to see as much as possible as quickly as possible, we ended up spending more time in fewer places, this trip turned out to be magical and also a bit impromptu.