A quiet hill station, an hour away from Ooty, and reached by a delightful toy-train, Coonoor nestles snuggly in the lap of the famous blue Nilgiri hills. A delightful town with exquisite scenery all round, there is much to see at this idyllic, lesser-known retreat covered by grassy meadows, a profusion of sunflowers, marigolds and rhododendrons, all growing wild.

With steep hills and valleys carpeted with tea bushes, interspersed with eucalyptus and silver oak, life moves at a gentle pace in this town of tea estates. Commanding a breathtaking view of the Coimbatore plains, it is a paradise for avid trekkers and naturalists with its vast stretches of undisturbed shoals forests. An essentially small tea garden town, the weather remains pleasantly cool throughout the year.

Coonoor is part of the magnificent Nilgiri range, so called because of the magical blue mist that hangs around the mountains. John Sullivan first discovered it for the outside world. In May 1819, Sullivan visited the eastern plateau for three weeks with a noted French naturalist, who was named somewhat pompously, Jean-Baptiste Louis Claude Theodore Leschenault de la Tour.

Despite that name, he was no stranger to the ills that befell white men in the plains of India. But on reaching the hire altitudes near Coonoor, he recovered and got his strength back. Sullivan built the first stone house in Ooty. Between 1820 and 1827, he pleaded with the directors of the East India Company to develop that area in the Nilgiris as a sanatorium for sick European troops in India.

When they finally capitulated, they began developing the area and also laid down the first railway lines -- which still exist as The Blue Mountain Railway thus making it easier for the ailing.

But long before heat-and-dust-ravaged white men began making the pilgrimage to the hills and health, the Danayakas held the country adjoining the Coimbatore region, which included the talukas of Kotagiri and Coonoor. The Toda tribe has lived in these parts since time immemorial. Some of their ancient tribal homes can still be found on the outskirts of the region.

Breakfast or tiffin includes idly(steamed rice cakes), dosai (a pancake made from a batter of rice) and lentils crisp fried on a pan, vada(deep fried doughnuts made from a batter of lentils), pongal (a mish mash of rice and lentils boiled together and seasoned with ghee, cashew nuts, pepper and cummin seed), uppuma(cooked semolina seasoned in oil with mustard, pepper, cummin seed and dry lentils.) There are several variations of the dishes mentioned above which are eaten with coconut chutney, sambar (seasoned lentil broth) and mulaga podi (a powdered mix of several dried lentils eaten with oil).

Lunch or meals consists of cooked rice served with an array of vegetable dishes, sambar, chutneys, rasam (a hot broth made with tamarind juice and pepper) and curd(yogurt). For a non-vegetarian lunch, curries or dishes cooked with mutton, chicken or fish is included. The meals is incomplete without crisp papads or appalam.

Chettinad cuisine is a speciality in Tamil Nadu and will be a delight for those who like hot and spicy non-vegetarian food. This type of food has several variations of fish, mutton, and chicken dishes of which the Chettinad Pepper Chicken is a speciality. The Tamil style of Mughali food can be savoured in the biriyanis and paya. The later is a kind of spiced trotters broth and is eaten with either parathas or appam.

Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, is famous for its filter coffee as most Tamils have a subtle contempt for instant coffee. The making of filter coffee is almost a ritual, for the coffee beans have to be first roasted and then ground. The powder is put into a filter set and boiling hot water is added to prepare the decoction and allowed to set for about 15 minutes. The decoction is then added to milk with sugar to taste. The final drink is poured from one container to another in rapid succession to make the ideal frothy cup of filter coffee. The last process makes one wonder whether the brew could be bought by the yard.

The ambient beauty of this hill station lies in its peaceful ranges, surrounded by a misty blue haze. Known for its salubrious climate and scenic beauty, it is a delightful place to escape from the oppressive summer heat for the South Indians and in the winters for north Indians wanting to avoid the cold.

The museums prize possessions however, are the relics from the 2nd century AD, Buddhist site at Amaravati. Prehistoric exhibits from the Stone and Iron Ages, exquisite carvings and a fairly large collection of South Indian musical instruments and jewellery, also add to the invaluable collection in the museum. The bronze gallery, with its ancient icons and modern bronzes, is perhaps the best found anywhere in the world.

The avifauna is varied with minivets, hornbills, fairy blue birds, jungle fowls etc. Python, monitor lizard, and flying lizard etc represent the reptilians. Picturesque scenic spots in the sanctuary include the Moyar Waterfalls, the Chief Ministers watch tower, Ombetta Swamp, Theppakad elephant camp etc.