At a distance of 29 km from Ooty, 20 km from Coonoor, 72 km from Coimbatore & 544 km from Chennai, Kotagiri is a small Hill Station in Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu and is likely one of the high places to visit in Ooty. It’s located at an altitude of 1793 m. This the oldest and the third largest hill stations within the Nilgiris after Ooty and Coonoor. The title Kotagiri actually means mountains of the Kotas and refers back to the Kota tribe who lived right here prior to now. It is likely one of the high sights it’s essential to embody in Ooty trip.
Kotagiri was the primary British settlement within the Nilgiris and most popular summer time retreat, until a street was constructed from Mettupalayam to Coonoor. The area was found by two civil servants of the Madras authorities in pursuit of outlaws. They referred to as the area Kotacherry. John Sullivan, the then collector of Coimbatore, visited Kotagiri and was so drawn to the place that he constructed a house right here making him the primary European to reside in Kotagiri.
Kotagiri is known for its breathtaking scenic magnificence. The primary espresso plantation was planted right here in 1843 which was adopted by many extra plantations. Nonetheless, the primary tea plantation within the late 19th century by the daughter of MD Cockburn, tea slowly began taking on espresso till it fully spanned town. Right now, the tea plantations in Kotagiri cowl a complete space of 30,000 acres.
Surrounded by tea estates and delightful inexperienced landscapes, Kotagiri provides loads of alternatives for trekking and mountain climbing. The trekking trails on this area undergo picturesque tea-estates and luxurious greenery, meadows and rivers. The most well-liked trekking trails in Kotagiri are in direction of Kodanad (15 km), Catherine Falls (7.5 km) and Longwood Shola (three km). A few of the vacationer sights in Kotagiri are Kodanad Viewpoint, Catherine Falls, Elk Falls (7 km) and Rangaswami Peak and Pillar. Kodanad Level provides spectacular views of the encircling hills and valleys.
Kotagiri has loads of lodging choices in type of resorts, villas and lodges from economical to mid-range and extremely luxurious inns. Lazy Hills, La mansion, Moon Shadow Cottage, Bel Air Cottage are a number of the many choices.
Kotagiri is nicely related by bus with Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Trichy, Thirupur and Erode. Coonoor (20 km) is the closest narrow-gauge railhead and Mettupalayam (33 km) is the closest main railway station.
The most effective time to go to Kotagiri is from December to Might.