The Journey

The best thing about the journey from the plains to the upper hills is the sights you can see. As tourists travel up the long, winding and narrow Ghat roads, they are able to breathe in fresh, moist mountain air. The temperature steadily drops as the altitude rises and the green cover of trees, bushes, ferns and creepers also grows thicker. At intervals, you can hear the tinkle of tiny mountain streams by the side of the road. Of course, the mist builds up and the sky seems to come closer towards the earth.

After a while, we notice that we are not quite alone in these dense roads, as groups of monkeys clamber on the rocks, peering curiously into the vehicles. If it is a cloudy day, the view of the valley seems to be ethereal. It is like as if curtains of clouds have been drawn upon the lush mountains and forests. If it is a sunny day, (which is a very lucky incident) everything seems to light up with brightness and the true beauty of every leaf, every blade of grass and every rock seems to impress upon tourists.
After the climb has been accomplished, the heart of Coonoor, the marketplace looms up. Then, there is a feeling of comfort from seeing the noise and bustle that there is civilization in the hills after all!

The marketplace hosts the Coonoor Railway Station and the Bus Stand, both of which are centres of activity. A number of trains pass through this railway station, mainly the Nilgiri Express. There are other passenger trains passing through the station too.
The marketplace also teems with shops selling everything from footwear to homemade chocolates and from jewellery to antique furniture. Anyone looking for souvenirs might be interested in these ancient shops. They are also very useful to buy replacements in the case of annoying incidents such as broken shoe heels and forgotten batteries! In case you haven’t brought woolens along and it’s getting really cold, never fear, there are shops that stock warm woolen wear too.Here, tourists may navigate their way to their respective hotels, lodges, inns or cottages, which inevitably circle the marketplace.