Tamil Nadu & Karnataka - Audley Travel

School children, Dubare Elephant Camp Elephant being washed, Dubare Elephant Camp Tea pickers, CoonoorThe Nilgiri Hills around OotyCoorgCoorg (Kodagu) was a state in its own rightuntil 1956. The market town of Madikeri is thecapital of the region and is surrounded bypicturesque hills clothed in spice plantations andcoffee estates. This is a remote region and anideal area for trekking through tropical forestand plantations. It is also possible to arrangefishing or a round of golf at the 18 hole, par 70course situated in the heart of the country’scoffee gardens. Many elephant were onceemployed in the vast forests, but since logging hasstopped, some of these can be seen at DubareElephant Camp. A number of Tibetan villages inthe area, initially settled by refugees in the 1960s,and the Buddhist Monastery of Sera Je are wellworth a visit.SCHOOL ESTATE, COORGThis friendly homestay is run by the Ayyapasfamily. Their bungalow is surrounded byflower-filled gardens in a coffee estate. The fourclean guest rooms with en suite bathrooms arequaint and old-fashioned but comfortable. Thecuisine is a mix of continental and Coorgi recipes,and dinner with your hosts is an opportunity tofind out more about local customs. There areinteresting walks around the estate, a picnic bythe river can be arranged and there is a choice ofshady spots to relax with a book. Bird watchersshould also find plenty to observe here.Ooty and CoonoorOoty (Udhagamandalam) is the best known hillstation in the Nilgiri Hills. At an altitude of 2,286metres, it is popular with both foreign and localvisitors escaping the heat of the plains. It wasfounded in the early 19th century to serve as thesummer headquarters of the British MadrasGovernment. A maze of neatly clipped teaplantations covers the surrounding hills toCoonoor and beyond and while in the area youshould experience a tasting of local Nilgiri teas.A more sedate version of Ooty, Coonoor is apopular destination for those who enjoy countrywalks, with Lamb’s Rock offering a spectacularviewpoint over the plains and a botanical gardenat Sims Park. Picturesque Coonoor, incidentally,formed the backdrop for David Lean’s 1984 film‘A Passage to India’.School Estate, CoorgBlue Mountain RailwayThe Blue Mountain Railway, completedin 1908, is one of the oldest andsteepest operating rack and pinionrailways. The original steam locomotivepushes its blue and cream carriagesfrom Mettupalayam to Coonoor, wherea diesel one completes the journey toOoty. The entire 45 kilometre routeincludes 16 tunnels, 19 bridges and11 stations (many not operational)and takes up to four and a half hoursto cover, as the train sometimes travelsat little more than walking pace. Thejourney is quite magical as you meanderthrough eucalyptus and tea plantationsto Ooty, with its subtropical vegetation,and spectacular views of the Nilgiri Hills.www.audleytravel.com/southindia ● 01993 838 355 ● Tamil Nadu & Karnataka 55