The much awaited long weekend finally arrived. The wish to get away from the chaotic city life was
about to be fulfilled. The trip was planned, destinations decided, hotels booked and we were raring to
go! And there started our journey towards Coonoor at 6 in the morning, our hearts filled with joy and
exhilaration. It also turned out be quite adventurous thanks to the cop at the Mudumalai Check Post
who decided to frisk us!
As we inched closer towards the Nilgiris, we could feel the hills calling us. After an enjoyable 6-hour
drive, we decided to take a pit stop at Ooty. The first thing (and probably the only thing) that caught our
attention was the homemade ice creams! Strawberry yogurt, Ferrero Rocher, and Fig & Honey — need I
say more? After an hour long refresher, we started our drive uphill to Coonoor.
The smell of fresh air, the amazing hair pin bends, the lush green surroundings – Coonoor had captured
us in it’s beauty! Upon arriving at El Divino Holiday Homes, we received a warm welcome from our host,
Mr. Franklin. The homestay is very well located, overlooking the valley. If peace and serenity are what
you’re searching for, this place wouldn’t disappoint a bit.
Our evening started watching the sunset. The view was simply breathtaking – it’s a moment worth
experiencing, a moment worth capturing. Couple that with the chirping of birds, and you will notice how
being amidst nature can give you instant peace and help you forget all the stress. Once the sun set, you
could see the entire valley light up, distant lights of the town sparkling like stars. The rest of the evening
was spent sipping some (not so) chilled beer and gorging on scrumptious Chinese delicacies.
After a good night’s sleep, we started our day exploring good places to eat at in Coonoor. A little
research on Google helped us shortlist a few places. First up was a café known as The Culinarium. Enter
the place and you are treated to a scenic view that’s as good as it gets. The white décor complements
the place very well. Reserve a table in advance if you want to sit by the window as the place is quite
famous and gets filled in very quickly. Now coming to the food, we ordered for french fries and fish
cakes along with a glass of beer. The fish cakes were perfectly cooked, and I would’ve loved to try out
other items as well (maybe next time!). The perfect way to end any meal is with desserts, and this place
seems to be a specialist in that. Chocolate eclairs, ice cream sandwich, praline mousse – the list goes on
& on. The sorbet made with orange brandy was the best I ever had!
Well it was almost time for us to leave the magical town of Coonoor. A 3 day wonderful trip had come to