Places of Interest  |      Flora & Fauna     |   Nilgiris Mountain Railway 

About The Nilgiris 

 

The Nilgiri hills also known as the 'Blue Mountains' are so called because of the blue haze that envelopes them when viewed from a distance. The Nilgiris are a part of the Western Ghats of South India, and a district of the Tamil Nadu state. It is located at the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka states. Its location and the cooler wetter climate compared to the surrounding plains make it an easily accessible hill station get-away .The highest point is the mountain of Doddabetta, with a height of 2,637 m.

One of the historical British settlements and refuges from the sweltering plains, the Nilgiris still retains a British flavour. The rolling hills of the Downs look very similar to the Downs in Southern England, and were used for similar activities such as hunting. The names of streets and houses have a very English flavour. The tea plantations and quality English-medium schools in the district are a legacy of the British Raj.

Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri are the three hill stations of this district. Wellington which is a kilometer away from Coonoor its only defence town, housing the Madras Regimental Centre, Barracks and the Defence Services Staff College.

Although Ooty has become crowded and commercialised, Coonoor, Wellington and Kotagiri are relatively un-spoilt. Wellington remains immaculate thanks to the defence personnel. The true charm of the 'Blue Mountains' in best experienced by staying at Riga Residency. The hotel's location was chosen to maintain the fine balance between quiet green surroundings and proximity to Coonoor town which is out of sight but just around the hill. We understand that our guests enjoy staying in the lap of nature but would not want an un-necessarily long drive to sight see.  Back to Top

 

Places of Interest

Listed below are some of the more popular places of interest. But adventurous guests can count on us to be generous with our knowledge of places and people who are off the tourist map. To a most un-adventurous guest we recommend that you curl up in your warm bed at Riga Residency and take advantage of our full length bay windows to enjoy the view of hills and valleys, birds & flowers and even the Nilgiris Mountain Railway.

Wellington

Memorial Wellington Gymkhana Club - Golf Course - Defence Services Staff College -  Ralliah Dam

Coonoor

Sims Park - Lamb's Rock - Dolphin's Nose - Droog - Lady Canning's Seat - Law's Falls - Kattery Falls - Ralliah Dam

Ooty

Botanical Garden - Rose Garden - Ooty Lake - Children's Park - Dodabetta - Avalanche - Pykara - Kalhatty Falls

Kotagiri

Rangaswamy Peak & Pillar - Kodanad View Point - Catherine Falls

Others

Kallar – at the foothills enroute from Coimbatore

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary - at the foothills enroute from Bangalore/Mysore.

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   Flora & Fauna

The rain forests in the Nilgiris covers a portion of the range above 1000 meters elevation and are among the most diverse on the planet. Above 1500 meters elevation, the evergreen forests begin to give way to forests called sholas, which are interspersed with open grassland. These grasslands are the home to the endangered Nilgiri tahr, which resembles a stocky goat with curved horns. The Nilgiri tahrs number only about 2000 individuals.The Nilgiris is also one of the most important tiger habitats left in India.

About 40% of all Indian plant species can be found in the Nilgiris.  Back to Top

 

   UNESCO Heritage Nilgiri Mountain Railway

The Nilgiris Mountain Railway has been included on the UNESCO world heritage site list. It is a 46 km long metre – guage railway connecting Mettupalayam (1069 ft) and Ooty (7228 ft) Its first section was completed in 1899 and spanned the Mettupalayam – Coonoor section. It was extended to Ooty in 1903.

The train uses a unique toothed mechanism to keep it anchored to the steep slopes that lead up the hills over 16 tunnels and bridges over deep ravines. Its unhurried pace makes it an ideal way to enjoy the breath taking scenery, It is a most convenient way to reach Riga Residency as the Wellington station is 500 mts from the hotel.  Back to Top