Ooty & Coonoor hill escape

What you can do

• Ride the Nilgiri Mountain Railway between Mettupalayam and Ooty, ideally the uphill leg
• Visit the Botanical Gardens and take a boat on Ooty lake with the children
• Base yourself in Coonoor instead, which is quieter, and walk to Dolphin's Nose
• Tour a working tea factory and buy directly rather than from the roadside shops

Food to try

Hill food here is simple: homemade chocolate, varkey biscuits, fresh tea and eucalyptus oil are the local buys. For meals, look for South Indian thalis and Nilgiri style mutton chops, with hot soup on cold evenings.

Culture & customs

The Nilgiris were a British summer retreat, which explains the churches, clubs and cottages. The indigenous Toda community still lives in the hills, and their barrel shaped huts and embroidery are distinctive.