An immersive expertise at tea estates and strawberry farms in Coonoor

Tea plantations
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association

A mighty gaur amidst lush inexperienced tea gardens and misty hills within the backdrop. This image postcard body brings our Jeep to a screeching halt. I take my telephone out and click on away because the gaur stops and stares earlier than nibbling on the tea leaves. I’m thrilled with my encounter with a sturdy gaur throughout my Monkey Trails outing, an immersive expertise at tea gardens in Hulical, close to Coonoor. As we start the 30-minute drive from Coonoor snaking by way of tea plantations, stunning vistas of the Nilgiris panorama unfolds at each nook shrouded in mist.

A mighty gaur on the teas property in Coonoor
| Photograph Credit score:
Ok Jeshi

 “We began this to point out vacationers visiting the Nilgiris that this hill city has a lot extra to supply past the touristy Lambs’ Rock and Dolphin’s Nostril,” says Nikhil Suresh, proprietor of Cash Trails experiences in Coonoor. Nikhil, alongside together with his brother Nitin Suresh, run a bunch of resorts and eating places in Coonoor, together with the Realm resort, Hopscotch restobar, Sri Lakshmi Cafe and Lodge Ramachandra. “Folks visiting right here for the second or third time need an offbeat expertise. This path permits them to take it sluggish with a few actions, however is hands-on and immersive,” explains Nikhil.

Elaborating additional, he provides Monkey Trails has been curated conserving in thoughts vacationers who halt in Coonoor for just a few hours through the Nilgiris journey. “There are weekend travellers. Typically they take the practice from Ooty and are right here within the afternoon to spend just a few hours and take the practice again. We’ve got saved it brief, one thing that may be performed in three to 4 hours, however memorable.”

Strawberry choosing is widespread as a fantastic bonding exercise for households
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

The primary halt is at Velmurugan Tea Plantations in Selas, 9 kilometres from Coonoor, for a boutique tea expertise. For the primary ten minutes, B Lakshman, proprietor of the tea plantation, teaches us tea tradition, historical past and present traits earlier than taking us on a guided tour of the manufacturing unit. We witness how hand-picked tea leaves undergo numerous processes earlier than changing into the ultimate product.

The freshly-plucked inexperienced leaves endure withering, rolling, fermenting, and drying, which turns them into black fragrant tea. A cool breeze washes my face, heavy with the aroma of tea leaves. A tea tasting session follows. A cup of invigorating tea that’s sizzling, recent, and regionally produced, makes the expertise full.

Nature walks is part of the path
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

The paths will also be customised. There are dawn walks, guided bird-watching journeys with a naturalist, and a herpetology path with an in-house herpetologist to look at species of frogs and snakes. “We’ve got individuals calling at 2pm to go for strawberry choosing, which is unimaginable. We will tailor the itinerary primarily based on their expectations when booked upfront. We’re engaged on forest treks. Proper now, the resort fraternity is working with the tourism division and the forest division to discover buffer zones the place treks are potential,” he says including that strawberry choosing is hottest because it’s a fantastic bonding exercise for households.

Strawberry farms
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

Company take a leisurely stroll by way of rows of lush strawberry crops and hand-pick the ripest, juiciest strawberries immediately from the farm, grown with out pesticides. “They begin planting in November after the rains and the crops are prepared by February. There will likely be crops remaining until September. Whereas managed atmosphere has crops by way of the 12 months, it is a pure open farm and the hands-on expertise is a good way for adults and youngsters to attach with Nature,” explains Nikhil.

Boutique expertise on the tea manufacturing unit
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

For weekend travellers, there are small combo trails that pack Jeep rides, plantation stroll, tea tasting and strawberry choosing. We chew into crisp Ooty varki and revel in refreshing lemon tea at Realm resort whereas absorbing views of farms resembling white specks from a distance. These are blueberry farms being developed now, we’re advised, as we hop on to the Jeep to go to a stream close by. As we dip our toes in pristine, icy chilly waters of the stream, there may be absolute silence punctuated by the chirping of birds. We benefit from the chew of the mountain air as we start the drive again stuffed with joyful moments.

Reserving for the Monkey Trails experiences needs to be performed upfront. For extra particulars, name 9585316161/ 9787317171