‘3500 feet above sea level’ is the altitude at which Valparai, a picturesque hill station in Tamil Nadu is located. It is situated in the Coimbatore district. According to the 2011 census, it possesses a population of about 70,859. Furthermore, it is also renowned for its beautiful coffee and tea plantations. Historically speaking, it was in 1846 that the first coffee plantation was set up over here by Ramasamy Mudaliyar. A majority of the land available in this small town is owned by private tea companies as of today.
Read More: 5 REASONS FOR VISITING OOTY
a. How to reach Valparai?
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Valparai Map
1. By Train:
The closest railway station to this beautiful hill station is located in Coimbatore. The Coimbatore Junction is well connected to major cities throughout the country.
2. By Road:
The ideal starting points to get to Valparai would include Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Madurai, Kozhikode, and Chennai.
a. Via Bengaluru:
There are three routes from Bengaluru to Valparai via NH-544 which takes 9 hours and 4 minutes, via NH-44 which takes 9 hours and 34 minutes and NH-275 which takes 10 hours and 2 minutes.
b. Via Coimbatore:
There are three routes from Coimbatore to Valparai via NH-83 and SH-78 which takes 3 hours and 20 minutes, via SH-78 which takes 3 hours and 32 minutes and Via Palakkad-Pollachi Road and SH-78 which takes 3 hours and 38 minutes.
c. Via Madurai:
There are three routes from Madurai to Valparai via NH-83 which takes about 5 hours and 22 minutes, via SH-78 which takes 5 hours and 29 minutes and via Dindigul-Natham-Singampunari and NH-83 which takes about 6 hours and 34 minutes.
d. Via Kozhikode:
There are two routes from Kozhikode to Valparai via Kozhikode-Malappuram-Palakkad Highway and SH-78 which takes about 6 hours and 25 minutes, and via SH-78 which takes 6 hours and 33 minutes.
e. Via Chennai:
There are three routes from Chennai to Valparai via Chennai-Villupuram-Trichy which takes about 11 hours and 16 minutes, via Chennai-Villupuram- Trichy and Kanyakumari Road which takes about 11 hours and 14 minutes, and via NH-48 which takes about 11 hours 34 minutes.
3. By air:
The nearest airport to this quaint hill station is in Coimbatore. The Coimbatore Airport is well connected to major domestic cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad etc. In terms of international destinations, it is well connected to Singapore and Sharjah.
Climate and the best time to Valparai:
The climate of Valparai can be best described as “Subtropical” with the weather ranging from moderate hot to foggy cold. The best time to visit this beautiful hill station is during summer which begins in March and ends in mid June. The climate continues to be pleasant from September right up to February. In other words, this picturesque hill station can be visited throughout the year.
Places to Visit in Valparai:
There are number of places to visit in Valparai. They are as follows:
a. Chinnakallar Falls:
A beautiful water fall known as Chinnakallar is located at this hill station. The lush green environment surrounding this beautiful spot is what makes it truly soothing to the eyes.
b. Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary:
There exist a wildlife sanctuary located around this hill station named ‘Indira Gandhi’ renowned for exotic animals. They include leopards, elephants, lion tailed macaques, gaur, spotted deer, sambar, and giant squirrels.
c. Tea Plantations:
There are a number of scenic tea plantations surrounding this hill station that are truly worth visiting.
Interesting Fact:
The mountain range surrounding this hill station comprises of an animal called Nilgiri Tahr belonging to a group known as ungulate. Furthermore, this animal species is endemic to this quaint town as well as to the Nilgiri Mountain Range.
Also Read: WHY IS OOTY ONE OF THE MOST VISITED HILL STATION IN INDIA?
Image Credits: Wikipedia