Coimbatore

Coimbatore is the gateway to two of South India's favourite hill stations, and this classic Tamil Nadu pairing gives you two very different moods in one trip. From the airport the road climbs the Nilgiris to Coonoor, where you board the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, the UNESCO-listed toy train, for the scenic run to Ooty past tea gardens, eucalyptus forests and old stations. Coonoor's Sim's Park and Dolphin's Nose viewpoint and a visit to a working tea factory set the tone.

Ooty, or Udhagamandalam, is the queen of the Nilgiris, with colonial bungalows, rolling tea estates and cool air year-round. Sightseeing covers the Government Botanical Garden, the boat house on Ooty Lake, the rose garden and Doddabetta, the highest peak in the Nilgiris at 2,637 metres. A day out goes to the pine forest and Pykara's lake and falls, with Avalanche Lake's clear waters and shola forests for nature lovers.

The second half of the trip drives south across the plains, past Palani with its hilltop Murugan temple, and up the Palani hills to Kodaikanal, the princess of hill stations. Here the pace slows further: boating or cycling around the star-shaped Kodai Lake, Coaker's Walk with views down to the plains, the misty Pine Forest, Guna Caves and the dramatic Pillar Rocks. The trip ends in Madurai, close to the Meenakshi Amman temple, for the flight home. October to June is the best period, and the Ooty Flower Show in May is a highlight. The cool weather makes it a favourite summer escape for Hyderabad families.