The Blue Mountains or the Nilgiri Trek in Tamil Nadu is an extension of the Western Ghats of India. The Nilgiri has more than 20 mountains and is at a height of 6000 feet making it the highest point in the region called as Doddabetta, at a height of 8,651 feet.

The height of the hills makes the region a cold place as compared to the neighboring district. The temperature at the hills can drop to below 10 degree Celsius, making the nights colder. The cool temperature, rain, and the overall terrain make Nilgiri a perfect place for tea plantation. Most of the tea that grows in this region is considered to be one of the best tea plantations and treks in India.

The mountains of Nilgiris are famous among the trekkers in South India. It is a completely different terrain from the Western Ghats of Karnataka. Not only because of its tea and trekking, but Nilgiri is also renowned for flower and fruit flair.

The Nilgiri as a whole district cannot get cover in a single weekend getaway, but you can give it a shot and cover as much as possible.

• Some Facts about the Nilgiri Trek
• Altitude – 6500 feet
• Trail Type of the Nilgiri Trek – The trek includes Gradual Inclines and declines along with serene tea gardens
• and moderate forest covers.
• The Difficulty level of the Nilgiri Trek– Moderate
• Trekking Distance – 17 Kilometers
• Region – Nilgiri Trek is in Tamil Nadu, an extension of the Western Ghats of India. It is the highest point in the region called as Doddabetta, at a height of 8,651 feet.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 0

The Nilgiri trek starts with a 398 km drive from Bangalore to the Nilgiri. It is considered to be one of the lesser-known Bangalore weekend trek getaways. For the Nilgiri trek, you can even hire outdoor leaders for a safe trekking experience.

Day 1

On day 1 the base camp is set in between the prodigious hills of Nilgiris surrounded by tea plantations, mountains, and the beautiful infinite views. You can start the day by having breakfast and packing your lunch for the Kallar Valley Nilgiri Waterfalls Trek.

Then the Nilgiri trek will begin with a declining slope on a jeep trail surrounded by tea gardens. One can easily view the sheer drops of Nilgiri. The stretch also has a plantation of cardamom and cinnamon as well.

Once you will start the Nilgiri trek, you will come across a beautiful ridge to get down to the first waterfall. The ridge has a deep drop and from there you can easily spot the Nilgiri toy train and also the highest mountains of the Nilgiris. But be careful of the boulders on the ridge. The valley you will on by standing on the huge boulder on the ridge is the Kallar Valley. So, see and absorb the trueness of nature in you.

The First Waterfall

After the walk, you will be taken down by the trail to a small waterfall between the tea-gardens. The water can be 5 feet or even deeper in the waterfall. The idea is to get wet and have fun only and not to challenge the waterfall and its depth. This is one of the places where you can refill your water bottles on the Nilgiri trek as the water is clean and fit to drink.

The Uphill Trail of the Nilgiri Trek, Tamil Nadu

The trail to the second waterfall is through an uphill tea-estate. On this stretch, you will be able to see the tribal huts of Nilgiris’ tribals too. The tribals are an essential part of the wilderness. Do not disturb them at any point of time. The plateau you will reach also provides a huge vision of the tea gardens and our hike to the next waterfall begins there.

Remember: It is very important to walk only on the trails and not harm the tea leaves. As nature lovers, we should never pluck any plants on the trail without permission from the owners, as trespassing there is an offence.

The Second Waterfall

The deep valleys from the plateau go towards the Second waterfall. It is at a distance of about 6 kilometers from the uphill tea estate. The trail passes between tea gardens and absolute forest land area. There will be a moderation in the inclined and declined plane. During the monsoons, the route can be slippery too.

Remember to put on good trekking shoes that have non-slippery sole grip. The flow of the waterfall is very fast and is not a good idea to get into water from the top. To get wet one can go to the lower side of the waterfall.
Do not litter the place around. It is very sad to see people littering a serene place like this. From there you can return to the base from a different route

Day 2:

Start the day by visiting the Team factory

As we know the Nilgiris is the paradise of tea lovers and this is also the reason by it is one of the renowned treks in South India, so at the time of trekking you can easily visit the Tea Factory and see the various steps involved in tea making right from plucking tea leaves to getting it powdered.

Next, experience the wildlife at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Get ready to experience how the dense forest looks from the inside. It is a very common site to spot elephants in the forests as your vehicle will across the area. Bandipur National Park is famous for protecting our wildlife, such as – Tiger, Wild Boar, Giant Flying Squirrel, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Striped Hyaena, and Golden Jackal.

Reaching Back to Bangalore

The returning stops will be same as the starting points. You will be crossing the same lanes as you did while you started the Nilgiri Trek.

The Nilgiri trek experience will help you in believing yourself and there also will be times when you will witness that all your physical and mental barriers have been overcome, giving you a sense of freedom and a hint of more confidence in you.