Take a walk in the wilderness

it''s always exciting to learn of a place near enough to the city you live in yet far enough to be a getaway, the type tailormade for yuppie couples and corporate relaxing breaks. kotagiri is a little town in the nilgiris hills, so quiet and serene you have to remind yourself it''s only 22 km away from the noise and crowd of ooty. at kattabettu, as hilly as it sounds and 6,000 feet above sea level, is all wooded forest, with locals telling you coolly about tiger and bear sightings and nearby residents narrating tales of how their pet dogs were taken away in the night by tigers on the prowl.for the nature-lover, it''s a dream, with long walks in reserved forest areas like longwood and ebanard. last year''s forest department census estimates 55 tigers in the nilgiris belt so there''s a good chance of spotting one. the green valley resort, run by ravi and renu, say for very long kotagiri has been out of the tourist map since the focus has always been on ooty and coonoor. kotagiri is genuine uncharted territory where you would be hard-pressed to see any tourists. here, you decide your own itinerary, whether it''s a night in a reserve forest, visiting tea estates, watching tea auctions or going to a toda village deep inside the woods. sightings of wild boar and bison are quite common and if patient enough, you can even spot tigers and elephants. the 850-square feet cosy cottage at green valley with two rooms, a balcony, kitchenette and living room is done up entirely in wood and gives a good view of the hills. priced at $150 per couple inclusive of three home-cooked meals or $125 (breakfast only), there is an option of a smaller 400-sq feet apartment at $60 per couple, ideal for hikers and backpackers, as well. the enterprising couple who have moved from growing tea to marketing the unsung beauty of this place, can reveal to their guests all its little treasures. pure mountain spring water (you can see the spring behind the apartment) is used for drinking and personal use and here you truly live the natural way with organically grown vegetables and fresh cow''s milk. so if you are looking for crisp, mountain air and a back-to-nature unusual holiday, head for the hills of kotagiri. weather-wise, any time except july-august is okay.