Catherine Falls

Catherine Falls – or Catherine’s Falls – is named after the wife of a civil servant from the old British East India days. She was said to be fond of this location, spending time walking the area and painting the falls. The double cascaded falls drop from a height of 250 metres and is 9 km from Kotagiri. On the road to Mettupalayam, you take the branching off at Aravenu (look for the signboard.) You pass through lush tea gardens and from the viewpoint near the falls, you can see the distant Dolphin’s Nose of Coonoor.

That this is a vantage point to view the distant Falls is a good thing to remember. You will be nowhere near touching distance, or bathing distance, from it. The location is relaxing, the view of the intervening gorge is excellent (on a clear day) but the Falls itself is quite a distance away.

A trek to reach the Falls is possible from the parking area if you take a different route (by walk). If you are reasonably fit and have good shoes, that is. Probably not for elders who will have to be satisfied with a view of the milky white falls from a distance. Photographers (with a zoom lens) will get a good shot for their album. Nature lovers will love the amazing view of the valley.