Kolli Hills: An Offbeat Hill Station Guide from Chennai

If Ooty and Kodaikanal feel a bit too polished and a bit too crowded, Kolli Hills is the other kind of hill station trip from Chennai. It is quieter, greener, and considerably less set up for tourists, which is exactly why people go. There are no toy trains or boat clubs here, just misty ridges, a temple at the bottom of a gorge, and a drive up that you will remember for the bends alone.

We will be honest about what this trip involves. The road up has around 70 hairpin bends, the walk down to the main waterfall is a genuine climb in reverse, and accommodation is basic and limited. None of that is a flaw to work around, it is the whole point of going somewhere that has not been smoothed over for coach tours.

About Kolli Hills

Kolli Hills, also called Kolli Malai, is a hill range in Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, part of the wider Eastern Ghats. Unlike Ooty or Kodaikanal, it never really became a colonial hill station, so there is no legacy of grand bungalows or manicured gardens. What you get instead is a working hill landscape of terraced fields, pineapple and coffee plantations, and small villages connected by a single dramatic access road.

This lack of polish is precisely why regular visitors rate it so highly. There are no queues at the viewpoints, no rows of souvenir shops, and no sense of being processed through a tourist circuit. What you find instead is a living hill community going about its farming and daily life, with the landscape open to anyone willing to make the drive and put in a bit of walking.

That access road is the famous bit. From the base to the top, you climb through roughly 70 hairpin bends, numbered as you go, which is part thrill and part endurance test. It is a big draw for bikers and road trip groups, who treat the climb itself as the main event, but it can be genuinely uncomfortable if you or anyone in the car is prone to motion sickness. Once you are up top, the pace slows right down. Kolli Hills stays cooler and mistier than the plains, and because it sees far fewer visitors than the bigger hill stations, it still feels unspoilt.

Agaya Gangai waterfall and Arappaleeswarar Temple

The best known sight in Kolli Hills is the Agaya Gangai waterfall, and it is not a casual, roadside kind of waterfall. To reach it, you descend a long flight of steps, running into the hundreds, down into a steep gorge. The waterfall itself, when it is running well, is a genuinely impressive sight tumbling into the valley below, and it is easy to see why it draws people up here in the first place.

The honest part is the return. Climbing back up those same hundreds of steps, in hill humidity, is properly strenuous, and it is not something to attempt casually if you are unfit, travelling with small children, or visiting in the middle of the day heat. Pace yourself, carry water, and give yourself far more time for the climb up than you think you need.

Near the waterfall stands the Arappaleeswarar Temple, an old Shiva temple that is a pilgrimage stop in its own right as well as a natural place to pause before or after the walk. It has a quieter, more local atmosphere than the big temple towns, which fits the general character of the hills.

Because the whole experience, temple and waterfall together, involves a fair bit of walking on uneven stone steps, sensible footwear is not optional here. Flip flops are common on Indian hill trips generally, but this is one spot where proper shoes make a real difference.

Viewpoints and other things to see

Kolli Hills rewards slow exploring rather than a tight checklist, but a few spots are worth building a day around.

• Seekuparai viewpoint, one of the best spots to look out over the valley and the plains below, particularly good in the early morning before the haze builds up.
• Selur and other lookout points scattered along the hill roads, many with no formal signage, simply places where the road opens out to a view.
• The botanical garden and the Tampcol medicinal plant farm, useful for understanding why Kolli Hills has long been known for its herbal and medicinal plants, grown and used by local communities for generations.
• Masila falls and other smaller waterfalls, less dramatic than Agaya Gangai but easier to reach and often quieter.
• The pineapple, jackfruit, coffee and spice growing slopes, which are as much a part of the scenery as the viewpoints, and worth stopping for if you see roadside stalls selling fresh pineapple in season.
• The terraced fields and villages of the local Malayali hill community, whose farming has shaped this landscape for a very long time and who remain the backbone of daily life on the hills.

The folklore of Kolli Hills

Kolli Hills carries an old reputation in Tamil literature as a place associated with magic and sorcery, tied to the legend of Kollippavai and referenced in classical Tamil texts. Locals will sometimes mention this in passing, more as folklore and colour than anything to take too seriously, but it does add a certain atmosphere to a place that already feels a step removed from the ordinary. Think of it as background flavour to the trip rather than a reason to visit, though it is a nice detail to know before you go.

Chennai to Kolli Hills: how to get there

Kolli Hills is roughly 350 to 400 km from Chennai, and the drive typically takes about 6 to 7.5 hours depending on traffic and how you take the bends near the top. Most routes run via Chennai to Salem, then on towards Namakkal before turning off for the climb.

There is no railway line and no airport on the hills themselves. If you are travelling by train or air, the nearest useful stations and airports are around Salem, Namakkal and Tiruchirappalli, and you will need to arrange a taxi or bus for the final stretch up. Whichever way you arrive at the base, the last leg is the same for everyone, the ghat road with its 70 hairpin bends, which is slow going by design and not a stretch to rush.

Where to stay and best time to visit

Accommodation on Kolli Hills is limited and simple. Expect a handful of resorts and guesthouses along with a TTDC or government hotel, rather than the range of options you would find in Ooty or Kodaikanal. Booking ahead matters here, especially on weekends, because there genuinely is not much capacity if your first choice is full.

Given the distance from Chennai and the effort of the climb, this is far better suited to an overnight or weekend trip than a rushed day out. Trying to do the drive up, sightseeing, and the drive back down in a single day is a long day for very little payoff. The cooler, greener months, broadly October to February, are the most comfortable time to visit, and going soon after the monsoon is particularly rewarding because the waterfalls, including Agaya Gangai, are at their fullest.

Tips for the trip

• If you or your co-passengers get carsick easily, take motion sickness precautions before starting the climb, the 70 bends come thick and fast.
• Fuel up fully before you start ascending, petrol pumps are scarce once you are on the hill roads.
• Carry enough cash, ATMs on Kolli Hills are limited and you cannot rely on cards everywhere.
• Pack warm layers, evenings and mornings are noticeably cooler than Chennai or even Salem.
• Treat the walk down to Agaya Gangai, and especially the climb back up, as a proper trek, not a quick stroll, and pace accordingly.
• If Kolli Hills is your first time exploring the region, it is worth reading up on other hill stations near Chennai to see how it compares before you commit to the drive.

Kolli Hills will not suit everyone, and that is really the appeal. Go for the bends, the waterfall, and the quiet, and go with realistic expectations about the infrastructure, and it is one of the most rewarding hill trips within reach of Chennai.