Coimbatore or Kovai (as known in the local lingo) is situated on the border between Kerala and Tamilnadu somewhere in the exact middle of Tamilnadu. Coimbatore is the third largest city in Tamilladu. It is also the district headquarter of the Coimbatore district.
It is the centre of textile manufacturing in the state and there are over a hundred mills in and around. Tirupur, a place nearby but within the district, exports the maximum clothing from the country. Hence, Coimbatore is also known by the sobriquet ’Manchester of South India’.
Coimbatore is also one of the business and industrial centres of the state. It has big business houses and industries. The city is also well known for the manufacture of motor pumps and varied engineering goods which has earned it a title ‘Detroit of the South’.
Coimbatore is also well known for its handloom Products. It is also known for its educational provess. The Ayurveda College, Forest Training College, the PSG group colleges, Amrita group of institutions, etc are very famous educational institutions in South India. It is also known for its contribution to Dravidian art and culture.
The headquarters of the Nilgiri region, its exposure to the Palghat Gap of the Western Ghats gives Coimbatore a pleasant weather most of the time. But the summers are not bearable.
Coimbatore is accessible by air, rail and road. There is a domestic airport in the outskirts of the city for fliers. There are hotels of all ranges from non-star to five-star for any kind of visitor to the city. The variety in restaurants are also high, except that majority will be serving South Indian food and will be vegetarian. The bus service also connects all parts of the city.
Coimbatore has a lot to offer a leisure traveller as well. It’s ornately carved temples, its lovely landscape of hills, valleys and waterfalls, a salubrious climate and the excellent amenities - all add up to give a great time to a tourist.
Other places around Coimbatore are the Anamalai Wild life Sanctuary (situated in Pollachi about 45 Km from Coimbatore), Amaravathi Reservoir in Anamalai (find a lot of crocodiles there), Topslip (a picturesque locale in the Anamalai Hills), Siruvani Water Falls & Dam (37 kms from the city, the water of Siruvani is known for its taste) and Valparai (102 kms from Coimbatore in the Western Ghats in Anamalai range, it has many tea plantations).
There are also a lot of hill stations around Coimbatore, the famous being Ooty (Popularly known as the ‘Queen of Hill Stations’), Coonoor, Kothagiri, Kodaikanal, Mettupalayam and Yercaud.
Amusement parks and Water parks like Black Thunder are also worth a visit.