Author: Prabhith Prabhakaran

“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Richard Burton

ROUTE MAP (From Bangalore)

We visited Yercaud and Yelagiri in October 2015.

Distance from Bangalore to Yelagiri is around 160 KMS (3.5 Hours)

Distance from Bangalore to Yercaud is around 230 KMS (5 Hours)

Distance from Yercaud to Yelagiri is around 150 KMS (Travel time might vary as you need to cover the Ghat sections)

Yercaud

Yercaud is located on shevaroy ranges of the state of Tamil Nadu. You need to drive through some hairpin bends (Loop Road) to reach this mini hill station of Yercaud. The highest point in Yercaud is the Shevaroy temple.

If you are preparing an Itinerary, you can keep around 1Night/2Days for Yercaud.

You can also try some local snacks like Egg Bonda (Mutta Bonda), green chilli fries, capsicum fries.

Major Attractions: 

Yercaud Lake with Boating 

Pagoda Point 

This is the best view point of Yercaud where you can see some small villages inside forest. One temple is located in this view point.

KilliyurWater Falls 

It is located near to lake with 3.5km travel. Falls is one of the main attraction of Yercaud where water level will be more during monsoon season.

Rose Garden 

This garden is for nature lovers with lot of rose plants and other plants. It has a small playground for children.

Anna Park 

This is in the heart of Yercaud near to lake. This park is not a very big one, but its nice one to spend time with children. During end of summer flower show is organized in this park.

Servaroyan Temple 

This one is the important place to visit in Yercaud. Located in the highest peak of hill. This actually is a cave temple. But currently you are not allowed inside.

There are some very popular schools like ‘Montfort’ here (established in 1917)

Accommodation: 

We stayed in ‘Wellington Hill station resort’. I would certainly not recommend this resort to any of my fellow travellers. Really one of the worst resorts that I have ever stayed.

Yelagiri

This can be a good weekend gateway trip for people from Chennai and Bangalore. You need to drive through some hairpin bends to reach this mini hill station of Yelagiri. This is a nice place for nature lovers who wants to enjoy the nature in a Peaceful environment, away from the busy city life.

Yelagiri is a cluster of 14 hamlets that lie between four mountains spread over an area of 30 sq km having an altitude of 3500 ft.

Even though this is in an elevated location, we cannot really consider this as a full fledged hill station.It’s not as developed and well known as Ooty or Kodaikanal, it is comparatively quieter and more peaceful. This hill station eventually gained more popularity in the colonial times when the British used it as a getaway to escape and relax from Chennai’s heat. Since Yelagiri does not have any historical or religious background, it is not that much of a tourist spot which comes as a blessing in disguise, as it is almost never crowded.

But keep in mind that there are no much tourist attractions in Yelagiri. It is not a place for tourists who want to have a hectic sightseeing agenda. If your intention is to relax, this can be a potential location for the same.

Seems like these days, there are paragliding and rock climbing options available. There are some trekking options available.(The highest point in Yelagiri is the Swamimalai Hill, standing tall at 4,338 ft with spectacular views)

Yelagiri Summer festival celebrated in May end is organized by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development. Stalls from different departments, flower show, various cultural programs and Dog Show with a variety of dog breeds are conducted every year. People from all over the State and other parts of the country participate in this annual festival.

If you are preparing an Itinerary, you can keep around 1Night/2Days for Yelagiri.

Major Attractions: 

Lake with boating options —- This is the only main attraction that we found in Yelagiri. Since this being the main place, most of the visitors will visit here and you will have to wait for a long time to get a boat ride.

Accommodation: 

We stayed in Sterling Resorts. This is a nice Resort. Certainly recommended to all fellow Travellers.

Jeep Safari Charges: Seems its a fixed amount of Rs. 2000. We drive through the town of Suryanelle and then onto tea plantations owned by Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. through which a narrow, stony and rocky road with numerous hairpin bends leads to Kolukkumalai.

One Line Summary: If you are planning a Munnar trip, never miss this place. This is indeed a lifetime experience and its a must visit place. Highly recommended to all fellow travelers.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”– Andre Gide

We visited Ooty (Udagamandalam/ Ootacamund) and Coonoor in October, 2014.

This was our 1^st road trip after buying our new car – Honda Amaze and one of the most memorable road trips that we had from Bangalore. This is again one of the best suitable long weekend road trip option from Bangalore. The only thing to be kept in mind is to start a little early from Bangalore so that you can avoid the heavy traffic in Bangalore-Mysore stretch. Also ensure to book your accommodation well in advance. Stay options gets filled up very fast in Ooty – Coonoor region especially during long weekend and vacation time.

OOTY

Ooty is one of the most preferred hills station in South India. It is also locally known as the Queen of hill stations.

The road through Bandipur- Masinagudi Forest range is amazing with scenic views. The deer and the monkeys made their customary appearance once in a while. The greenery of the forest, chirping of the birds, touch of the cold wind will add different flavours to this road trip.

After the forest range, the actual ghat session starts and its all about 36 Hair Pin bends. If you are not an expert driver, my personal recommendation will be to avoid this route.

Ooty Lake:

A manmade lake commenced in 1824 by the British Governor John Sullivan, the lake is a recreational hub for locals and tourists alike. It is situated near the centre of the town and has lots of activities around for kids and adults alike. Boating facility is also available in this lake. You can also try Horse riding near the lake.

Ooty Botanical /Rose Garden:

Right at the bustling centre of the town are the Ooty Botanical Gardens. Spread out over a vast area, these century-old gardens are filled with colours and have hundreds of plant and flower species.

The Botanical Garden is maintained by the Horticulture Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu and has a very wide variety of plants that include different types of roses, imported shrubs, rare flowering plants, eucalyptus trees, several old trees.

Train Trip:

Due to some restriction, the main thing that we missed was the toy train trip (Heritage Nilgiri train- One of the oldest running train in India) from Metuapalayam to Ooty via Coonoor(46 Kms). This was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The train pass through numerous bridges and tunnels. It was indeed a great miss for us. I would personally suggest you not to miss this trip. The tickets can be booked in IRCTC website.

Some other attractions in Ooty (within 25 Kms):

Pykara waterfalls (22.7 Kms)
Avalanche Lake (Another Must see place) (21.3 Kms)(There are time restrictions here)
Ooty Forest walk
Emerald Lake (19 Kms)
Fernhill Royal Palace (3.6 Kms)

Coonoor

This is the second largest hill-station located in Tamil Nadu, in south India in the Nilgiri Hills and is also the second-most visited after Ooty. Located close to Ooty, this picturesque hill station has lush, velvety tea estates and is famous for producing delicious Nilgiri tea.

Some other attractions in Coonoor:

• Dolphin’s Nose (11.2 Kms)
• Sim’s Park (1.1 Kms)
• Catherine Falls (19.6 Kms)
• Droog Fort (12.7 Kms)
• Hidden Valley (19.5 Kms)
• Lamb’s Rock (6.5 Kms)
• Various Tea factory.

There are many accommodation options like Resorts, hotels and Homestays in both Ooty and Coonoor region.

How to Reach:

By Air: The nearest airport to Ooty is in Coimbatore, which is under 100 kilometres . The drive from Coimbatore Airport to Ooty’s city centre approximately takes up to four hours.

By Road: Ooty is accessible by road and makes for a great drive from Bengaluru (295 kilometres), Kozikhode (185 kilometres) and other nearby towns like Coonoor and Kotagiri. Public state buses and private taxis ply from nearby towns and cities in Karnataka and Kerala.

By Train: The charming Nilgiris Mountain Railway runs between Mettupayalam and Ooty. The ascend takes about four hours with picture postcard views accompanying you throughout.

Don’t forget to buy some Home made chocolates while you come back!

“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.”–  Richard Burton

We visited Hogenakkal Waterfalls in October 2016. Hogenakkal is approximately 180 kms from Bangalore and this can be a perfect day trip from Bangalore. Try to avoid summer season, as it might be very hot.

Our Route from Bangalore: Bangalore -> Sarjapur -> Attibelle -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Dharmapuri -> Hogenakkal .We followed a longer route rather the one that is normally shown on google maps because of the quality of the road.

About the place: Hogenakkal Waterfalls (it’s not one single huge waterfall but a series of smaller falls) often referred to as “Cauvery” or “Kavery” or “Kaveri” by locals and the people of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts in Tamilnadu, India where it is situated. Hogenakkal is also described as the ‘Niagara’ of India, offer an exciting holiday destination for Indians and foreigners alike. Hogenakkal is located about 750 feet above sea level amidst the Melagiri Hills. The route to Hogenakkal Falls is scenic, with lush mulberry fields and giant terracotta guardian deities (Aiyanars), as you approach Hogenakkal, the roar of the Cauvery river and the abundance of vegetation in the area is sure to catch your attention.

The name of the waterfall is derived from two Kannada words, hoge which means smoke and kal meaning rocks thereby translating to Smoking Rocks. The Carbonatite rocks at this site are considered to be the oldest of its kind in South Asia. At Hogenakkal, the river Kaveri drops and creates numerous waterfalls as the water cuts through the rocky terrain. The thunderous sound of water crashing down from over 60 feet is something to experience. After this point the river spreads out over a wide area of sandy beaches.

There is a hanging bridge from where you can see the falls, they charge around 5 INR as entry fee and Camera (10 INR), Video (25 INR)

There are not many restaurants available in this region, but there are lot of small shops in this region, which serves Fried Fish, Rice and so on. You can try some local cuisine from here. Personally, I have not tried and hence unable to provide a fair review here.

I was slightly disappointed with the crowd here. Many people have come for oil massage and bath (as they consider that this river water has some medicinal values) which looks odd at a tourist location. Unfortunately, the massages at Hogenakkal Waterfalls are actually famous. But there is always a big difference between bathing in waterfall and bathing in waterfall with soap, shampoo and oil.

You can see some vendors floating along with as they persuade you to buy chips or a water bottle. The sad part is that people buy chips from these vendors, just to throw the wrapper in the pious river, not caring about nature at all. This is another disappointing scene that we normally see in this destination.

How to reach:

The best option would be to travel in your own/rented/hired car.

Bangalore International Airport is the closest airport which is about 216 km from Hogenakal Falls. Dharmapuri Railway station is the closest rail head, which is ready forty-seven km from Hogenakkal. It is well connected by train with Bangalore, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Tuticorin, Coimbatore, Salem, Nagarcoil, Mysore, Pondicherry, Tirunelveli and Ernakulum. Dharmapuri is the nearest main Bus station to Hogenakkal. It has buses from Bangalore, Mysore, Salem, Coimbatore, Chennai, Trivandrum, Kochi, Ooty, Madurai and Hyderabad.

“The journey not the arrival matters.” -T.S. Eliot

ROUTE MAP (From Bangalore)

We visited Kodaikanal in March 2016.

Kodaikanal is a city near Palani in the hills of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means “The Gift of the Forest”.Kodaikanal is referred to as the “Princess of Hill stations” and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination.

It has picturesque views of valleys, lakes, waterfalls and grassy hills. The crowd is relatively very less compared to Ooty.

Kodaikanal is also a great destination for people in Bangalore and Chennai to do a road trip. The roads are excellent, thanks to the golden quadrilateral project.

2 days (apart from the travel days) would be fine enough to cover this place. The only point to note is that you will have to start a bit early from home (starting point) and always remember that a lot of time will be lost at the tolls.

Compared to Ooty, we don’t have so many attractions here in Kodai.

Places that we visited:

Valley view from Coakers Walk

Coaker’s Walk is a magnificent gift of Mother Nature to Kodaikanal and its tourists. It derives its name from Lt. Coaker, who had prepared the map of Kodaikanal. The valley view from this place is amazing.

On a clear day one can view as far as Dolphin’s Nose in the south, the valley of the Pambar River in the southeast, Periyakulam town and even the city of Madurai. There is a telescope house in this place.

Guna Caves

These are natural caves in the hills. Earlier, you could enter the caves and explore them. To avoid accidents on this dangerous terrain, the entry is prohibited. Now, the caves are covered with wire mesh. They can be viewed from a distance.

Walk through the pine forest

The pine plantations/pine forest in Kodaikanal is one among the preserved treasures of Kodaikanal which would mesmerize the tourists by its ambience. This place is a gift of Mother Nature for people who love photography. In 1906, Mr. Bryant planned to grow precious timber; hence he started the Kodaikanal pine plantations in the south-west of Kodaikanal. The Pine forest is an impressive spot to visit.

Golf Course

There is a Golf Course in Kodaikanal but its not open for general public and tourists. Only members and their family can go inside the place

Poomparai view point

This is one of the best locations from where you can see the entire Poomparai terrace farming. The major crops they grow are carrots, potatoes, beetroots, beans, avocados, passion fruits and so on.

Palani

Enroute, we also visited the famous Palani temple (Dhandayuthapani temple)

Dhandayuthapani temple is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. It is located in the city of Palani in Dindigul district, 100 kilometres, southeast of Coimbatore and northwest of Madurai in the foot-hills of the Palani hills, Tamil Nadu, India. This religious temple is visited by millions of tourists every year.

The temple is on a hill. There are multiple ways to climb the hill.

A) Steps —–> 700 Steps to the temple. Good option if you can climb it. Free as well.

B) Winch —–> Old Technology cable car like vehicle. There will be a long wait as the car moves very slowly.

Other attractions (within 30 Kms):

Pillar Rock (7 Kms)
Bear Shola Falls (1.5 Kms)
Moir point (8 Kms)
Vattakanal (6 kms)
Liril falls (4 Kms)
Chettiyar park (2.5 Kms)
Brayant park (1.2 Kms)
Mannavanur (small farming village) (30 Kms)
Berijam lake (21 Kms
One point to note: There are chances that you might see a Bison on the road. Don’t panic and try to move to a safe place nearby.

Accommodation:

There are multiple options available in Kodaikanal for tourists to stay. It will be good to book the rooms in advance during vacation and long holidays.

We stayed in Sterling ‘By The Lake’ Resort. Overall the resort was quite satisfactory.

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind”– Seneca

I recently visited one of my relative’s upcoming home stay in Wayanad. Since it is not officially launched, I cannot reveal the name of the home stay as of now. It’s actually located in Lakkidi (inside the forest/tea plantation area, around 1 kms from the Bathery-Calicut Main road)

Lakkidi is located in the gateway of Wayanad district of Kerala state, south India. Lakkidi is one of the highest locations in Wayanad and is situated 700m above mean sea level, atop Thamarassery ghat pass. Vythiri is the nearest town, distancing 5km from Lakkidi. Chain tree, Pookot Lake, Sight seeing point on ghat road and number of tourist resorts are within five km of Lakkidi. It is about 58 km northeast of Kozhikode district.

The route to this home stay is amazing. You can reach this homestay from the main road only with the help of a 2/4 Wheel drive vehicle. But the resort management have provided the parking slots at a house near the main road, where you can park your vehicle.

Currently they have only 2-3 rooms. They are in the process of adding more facilities.

The Website and online reservation has not started yet. Probably they might launch it officially soon.

The view from this homestay is amazing. The climate is very cool, as it is situated inside the plantation.

I was told that we can get a chance to view elephants at a distant location.

“Wherever you go, you take yourself with you” –  Neil Gaiman

My Route : Kazhakuttom –> MenamKulam –> Veli – Perumathura Road –>Muthalapozhi Port (Around 14KMS/30 Minutes journey in car)

Foodies: If you would like to taste some Sea food, you can visit ‘Ameen Restaurant’ enroute. I personally was not happy with the cleanliness of the dining space in the restaurant. Anyway, you can try a parcel from this place.

A WhatsApp video mentioning about the sea food varieties of this restaurant had gone Viral. So if you would like to taste the food, you can visit this restaurant enroute to Muthalapozhi.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do” –  Mark Twain

Mundrothuruthu is really a hidden gem in Kerala. We came to this place as a part of 2 days visit to Kollam (in April 2018).

Munroe Island or Mundrothuruthu is an island located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district, Kerala, South India.

The population in this island is very less. Kollam District Tourism Promotion council (DTPC) is giving lot of importance to this place these days. It is infact a great idea because there are lot of potential for this place to be blown into a popular tourism spot

Mundrothuruthu has a small railway station. Shuttle/passenger trains coming from Kollam and Alappuzha have a stop @ this station. (Around 15 Minutes journey in train from kollam Railway Station). Journey by car would take around 50 minutes.

If you want to spend more time in this place, you can also stay in some Homestays available within the islands. You can plan this as a day trip also.

One Line Summary: Overall, its worth for a one day short trip, preferably in the early morning or last evening.

Some Useful Links:

1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munroe_Island

2) https://sites.google.com/site/munroeislandbackwaters/

“To travel is worth any cost or sacrifice”– Elizabeth Gilbert

Happened to visit Thenmala along with my friends in April 2011.

Thenmala Eco-Tourism:

I believe, Thenmala is the first planned eco-tourism destination in India.

Also, you will see the Kollam – Shenkottai  rail network. The railway Bridge is really an Architectural marvel, build by the British.

Other tourist attractions

Kallada dam  –>  It attracts several visitors thanks to the stunning scenery and the opportunity to view it all from the top of the dam.

Palaruvi Water Falls –>  Another attraction is Palaruvi waterfalls . If you want to visit Palaruvi in the same day, better to leave Thenmala at mid day after visiting adventure zone because Palaruvi closes at 5 P.M. The distance between the two places is only 16 kms.

“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.”– Eugene Fodor

We could see a couple of pedal boats but couldn’t find any Tourists or Guides, when we visited this place.

Kerala Tourism Department or the nearby Panchayat should take some initiative to develop this region into a wonderful tourism spot.

When I had searched on Internet, I could read about some tourism related developments that had happened in this area couple of years ago. But due to some reason, I don’t see any such developments now. The only existing mark of that old developments are some pedal boats but they are a kind of damaged because of limited or NO use.

After Muchukuunu road, the path is narrow with sharp curves and slopes.

Nearby places worth visiting would be:

1. Kollam Chira: The renovation of Kollam Chira happened recently and its now well maintained.

Also, if you are somewhere nearby Chira, Please dont forget to have a cup of Tender Cocunut juice (Rs. 25/-.I guess) from the shop nearby the Chira. You can also take home the same as parcel which they will give in plastic bottles. Worth drinking this. I really enjoyed.

2.  Kollam harbour

One Line Summary: If you are staying somewhere nearby, you can visit once probably in a evening. If you are from a far away place planning to visit only this spot, I would certainly recommend you to think twice, before planning the trip.