Category: Tamil Nadu

“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.