Valparai in monsoon is a sheer bliss!!!!
A delayed post here however fresh on my mind.
To visit Valparai during the monsoon was planned again when we first visited that place in the month of November 2013. This is one place we fell in love with. Nature has something to offer everytime here. When we visited in November, the whole place was green and we were very sure that monsoon season would definitely show us something more better.
As usual on Day 1, started our drive early by around 4:30 AM to make sure we reached our destination earlier. Stopped for breakfast at a hotel at Villupuram. Then proceeded via Perambalur - Thuraiyur - Musiri - Kulithalai - Karur Bypass - Aravakurichi - Dharapuram to Pollachi. Stopped at Hotel Gowri Krishna for lunch. Post lunch headed towards Valparai.
Reached Valparai around 4 PM. Checked in to our usual home stay. The drive was definitely very different and it was green all around. Some pictures of the ghat road here:
On Day 2: We decided to take a walk in the drizzle and we have a usual place where we eat our meals and breakfast and went there for our morning tea. While we were seated for the tea, we were too tempted at the hot steaming Aapams being made and decided to eat a nice breakfast too.
Post breakfast we decided to do something different. While speaking to Frank (Who is the owner of the homestay) he suggested us a drive through a forest area and mentioned to us that it would be worth a drive. Before he let us go, he checked through his contacts to make sure there are no animal disturbance in that area. I am not mentioning the name of the place we drove through here just to protect the place. It is not a commonly visited area in Valparai and known only to locals. This drive I should say was the most beautiful ever we have done. Absolutely no human population anywhere enroute except one or two locals whom you see, no vehicles, and of course very sparse signal connectivity.
The best part was the twisting and turning roads, and zero visibility due to mist cover and the drizzle.
We saw 3 watrefalls enroute, being a rain forest, I do not have words to explain what we saw in real. I am sharing some pictures from this route though.
After the most alluring drive, we went back to our usual joint for a welcoming hot lunch. It was a simple menu, very homely and we were HUNGRY. Had a hearty meal and decided to get back to the room for some rest.
Called it a day and we were just spending the evening with the owner and his family.
Day 3 was planned. We started around 7 AM as we know that the drive was going to take us quite some time. This was a planned route, the always talked about Valparai - Athirampally drive through the forest. Visited the Sholayar dam enroute and started our drive. It definitely is another beautiful drive through the forest with excellent roads except for about 3 Kms. Since we started our drive early there wasn't much traffic onward. It was quite an experience and I was slightly scared at times because the drive was through thick forest where even sunlight cannot penetrate. This season though we did not see any sunlight in the first place. It was pouring hard at times and my only fear was about trees falling.
We managed to get through and reached the Kerala side and entered Athirampally. The crowd was huge considering it was a holiday and the waterfalls was in full rage due to monsoons.
While going from the Valparai side, one has to pick up the entrance tickets either at Vazhachal check post or will have to go towards the Kerala side for about half a Km to get the entry ticket, the sad part is it is no where mentioned. We parked our car and went to the entrance and then were told that we need to get tickets in either of these places. Vazhachal was too far and we did not want to drive back again and walked towards the Kerala side to get the tickets. Had breakfast at a small joint at the entrance of Athirampally.
We entered the falls and had to walk a small distance to reach to the falls. I had visited this place ten years ago and it was such an unspoilt place then. It wasn't as protected as it was at that time, and the crowd was also much lesser way back in 2004.
We reached near the falls and before we could take a few shots it started to pour all over again and though we had the umbrella it was left in the car. So had to take shelter for a while. Later we decided to walk to the bottom of the falls irrespective of the rain. I should say it was worth some experience with the falls literally hitting on you along with the heavy downpour.
After some good moments, headed back to the car and started our drive back to Valparai. It was pretty much crowded by then.
It was totally a five and half hour drive up and down. We called it a day once we reached our room. Some pictures below from the drive and the falls:
A delayed post here however fresh on my mind.
To visit Valparai during the monsoon was planned again when we first visited that place in the month of November 2013. This is one place we fell in love with. Nature has something to offer everytime here. When we visited in November, the whole place was green and we were very sure that monsoon season would definitely show us something more better.
As usual on Day 1, started our drive early by around 4:30 AM to make sure we reached our destination earlier. Stopped for breakfast at a hotel at Villupuram. Then proceeded via Perambalur - Thuraiyur - Musiri - Kulithalai - Karur Bypass - Aravakurichi - Dharapuram to Pollachi. Stopped at Hotel Gowri Krishna for lunch. Post lunch headed towards Valparai.
Reached Valparai around 4 PM. Checked in to our usual home stay. The drive was definitely very different and it was green all around. Some pictures of the ghat road here:
Spotting the Nilgiri Tahr
View of the ghar road from one of the view point
Enroute Valparai
On Day 2: We decided to take a walk in the drizzle and we have a usual place where we eat our meals and breakfast and went there for our morning tea. While we were seated for the tea, we were too tempted at the hot steaming Aapams being made and decided to eat a nice breakfast too.
Post breakfast we decided to do something different. While speaking to Frank (Who is the owner of the homestay) he suggested us a drive through a forest area and mentioned to us that it would be worth a drive. Before he let us go, he checked through his contacts to make sure there are no animal disturbance in that area. I am not mentioning the name of the place we drove through here just to protect the place. It is not a commonly visited area in Valparai and known only to locals. This drive I should say was the most beautiful ever we have done. Absolutely no human population anywhere enroute except one or two locals whom you see, no vehicles, and of course very sparse signal connectivity.
The best part was the twisting and turning roads, and zero visibility due to mist cover and the drizzle.
We saw 3 watrefalls enroute, being a rain forest, I do not have words to explain what we saw in real. I am sharing some pictures from this route though.
Continuous drizzle all through the drive
Enroute to the place where we were driving to. The visibility can be seen in the picture
Beautiful shades of green
Most picturesque drive I have ever been to!!! This was like a fairy tale drive
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This was the end of the forest area with roads and then on ONLY forest!!!
After the most alluring drive, we went back to our usual joint for a welcoming hot lunch. It was a simple menu, very homely and we were HUNGRY. Had a hearty meal and decided to get back to the room for some rest.
Called it a day and we were just spending the evening with the owner and his family.
Day 3 was planned. We started around 7 AM as we know that the drive was going to take us quite some time. This was a planned route, the always talked about Valparai - Athirampally drive through the forest. Visited the Sholayar dam enroute and started our drive. It definitely is another beautiful drive through the forest with excellent roads except for about 3 Kms. Since we started our drive early there wasn't much traffic onward. It was quite an experience and I was slightly scared at times because the drive was through thick forest where even sunlight cannot penetrate. This season though we did not see any sunlight in the first place. It was pouring hard at times and my only fear was about trees falling.
We managed to get through and reached the Kerala side and entered Athirampally. The crowd was huge considering it was a holiday and the waterfalls was in full rage due to monsoons.
While going from the Valparai side, one has to pick up the entrance tickets either at Vazhachal check post or will have to go towards the Kerala side for about half a Km to get the entry ticket, the sad part is it is no where mentioned. We parked our car and went to the entrance and then were told that we need to get tickets in either of these places. Vazhachal was too far and we did not want to drive back again and walked towards the Kerala side to get the tickets. Had breakfast at a small joint at the entrance of Athirampally.
We entered the falls and had to walk a small distance to reach to the falls. I had visited this place ten years ago and it was such an unspoilt place then. It wasn't as protected as it was at that time, and the crowd was also much lesser way back in 2004.
We reached near the falls and before we could take a few shots it started to pour all over again and though we had the umbrella it was left in the car. So had to take shelter for a while. Later we decided to walk to the bottom of the falls irrespective of the rain. I should say it was worth some experience with the falls literally hitting on you along with the heavy downpour.
After some good moments, headed back to the car and started our drive back to Valparai. It was pretty much crowded by then.
It was totally a five and half hour drive up and down. We called it a day once we reached our room. Some pictures below from the drive and the falls:
Towards Sholayar Dam
View of the dam
Inside the forest
Another picture while driving inside the forest
Supposedly a water source for animals
View of the Athirampally Falls. Falls in its full rage
The path to go to the bottom of the falls
Waterfalls from below!!!
super pics.. particularly the roaring falls from below... its true, this falls has lost a bit of its charm with so much crowd.. i had been there in 2002 when we were the only ones atop the hill.. it was so serene......
ReplyDeleteThanks Shankar!! Expect a lot of crowd now. Its definitely not the same. However the falls has not changed in its beauty as such over the years. It roars when it rains and you can feel and hear the same!!
ReplyDelete