Wayanad
Luxuriant
plantations of coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper and rubber,
stretch over the hills of Wayanad as far as the eye can see.
With the fast-flowing rivers - Panamaram, Mananthavady and
Kabini - cutting across the undulating panorama and lending
a picture-postcard look to the whole region - the north
eastern tip of Kerala.
Ponmudi
A quaint little hill station tucked away in the Western
Ghats, Ponmudi is at an altitude of 1100 ft. above sea
level. Lush green woods, lazily meandering streams and
countless varieties of butterflies lend a strange magic to
Ponmudi.
Nelliyampathy
A forest range
75
kms. (travel time: 2 ½ hours) from Palghat, the
Nelliyampathy hills comprise a chain of ridges cut off from
one another by valleys of dense evergreen forests and orange
plantations The height of the hills range from 467 meters to
the tallest peak Padagiri looming at 1572 meters.
Accessing Nelliyampathy from Palghat is a sensation on its
own, as you negotiate over a dozen hairpin curves on the
ghat road passing through the fascinating jungles of the
Sahya Ranges. En route, 17 kms. from Palghat, the shimmering
Pothundi Reservoir and its manicured surroundings make for
an ideal stop over.
Munnar
The nature-lover’s paradise. Snuggling in the green and
serene Kannan Devan Hills, lies the quite and rest
ful
resort of Munnar, at an altitude of 1524 m and 136 km off
Cochin.
Panoramic views of low-flying clouds and mist filled valleys
make it a pretty little heaven with a cool bracing climate.
It was opened up out of virgin forests a century ago by
pioneering planters.
Within its remote and elderly churches - gracious,
stone-structures with ancient chandeliers and rosewood pews.
A little beyond lies Anaimudi, South India's highest peak.
In the vicinity is the Eravikulam National Park, the home of
the endangered Nilgiri Tahr that roams on a stretch of
grassland or is seen climbing the pinnacles of the
undulating hills.
Here we can have a glimpse of a Gaur, Langur, Lion-tailed
macaque, and Elephants roaming in herds.
The Kundale Tea Plantation - An area surrounding a lovely
lake that offers some of the most stunning views of the
region. It offers the best opportunity you are ever likely
to have to see the tea plantations, to watch tea being
picked, to learn how tea is processed, to smell the sweet
scent of tea wafting through the air and to buy the tea
directly from the gardens.
The
Kundale Tea Plantation - An area surrounding a lovely lake
that offers some of the most stunning views of the region.
It offers the best opportunity you are ever likely to have
to see the tea plantations, to watch tea being picked, to
learn how tea is processed, to smell the sweet scent of tea
wafting through the air and to buy the tea directly from the
gardens.
Idukki
En route to Munnar, 121 kms. away from Kottayam lies Idukki,
a small hill town surrounded by a spread of beautiful,
wooden valleys and meandering streams. Famed for its arched
dam built across the Periyar river, Idukki literally means a
narrow gorge.
Devikulam
Devikulam is a dainty town, sixteen kilometers southwest of
Munnar. It consist of irresistibly green slopes touching the
sk
y
at a thousand metres and its silent clusters of slender red
and blue gum trees. It has a lovely little lake hidden
within the rolling hills.
According to a legend, Sita Devi, the holy consort of Lord
Rama, came down to frolic in the lake and the place came to
be spoken about as ’Devikulam’(meaning the lake of the
goddess), ever since.
Peerimade
Peermade is a small hill station on the way to Thekkady. It
is a fertile land at an altitude of 914 meters. Formerly the
summer palaces of Travancore Rajas, this tiny and cool hill
station is full of rubber, tea, coffee, pepper and cardamom
plantation, interspersed with waterfalls and open grass
lands.
Lakkadi
A place of great scenic beauty with picturesque hills,
streams and luxuriant vegetation, one of the highest
locations in Wayanad, and registers the second highest
degree of rainfall in the world. 3 km from here is Pookode
Lake,the natural fresh water lake, very wide and deep, one
of the rare reservoirs of water in Wayanad. Surrounded on
all sides by meadows and hills, it has become a favorite
picnic spot.
Mangalam Dam
The Dam is cons
tructed
across Cherukunnapuzha, a tributary of Mangalam river. The
dam is located in picturesque surroundings.
The reservoir fringes on the forest area where there are
deer, wild elephants and a variety of birds. There are
beautiful parks and lawns adorned with statues.
Malampuzha
Malampuzha a major tourist attraction is in the site of a
large irrigation dam built across the Bharathapuzha. The
town is set at the base of the hills of the Western Ghats
and around the large reservoir are beautiful rose gardens
and amusement parks for children as well as facilities for
boat cruises in the reservoir. The famous work 'Yakshi' done
by Kerala's famous sculptor Kanai Kunhiraman is another
attraction in this garden.