Tag: South India

Posted on in Travel, Trips and Travel

        God’s own Country

Wayanad

Wayanad is unique as it is situated in an elevated picturesque mountainous plateau in the Western Ghats, known as ‘The Land of Paddy Fields‘ by the native tribes of this region, Wayanad lies in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 2100m. This is the only district of Kerala that borders both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The most attractive feature of Wayanad is the forests, which are as old as 3,000 years.Wayanad is the perfect definition of an adventurer’s paradise.

Wayanad district is bordered by Karnataka (Kodagu and Mysore districts) to the north and north-east, Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris district) to the south-east, Malappuram to the south, Kozhikode to the south-west and Kannur to the north-west.

Kerala’s least populous district, Wayanad offers the most spectacular view  with misty mountains, splendid forests, pristine rivers, and cascading waterfalls, Wayanad is ‘the’ hill station  in South India.Wayanad, the green paradise is nestled among the mountains , forming the greener part of Kerala. Clean and pristine, enchanting and hypnotizing, this land is filled with history and culture. Located at a distance of 76 kmfrom  the sea shores of Kozhikode, this hill station is full of plantations, forests and wildlife. Wayanad wildlife sanctuary is contiguous to Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Bandhipur in Karnataka, thus forming a vast land mass for the wild life to move about in their most natural abode.Rich in bio-diversity, the sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Which has been established with the specific objective of conservating the biological heritage of the region , the sanctuary is very rich in fauna and flora.

Interesting Facts :

  • Lakkidi, Vythiri and Meppadi are the high rainfall areas in Wayanad. High altitude regions experience severe cold .The misty environment of Wayanad offer a wide range of trekking opportunities, plantation visits and wildlife tours.
  • Wayanad district has the largest population of Adivasi in Kerala.
  •  Due to its pleasant climate and picturesque views, Wayanad is often referred to as the Ooty of Kerala
  • Wayanad has no Railway line.

Tourist Destination :

  • Edakkal Caves
  • Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Sri Mahaganapathy Temple at Thiruvangoo
  • Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Jain Temple at Sultan Bathery
  • Karappuzha Dam
  • Kuruva Islands
  • Soochippara Waterfalls

Shopping in Wayanad:

Shop for Spices, coffee, pepper, honey, tea, bamboo products, ivory craft and coconut shell craft.

My stay in Wayanad was like visiting a fairy world amidst verdant and Misty Surroundings .We went from Bangalore ,it takes around  6-7 hours to cover the distance,  most of the path passes through hilly terrain.The journey from Bangalore to Wayanad is easy and as you enter kerela you can witness  the lush green blessing of nature. It is one of the most memorable  road trips I had .We booked two properties  , Chateau woods resort   and Vythri village resort ,Both were located at  harmonious and lush  green surroundings ,offering   the splendid views of forest and the tea plantations,which can refresh your soul from deep within.

Chateau woods

Cliff Cottage Chateau woods
Chateau woods
View from Chateau woods
Vythri village resort Wayanad
Vythri village resort

There is something to satisfy the wanderlust of every adventurer. It is a place you need to add to your travel bucket list today.

Thankyou

Posted on in Travel, Trips and Travel

Ooty

Ooty is a town and hill station in the Indian state of Tamilnadu The name “Ooty” is short for Ootacamund (officially Udhagamandalam). Ooty is located in the Nilgiris, or Blue Mountains, a mountain district. Ooty stands at about 7,500 feet above sea level.

The town of Ooty is tucked in the heart of the Nilgiris, making it a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Owing to its perfect geographical location on the hills, it has remained an all-time favorite retreat for travelers.The lush green landscape covered with tea estates, valleys, and forested lands on one hand and the classic vibes of the good old days make this hill station the perfect place to escape. The expansive greenery, the pleasant weather, and the endless adventure options are what Ooty is famous for.The quaint and quiet hill station is one of the most popular mountain destinations in South India. Ooty is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district, with Doddabetta as the highest point. It is located 86 km from Coimbatore and 128 km from Mysore.Ooty enjoys a pleasant weather all through the year and is also the most popular destination in South India.

Ooty pine forest

Few interesting facts:

  1. When the East India Company formed the Madras Presidency, Ooty served as its summer capital. The officers of the company would retire to this hill-station to evade the blazing summer of south India.
  2. Ooty has a small-scale industry based on oil extracted from eucalyptus trees. These huge timbers grow in abundance across the Nilgiri Mountains.
  3. The Dodabetta Peak, about 10 kilometres from Ooty, is the highest peak of south India at 2,623 metres from the sea level.
  4. The famous Botanical Garden of Ooty has a preserved fossil of a tree-trunk which is approximately 20 million years old.
  5. The Ooty Lake is actually an artificial lake. It is one of the very few artificial lakes of India situated at an altitude of 2,000 metres or above.
  6. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is UNESCO world heritage site and has one of the last few working steam engines in the world: 
  7. Nilgiri Mountain Railway mountain route has  16 tunnels,  250 bridges, 205 sharp curves and extraordinary natural scenery of the Nilgiri Hills visible all along the way.
  8. Due to this amazing experience with nature UNESCO announced this in World Heritage List as Mountain Railways in India in 2008.
  9. Home of the largest squirrel (The Malabar squirrel), the tallest wild cattle (The Indian Bison), Nilgiri thar and a huge host of other Flora and fauna Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
  10. No plastic Zone ,Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in the field of banning single-use plastic altogether.This preserves the beauty and the biosphere of the place.

Most popular tourist places:

Pykara falls
  1. Ooty Lake
  2. Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
  3. Pykara Lake.
  4. Pykara Falls.
  5. Doddabetta Peak.
  6. Avalanche Lake.
  7. Mudumalai National Park.
  8. Government Rose Garden.
  9. Tea plantation,tea factory , Chocolate factory.
Tea estate
Nilgiri tea

I recently visited the place and to my surprise found it to be the cleanest and greenest Hill station I have ever seen ,it lured me by its calm and quaint atmosphere.

We started early morning from Bangalore around 6 am and reached Ooty by 3 pm noon.The road was good and Quiet scenic.The route which we took was: Bangalore – Mandya – Mysore – Gundlupet – Bandipur – Mudhumalai – Masinagudi – Ooty.

Crossing The National park was a cherry on my Cake.We had a chance to discover the nature in depth.Though we could not spot a Tiger but were lucky enough to see the group of deer and fawns,Elephants and Peacocks.Once we crossed the National park then was the turn to climb 36 Hairpin Bends,the curvy road to Ooty.As we were crossing the Bends the ambience was getting more cleaner and brighter .Once you are on the Hills you can feel the magical spell it offers.

Things to Shop:

  1. Ooty’s famous Tea .
  2. Do not forget to buy the home made Ooty Chocolates with ample choices.
  3. Mouth melting Ooty cookies known as Varkey.
  4. Spices
  5. Eucalyptus Oil
Ooty Chocolates
View from Sinclair Retreat Ooty
Pine Forest

Thankyou