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Kerala Hill Stations
Kerala Hill Stations
When the
heat is on the plains, and the time to get away from the crowd,
came for a rendezvous with nature.
Inhale the bracing mountain air, relax in peace, stroll down
winding paths, marvel at the beautiful views, enjoy the
profusion of flowers in bloom. Kerala's exotic appeal is
centered in the highland area of the Western Ghats. Rising to an
average height of 1520 m , it houses rich flora and fauna.
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Wayanadu
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. |
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Nelliampathy
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.
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Munnar
The
nature-lover’s paradise. Snuggling in the green and serene
Kannan Devan Hills, lies the quite and restful 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.
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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.
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Devikulam
Devikulam is a dainty town, sixteen kilometers southwest of
Munnar. It consist of irresistibly green slopes touching the sky
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. |
Peerumedu
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. |
Lakkidi
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 constructed 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. |
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Malampuzha Dam
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. |
Wagaman
Wagamon
64 km. from Kottayam and 34 km. from Pala, situated at an
elevation of 1100 metres above sea level is a trekker’s
paradise. It is a very ideal tourist spot surrounded by the
greenery of tea gardens, beautiful meadows, valleys and dales.
Other attractions: Thangal para, lndo-swiss project, Kurisumala
Ashram. |
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