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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Wayanad
Luxuriant plantations of
coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper
and rubber, stretch over
the hills of Wayanad as
far as the eye can see.
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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. |
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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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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. |
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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. |
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Within
its remote and elderly churches
- gracious, stone-structures
with ancient chandeliers
and rosewood pews.
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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. |
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The Kundale Tea
Plantation - An
area surrounding a lovely
lake that offers some of
the most stunning views
of the region.
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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. |
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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.
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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.
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Peermade
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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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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Wagamon
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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Malampuzha
Malampuzha a major tourist
attraction is in the site
of a large irrigation dam
built across the Bharathapuzha.
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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.
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Little Writers
