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Hill stations
in Kerala
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. 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
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 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.
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.
Vagamon
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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