Much of kerala's exotic appeal is centred in the highland area of the western ghats. Rising to an average height of 1520 m, the tropical forests of the ghats house rich flora and fauna. Not to speak of expansive, loamy plantations of tea, coffee, rubber and fragrant cardamom.
Mattupetty :
Situated at a height of 1700 m. Mattupetty is famous for its highly specialised dairy farm - the indo swiss live stock project. Over a 100 varieties of high yielding cattles are reared here. The mattupetty lake and dam, just a short distance from the farm, is a very beautiful picnic spot. Mattupetty offers many fascinating sights to relish. Besides the lush green tea plantations, and the rolling grasslands, the Shola forests in and around Mattupetty are ideal for trekking and are habitat to a variety of birds. Rivulets and cascades crisscross the terrain here, which again adds more attraction to the place.
Munnar :
55 km from idukki town, munnar is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams. 1600 m above sea level, this hill station was the summer resort of the british government in south india. Sprawling tea plantations, picture - book towns, winding lanes and holiday facilities make this a popular hill station, neelakurinji is the flower which bathes the hills in blue once every twelve years. Anamudi is a ideal spot for trekking.NEELAKURINJI FLOWERS,
The Strobilanthus shrub that blooms only once in twelve years has bloomed in this year 2006. Now is the auspicious time to be in Munnar . The flowers picturesquely carpet the entire hillsides with its mauve blossoms. The next flowering is in the year 2018 and thereafter in 2030 and so on.
Neela means blue in Malayalam language and Kurinji the local name of the flower. For those in Munnar, the blooming of Kurinji flower is a reminder that their lives have gone past another twelve years, and for those from far off; may be it is reminder to witness a once in a life time rare sight of the Kurinji flowers covering the slopes and ravines of Munnar in a blanket of blue.
Nellyampathy :
52 km south of nemmara, this fascinating hill station is at a height of 467 to 1572 m above sea level. At least 10 hairpin bends have to be negotiated on the ghat road that passes through the breathtaking evergreen forests of the sahya ranges. Seethakundu at nellyampathy offers a panoramic view of about one third the are of palakkad district.The ranges here consist of a chain of ridges cut offf from one another by valleys. The highest peak is Nellikota. The forest contains teak of extraordinary height and girth. Estates of tea, coffee, orange and cardamom dot the ranges. The cool hills of Nelliampathy, nestling atop the Western Ghats, offer a breathtaking view of the misty mountains and enchanting valleys interspersed with sprawling tea, coffee, cardamom and orange plantations. Devikulam
The Devikulam hills in Kerala can trace their name back to an ancient epic episode according to which Sita Devi, the consort of Lord Rama stayed in these hills for a while.
Located at an altitude of 1,000 meters above the sea level Devikulam enraptures you with its magical greens, fresh flowers and little birds that chirp natural tunes. The placid lake that lies in the midst of Devikulam hills is a transparent, clean and glittering world of water magic.Pilgrims take holy dips in the strikingly beautiful Devikulam Lake, adventure seekers go mountaineering, hill climbing and nature trekking while peace seekers simply laze in the lap of virgin greens.
Peerumedu
Peerumedu is a small hill station, snuggled at an altitude of 914 m above sea level, on way to Thekkady. The famous plantation town takes its name from Peer Mohammad, a Sufi saint and close associate of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore. Clouds drop gently on the peaks that flank the verdant slopes of Peerumedu. Rich with mile upon mile of plantations falling away in precise steps. Coffee, tea, pepper, cardamom and rubber flourish in what is the most fertile part of the Western Ghats. Broken only by spectacular waterfalls in the distance and wide open grasslands in places. Peruvannamuzhi :
60 km from kozhikode, the peruvannamuzhi dam site set amid hills is a beautiful picnic spot. The reservoir here provides facilities for speedboat and row boat cruises. Uninhabited island, a bird sanctuary and a crocodile farm add to the charm of the place.
No comments:
Post a Comment