Thenmala - - A Constellation hidden in the Surface

The thing about hill stations is that they are hard to not to stumble across, especially when you live in a place like Kerala. But there is this place where the Capital city, Trivandrum will surely blow your mind. Thenmala is a place of historic importance. Thenmala; "Then" stands for Honey and "Mala" stands for Mountain in Malayalam, is the first planned eco-tourism destination in India. Thenmala tourism quickly became a place for filming.

Fortunately enough, Thenmala is close to where I live and I was able to sort a plan out to visit the place on my sem break. Less than 80 km from Trivandrum, I was able to locate the place easily and could find a proper conveyance. After an hour and a half drive, I reached the place around 11 in the morning and after finishing all the formalities, I got in and the first thing I looked was the whereabouts and must-see places. The first thing that I had the pleasure to visit is a short trek towards the Sanctuary, placed near Thenmala. There is an affordable entry fee of Rs 100, but still the time you spend there will be cherished all through your life.

Next stop, The Butterfly park. There is a slight walking to do to get to the place, but, the moment you get there, all you could see is a place which holds the most varieties of Butterfly to be placed in a natural habitat for us to see.

After spending some quality time there, I went forward to explore more places. My favorite was the Nakshathravanam, which is a park holding 27 trees representing 27 birth stars. Moreover, the place is a must-see for those who like to study more about flora.

Thenmala is a huge place spread across a wide area, which is quite hard to cover everything in one go. To wrap up my short run, I visited the Parappar Dam, which is second largest irrigation project in Kerala and has the longest reservoir in the state. This trip to Thenmala was truly a memorable one as I got to see a lot of things which exemplifies the beauty of our mother nature. Thenmala is one such place which could easily make it to the top tourist places in Kerala or India, in general. I plan on visiting the place often so that I could see everything in one go.


Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Ponmudi - The Golden Peak

Placed in the Southern part of Kerala, it's easy for me to find some interesting and unknown
places since most of the southern strip are mostly coastal region and the rest being hill stations.
As a huge admirer of both hiking and swimming, I always love revisiting such places whenever
I feel dull or bored. Ponmudi is one such hill station which I had pleasure visiting thrice this year
alone. 55 km away from the capital city of Trivandrum, Ponmudi is blessed with a beautiful topography which will taunt you to come back again. Thanks to a perfect terrain and roads, it is never that hard for one to travel there.

My trip to Ponmudi was a memorable one and I still remember my
first road trip with a bunch of my friends. Having been visited there for a past couple of times, a
Bike Ride to Ponmudi with my friends was the best. Starting the journey from Trivandrum in the
morning, we were able to reach the destination after 2-3 hours of driving and refreshment.
The Hairpin curves were scary at first, but once we started climbing up, we started getting views
that continued to cherish us until we reached the peak. After clearing the legal formalities, we reached the spot and began walking towards the viewpoint. One has to climb the three-storeyed
concrete structure to get a nice view. Taking your children with you is not advisable as the place
itself is quite dangerous.

We got off and the next thing we did was to spend some quality time trading stories and jokes amonst ourselves. In such a perfect place for get-togethers, we spent almost an hour talking and couldn't believe that we strayed ourselves from gadgets for that much time. Just as the evening darkness began subsiding, we decided to get off the place as it is a bit dangerous to climb down the hill after 5 PM as the evening fog begins to congest the roads. 

Ponmudi is a place which serves as a perfect spot for those who love long rides and trekking. If you love hill stations, Ponmudi is a place worth visiting at least a dozen times as one doesn't get enough of it. So, grab a bunch of your friends or relatives and head to Ponmudi to spend your holiday right, instead of being occupied by the four walls of your house. 

Quick Facts about Ponmudi

1. How to reach – Frequent Buses from Trivandrum, well-maintained roads make it easier for two wheelers and four wheelers to reach the spot without much difficulty

2. Nearest town – Palode

3. Nearest railway station – Trivandrum, 59 kms 

4. Nearest Airport – Trivandrum, 65 km 

5. Places to stay – KTDC Hotel

6. Best time to visit –Monsoon 

7. Things to do – Get the view of your life from the Ponmudi viewpoint and spend your evening there to experience breezy and refreshing air. Perfect for picnicking and get-togethers. 

8. Is it Child-Friendly - No

Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Lansdowne Uttarakhand - Hills Station Hidden in Plain Sight

It is well said that our surroundings are full of astonishments and this one trip sure took me and family by surprise.

Since that year (June 2008) we wanted a short and quick trip we had no time to waste on long hours of traveling and it is then when my uncle suggested that we make a visit to Lansdowne, a not so much discovered beauty just six hours away from Delhi by car. A quite well-developed army cantonment area located at an altitude of 1,700 meters in the hilly terrain of Uttarakhand.

We commenced our ride at about four in the morning to avoid the daytime traffic of Delhi-NCR and took the Bijnor-Kotdwar route and now that I've mentioned Bijnor, let me advise you to stop here for a tea break and have the famous Bijnor ke meethe samose. Also, note that a car is the only possible direct way to reach Lansdowne. However, if you wish to take the train the nearest station would be Kotdwar, which is approximately 41 kilometers away from the main town and the per head ticket cost would be around INR 100 for the most basic reserved category, the third option is taking a bus from ISBT Delhi to ISBT Kotdwar which would cost you around 200-250 per head, from Kotdwar one can easily take a bus to Lansdowne with the ticket priced roughly at INR 50-60. Concerning the air mode of transport, the nearest airstrip is Jolly Grant in Dehradun, about 140 kilometers away from Lansdowne, from the airport the buses are readily available to transfer you to your terminus. The airfare is around 1500 and another 300-400 for the bus ride per head.

Note- These rates are from Delhi onwards    

As we prefer staying away from the market area, my family and I decided to lodge at the Fairydale resort, with the per night room tariff grossing up to be 2000 INR this property is managed and run by Mr. Ashok and Mr. Pankaj both of whom are decent gentlemen. However, if you like to stop within the market area, Hotel Mayur whose per night charges are around 1500 for a basic room, is the best choice for you. For the ones who love to stay in a prehistoric-like setting, Le Osh is the place meant just for you. This place charges around 5,000 and brings you closer to the rich heritage of the area. Lovers of the wild may choose to stay at Vanvasa Resort priced at INR 10,000 per hut, per night. The other options I'd recommend are Corbett Hill resort (per night tariff INR-3,000) and Samskara Homestays, which has both rooms and hut-like modern day tents, the tariff for this would be around 1,800 every night. 

As we proceeded towards our destination the weather kept getting prettier- the cold winds, the rain, and the mini, seasonal waterfalls added to the charm of the surrounding beauty. Surprisingly the temperature was only around 5-degree Celsius, with weather very rainy and foggy, considering the place is not very far from the capital and it was the hot month of June. The cherry on top was the lush greens that soothed the eye.

Now, getting to the places to see, I'd propose you visit Bhula Lake for boating, swings, joy-rides and a mini zoo. Other must-visits are Tip and Top, Bhim Pakora, Darwan Singh Regimental Museum, Tarkeshwar Mahadev Temple, St. Johns Church, Kanvashram and additionally you may take a jungle safari to discover the wild.

Being a foodie, the first task I undertake during any trip is to try different eating joints and if you share the same interest as me then you must try the Kalo Danda Cafe's Coffee and Pakodas, Hotel Mayur's mushroom and the special vegetable Maggi at Kasang Regency in Palkot (about 5-6 kilometers away from Lansdowne).

Although it has been a long time since my visit, I can never forget the smiles with which the locals welcome you, I still remember a local family offering us to rest at their house.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags already and let those wheels roll in the direction of this mesmerizing hill station.








Lansdowne - Quick Facts

1. How to reach – Frequent buses and trains from Delhi to Kotdwar and further from Kotdwar to Lansdowne.
2. Nearest Major town – Dehradun, about 159 km by road
3. Nearest railway station – Kotdwar, 40.1 km
4. Nearest Airport – Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 152 km
5. Places to stay – Fairydale Resort, Vanvasa Resort, Le Osh
6. Best time to visit –Monsoon and Winters
7. Things to do – Boating in Bhulla Tal Lake, visit the ancient temple of Koteshwar, a walk down the lover's lane.
8. Is it Child-Friendly - Yes

Authored By- Vibha Gangal

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