Meenmutty Falls

Ponmudi is probably one among the well-known tourist places in the capital city, Trivandrum. But not many visit the Meenmutty Falls when they are enroute Ponmudi. Right across the base station of the Ponmudi lies Meenmutty Falls. Meenmutty is often visited less because it will take you at least half an hour to get to the falls. Not to be confused with the one in Banasura Hill, Wayanad- Meenmutty falls situated in Trivandrum is comparatively smaller and its on the path of Kallar river.

For a person to reach Meenmutty falls, one should walk 2 kilometers into the dense forest. Unlike walking around in the city, trekking into the falls area is nothing short of being called as an adventurous trek. Filled with rocks, the proper construction for stairways is lacking and the side rails are not constructed properly as well. That being said, for older ones and kids, it is required to not to take the risk on mounting the falls. After all, you get a smaller falls with a good view. Once again making the point clear, there is no transportation means inside the forest.

I visited the Meenmutty falls on the peak monsoon season. Luckily enough, I did find a good enough flow of water since I visited on monsoon. The locals told me that it is not worth visiting the place on a hot sunny day of summer since the flow will be close to nothing. The trek to the falls was hard but achievable. Mainly, it was the slippery rocks that made the trek hard but it was worth it. 

Once I got into the fall section, I quickly soaked my feet into the breezy water as I was a bit tired challenging myself to complete the trek under 30 mins. The water was so cold and the dip was so satisfying that it made me sit there for few minutes experiencing the overall ambience of the place. I was told to not to take a bath as the flow might unexpectedly increase. So I only spent 30-45 minutes soaking my feet.


The plan was to spend some time in Meenmutty Falls and fall back to the Ponmudi station. That's what I exactly did. The trek to the falls was amazing and it will be fun if you take your friends with you. And you can find some good places to snap a pic or two. Other than that, Athirapally is still the best falls I've been to and Meenmutty doesn't even stand a chance next to it.


Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Athirapally Falls-Niagara of Kerala

As far as I'm concerned, Kerala Tourism is probably the most overlooked tourism in India. You have a variety of places to choose from. If you love beaches, you have Cherai, Kovalam, Varkala; or if you like hill stations you have Munnar, Ponmudi, Agasthyakoodam and more. But, when it comes to waterfalls there is no "or". The best waterfalls in Kerala is undoubtedly the Athirappilly falls situated in Chalakudy which is close to Thrissur.

The falls are situated in Chalakudy river, which originates from the upper reaches of the Western Ghats at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges. Standing at a height of over 80 ft, Athirapally is the biggest falls in Kerala. The 145 kilometers (90 mi) long Chalakudy River, originates in the Anamudi mountains of the Western Ghats and flows through the Vazhachal Forest toward the Arabian Sea. The river initially runs smoothly but becomes more turbulent as it nears Athirapally. At Athirappilly Falls, the water surges around big rocks and cascades down in three separate plumes. Below the falls, the river remains turbulent for about 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) until it reaches Kannamkuzhi. Then it calms and flows smoothly until reaching the dam at Thumburmuzhi.

I spent some time in Kochi and I came to know about this place from a friend of mine. Without much hesitation, I googled the place. Just one picture was enough for me to get there. That one being the road to Athirapally falls which connects the Vazhachal falls. Upon further research, I came to know the importance of this place. Athirapally region has a diverse flora and fauna. Athirappilly-Vazhachal area is the only location where all four South Indian species of hornbills — the great hornbill (the state bird of Kerala), Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, and the Indian grey hornbill are found living together.

Reaching there was not a problem. I got off at the Chalakudy railway station from where I used a taxi to reach the spot. Once I got there, I had to buy the passes and I was told that there is a 5-7 km walk into the forest to reach the falls. With a place with such elevation and range, I was skeptical whether or not I will be able to see the falls properly since I was worried about its infrastructure. Surprisingly, they have a good enough infrastructure and one could easily get around the place easily. There is an amusement park nearby but the real deal is the adventurous trek. One could trek down from the top of the falls to the bottom. This is the best thing to do while you are there. This does consume a lot of time so don't forget to plan things early and reach the place early. This place is literally heaven.

My visit to Athirapally included the Kodanad Centre but, among them, Athirapally was the best one. Overall, my trip to Athirapally was truly a bliss and I hope in revisiting the place as soon as my monsoon break commences. It is best to visit the place in monsoon as the flow will be unreal and it will be a perfect time for me to spend more time in Charpa falls compared to when I visited Athirapally. If you plan on visiting the place in a long run I suggest you visit every place near to it, Charpa Falls, Vazhachal falls, Sholayar Dam. It will be worth spending more time there.










Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Barot Valley - Himachal Pradesh

 

A project of the 1920s for Shanan Hydel Project is now a traveler point in Mandi district of an Indian state Himachal Pradesh. The place is currently known as the Barot Valley, is a beautiful green place for tourism.  The small town is an amazing picnic spot and is blessed with a thick forest of deodar. There are two beautiful rivers full of trout fishes, makes this place extremely beautiful. There is a government trout breeding center at Barot along with other private centers from where fishes are released into the Uhl and there is a 30 km section of the river which is excellent for anglings anyone can grab fishes for themselves by fishing rod and start angling.

Besides this, Barot is a prevalent backpacker and daytime sightseer destination. Numerous trekking tracks surpass through Barot, including trails to Bada Bhangal, Manali, and Kullu. Most of the day, tourists are captured by the serene environment and affordable accessible of a lodging house. The valley is likewise developing into an angling destination. The Uhl river supports trout breeding and Barot has a few fish farms. Barot also draws up the entryway to the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary which lies cross-ways the Uhl. The sanctuary is home to the monal, black bear, and ghoral. Within it are forest rest house s at Thaltuckhod and Silbandhwari. Through woods of cedar and pine, a trek route cuts across the sanctuary to Kullu.

Climate:

Weather of Barot is very pleasant throughout the year especially summer which is cool, winter is very cold and heavy woolen clothes are required, temperature varies from -5 degree to 30 degrees over the year. there are moderate to heavy snowfall in winter, summer is the best time to visit and explore Barot, please avoid Rainy season as there might be landslides and cloudbursts in the region.

The Barot Valley tourist’s activities

Travelers in the valley can spend their leisure time by performing various activities

Trekking at Barot Valley- It allows for a large extent of treks, these treks provide the glimpse of the local cultural heritage of Himachal, inhabitants are living their traditionalist life and cheerful with that. The natural heritage which provides a selection for bird and wildlife sighting

along with amazing scenes of snow covered mountains of Himalayas.

Paragliding in the valley- The paragliding, site which is known globally for paragliding world cup of October 2015. Trekkers can trek for 16 km to access paragliding take off point from the Barot valley side. This is allowing for large selection of trekking in tribal villages, enjoy wildlife, camping, Cultural heritage and Paragliding in 2-3 days trekking. Anyone can trek such graceful treks and relish the real color of nature and end up with Paragliding from 2400 meters from sea level (20-40 minutes flight)

Angling in the Barot Valley- This is one of the best leisure activities which make everyone delighted. Uhl watercourse is awash of rainbow Trout fish and Brown Trout fish. Instrumentations are easily accessible here by spending a small amount. But never miss getting permission from fishery department which is easily accessible on the pay of 30 INR to them. The stream leads up from Thamsar Glacier which is 50 km upstream.

Mountain Biking- It is always difficult in mountains to do biking, but Barot valley provide a big prism for mountain biking as the roads are less engaged and several are seldom utilized by vehicles. A visitor can cycle for odd 100 km in the valley for dissimilar route and some trails are really very exciting.

Walking in the village- Here, villagers are very helpful and rich in their culture. The locals are shy for talking first, but once they start can give you every single information about the village tourist attraction points. Farming and tourism are their main source of earning. Walking to the village can help you to know more about the valley, it people and culture too.

Wildlife Sanctuary- Cross-ways the UHL watercourse in the valley is an area of the Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary is home of Monals, Black bear, and ghoral. Woods of Oak, Cedar and pine forest all around the valley.

Nearby attractions

Not only Barot Valley but its surrounding areas are also world class tourist attractions. After completing their tour to the valley tourists can also visit some other nearby tourist points such as; Mandi, Devidarh, Parashar Lake, janjehli, Rewalsar Lake, Kamru nag lake and temple. These places have various Budhist, Hindu and sikh temples along with beautiful deep blue lakes, pine woods, various adventures activities and many more. 

Tips to be remember

·       Book the accommodation on a prior basis as the room might not be available due to many visitors or peak season from April to August.

·       During winters there could be the chances of pipes owing to freezing temperature. So, travelers should carry some extra bottles with them.

·       It is mandatory to fully fill the fuel tank as there is not much availability for fuel stations.

·       June is the festival season and tourists can enjoy in this month too.

Distance from Major Places (Approx):

• Delhi To Barot: 455Km
• Chandigarh To Barot: 266 Km
• Manali To Barot: 176 Km
• Shimla To Barot: 230 Km
• Mandi To Barot: 66 KM
• Jogindernagar to Barot: 40 Km
• Palampur To Barot: 114 KM
• Pathankot to Barot: 192 Km

Transportation

By Road- The valley is well connected via road from all major cities. Barot is situated 25 km off NH 20. The diversion to Barot is at a village, Ghatasani, 14 km from Joginder Nagar and 35 km from Mandi. Barot is connected by public transportations from Mandi, Jogindernagar, and Palampur along with regular taxi services, which are also available at reasonable cost. Buses plying to Kozhikode, Bada Gran and Luhardi also pass through Barot.

By Train- The nearest railway station is at Jogindernagar (Narrow Gauge) and Pathankot (Broad Gauge). A haulage trolley of the British times connects Barot to Jogindernagar. This trolley link was set up to facilitate transport of construction material to Barot for a reservoir on Uhl River for Shanan Power House.

By Air- By air from Delhi to Bhunter(Kullu) or Gaggal(Kangra) airport and then by Taxi to Barot, you can easily reach the Barot.

Contributed by Harneet

Brimore, kerala - The foot of Agasthyarkoodam

India, or South India in general is home for hundreds, if not thousands of tourist locations. However, most of the places are hidden under the radar and it is hard to find routes for such places. One among such places that I was fortunate enough to visit was Braemore. Located in the God's Own Country, Kerala, Braemore(or Brimore) is the base station of Agasthyarkoodam, in the Agasthya hills. This beautiful place is 60 km away from the Capital city of Trivandrum. The ideal way of conveyance is a Bike Ride as the place itself has breathtaking scenery en route. If you don't own a bike or car, then to can easily find buses from Trivandrum city. Buses from other neighboring districts have irregular timing so, it is better to check twice before finalising your travel plan.

Once you have reached the spot, it's necessary to clear all the formalities in the Mangayam tourist office by obtaining the entry tickets. Once you have passed the office, you are on your own. 

First destination, the Waterfalls, What else to expect from a base station. However you might not get to see a huge volume of water yet, you can always get to enjoy the coolness and freshness of the water. Brimore authorities have restricted the passage for the Waterfalls but you get to enjoy a fresh shower at the bottom of the Waterfalls. I would suggest you to take a firm step while having a shower as the flow is a bit steep and slippery. Think twice before you dive! 

Unlike most of the places, Brimore can be visited anytime regardless the season. However, as far as I'm concerned, Summer and Monsoon are the best options. The reason why I chose Monsoon as one among my picks is because you could enjoy the next destination, Tea Estate in monsoon. If you love watching the wonders of nature, this is your spot. 

Actually, Brimore is a one day trip and there is no reason for hanging around to spend two to three days. However, to make the best of the allowed time (whether a one day trip or a two day package), it really is essential for you to take the highlight of this place, that is, the 1 hour trek towards Ponmudi (a hill station situated near Brimore). The trek is approximately 1 hour long which takes you around three hills until you reach the spot, Ponmudi. 

If you plan on staying for a day or two, I would suggest you to take the KTDC cottage rooms which are affordable and the best place to spend your time. People are helpful and I was fortunate enough to meet and talk to a few people there. I was told that there was a beautiful lake or stream called Palode, which is a must visit while you are there. It didn't took much time for me to trek back to Brimore and grab my two wheeler to search for Palode.

Palode is located 20 kms from Brimore and this place was the highlight for me. I get to enjoy the cool water and was able to spend some quality time swimming. In my opinion, Palode is the best place for swimming.

It was a long 40 km ride back to Trivandrum yet I was happy that I get to enjoy the trip and I couldn't wait till I get back to Brimore and Palode.

Quick facts


1.       How to reach – Frequent Buses from Trivandrum, Two wheeler and four wheelers are permitted to go inside the forest premises. 
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 – Experience the beautiful Waterfalls and spend 1 hour on adventurous trek to Ponmudi
8.       Is it Child Friendly - No, only because the trekking is not that safe for children under 12

Contribution from - Sooraj Ram
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