PHOTO:

Meghamalai , Western Ghats in Theni District, Tamilnadu: 

https://picasaweb.google.com/112046714466411554404/MeghamalaiWesternGhatsInTheniDistrictTamilnadu

Thekkady Tiger sanctuary + Periyar Lake boating + Kumily Town at Kerala:

https://picasaweb.google.com/112046714466411554404/ThekkadyTigerSanctuaryPeriyarLakeBoatingKumilyTownAtKerala

RIDE DURATION/DATE: 3 Days, 23^rd to 25^th March 2012

PARTICIPANTS/Rider: Udhaya Kumar.V & Balaji Anand

ROAD MAP:

Bangalore -> Krishnagiri – Salem – Karur – Dindigul – Theni – Chinnamanur (@ Take Left) – 37Km -> Meghamalai ->  High Wavy (540 Km)

Chinnamanur to(37 Km) Meghamalai – Will be very Bad road + Single Hilly road with 18 hairpin. This is only one route to reach Meghamalai. There is one more trek route available to reach Meghamalai.

We came back to Chinnamanur from Meghamalai, and then we did – Chinnamanur – Cumbum – Kumily – Thekkady

DISTANCE: 1199 Km (Round Trip)

View Driving directions – Bangalore – Meghamalai(Tamil Nadu) – Thekkady (Kerala) in a larger map

WHERE TO STAY (Hotel): 

Meghamalai (or “High Wavy Mountains”): This is NOT typical tourist place, so there is not much hotels. If you are going with your family, better you can book it well advance.

1. High wavys Government Hotel at Highwavys dam & ManalarLake. 18 rooms available. Room rent will be Rs.750 and Rs.1000. Minimum 4 people can stay in Rs.1000 rooms. I am sure, mostly you can get rooms. You can book the room through DD only. Contact Phone – 04554-232225/232211

2. Cloud Mountain Bungalow – Its private – Minimum Rs.3500 to 6,000 per family (Including food)

3.Sand River Cottage – Its private – Minimum Rs.3500 to 6,000 per family (Including food)

4. But still you can find some stay through government hotel employees.

FOOD:  At High wavys – there is 2 hotels available. But you have to order food well advance.

PETROLE/ATM/SHOP/MOBILE Signal: No petrol. No ATM. No Shop. Only BSNL mobile will work – Other Mobile phones won’t work. 

Thekkady kumily kerala: As you know well, Kerala famous for Tourism in South India. You can find more hotels at Kumily for stay. You can stay at kumily for Periyar Tiger Reserve and Lake tour.

ABOUT & PLACE TO SEE AT MEGHAMALAI :

Mountain range situated in the Western Ghats in Theni district, Tamilnadu. The place is situated at an elevation of 1,500 m above sea level. This is not famous tourist place, but one of the beautiful place for week end, where you wont see any tourist at all.

There is 7 Tea Estate available in this mountain range + 2500 family living near to 7 tea estate who work at tea estate. There is no other work in this place. All we can see Beautiful Tea estate + 3 Lake with Dam + Some animals (its based on your luck)

These 3 dam project was initiated by kamarajar + Implemented by Karunanidhi + Inaugurated by MGR. but its really very good visionary project. Out of this, two of the lake/dam was connected through tunnel. All these 3 dam water sent to suruli falls to generate electricity.

What to see Meghamalai ? (Sightseeing)

• Thoovanam Dam
• Highwayvs Dam & Lake
• Manalar Dam(+Upper Manalar) + Tea Estate
• Vattaparrai (Its Kerala + Tamil nadu border – You can see animals in this place)
• Venniyar Tea Estate
• Eravangalar Dam
• Maharaja Mettu – View point
• Thekkadi View point

Take Local Guide: These roads constructed and owned by tea estate company. So there is no proper road and no name board to reach any specific place. Even we won’t see any people to ask direction. We can see people near to village only. If you want to reach Vattaparrai + Maharaja Mettu, Better to take any local person who can show the way. Even we took one person to reach Vattaparrai. I am sure, you can’t reach this place without local people help.

Animals @ Being very close to the forest, a number of wild animals can be seen – birds, Tiger, Leopard, Gaur, Wild Boar, Porcupine, elephants, etc. But we are not seen anything. You have to reach Vattaparrai at 6.00 am to see some animals. But local people said, very often you can see more elephants in tea estates (or) in lake.

LOG:

DAY 1: 23-Mar-2012, 05:30 AM: WE started from Bangalore. Till Dindigul it was 4 lane and beautiful road. No worry just riding. There is road construction work happening till Chinnamanur and reached Theni at 1.00 PM.

We started riding towards Meghamalai from Chinnamanur. Its really very dry and bad road. Initially we thought we selected wrong destination after seeing these area, But reaching Meghamalai we realized the beauty of tea estate and lake. There is no single symptom for tourist place other then one government hotel.

Manalar Dam Tea Estate + Lake

Eravangalar Dam

Tea Estate + Village

DAY 2: 24-Mar-2012, 01:00 PM: We started riding to Thekkady to do Boating at famous  PeriyarTigerReserveLake. We checked in at Kumily. We went for some Elephants safari for some time pass and evening we visited to kathakali dram. There is more centers in this place who offering kathakali dance program.

kathakali drama at Kumily

Day 3: 25-Mar-2012, 06:00 AM: Periyar Tiger Reserve will be opened at 6:00 AM only. Periyar Lake Boating will be available only at morning and evening. Fist boating starts at 7:30 AM (1:30 Hrs boating duration), But tickets will be issued at 6:00 AM itself. This is limited tickets, So we went at 6:00 AM itself. But surprised to see there is already big queue. You have to catch first boating then only you can see more animals. Going in next rid will be just boat ride J you wont see much animals or no animals.

Periyar Lake Boating

Day 3: 25-Mar-2012, 11:00 AM: We started riding back tobangalore. Reachedbangalore at 08:30 PM.

By Udhaya Kumar.V , Udhaya@Udhaya.com