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Kerala's exotic
appeal is centered in the highland area of the Western Ghats. When the
heat is on the plains, and the time to get away from the crowd, came for
a rendezvous with nature
Kerela has a long
chain of lush, mid-clad hillstations that are home to exotic wildlife.
All the hill resorts in Kerela offer the most enchanting experience of
nature in all its virgin beauty
Ponmudi
Hill
This hill station a mere 61 km from Trivandrum is a tourist's paradise.
One gets enchanted by the sheer abundance of nature; the shimmering
green waters of the winding streams and verdant woods do not spare
anybody. It is at an altitude of 100 ft perched on the Western Ghats.
Nelliyampathy Hill
It is a range of hills separated by valleys of dense lush green woods
and orange plantations. The tallest peak here is Padagiri which is at a
height of 1572 m while the shortest one is 467 m. The two and a half
hour journey from Palghat to Nelliyampathy is a very thrilling one
because there are nearly 12 hairpin curves on the ghat road. Also, dense
jungles come on the way. Pothundi reservoir is a lovely place which is
worth a stopover.
Wagamon Hill
Wagamon is engulfed by green tea gardens and deep puzzling valleys. All
the trekking enthusiasts will enjoy climbing this 1100 tall hill.
Situated at 64 km from Kottayam, this place also has to offer Thangal
Para, the Indo-Swiss project and Kurisumala Ashram.
Lakkadi Hill
Lakkadi registers the second highest degree of rainfall in the world.
The place is is just green green green. It is one of the highest
locations in Wayanad enriched with streams.
Wayanad Hill
It is situated in the north eastern tip of Kerala with Panamaram,
Mananthavady and Kabini rivers enriching the land. Abundance of coffee,
tea, cardamoms, Pepper and rubber plantations captivates one and all.
Mattupetty Hill
Thirteen km. away from Munnar lies Mattupetty, at an altitude of 1700 m.
above the sea level. The Indo-Swiss Dairy Project with the green meadows
and the exotic cattle and the rose garden also attracts tourists.
Devikulam Hill
Situated at 16 km southwest of Munnar, this picturesque location, offers
a unique feature-clusters of slender red and blue gum trees.
Devikulam, meaning the lake of the goddess, has a lovely little lake
hidden within the rolling hills. According to legend, Sita Devi, the
holy consort of Lord Rama, came down to frolic in the lake and the place
came to be known as the present name ever since.
Malampuzha Hill
 Malampuzha
is in the site of a large irrigation dam built across the longest river
in Kerala, the Bharathapuzha. It is set at the base of the hills of the
Western Ghats.
Beautiful gardens, amusement parks and facilities for boat cruises make
this an ideal picnic spot.
Other attractions are the rock garden, the fish-shaped aquarium, the
snake park, the ropeway which takes the tourist on an aerial tour of the
park, and the famous work Yakshi (an enchantress) sculpted by Kanai
Kunjiraman.
The most interesting feature of the rock garden is that the whole place
is made of unwanted and broken pieces of bangles, tiles, used plastic
cans, tins and other waste materials.
The garden is a master work of sculptor Padmasree Nek Chand Saini. His
rock garden in Chandigarh is world famous and attracts thousands of
tourists every year
Munnars
Hill
The
nature-lover’s paradise. Snuggling in 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.
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.
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