It was the first long weekend of 2020 when we decided to undertake a road-trip to a lesser known hill station of Kerala - Vagamon. It is a 3 hour drive from the more prominent tourist destination of Munnar. Vagamon is located in the Idukki district of Kerala. It is situated at an elevation of 1200 m, approximately 300 m below Munnar.
Vagamon is an underrated destination offering offbeat hiking, camping and off-roading experiences. It is also famous for paragliding and a one of a kind Pine forest.
How to reach
Vagamon can be accessed only by road. KSRTC buses ply to Vagamon from Kottayam and Ernakulam. Both these cities have railway connectivity. Ernakulam also has an airport. We, however, chose to drive to Vagamon from Trivandrum. We rented two cars through Revv for three days. It cost us about ₹2ooo per person (including fuel) for a group of nine people. The rates offered by Revv were much cheaper than that offered by Zoom Cars.
We chose to drive as the road from Trivandrum to Vagamon is pretty scenic and is a convenient option. We were able to complete the journey at our pace without having to lug our luggage all the way while changing multiple modes of transportation.
However, if you are on a short trip, it is advisable to take a bus to Vagamon from either Ernakulam or Kottayam. Finish your stay in Vagamon and then proceed to Munnar. Periyar National Park in Thekkady is only a 2 hour road journey from Vagamon.
Introduction
Before I start the blog, I would like to introduce all the participants of this trip.
A big shout out to all the cool people we met at Zostel. They really enriched our experience. Interacting with people from different walks of life is the reason why I believe many people undertake the decision to travel.
Mahesh Maddala (@maheshey) was the manager at Zostel. Super chill guy. He helped us plan our itinerary around Vagamon.
Sandeep Nagargoje (@confused.launda) was a volunteer at Zostel who also runs a homestay in Himachal. He had come down to Kerala during the offseason period. Check out his Insta page for breathtaking pictures of the Vagamon hills.
Akshata Tilwankar (@the_akseffect) was a traveler from Mumbai who actually had plans after Vagamon as well, but ended up staying two more days because she liked the place and people so much.
Jyoti Yadav (@jyoti_yadav577) was a teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya Kottayam. She was on a weekend getaway from her ordeal of dealing with hyperactive kids at the school. Check out her Insta to read up the experiences of a UP girl in Kerala.
Aditya Shankar (@qocktail) was another traveler from Mumbai who had just packed some clothes, a bag of ground coffee and a phone full of hindi poetry and was out for an adventure. Also, did I mention he is an IIT Bombay alumnus.
Anish Singhania (@anishsinghania) had come all the way from Kolkata to embrace the beauty of Gods Own Country.
Overview
The entire trip was managed in under ₹5000 per person. An approximate breakdown of expenditure per person is given below:
Transport: ₹2000 (including fuel for the self drive car)
Lodging: ₹1300 (₹650 per person per day x 2 days)
Food: ₹1000 (approx 120 per meal)
Entry fee/ Other charges: ₹350 for Ginamala hike and ₹155 for Kuvalettam hike
The RoadTrip Begins
Jatayu is a large bird statue perched atop a hill that is approachable through a cable car ride. If you have time available at hand, a half day visit to Jatayu is warranted. The view of the sculpture staring into the sky with an open beak and chopped off wing is surreal.
They caught my drift and we veered the cars to the parking outside this amazing place called Tropical Garden. Tropical Garden is a very recent venture (started in Jan 2020) of Mr Dominic a.k.a Babu. This magnanimous personality personally took us around his estate which sprawled behind the Amul storefront. His main business is in supply of decorative and ornamental flowers and plants. His house is nestled within the forest. He was so cheerful and humble in his approach, patiently showing us each plant, telling its name and occasionally giving us some exotic leaf or fruit to try out. He also cultivates the endemic bee species for natural wild honey, which is processed as per order and sold to select buyers We spent a good one hour in his farm like backyard before returning back to the storefront for a second round of ice-creams and fresh fruit juices. We purchased indoor plants and passion fruit juice concentrate on our return journey. Tropical Garden is a must visit place if you are ever in the vicinity of Kanjirapally or Erattupetta.
Vagamon at last
We crossed Marmala waterfalls in the last leg of our journey. We decided against taking the detour for the falls considering the hot weather and the remote chance of actually finding water. 20 minutes later we drove past the lane which led to Zostel Vagamon. Its a very narrow lane and it is highly probable that you'll miss it. We reversed the car and made our way through the winding and sloping road which carved through tea gardens and the compound of another hotel called Winter Vale Green Stay.
Our stay was booked in Zostel Vagamon. It was rated one of the best hostels in India in 2019 (my college hostel is an exception). The location is bang in the middle of hills. Splendid views of the Nilgiris on one side and sprawling tea estates on the other. The lodging and common room were fantastic. The common room has all glass windows giving you a panoramic view of the serene surroundings. If one is not satisfied with this, they also have a tower which can be climbed to gain access to even better sights.
Ginamala is a hillock apparently discovered by this solo traveler from Holland named Gina. Hence the name. The jeeps could only take us till the motor-able base of the hill. We hiked almost 1km to the top and waited for the sunset. There was already some sort of christian construction on top of the hill which made us doubt if the Ginamala story is something which people have made up. Not in a mood to spoil the buzz, nobody raised such questions.
At an elevation of almost 1100m above sea level, the top of Ginamala offers splendid views of the valleys surrounding Vagamon. Its the kind of place you would visit with friends just to sit, chill and enjoy the sunset. And that is exactly what we did. After exploring around for a while we sat at the edge of the cliff. In the tranquility of the hills, we saw the red sun slowly dive into nothingness. Talking about life while nibbling on dark chocolate we forgot all the worries that we had.
We drove back the same road we came by, but against traffic. Tired from the long morning walk experience, we were hungry to the core. Unfortunately, Vagamon does not have a lot of restaurant/ cuisine options. We parked at a restaurant called Kailas Family Restaurant. The place was a bit crowded and the menu was basic meals and biryani. We explored some other food outlets nearby and even called up some nice looking place we spotted on Google Maps. As it turned out, Kailas was apparently the best place in town. We enjoyed a meal of 'Kerala Meals', Chicken Biryani, Fish fry and Kadla curry (White Grams).
Unexpectedly, the next day started early. We were to leave for Trivandrum post lunch. The morning actually started earlier for one of our buddies who went on an off-roading experience to catch the sunrise.
Yet another Hike
We reached Zostel around three in the afternoon. Even-though everybody was dead tired, the presence of new people at the hostel excited everybody. People got busy making new friends. We chilled around the common room for some time before making the evening more tiring by undertaking a hike similar to the one on the first day. However, this hike included the sunset, spotting a dog carcass and exploring some tea gardens post sunset.
Kuvalettam Windy Hike
The second day started early. 0530 hrs to be precise. The plan was to go for a hike known for its windy trail. We had been (mis)informed that the hike starts really early in the morning. After managing to wake up everybody, we drove relatively fast through the empty morning roads and reached the location which google maps was guiding us to by 0730 hrs.
The place was literally a rock with a view of a hill which looked like a person sleeping. It was like a metaphor, symbolic of what we should have been doing.
We left Trivandrum at 0530 hrs. The plan was to beat the traffic and reach Vagamon while the day was still young.
The initial part of the drive was uninteresting as we had traveled by the same roads, several times earlier. Unexplored territory started just after sunrise when we crossed Jatayu.
Our first stop was a petrol pump. The stop was necessary for natural reasons. I don't know if it was the feeling of the roadtrip or if I actually found the petrol pump pretty. Even spotted a few unique birds which I didn't remember seeing before, ever.
The journey proceeded until we were forced to stop for breakfast. The plan to keep pushing through until we reached Vagamon was called off. We enjoyed a meal of bread, cheese slices and home-made spread/dip in the shade of a rubber plantation.
The route ahead was lined with many beautiful churches and houses. Since I was driving, I made it a point to stop outside every picture worthy house and made my friends click photos at weird angles from inside the car.
Unexpected Halt
As I continued to drive, about 40km from Vagamon, we drove past a store which had a huge Amul board. Being the ice-cream fan that I am, I woke up all my half asleep car-mates and turned the car around. Our friends following us in the car behind were befuddled, wondering why I was turning around in the middle of the road. I rolled down my window and shouted Amul! Amul!
Viewpoints along the way
The remaining journey was full of picturesque views of the valleys in the Nilgiri ranges. Since the trip was post monsoon, the terrain was spotted with brown patches in an otherwise green scene rather than the lush green that is expected during rainfall. Nonetheless, we did not hesitate from stopping at any bend in the road which offered a good view. The Illikkal Kallu peak was visible from the road to Vagamon. Illikkal Kallu is a monolith located on top of the Illikkal Malaa in the Kottayam district. The trek is worth attempting during monsoons.
There is also a hammock kind of rope structure which hangs over the ridge on which the reception stands. Lying in it gives this feeling of being suspended mid-air. A really cool place to chill out when you have nothing to do.
As the above photos portray, Zostel Vagamon located right within reach of many hikes and trails that any adventurous traveler (like myself) can undertake to be one with nature.
Everybody was tired after the five hour drive and most people retired to their bunk beds after a simple malayali meal to regain vigor for evening adventures. However, three of us decided to push through the lethargy and scaled the hill adjacent to Zostel. Not much of a scaling, it was a mere 500m walk.
After our little adventure we came back to the Zostel common room to relax. By 1700 hrs everybody was ready for our late evening adventure. We boarded the jeeps (we could have gone by car as well) and left for Ginamala.
Ginamala
By the time we started our descent hike, wind-speed had picked up making the weather suddenly cold and chilly. We boarded our jeeps, covered our ears, huddled together and hoped that the driver does not drive like he did before. Our hopes were hopeless, we reached the Zostel chilled to the bone, with wind attacking us from both sides in the jeep.
After a meal of chicken curry and chapathi, we spent a good amount of time hanging around the common room and the watchtower before heading to bed.
This rock was just there by the side of the road. A board by the forest department reading 'Windy walk trekking @Kuvalettam' stood on the other side of the road.
True to its name, even though the supposed trek had not started, it was actually very windy. Very very windy. We had not anticipated such cold mornings. However, anticipating the cold and being prepared for it are different things. We quickly pulled out our windcheaters and prepared to brace the wind which was yet to come.
Not knowing where exactly the forest department office was, two people went in search for life. Hoping to find someone awake at this time on such a fine morning, perfect to lie cozily in bed. About two minutes later, a non-malayali looking guy in an olive green uniform rode up to us on his scooty. With an English accent which amused and scared us at the same time, he asked - "You want to go for windy trek ?". Suspecting foulplay, we said our friends had gone in search of the forest office and we will take tickets from there. He responded by saying that he is a forest official and he will give the windy trek tickets for ₹155. Assuming that noway the ticket could be that cheap and that this could be a scam, we asked him to leave.
A few minutes later our scouts arrived with information regarding location of the forest office. The office was a small shack by the road hundred meters along the way we had come. The weather had gotten more chilly. we braced the winds and reached the forest office only to find that the guy at the counter was none other than the scooty guy. He gave us a friendly 'I told you so' look. We purchased the tickets for ₹155, just as he had offered before. The fare is distributed between the Kerala forest department and Idukki dam.
We started the hike sharp at 0830 hrs. Mr Joseph Prince (the scooty guy) was our guide. Along the trek we realized that he was not overenthusiastic about getting people on the hike, rather he was really passionate about nature in general and wanted people to experience it. He would pluck leaves from trees and offer them to us to sniff. He educated us on the Malayalam names of the plants and the health benefits attributed to them.
The initial part of the hike was gradual for about 1km. We walked through some tea plantations and then crossed over an electric fence to enter the forest area. Our first stop before the main climb was at the forest department outpost in the middle of nowhere. A government green colored building with no access to electricity. There were two forest officials there on duty. Our guide asked us to freshen up and use the loo if required as there would be no provision ahead. While some people relieved themselves, the rest of us began a photo-shoot. The building had a watch tower three stories high which provided a panoramic view of the entire valley.
We asked our guide to click a group picture. He was so enthusiastic that he ended up taking a picture from every level of the building.
We continued ahead as the trail got steeper. We had our second stop within 500m of the first.
Post this climb it was just a game of chasing hills. The guide kept consoling us by saying this is the last one. We traced more than four hills over slippery rocks, rough trails and knee high grass to reach the final viewpoint from where the Idukki dam catchment area is visible. I was lucky enough to spot a startled foal galloping away after getting disturbed by my footsteps.
When we finally reached the viewpoint, it felt like glory. The winds had picked up and it had become difficult to stand facing it. Angling our bodies and carefully balancing on the rocks we each posed for a 'profile picture' type picture.
After embracing the breathtaking view of the Idukki dam catchment for longer than allowed, our guide subtly hinted that we needed to finish the entire hike in 3 hours. After consuming some refreshments and making sure not to litter the place, we proceeded downhill towards a forest.
A trail lead to the banks of the water reservoir. Our guide informed that special permission from forest department can allow for a camping experience in the restricted area around the reservoir. Noting the point mentally we entered the shade of the forest.
We covered the forest stretch at a faster pace. This was partly due to the descent and partly due to the guide hurrying us up. After about 20 minutes of walk we spotted human settlement again. The hike had ended at a place about 3km from the starting point. The guide had already called for autos which took us back to the rock where we had parked the cars.
We spent the pre-dinner part of the night chilling on the watchtower, listening to 'shuddh hindi' poetry by our new IIT-Bombay alumnus (follow him on insta) friend who was kind enough to offer us coffee, which I definitely think had something else in it. If I was to take back one thing from the poetry session we had there, it would be - "यथार्थ झूठ है, और कल्पना सच"
We retired to the common room post dinner for some more time-pass till midnight. It was my birthday the next day. Unbeknownst to me, a cake was arranged. Half an hour before midnight, a bonfire was lit and the entire Zostel crowd gathered around in a festive mood. At 12 we cut the cake and the party continued till around 2 in the morning.
We spent the morning exploring yet another trail discovered by our friends the previous day. Instead of climbing up the hills, this one called for a descent into the valley near Zostel. Small ponds of would be streams were still alive at this time of the year. We lazed around the water for longer than required.
We had already packed our bags and loaded them in the cars. We left Zostel around 1400 hrs, hoping to make it back to Trivandrum by late evening. We also had a scheduled pit-stop at the Amul place. We stopped there for refreshments and also purchased some plants.
On our way back we realized that we had not yet clicked a group picture with the cars. A quick stop was made at the exact location where we had made our first stop of the onward journey. After adjusting many camera angles to get enough light for a group photo being clicked against the setting sun, we finally got a good picture.
We had dinner on the way and were back home by 2130 hrs. This road-trip was a wonderful experience and we all agreed that a new destination is on the way.
Big shout out to all my friends who made this weekend getaway possible.
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Until next time.
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