This thought of visiting at least a destination each month which is lesser heard of but has the potential of a good tourist spot has been in my mind forever. When my friends from Technopark, Trivandrum and my cousins became interested, we planned a trip abruptly. I can say for certain that I had a good few locations in my mind as I also had some constraints to adhere to. I needed to make sure that these destinations can be covered in a days’ time and take care not to burn out ourselves as we had two full days with us.
So I decided on Illickal Mala home to famous Neelakoduveli, a mysterious flower whose possession will give the person unlimited wealth and prosperity(made famous by the new gen hit Malayalam movie Aadu) + marmala stream on one day and Konni (home to a really good elephant shelter) + Adavi (which is getting famous for its coracle rafting) + Manneera waterfalls on the second day.
Both these destinations are about 1.5 hrs. journey from my home and we started off after having breakfast. Reached Illickal Mala by about 11am and parked our vehicles and got out to take pictures. Everyone was dazzled by the scenic awesomeness of the place. Was initially surprised to see no amenities being done to take care of tourist arrivals.Just hope that it gets sorted out at the earliest.
One has to see certain places and falls short of words to describe the awesomeness properly. We spent a few hours there in Illickal mala and proceeded to see Marmala stream which actually was even better.
They say that the road to heaven is laden with thorns and here it was exactly that. It was quite difficult to reach the place but it was worth it.
One cannot get such raw and amazing beauty of nature at their doorstep. “The more difficult it gets the more awesome it gets” – don’t worry that is my quote…
We spent about 3-4 hours there and after it threatened to rain, we started off back to our home in Kottayam.
On the next day we went to Konni on a bike and my bullet.
We four were the only ones who came for that trip as others got busy for that day. We rode the elephant and took pics with her and saw some naughty elephant kiddos there.
Took lots of snaps and then proceeded to Adavi and despite the policemen catching me for not having book and paper of my bullet, we reached Adavi and started off to ride the coracle rafts which are brought from Karnataka.
There are two options for tourists coming to adavi…opt for either a half an hour ride in calm waters or take the long yet exciting rapid route down river for about 2kms which will take around an hour…the cost is about 100Rs for short ride per person and 200Rs for long ride per person and each coracle raft can accommodate 4 persons and there will be an experienced guide who will take you through…
It was a really nice experience and our guide explained about a nearby waterfall and we were off to see Manneera waterfalls nearby.
It is a lovely waterfall and we spent some quality time there too and thought it was better to drop off my buddies to Konni station for their ride back to Trivandrum and then we proceeded back to our home.
If asked about how it all went, I can say only this – we are just getting started folks. We gonna travel more this coming months, and those who are interested to travel do join us. Ya all are welcome…
Numerous mountain streams in this peak, 6,000 ft above sea level flow down to form the serene Meenachil River. Tourists have to trek about 3km to reach the top of the hill. Three hills each rising to 4,000 ft and above together form this huge hill. Each of these hills have a peculiar shape. One of them resembles a mushroom owing to which it gets its name Kuda Kallu (Mushroom shaped rock). Also, the medicinal herb Neela Koduveli which bathes the hillside in blue, grows here. This flower is believed to possess supernatural powers which could increase wealth and ensure a rich harvest. The Second hill has a small hunch hence named as Koonu Kallu (Hunchback Rock) and across this rock is a 1/2 feet wide bridge called Narakapalam (Bridge to Hell). Fascinating thing about the place is that from the hilltops one can see Arabian Sea in the distant horizon as a thin blue line. A must visit place guys and easily accessible too. Situated around 20-25kms from Erattupetta in Kottayam District, Kerala this sure is a place one should not miss during their trip to Kerala or for local population to hang out with.
This scenic stream and its breathtaking waterfalls are together referred to as the enchantress of the jungle. Sliding down the numerous hillocks from a height of 200ft, the gushing water has etched out over the years a deep pond in the rocks. A natural bridge runs right over the waterfalls. Must visit place for those who visit Illickal Mala as both can be combined on a one day trip.
Konni, about 11 km from Pathanamthitta is famous for its Anakoodu or elephant training centre which has huge structures built to house elephants. These can accommodate 6-7 elephants at a time. Trainers here train baby elephants who get separated from their herd or are found wounded or roaming in the forest. Experienced trainers using systematic training methods tame these elephants. Built in 1941,this is among the oldest elephant sanctuaries in India. Visitors can ride the elephants and there is an elephant museum too here.
This scenic location situated about 13 km from Konni, is on the way to stardom after the introduction of coracle rafts about 2 years back. The coracle raft riding on the river is of two types. The visitors can either take the short route through calm waters for about half an hour for 100rs per head or take the long and adventurous route through fast waters down river for about 2km for 200 per head. Each coracle raft can accommodate about 4 persons and an experienced guide will be there to guide you throughout the journey and you will be wearing life jacket too for security purposes.
About 1.5 kms from Adavi Eco Tourism Centre lies a small yet beautiful waterfalls by the name of Manneera waterfalls named after the town. Easily accessible by road, this waterfall is a good place to hangout and now increasing in popularity due to its close proximity to adavi eco tourism centre.
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