My idea of a vacation is not always about going to a popular destination, mixing up with the crowd and getting to see as many places as I possibly can. Instead, I prefer going to an off-beat destination that leaves just me, my family and nature all alone confronting each other. Apparently, there are a lot of other people who prefer this kind of a vacation. If you are one of them, then Yelagiri might be a great destination for a weekend getaway. It breaks all the pre-conceived notions that you would be having about a ‘hill-station’.
First of all, the climate here is not cool. It’s just pleasant for most part of the day, though late evenings and early mornings can get a bit cold. Next, the town is not big with a whole lot of tourist spots. In fact, there is absolutely nothing here to see except for a solitary park, an artificial lake and a couple of view-points on the way. Finally, every corner in the town does not have a hotel or resort. Reality is, you have very few quality accommodation here to choose from and so, those resorts need to be booked quite early to get accommodation.
May be, because of a combination of all these factors, there is hardly any crowd in Yelagiri on a normal weekend. In spite of Tamil Nadu Government’s best efforts to promote Yelagiri as a credible holiday destination, the town has still not become hugely popular. Not that I am complaining, in fact, that is the best part of Yelagiri for me. That it is close to Chennai and Bangalore, the two hot-spots of South India, just makes its case only better. There are many signboards in the main Chennai-Bangalore highway that keeps us well-informed on when and where to exit to reach Yelagiri.
After that, the narrow State Highways all the way upto Yelagiri are smoothly paved and do not pose any problems at all. The ghat roads especially, are in good condition and the views on offer are also scenic. Once you are there, you will be amazed on how small Yelagiri really is. You enter the main town Athanavur and all you get to see is a police station, a boat-house, a park, a few shops around, a few boards here and there, a couple of turns in the road and that’s it. You are done. That’s what makes Yelagiri all the more enthralling.
Since the town is so small and there is nothing else to do except trekking and para-gliding, all you will do for most of the time is sit, relax and enjoy the climate with the comfort of your family in the confines of the hotel or resort. That is why the place where you stay in Yelagiri has the potential to make or break your vacation. This is where I have to mention about my place of stay - Peter’s Park, a beautifully maintained, wonderfully managed and a real value-for-money resort that you will never go wrong with. So, choose the right place and enjoy your stint in this beautiful little village in the ghats.
First of all, the climate here is not cool. It’s just pleasant for most part of the day, though late evenings and early mornings can get a bit cold. Next, the town is not big with a whole lot of tourist spots. In fact, there is absolutely nothing here to see except for a solitary park, an artificial lake and a couple of view-points on the way. Finally, every corner in the town does not have a hotel or resort. Reality is, you have very few quality accommodation here to choose from and so, those resorts need to be booked quite early to get accommodation.
May be, because of a combination of all these factors, there is hardly any crowd in Yelagiri on a normal weekend. In spite of Tamil Nadu Government’s best efforts to promote Yelagiri as a credible holiday destination, the town has still not become hugely popular. Not that I am complaining, in fact, that is the best part of Yelagiri for me. That it is close to Chennai and Bangalore, the two hot-spots of South India, just makes its case only better. There are many signboards in the main Chennai-Bangalore highway that keeps us well-informed on when and where to exit to reach Yelagiri.
After that, the narrow State Highways all the way upto Yelagiri are smoothly paved and do not pose any problems at all. The ghat roads especially, are in good condition and the views on offer are also scenic. Once you are there, you will be amazed on how small Yelagiri really is. You enter the main town Athanavur and all you get to see is a police station, a boat-house, a park, a few shops around, a few boards here and there, a couple of turns in the road and that’s it. You are done. That’s what makes Yelagiri all the more enthralling.
Since the town is so small and there is nothing else to do except trekking and para-gliding, all you will do for most of the time is sit, relax and enjoy the climate with the comfort of your family in the confines of the hotel or resort. That is why the place where you stay in Yelagiri has the potential to make or break your vacation. This is where I have to mention about my place of stay - Peter’s Park, a beautifully maintained, wonderfully managed and a real value-for-money resort that you will never go wrong with. So, choose the right place and enjoy your stint in this beautiful little village in the ghats.
ROUTEMAP:
FACTFILE:
* Total No of Days: 2 (18.06.2011 - 19.06.2011)
* Vehicle Make & Model: Honda Civic
* Odometer Start Reading: 30438 km
* Odometer End Reading: 30921 km
* Total Distance traveled: 483 km
* Total Quantity of Fuel filled: 38 l
* Average Fuel Consumption: 12.71 km/l
* Destinations Covered: Yelagiri
* Route Followed: Chennai-Kanchipuram-Vellore-Yelagiri
* No of Tool Booths: 6
* Total Toll Paid: Rs 200
THE LANDSCAPE:
* Total No of Days: 2 (18.06.2011 - 19.06.2011)
* Vehicle Make & Model: Honda Civic
* Odometer Start Reading: 30438 km
* Odometer End Reading: 30921 km
* Total Distance traveled: 483 km
* Total Quantity of Fuel filled: 38 l
* Average Fuel Consumption: 12.71 km/l
* Destinations Covered: Yelagiri
* Route Followed: Chennai-Kanchipuram-Vellore-Yelagiri
* No of Tool Booths: 6
* Total Toll Paid: Rs 200
THE LANDSCAPE:
THE AUTOMOBILE:
Have a safe drive!
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