Travelogue #6 - Chennai to Coorg

The Western Ghats has this rare ability of hypnotizing people with its mythical beauty every time you go there. After being there and experiencing it in Munnar, Wayanad and Ooty, it was time again for relishing in the lap of nature that the Western Ghats has in abundance. Only this time, the destination was Coorg, a hilly district in interior Karnataka, known for its sprawling coffee plantations and also the birthplace of Cauvery river. Coorg District essentially consists of three major towns Madikeri, Kushalnagar and Siddapur with the former two being quite popular tourist destinations.

Madikeri Fort with its rich heritage and Raja’s seat with its fantastic view of the plains below are good places to spend an evening. Kushalnagar will need a whole day with its fair share of popular tourist spots nearby like the Dubare Elephant Camp and Nisargadhama, which is essentially a mini forest developed as a tourist spot on the banks of river Cauvery. A must-visit place in your Coorg itinerary has to be the Namdroling Monastery and the Golden Temple near Kushalnagar, which is the largest settlement of Buddhist monks in the world outside Tibet. The beautiful architecture there is a real feast for the eyes.



What is so good about Coorg is that it still retains an old-world charm. Long forgotten sounds of nature like the continuous chirping of birds and the shrill of crickets can all be heard with amazing clarity. The eyes are also treated to lush greenery all around with unending paddy fields in the plains and acres and acres of coffee plantations in the hills. For us city-dwellers, Coorg is a feast for the senses with the kind of stuff that we have seen only in wallpapers and screensavers. Just like all the other wonderful destinations in the Western Ghats, Coorg refuses to get out of your heart and mind for a long time.



Coming to the roads, Chennai to Bangalore is a breeze while Bangalore to Mysore is a pain with butter smooth roads spoilt by those numerous unmarked speedbreakers. NICE Road in Bangalore and Outer Ring Road in Mysore helps us save time bypassing both the cities. After Mysore, the roads are four-laned till Hunsur beyond which it turns into a scenic two-laned country road. This is by far the best stretch for the driving enthusiast in you with those long sweeping curves perfectly complimenting the smoothly paved surface making it a pleasurable drive. But, the roads in and around Coorg are quite bad and ridden with bumps and potholes.

ROUTEMAP:

FACTFILE:



* Total No of Days: 4 (12.08.2011 - 15.08.2011)
* Vehicle Make & Model: Honda Civic

* Odometer Start Reading: 32051 km
* Odometer End Reading: 33392 km
* Total Distance Traveled: 1341 km
* Total Quantity of Fuel filled: 101.09 l
* Average Fuel Consumption: 13.27 km/l

* Destinations Covered: Coorg
* Route Followed: Chennai-Hosur-Mysore-Hunsur-Kushalnagar-Madikeri

* No of Toll Booths: 16
* Money spent on Toll: Rs. 630
* Money spent on Fuel: Rs. 8020

THE LANDSCAPE:

 

THE AUTOMOBILE: 

 

 

No wonder that the UNESCO is on the verge of declaring the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site.

Travelogue #5 - Chennai to Yelagiri

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.

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:

THE AUTOMOBILE: 

Have a safe drive!

Travelogue #4 - Chennai to Yercaud

What do you usually do to beat the heat of summer? Chances are, like many others, you would head to one of the popular hill-stations nearby. For most people in Tamil Nadu, this choice inevitably narrows down to Ooty or Kodaikanal. But if you are looking for a calm and peaceful vacation over a weekend, take those two destinations off your list right away. Both of them have reached the peak of popularity and are bearing the brunt of excessive commercialism. If you are thinking what would be your next best bet, think no further. Yercaud, it is.



Yercaud has all that is there in Ooty and Kodaikanal, but in a smaller scale. At just around 1500 meters above sea level, it is not as taller and so much less cooler than the other two destinations. But, more importantly, it is also not as popular as the other two and hence is calmer, cleaner, less polluted and less congested. The terrific ghat roads with those 20 hairpin bends make sure that you cover the 35 odd km from Salem in no time. So, without waiting any further, pack your bags and head out to Yercaud for a short and refreshing break.



The entire town of Yercaud is so small that the best way to explore it is by foot. Taking prime place in the center is an artificial lake with boating facilities which is the major tourist attraction of the town. All the roads surrounding the lake are lined with shops and roadside stalls that are so typical of an hill-station. Grilled corn, homemade chocolates and an assortment of scented oils that are available in plenty provide the local flavor to the visitors that is not to be missed.



There are a couple of temples and quite a few view-points with peculiar names like Pagoda Point, Gents Seat and Ladies Seat that are worth paying a visit for the splendid views that they offer. The roads diverging from the lake will take you to one or the other spots mentioned above. Follow the sign-boards and you will not go wrong. The roads leading to and from and in and around Yercaud are comparatively narrow but are superbly surfaced, making them a driver’s delight. They can be tempting at times, so exercise caution.

ROUTEMAP:

FACTFILE:

* Total No of Days: 2 (28.05.2011 - 29.05.2011)

* Vehicle Make & Model: Tata Safari

 

* Odometer Start Reading: 146140 km

* Odometer End Reading: 146987 km

* Total Distance traveled: 847 km

* Total Quantity of Fuel filled: 83.45 l

* Average Fuel Consumption: 10.15 km/l

* Net Worth of Fuel filled: Rs 3550

 

* Destinations Covered: Yercaud

* Route Followed: Chennai-Villupuram-Salem-Yercaud

 

* Best Stretch of Road in Plains: Chennai-Villupuram

* Worst Stretch of Road in Plains: Kallakurichi-Salem

* Best Stretch of Road in Ghats: Salem-Yercaud

* Worst Stretch of Road in Ghats: None

THE LANDSCAPE:

THE AUTOMOBILE:

For obvious reasons, Yercaud has started gaining popularity and in a few years down the line, would probably not remain as much beautiful or peaceful as it is right now. Enjoy the virgin beauty of this place before it goes the Ooty and Kodaikanal way. And, as in any hill-station, please do not litter and strictly avoid using plastic bags. I did and I am urging you to do the same. Happy motoring!