Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls or Tada Falls Near Chennai

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Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls Or Tada Falls is situated at around 10 kilometers inside reserved forests near Varadhapalayam and Tada, in Chittor District, Andhra Pradesh state, India. It is one of the best weekend getaways for Chennai residents.

Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls Or Tada Falls

Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls Or Tada Falls Varadhapalayam Falls or Ubbalamadugu Falls is situated deep inside reserved forests. Mud roads are there to go to the falls. Vehicles go through a very scenic route with a large lake on your left side.

Entry Procedure to Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls or Tada Falls

You need to get entry permit for each person and vehicle at the Andhra Pradesh forest department entrance gate. Entry is allowed from 6 am up to 4 pm in the evening. You need to come out by 6 pm. Entry fee per person is rupees 50. Two wheeler entry fee is also the same. Car entry fee is rupees 200. The rates are written at the entrance. There is a fee for camera also. Fee confirm the rates and pay the amount. Forest department will issue you a receipt for the amount paid.

You need to travel around 3 or 4 kilometers from the entry gate to reach the parking lot. Some portions of the road are in off-road condition. On the left side of the parking lot, you will find a small temporary bridge to cross the stream.

You may come across a few people bathing here on one side this bridge. If  you walk straight, you can see the stream on your left side. Keep walking. Whenever you feel like bathing, turn to your left and take a refreshing bath int he cold waters of the stream. A word of caution. The water flow is very powerful to even carry adults. There are rocks along the path of the stream. Hence, take care.

This falls and the stream are one of the best falls I have seen in South India. Since the falls is hard to access (which needs to be trekked for a couple of hours along the stream side), very few tourists comes here.

How Do I Go to Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls Or Tada Falls?

Ubbalamadugu Falls alias Varadhapalayam Falls Or Tada Falls is very close to Tada town and Sri City. It is around 90 kilometers from Chennai city.Sriharihota rocket launching station is situated very close to Varadhapalayam and Sri City.

Always go via Tada. After crossing the Varadhapalayam goverment bus depot, you will find a sign board on the left side, written “Ubbalamadugu Waterfalls”.

If you ask locals near the state border in Tamilnadu, some of them may misguide you (out of ignorance of the falls) to go via Sathyavedu town. This route is circuitous and should be avoided. Right now, from Sathyavedu to Tada road, a large number of culverts are under construction. It is very tedious to travel by this route.

This post originally appeared in touristinindia website.

Ponmudi Hill Station, Kerala

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Ponmudi Hill Station, Kerala

River ‘Kallar’, Ponmudi (Image courtesy – Wikipedia)

Ponmudi Hill Station, Kerala is a small hill station, but natural and scenic in beauty,  near to the capital city of the state, Thiruvanantapuram.

Ponmudi hills are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site,Western Ghats, and is covered with forests. The 22 hear-pin curves  road to Ponmudi takes you to the top of one of the most scenic hill station of South India.  Kallar river flows through Pomnudi hill station and the valley.

Meenmutty falls is at 3 km from the Kallar-Ponmudi main road. Parts of Pomnudi hill station are part of the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary.  Some of the main  sight seeing areas in Ponmudi are the Echo Point, Deer Park, “Agasthyarkoodam” (one of the highest peaks of Western Ghats), etc. “Kallar Vana Samrakshana Samithi” (Kallar forest protection group) provides trekking opportunities for those interested in trekking / hiking.

Ponmudi (means Golden Peak) is a part of the Agasthyarkoodam biosphere Reserve, which is rich in diverse  flora and fauna.

There are around 238 species of birds in Ponmudi,  including some extinct birds. This makes Ponmudi  a birdwatchers’ paradise.  15 out of 16 species of birds endemic to the Western Ghats are found at Ponmudi hill station and surrounding areas.

195 out of the total of 332 species of butterflies of  Western Ghats are found in Ponmudi. Out of this 332 butterfly species,  24 out of 37 butterfly species endemic to the Western Ghats, are found at Ponmudi hill station and its surroundings.

How Do I Go to Ponmudi Hill Station, Kerala?

Ponmudi hill station is at around 60 kilo meters from the capital of Kerala state, Thiruvanthapuram or Trivandrum as it was known earlier.You may go in your own vehicle or hire a cab and go.

There are public transport facilities available for those interested in using them. Few buses ply from Thiruvananthapuram to Ponmudi. There are deluxe bus services to Ponmudi from Tourist Reception Centre, Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram run by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (K.T.D.C.), at INR 500 for one-way trip.

Are there Good hotels in Ponmudi?

There are many brightly painted Eco-friendly cottages in Ponmudi. There are also many good eco-friendly hotels and resorts in Ponmudi Hill Station, in the midst of Tea and Rubber plantations.  Many have solar powered water heaters and gen-sets to tide over the power problems.

 

Indian Tourist Destinations North of New Delhi

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Indian Tourist Destinations North of New Delhi

Tourist Destinations in India -Mountains in Himachal Pradesh

Mountains in Himachal Pradesh (Photo credit: International Rivers)

India is  vast country with a large number of places for a tourist to visit.  India is a country which boasts of unity in diversity. There are many many languages, religions, cultures etc. It is the co-existence of these that make the country one of the most attractive tourist destinations.

Natural scenic places, hill stations, forts, beaches, backwaters, historical buildings, UNESCO World Heritage sites, The great Himalayas; all are of great interest to any tourist.

There are many Religious places of worship for the Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, etc, spread across the length and breadth of the country.

India’s capital Delhi has Qutub Minar, tallest minar in India and a UNESCO World heritage site.  Lotus temple, Aksharatham temple, Redfort, etc, are some of the other places of interest in Delhi.

One of the seven wonders of the world, Taj Mahal in Agra, Utter Pradesh state is a UNESCO declared World heritage site which stands as a symbol of  Love for centuries. Amristsar in the neighboring Punjab state is the center of Sikh religion. Golden temple is the Mecca of Sikhs.

Himachal Pradesh, neighboring state of Punjab on its northern side is the hub of tourists with many hill stations to its credit.  Shimla, Manali etc are some among those in Himachal Pradesh.

Utteranchal or Utterkhand state, the south east neighbor of Himachal Pradesh is a heaven of religious tourism especially for Hindus and Sikhs. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Kashi, Gangothi, Rishikesh etc for Hindus and Hemkund Sahib for the Sikhs. Valley of flowers is a famous tourist spot in Himalayan  ranges, which is full of flowers which changes colors as time passes.

Himachal Pradesh’s neighboring state on northern side, Jammu & Kashmir is another major hill stations on Himalayan lap. Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg etc are some of the famous centers of winter sports and tourism.  Amarnath is an important Hindu religious place of worship in Jammu & Kashmir state.

Having covered the states north of India’s capital Delhi, I will write about other places of tourist interest in India in my subsequent posts.

Pahalgam Kashmir

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Pahalgam Kashmir

English: View of the Pahalgam Valley

English: View of the Pahalgam Valley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pahalgam is in the state of Jammu and  Kashmir, north most state of India. Pahalgam is a famous hill station located at the banks of River Lidder at a height of around 7200 feet above sea level.

Pahalgam offers trekking to Kolahoi Glacier, a hanging glacier,  at 36 kilometers away through pine filled areas. Pahalgam is associated with Hindu pilgrimage tour to Amarnath.

There are tourist huts and hotels available at Pahalgam which is 45 km. from the District Head Quarter Anantnag.

Gavi Eco-Tourism in Kerala India

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Gavi Eco-Tourism in Kerala India

Trekking Along the Waterfalls in Gavi Forests,...

Trekking Along the Waterfalls in Gavi Forests, Kerala.. (Photo credit: -RejiK)

Gavi, a small village, In Seeththaode taluk, in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala state in India has been listed by ‘Alistair International’, the world acclaimed tourism major, among the leading Eco tourism centers in India and one of the must see places in India.

The Gavi Eco tourism employs the local population as guides, gardeners and cooks and it has become a success story. This has provided likelihood for the people and they have become more involved in protecting the nature. Permission from Kerala forest department is required to go inside the forest.

The spectacular Gavi lake and adjoining forests form parts of ‘Periyar Tiger reserve’. They areas are parts of Western Ghats. The road leading to Gavi are surrounded by green tea estates which gives a refreshing look. Trekking inside the Gavi forests with local people as guides offer unforgettable moments for a tourist. Many wild animals like tiger, bear, leopard, elephants, Nilgiri That can be seen or heard.

One can go for canoeing in the Gavi lake. The place is excellent for bird watchers as it is rich in flora and fauna. Valley View point offer spectacular view of nature. It is nature at its unadulterated best!

Accommodation is available at Eco tents inside the forest. Nearest airports are Cochin International airport and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at 110 to 130 kilometers away. Nearest railway station is Chenganoor or Tiruvalla at 35 kilometers away. Pathanamthitta is the district head quarters which is well connected by road.

Last year, an Indian regional language movie, Malayalam Movie Ordinary was  shot at Gavi and surrounding areas which was a super hit.

Gavi is a place one can not miss in his or her lifetime!

CHAR DHAM – YAMUNOTRI, GANGOTRI, KEDARNATH, BADRINATH, HARIDWAR, RISHIKESH

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CHAR DHAM (YAMUNOTRI, GANGOTRI, KEDARNATH, BADRINATH, HARIDWAR, RISHIKESH)

English: Gangotri temple in Uttarakhand, India...

English: Gangotri temple in Uttarakhand, India Deutsch: Gangotri Tempel in Uttarakhand, Indien (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Travelescorted,  aleading Group Travel Company in India Offers ‘Char Dham’, the ultimate pilgrimage package. This Covers YAMUNOTRI, GANGOTRI, KEDARNATH, BADRINATH, HARIDWAR and RISHIKESH, the Hindu pilgrimage centers in North India.

Fixed departure group tour of South India

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Fixed Departure Group Tour of Kerala, South India

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Recently with the onset of holiday season, South India, especially Kerala, seems hot favorite destination for tourists.

Kerala with its mountains, rivers, backwaters, beaches, valleys, hill stations, temples, churches, mosques etc,offers the best travel experience. With monsoon giving way to winter, the climate is the best in India.

Drishya Holidays offers 7 nights and 8 days fixed group tour of Cochin, Munnar hill station, Periyar wildlife sanctuary, Allepy backwater tourism and Kovalam beach.

 

Exotic Indian Locations for Tourists

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Exotic locations to visit in India

India is a vast country with lot of  languages,religions, culture etc co-existing as one entity. It has ‘unity in diversity’.

There are around 29 states and 6 Union territories in India out of which two are away from the mainland and they are islands. i.e. Andaman and Nicobar islands off the coast of Calcutta (Kolkotta) and lakshadweep islands off Cochin (Kochi). These two islands are good tourist location.

In the mainland, there are many many tourist locations. Agra, Jaipur, Manali, Kulla, Shimla, SriNagar, Amristsar, Kedarnath, Rishikesh, Gangothri, Yamunothri, Munnar, Cochin, Allepy, Kovalam, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Goa, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Darjeeling  etc are just a few among them.

There are many travel agents who arrange group tours to these places. Contact a leading travel agent.