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.
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