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Trip to Yercaud

Hi there, I trust you’re all doing great. Since it is difficult to make all your friends agree at particular date for a particular place due to various commitments, I decided to visit Yercaud with one of my friend and the trip was amazing. Its perfect for a weekend getaway from Bangalore and is about 220 kms. Yercaud is the best destination because your trip would be pocket friendly and fun filled if you follow the below details 😀

We reached salem Sunday morning around 7am and it was a lovely cold morning. We started walking towards the first must visit place called the Ladies Seat. It has an amazing view of the Salem City, very picturesque however, beware of the monkey’s. On the way back you can visit Rose Garden but we did not as the person in-charge mentioned flowers were used up for some show held few days before. So we started walking all the way back (Sun was up now) to our resort 4km away and were lucky to get a lift in between which dropped us near Yercaud Lake (1km from Resort). We had booked The Grand Palace Resort and Spa for our stay and I strongly recommend you stay there too (Costed 4k and included buffet breakfast, bonfire, pool access and other games)

The Resort is located on top of the hill and offers amazing view. Additionally, their infinity pool would be the highlight of your trip (it was for us). We had few pegs (if you order beer at the resort, its 999 for 3 beers), munchies and went straight to the pool. Since it was Sunday the pool was hardly crowded and can be totally enjoyed leisurely. They have a pool rule for all the ladies to use a shower cap so if you already have it please carry it along or you will have to buy it there!! In the evening around 6 we went to the market near the lake which offers various eating junctions and most famous is Tawa Fish/Chicken. On the way back, it started raining which made the lake, mountains and overall landscape look charming. After sometime when rain stopped, we returned to the resort and enjoyed the night view of Salem City along with the chilling breeze. The Bonfire which was to be held had got cancelled due to the rain shower. We had our dinner and called it a night!

The next morning we decided to tour the entire resort and click pictures, make videos, enjoy pool again (if you want to) and then have buffet breakfast. Post check-out from the resort, we walked with soo many amazing memories towards the Yercaud lake and enjoyed the boat ride (75 rupees per person). You can even sit there, enjoy the view, take a horse ride or anything of your choice. Consequently, it was time to leave and fortunately we did not have to walk all the way till 1st bus boarding point as we got one near the lake. On the way back too, you have to first reach Salem and then change bus for Bangalore. The buses are available abundantly thus no waiting time or other issues.

I hope this Blog has been insightful for you and if you plan to visit Yercaud enjoy your trip as its a treat for your eyes and mind. Do comment if you need any other details. Cheers!!

Jatayu Earth’s Centre

Hi there 🙂 For little background – Jatayu Earth’s Center is Kollam’s latest tourist attraction which hosts the World’s Largest Bird Sculpture spanning over 65 acres across four hills. The sculpture is 60m long, 45m wide and 21m tall, making it the largest bird sculpture in the world and it also has a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. This is the State’s first ever BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) tourism. Jatayu is a legendary bird from the Indian epic Ramayana. The visiting hours are 1000 to 1700 hours

I was visiting varkala and happened to spot it on my way. This place is 28km from Varkala beach/Cliff. You can comfortably visit this place within three hours at max. From Varkala to Jatayu, I spoke to an auto rickshaw person who agreed in 1200 bucks (to and fro along with waiting time) which i thought was reasonable mode of commute. You can also opt for bus incase you have a longer stay duration and that will definitely cost you way less.

Once you arrive at this place you can buy the cable car tickets which will enable you reach the hilltop. The to and fro cable car ticket costs you 667 rupees per person. They also have wheelchair facility if required. The cable car gives a unique experience and as you are reaching the top you can more closely see the sculpture. Upon reaching you see the picturesque beauty and the view from the top is mind-blowing as well as memorable. You can roam around the Jatayu sculpture which offers a 360-degree observation deck that boasts incredible views of the beautiful surrounding countryside of Kerala. Also, there is a snack counter where you can buy snacks, water, soft drinks and so forth. Washroom facility is also available. As you will walk around you will also see a footprint that is said to be of Lord Ram.

Additional things you can do here – This place has a multitude of experiences which await the travelers namely the museum and the 6D theater inside the sculpture. You can also have a heli-taxi experience from here! (The charge is Rs.2400/ per person + GST. This 10 mins ride gives an aerial vista of the spot). This is also a great place for perfect weekend getaway! You can engage in adventurous games (Burma bridges, commando nets, log walk, paintball zone etc) in the backdrop of breathtaking views of nature. (PS: I did not do any of these)

I hope this was informative and helpful. Cheers!

VARKALA

Hi there 🙂 Heading to Varkala? The below short read might be helpful. Also, Varkala beach is one of the first images you will stumble across when researching your trip to Kerala.

I traveled from Thekkady (Periyar) to Varkala via public transport i.e two buses which took about 6+ hours including the wait time. The bus route was Thekkady – Mundakayam – Varkala (55 + 145 bucks). The views are great on the way to Varkala and you will see many pineapple farms among many others. I also witnessed the Sabrimala Pilgrim Procession.

After reaching, checked into The Lost Hostel (Varkala Helipad) which is very budget friendly (1600 including taxes for 2 days) and also at a walk-able distance from Varkala Beach. The check-in is hassle free, the dorm room/bed was clean and the crowd was good too whilst I visited. You will find many solo travelers/Digital nomads. After the tiring bus travel and a quick bath, headed towards the beach. It was almost 7ish and hunger strikes so as you are walking along the cliff you will see various outlets and I decided to visit the Cafe Italiano which has good view and especially the seating area on top front-side is great. It has great service and pocket friendly based on ambiance and view. Since it was night you wouldn’t see the sea waves but all the black space is the Sea waves and salty air. Kinda perfect day or evening place. After eating, continued my stroll at the cliff and later wanted to access the sand, so simply took one of several steep staircases that wind down from the narrow path on the edges of the Northern Cliffs (making sure to say hello to the friendly troop of pups that call this home). That’s how the cliff view is at the night, Overall the place is very lively and safe.

The next sunrise – walked to beach again and saw a few people take Surfing classes. Was good to see them and enjoy the view also early morning the beach is less crowded so it perfect for enjoying yourself, relaxing, doing yoga or clicking good pictures. After a very long walk at the beach it was almost time for breakie so visited the Coffee Temple which offers a plethora of meal options (including many veggie choices), this place is famous for – understandably – its coffee. They do also sell coverts beers, but this will only be provided with a meal. I tried a milkshake along with Mushroom on toast which costed 340 bucks. Due to the abundance of beach, beer and general lounging i spent most of the time by the cliff or beach. You can also indulge in an Ayurvedic Massage (i didn’t try that). Around evening visited the Darjeeling cafe which is very vibrant and offers a great range of eating options. I had beers and a snack for 630 bucks and this is a great place to hang out. Make sure you sit somewhere near the entrance as the view will be better.

Note: Incase you want to visit some nearby place (like me) you can visit the Jatayu Earth’s Centre (28 km) from the Varkala Cliff. All the deatils follow in the subsequent Jatayu Blog.

Also the Next Stop is Kovalam which is detailed in separate blog as well. Thanks for reading and i hope it was helpful. Cheers!

About Me

Namaste 🙂 Firstly, thank you for stopping by. I’m an Indian girl born in Himachal Pradesh and brought up in Mumbai. Post that I moved to Mysore for my PGDM and currently working in Bangalore.

I love travelling, food, dogs and recently started writing this blog which i have been thinking from a long time now. I’m learning photography lately. I’d also love to connect with like-minded people reading this 😉 Cheers!!