Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Travelogue Approved

Nice start sir!

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Cool pictures !!

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Thank you for eh quick approval.

Thx. Glad you liked them.

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

This pic is amazing..

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Nice, nice. Please share some more pictures and information about the road quality etc

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai


upload more pics

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Thank you. I too am partial to these glowing water compositions.

Sure. Will do as I get down to the travelogue.

Thank you sir. More coming soon.

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Sorry for the delay folks. Just getting time after a busy week. Here's day 1.
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Almost a year since I went on a multi-day bike ride. Had been itching to go on one for quite some time.
So as the monsoon tapers down in this part of the country, what place better than the Western Ghats to enjoy the greenery. A quick look at maps told me that Valparai was one area I hadn't visited. So an impromptu plan was made for a 3day trip.




Day 1: Bangalore to Valparai - 450Km



It was almost 0500 by the time I rode up the basement ramp and turned down the road. Being in no mood to take the monotonic national highway towards Salem, I turned towards my favorite route to Dhimbam Ghats. Kanakpura road out of Bangalore was a mess due to metro constructions and I repented not taking the Nice Road. Once past the AOL ashram, I settled down in the rhythm of a long ride. Bike munching on mile and me on varied thought. Haven't had much time to think over the past month or so due to crazy work pressures.



At Kanakpura, Vasu's Hotel was just opening. Despite the temptation I moved on as I had a long way to go.



After Kanakpura, stopped for a few pictures on a byroad.
Also tied my backpack to the rear seat. I was traveling extremely light. Apart from what I was wearing, which included a camera slung on my shoulders, I only had rain gear and a pair of shorts plus a t-shirt in the bag.
Beyond Malavalli, turned left towards Shivasamudaram. I love this road. In late spring and summer this road is dotted with flowering Gulmohar trees.



After crossing the Cauvery bridge, I stopped for a break.The plan was to stop for tea. Ended up having a couple of thatte idlis also. In addition I bought a large packet of Gur Chikki. This ended up being a good choice as that was the only two things I ate till I reached Valparai.



Kollegal came and went. So did Chamarajanagar. Then the forests started and the first wildlife sighting. An elephant and calf crossed the road a little ahead of me. By the time I stopped and took the camera out, both had marched into the jungle. Managed to get a fleeing picture of one of the two.



The road after Chamarajanagar is beautiful and a pleasure to drive on. Even though it was the start of a long weekend, traffic was sparse. Soon I was at the top of the ghats and then descending the numerous hairpin bends towards the famous Bannari Temple.



From Satyamangalam to Annur to Pollachi the route was somewhat boring. Only thing of interest was appearance of windmills a little before Pollachi.



After Pollachi the fun started with the Aliyar dam and forests. From there all the way till Valparai, the roads are narrow but amazing with an ample dose of hairpin bends. Forests flank the road at lower altitudes. As the altitude increases, tea gardens appear to add to the beauty.

It was early evening when I reached Valparai. After searching around for a place to bunk, found a hotel on the main road. There I relaxed for a while and ordered tea and bhaji in the room. As evening gave way to night, I stepped outside to check out the town.



Small shops flank the main road and numerous by-lanes. In this off season, the ambiance much like my hometown of Nainital. It was fun walking around enjoying the hustle-bustle of the small town. I was looking for a small eatery which would serve basic local food, but found none. A couple to which I was pointed towards were closed.



As a slight drizzle started, I turned back to the hotel. Returning back, I found a restaurant, somewhat fancy by local standards, opposite my hotel. Found a seat inside on a corner table. A corner table is generally good for observing the proceeding, especially if you are dining alone. I let the boy recommend dishes - mostly a selection of chicken and fish, and to give him credit they were quite good.



Returning back to the room, I realized it was only 2000. Interestingly this was the first time after leaving in the morning that I was looking at the time.



Fiddled around with the phone to check out the route options. As I contemplated the choice of going down into Kerala and taking a circuitous route back to Bangalore or hanging around Valaparai for another day, sleep overcame me. Some point in the middle of the night I woke up to switch off the light and went back to sleep.

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Super stuff. I am looking forward to the ride planned to Valparai in early November

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Awesome pictures, as always!

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Nice one once again Lokesh! Waiting for some more captivating pictures.

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Thx.
Its a beautiful place. You'll enjoy. I was advised to avoid early morning and late evening as elephants often venture onto the roads.

Thanks guys. Running behind on updating the log. Hopefully will do an update this weekend.

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Day 2: Valparai to Palakkad - 190Km



When I woke up, I still was not decided on the route dilemma from the night before. I did make up my mind to visit the Athirappilly Waterfalls.

It was early in the morning when exited the hotel and rode out in the open. I was instantly showered by a light drizzle. The first thought that occurred to me was that I could have slept a little longer.

Stopped at a tea shop and donned the rain gear over a hot cup of tea. That charged me up. Deciding not to wait, I rode out in the rain.


After a little while the rain intensified. Stopped at another tea shop for shelter. This one was beautifully located amidst the tea gardens. I tried to make small conversation with the shop owner, but language was a barrier. So settled down to converse over broken hindi and sign language.


After about 30 min of wait, the rain lessened. The route ahead was beautiful , flanked by rows and rows of tea bushes. Driving through was a pleasure. The rain was not gone. Droplets still plastered the visor of my helmet and I stopped often to wipe it clean. Every stop was followed by a series of picture. I will let those do the talking.


Eventually as the altitude lowered, the tea gardens gave way to dense jungle. A number of waterfalls started emerging out of nowhere.


A few Km before Vazhachal Waterfalls, I stopped at Poringal Junction for a much-needed break. The rain had stopped, so I stowed away the rain gear. Lunch/breakfast was two boiled eggs washed down by two glasses of tea.


A little ahead I exited the Kerala Forest department checkpost. Immediately after that was the Vazhachal Waterfalls. There is a single ticket for both Athirappilly Waterfalls and Vazhachal Waterfalls. The place is well maintained and quite clean.


After spending a little while at the falls, I moved to the bigger of the two falls. Athirappilly falls was equally well maintained. At the falls, there is a small trail that leads to the bottom of the falls just to the edge of water. It is a steep with multiple switchbacks descending down. While the heavy riding jacket made the going tough, the humidity meant I was sweating profusely inside.It was good I stopped for the two eggs and tea.
The view from down was well worth the trouble. Mist from the falling water drenched everything.


After laboring up the steep climb I walked to the edge of the water falling down. The view was mesmerizing. Here I sat down a bit finishing the two trail mix bars I had.


After leaving the falls, I decided to drive down towards Chalakudy and follow the highway towards Palakkad.


The route from Thrissur to Pallakad was painful with several diversions due to road construction. While it was still daylight, I decided to call it a day at Pallakad and found a basic hotel off the highway.
At the hotel had tea and bhaji. Later went off to sleep.
In the evening as darkness fell, I headed out for dinner. near to my hotel there was a crowded Malabar restaurant which looked like a good option. Some juicy prawns and a tall glass of ice cream later I retired for the night with a satisfied stomach.

Re: 1097 to Wild 'n Wet Valparai

Again, some superb and sumptuous snaps!