Valparai, top slip, Parambikulam most scenic vacation...

We had to attend a wedding at Thirupur. While searching for interesting places around that area found we about Valparai. There are very few decent blogs about the place apart from that,no great information.

This place is spectacular hill station. There were so many moments when I felt like heaven! This is the best hill station I have ever been.

There are many dams and viewpoints in and around this place. They are all different and they were all beautiful! They were just breathtaking!!

Friday:
Left Bangalore at 2PM and went to Thirupur around 8PM including 45 mins break! Incredible 4 lane toll roads, doesn't feel like India! They are all butterly smooth! A small streach near Thirupur was bad. It's being laid now. Halted at friend's place at Thirupur and attended the wedding on Saturday.

Saturday:

Left Thirupur at around 2PM took Palladam road and reached Aliyar dam at around 4.00PM. On the way near Pollachi there were so many windmills! A very beautiful scenic stretch indeed! Aliyar dam is a beautiful viewpoint full of water. One can spend about half an hour here. Just enjoy the view of ghat section and water. Heard boating is there, we didn't have so much time, didn't try. There is Monkey falls very close to this place, this again we skipped due to time crunch. The Valpari climb was awesome! Beautiful view throughout.

View from Aliyar Dam

On the way you can see all this:
* 9th hair pin bend: Full view of aliyar dam
* Carver marsh Statue
* Tiger Valley
*A couple of falls too

Stop at safe place and enjoy the scenery.

Stay:
We had booked at Pavin's home stay. They gave a house with 2 Bed rooms, upto 10 people can stay. It had kitchen(we were not allowed to cook), dining, hall, tv, 2 bathrooms, 2 Bed rooms. Decent place. They arrange food if you order. We were 5 of us, they charged Rs5000 for 2 nights, around Rs800 for food(2 dinners, 1 breakfast,1 lunch, 1 coffee/tea/milk). Food was home cooked decent and clean. There are no good vegetarian hotels to eat but there were a couple of good bakeries.But Valiparai still needs some bhavans!

It keep raining once in a while, carry your umbrella with you! Weather was very pleasant.

We settled and took rest on Saturday.

Sunday:
We finished breakfast and left for Balaji temple! This drive is pure joy! God has painted this whole place in green. All tamil radio channel signals and once in a while malayalam channels also come! Enjoy that as well! Balaji temple is located inside an estate. One has to walk for 0.5km to reach this place. But its a neat temple with breathtaking view. Do visit!
We had plan to visit Vellamalai tunnel view but it was closed as someone died! :(
We returned back to Valparai and did some shopping. I strongly recommend Krishna's bakery! They make awesome biscuits,chips,bread. We bought tea powder, Cardomom, pepper and honey at TNtea(next to amul shop). Yet to try the stuff I bought.Will update about this once i try! Impressive shop!

Lunch arrived very late(around 2.15PM, expected at 1PM) we finished and rushed to Mudi's direction to see Nallamudi viewpoint.Unfortunately there was roadblock and we didn't understand instructions well and ended up at lower neerar dam.

One of the links read this:
.... leave for Nirar Dam for a breath taking view of the one of the most scenic dam’s in the country. ...

I totally agree! The experience is truly unexplainable in words! See and enjoy lower Neerar dam!

On the way back we found the correct route to Nallamudi valley view. We reached this place around 5.10PM and forest guard at that place told it is misty and it's late and can't allow us! After pleading he sent one of the estate security guards along with us and we went to this place hoping not be attacked by any wild animals. After a good 1KM walk we reached this place!

DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE: Nallamudi valley view

There are mountains,waterfalls, all shades of green! My God! It's view of Kerala and some tribal settlement!
Waterfalls from this view is like milk flowing! Felt like being in Pandora(Avatar movie)!

On the way back we saw the beautiful Siddhi Vinayaka temple,saw a rabbit and a mongoose.

Monday:
Plan was to leave for topslip by 5AM to get into first safari. Topslip food is a problem. There is nothing except government canteen(looks totally unattractive). We bought instant coffee,horlicks,boost,amulya etc. We had hot water kettle mixed whiterner and had our morning dose of refreshments. We carried lots of snacks(Krishna bakery), bread etc to survive at topslip.

We left Valparai at 5.15AM when there was mild drizzle(which is there most of the time). Route: Valparai->Aliyar dam -> take a left next to thrill park and head to anamalai -> topslip. It's about 70KMs but anamalai to topslip road is real bad! Have good 3 hours for this drive. On the way down to aliyar dam we saw bison and picturesque sunrise as well.

Topslip:
* Very unimpressive lethargic forest officers. Told we won't spot anything! :). The van capacity is around Rs.700 needs 25 people else you have to bare entire cost. 40mins round till elephant camp, we spotted nothing but elephants and some different species of monkeys.

Parambikulam:
About 20mins dive on same bad mountain road is an amazing place. This is God's own country side of same forest and developed and managed beautifully.

They have a tour for 3 hours, take you to couple of view points, two dams, teak tree(world's tallest living teak tree). Rs. 140 per head. Around 15 people are needed. Here you may have to wait for the next van to arrive if there is more crowd.

There is so much water in this area! Very scenic 3 hour drive this is! We saw lots and lots of herds of deers(spotted), lion tailed macaques (endangered species) wild bores, forest squirrels(very big, colorful), colorful birds and butterflies.

After this we headed back to Bangalore after an unforgettable trip!

Some points from notes:
* We missed chinnakalar, Sholayar dams they are suppose to be very beautiful.
* Loads of tea plantation makes this place even more beautiful
* Only BSNL signal in this area, carry a phone
* Athirapally falls is very close to this place(3-4 hours drive) we had seen that falls so skipped it. Must see falls during the season if you have not seen(Guru- Barso re, punnagai mannan songs, Ravan, Kannathil muthamittal) all are shot here
* Elephant safari was not there at topslip, parambikulam - Heard it's banned now -not sure!
* Skip topslip and goto parabikulam if you have time crunch!
* There are tea estate bunglows available for stay. Do try them, location is awesome!
* Carry torch(Power goes off once in a while for 30mins - not very frequent though)!
* We couldn't get into water as water was more it didn't feel safe. Places are isolated as well!
* Amazing place, go enjoy and write about it as well! Keep it as clean and green it is now!
* There is a mist spreading

From various sites( I thank you all for all the information that made this trip fantastic!!):
Plan your trip- One night one day at Valparai:
(A1) Go for an early morning walk around the town or the tea estates. If possible take bath at Nadumalai river for a refreshing experience. Visit the famous Balaji Temple or Annai Velankani Church then head back to Valparai for lunch. From there your next stop can be Nallamudi poon cholai view point. You will be amazed with the view of the valley from the hill top. After this, leave for Nirar Dam for a breath taking view of the one of the most scenic dam’s in the country. Spend some time here and then head back.

(A2) Go for an early morning walk around the town or the tea estates. If possible take bath at Nadumalai river for a refreshing experience. Visit the famous Balaji Temple or Annai Velankani Church then head back to Valparai for lunch. Set out to go to one of the best view points in the entire state called “Number Parai”. This is the border line between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. You can see Munnar on the other side of the valley from here. (Note: the road to this spot is narrow and rough. 4xwheel drives and jeeps are recommended.)

(A3) For Wildlife enthusiasts: early morning, just before sunrise is the best time to watch Deer’s, Bison’s and the Great Hornbills. The best place to find them is in and around Puthu thottam Estate and Parryagro Hospital. During the day you also can find the critically endangered Lion Tailed Macaques in this estate. To know more about Valparai and its wild life, visit the NCF (Nature Conservation Foundation) wildlife centre at Iyerpadi to have a look at the works of several award winning wild life photographers and research scientists who have documented the rich and unique flora and fauna found here. Please drive slowly while you are around these wildlife habitats. Do not try to feed the animals and do not disturb them. Maintain a safe distance at all times.
Our recommendations:
Balaji Temple, Sidi Vinayaka Temple, NCF Valparai wild life info centre, Upper and Lower Nirar Dam, Aliyar Dam and Plant Nursery, Number Parai and Nallamudi Pooncholai Valley.

Other Places of interest:
Sholayar dam,Chinna kallar dam, Aliyar Dam, Grass Hills and Manambali tiger reserve.
Popular tourist locations on the way to Valparai or not far from Valparai: Athirapalli Falls, Guruvayur Temple, Top Slip - Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary, Anaimalai Tiger reserve, Munnar etc.
ROUTE:
Valparai is 460km from Bangalore.
Route 1: Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Thiruppur - Palladam - Pollachi - Valparai.
Bangalore -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Salem -> Avinashi -> Palladam -> Pollachi -> Valparai
Valpari to topslip
But had to drive to Topslip, a good 3 to 4 hours from Valparai.
PAVIN HOME STAY
Main Road
Valparai-642127
Contact Person:Senthil Balu
Mobile:94431 94353
Day 1
Tirupur to Valparai is 89 KM
Aliyar dam
Monkey falls
Lome's view

Day 2
Chinnakalar falls - Check
Solaiyar dam:
On the way to athirapally falls
Upper Solaiyar or Upper Sholayar Dam (சோழையார் Shozhaiyaar) is situated 20 km (12 mi) from Valparai, a hill station in the Anaimalai Hills of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the second deepest dam in Asia. With its scenic surroundings, the dam is a busy tourist spot in the hidden forest area. A part of the hydroelectric project of Tamil Nadu, special permission is required to visit the dam.
Valparai is located 64 km (40 mi) from Pollachi and 55 km (34 mi) from Chalakudy. The nearest railway station is Coimbatore Junction.
The Solaiyar dam is a vital reservoir under the Parambikulam Aliyar Project and has a water storage capacity of 160 ft (49 m). The reservoir's overflowing waters are let into the Parambikulam Reservoir through the saddle dam.[1]
For Wildlife enthusiasts: early morning, just before sunrise is the best time to watch Deer’s, Bison’s and the Great Hornbills. The best place to find them is in and around Puthu thottam Estate and Parryagro Hospital. During the day you also can find the critically endangered Lion Tailed Macaques in this estate. To know more about Valparai and its wild life, visit the NCF (Nature Conservation Foundation) wildlife centre at Iyerpad
Balaji Temple, Sidi Vinayak Temple, NCF Valparai wild life info centre, Upper and Lower Nirar Dam, Aliyar Dam and Plant Nursery, Number Parai and Nallamudi Pooncholai Valley.
On reaching valparai, we packed our lunch and went to places nearby. There were Upper Neerar and Neerar Dam. Upper Neerar is a weir and the place near the Neerar dam recorded the second highest amount of rainfall in an year in India. Also we went to a waterfall near chinnakalar. Trekking to that place was much more enthralling than the waterfall itself. Then we reached the hotel by evening. There are a lot of stories about leopard visiting a town and making a kill during the nights.
Finding a pure Vegetarian mess, leave alone a very good hotel in the town was difficult. There was a mess by name “Sabari mess” where pure vegetarian food is served.
These temples are closed from 12 noon to 4.00 p.m.
From Vinayak temple, we drove to Mudis Tea Estate. After paying Rs.15/- per head as entrance fee to forest department staff, a walk through tea plantations led us to Nalla Mudi Pooncholai (Valley View). The valley was covered with dense forests with a deep gorge. There was a big waterfalls named Itliar. Some tribal settlements can be seen from the View Point. The other side of the gorge is the Kerala State with the nearest town being Munnar with towering Anaimudi peak. It will be interesting to explore the valley if there are walking trails. Thereafter, we drove on the Chalakudy road for Sholayar dam, our last destination of the day. On this route, we came across for the first time some coffee plantations. Soon we were driving by the side of the Sholayar reservoir, the dam being further 10 kms ahead. The Kerala Check Post is just two kms ahead of the other end of the Sholayar dam. The Sholayar reservoir was almost full with its water levels touching the road side at some places. We returned to Valley View Bungalow around 4.00 p.m.
It was suggested to us that we leave the Bungalow at around 5.00 a.m. to reach the Top Slip gate by 7.00 a.m. to get the first Safari of the day when there were better chances of animal sightings. We, however, decided to go for the afternoon safari.
Next day, we embarked upon the journey to Top Slip by Omni (Rs.1400/-) at 10.00 a.m. with packed lunch packets. After Aliyar, we took road to the left and reached Sethumadai Forest Check Post at 11.30 a.m.via Kottur. After getting entry tickets, we started the remaining 11 kms of journey on a not so good road condition to Top Slip but made up the discomfort by the scenic drive through dense forests, mostly of bamboo and teak wood trees. The drizzle which had started the moment we crossed Sethumadai Check Post turn in to rains as we reached Top Slip Reception Centre at 12.30 p.m. There were three options for Top Slip Safaris : Vehicle Safari Rides (Rs.700/- for full minibus with a capacity of 25 persons) Elephant Safari (4 persons for Rs.500/-) and Treks (Rs.100/- per person with a guide). The Wildlife Warden told us that only Vehicle Safari Ride was available for the day which will leave at 2.30 p.m. and he noted down our names. I guess the chances of getting Elephant Safaris and Trek guides are high at the start of the day.
Van safari - one hour
Valparai
Kadamparai Dam permission needed - Very beautiful place


Way from topslip to valparai is topslip->sethumadai->anamalai->aaliyar dam->monkey falls->valparai

Topslip - safari
Elephant camp/Kolikamuthi Elephant Camp
Elephant ride
Parambikulam - Covered in Safari
-Teak tree etc
MT. Stuart block

TOPSLIP Notes
Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary:
Named after our beloved but belated Prime minister, this region is also otherwise known as the Anamalai wildlife sanctuary. Located at the heart of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve this region harbors numerous varieties of birds, animals, reptiles and amphibians. A detailed description of the varieties is given below know more...
Kolikamuthi Elephant Camp:
This is a camp constructed exclusively for elephants. They are trained and housed here. There are about 50 malaisar tribe families lodged in this area. They are professional elephant trainers and it seems as if their enigmatic skills come with the genes.
But the problem is in getting permission to visit the camp. Since it is pretty exclusive you will have to hire a government jeep to reach there and to do that you will have to get clearance from the Indira Gandhi wildlife Sanctuary Rangers… who aren’t known to be benevolent as far as clearances are concerned because their priority is forest and environment.
MT. Stuart block:
MT.Stuart block can be reached at about 3km from Topslip. It has an ancient forest bungalow along with the grave of Hugo Wood. Hugo Wood was a british officer with an environmental conscience apparently because he seemed to have made sure that a sapling must be planted for every tree that is chopped off. His grave carries a latin inscription which can be roughly translated as ‘if you want to see me look around’. Well if you did look around and possibly sight him after all these years do say hello.. After all a touch of mystique would make your adventure all the more wholesome ! However what he meant is that he is eternal thru the living trees which were once his saplings!
Apart from the dead Mr. Wood and living woods, the area is inhabited by very much live bears So you may possibly spot a few.
Trekking:
If you are an amateur but passionate when it comes to trekking then Anamalai hills are your undeniable choice. These hills would be your customized platform for entry level trekking. You will have different options as far as the routes are concerned categorized under easy and difficult.
You can start off with a few simple treks such as
Pandaravara – 8km and Kozhikamuthu- 12 km.
As for expert trekkers, Perunkundru at 32km will be more than a match.
Various other trekking ranges such as
Kolambumalai- 10 km,
MT. Stuart- 10 km.
Ambuli watch- 6 km.
Kozhikammuthy-12 km .
Karian Shola- 4 km are also available.
The routes simple or difficult, near or far have five common factors:
• Beauty
• Tranquility
• Green
• Suspense
• Thrill
Elephant Safari:
Are you a family with a child / children? Then this is something your kids might love. In fact this can be fun for just about anybody . Take an Elephant Safari along with your family into the jungle for around 40 minutes and have a blast of a time
Varagalliar Elephant Camp:
This camp lodges the 21 elite commandos responsible for the security of the tea gardens and from elephant related conflicts in the nearby Valparai plateau. The commando force comprises not of highly trained army corps but highly trained and elite elephants. Situated at the Extreme core of the forest, access to this camp is literally impossible unless you get the nod from the Deputy Conservator of Forests.
Top Slip is 450km from Bangalore.
Route 1: Bangalore - Hosur - Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Thiruppur - Palladam - Pollachi - Sethumadai(Check Post) - Top Slip.
Topslip -> Pollachi -> Coimbatore -> Satyamangalam -> Chamrajnagar -> Kgudi -> Yellandur -> Maddur -> Bangalore
We started to TopSlip and Parambikulam National Park at 9am and reached the Park at 11.30 am.We first went to Parambikulam NP.The safari charges were Rs 140 per head.It was 2 hours safari and covered Parabikulam Dam,Kanimarra Teak Tree and some other placed.Did not sight much wildlife apart from Deers and wild boars.As the route covered was frequented by local buses it was not possible to sight wildlife.In the evening 5 pm we again went in a safari from the TopSlip .The bus charge is Rs 675 for 25 persons.If there are less people the tickets charges are divided among the people.This safari was simple amazing.We spotted the ever elusive leopard near a small stream.The adrenaline rush was simply overwhelming to see a full grown leopard some 20 feet from the bus. Also saw lots of Indian Gaur,Deers,wild boars,peacocks .Had a chance to spot a lone tusker also.There is a small elephant camp inside the forest .


Useful links:
http://www.valparai.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valparai
http://www.topslipindia.com/
http://valparaihillstation.com/your_trip.html - Very useful
http://unleashing.wordpress.com/2008/08/24/valparai-topslip-parambikulam-trip/
http://kksscribblings.blogspot.com/2008/08/pollachi-vaparai-top-slip.html
http://kunzum.com/2010/01/05/topslip-in-the-anaimalais-tn-a-tuskers-paradise/
http://www.indiamike.com/india/karnataka-f38/bangalore-valparai-topslip-tour-report-t96717/
http://sadanandsafar.blogspot.com/2010/10/trip-to-valparai-top-slip-october-2010.html
http://aparna-a.com/2008/10/02/vaalpaarai-topslip/
http://www.bangaloretrips.info/topslip
http://www.bangaloretrips.info/parambikulam
http://www.indiamike.com/india/tamil-nadu-f40/bangalore-valparai-topslip-tour-report-t96714/
http://howyoudoin.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/rainforests-of-western-ghats-valparai-and-topslip/
http://www.valparai.net/tourist_attractions_in_valparai.html