Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, has many places that can be easily accessed over a long weekend. I was keen to go on a long drive in my Wagon R and so me and my friend decided to head to Kuttalam in the Kerala - Tamilnadu boarder.
The objective of the trip was to explore the road to Thenmala, Chenkotta and Kuttalam. The route offers an ideal option for those seeking solitude. You can find several temples at regular intervals and you will come across some of the most stunning landscapes.
Our Itinerary:
Thiruvananthapuram - Nedumangad - Palode - Kulathupuzha - Thenmala (73 kms) - Chenkotta - Kuttalam
I started early from Thiruvananthapuram so as to beat the city traffic. My friend joined me from Nedumangad . A little into the drive, I discovered that both of us are music lovers especially good old Malayalam songs, since both us are almost in the same age group.
First spot on the way was the Kulathupuzha Sastha temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. But we skipped this to cover during our return journey as we had to reach Kuttalam by afternoon. After having some snacks from the roadside eateries, we again started our drive to Kuttalam. You will love the atmosphere and surroundings in this route. Just as we made our way up the ghats it started drizzling. I opened the window of the car to let the cool breeze blow right into the car.
Our next stop was at Pallamvetti Mahadeva temple. People from far off places who do not have children come here with dresses for babies which are tied onto the branches of trees.
We had pit stop to take photograph of the newly constructed 13-arch flyover for Punaloor - Chenkotta Meter Gauge. Punalur-Shencotta metre-gauge line is the century-old flyover along the Western Ghats near Thenmala.
By now we were driving along the hill road. Good road condition and pleasant weather made our drive enjoyable. The picturesque lush green surroundings is sure to mesmerise you. You will come across many monkeys in this area, jumping on the branches of trees, sitting along the road and grabbing food bags from tourists.
Finally, we reached near our destination for the day, Shencotta. Kuttalam is just 7 kms from Shencotta. Exceptionally picturesque drive with dense vegetated fields and accompanying river streams resulted in frequent halts for photography.
You will love the atmosphere and surroundings of this spot. Our lunch was on our way to Kuttalam, a typical Non Veg Thali which offers locally sourced cuisine in a very relaxed atmosphere. Chicken was highly featured in the menu. After having lunch, we again started our drive to Kuttalam.
We were lucky to see the majestic Kuttalam waterfalls.This is the most important spot in the region. As the monsoon season was over, water was flowing in a narrow lane.
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| Kuttalam waterfalls |
And I walked towards my car bidding adieu to the place, where I vowed to come again.
We were lucky to see the beautiful view of sun rays shining on the top of the hills during sunset on our way back to Shencotta.
The green drive and the pretty roads will leave you awed, while the idyllic beauty of the journey and the destination will make you cool.
excellent photography,but you didn't mention anything about five falls,thenkasi temple, palaruvi water falls etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my blog. I could not visit those 3 placed due to time constraint. Hope I can make it in the near future.
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