Athirapally and Valparai-Waterfalls and the Forest

Athirapally and Valparai- Ideal Summer Retreats

Of gushing waterfalls, magnificent dams and hillside forests

Just before the monsoons step in, the waterfalls of Athirapally are an amazing sight worth visiting for in Kerala. Barely 45 kms from Cochin City, the roads leading to this hilltop waterfall haven near Chalakudi town in Thrissur district is wide, well laid and passes through a couple of amusement parks-Silver Storm and Dream World. 

Ensure that you carry towels and spare clothing before you head out to Athirapally which is considered the Niagara of Kerala. The downstream end of the waterfalls is a beautiful and safe spot for bathing amidst huge rocks caressing the gently passing waters. 

Ensure you have no liquor with you, because the trip to Valparai from here passes through the forest range and the officers are damn strict about thoroughly strip searching your vehicle for any stored booze. We had to dump ours amidst the tree stumps after they turned us away, and fortunately for us, no one noticed our hiding spot and so we recovered the bottles upon return.

Keep aside nearly 48 hours to enjoy these two places. My suggested itinerary to enjoy the waterfalls and the forests is as follows:

Morning: 

Get out of Cochin city by around nine in the morning. The curving road may become crowded with tourist vehicles as the day wears on. Reach the Athirapally waterfall site and take the short trek on the specially laid tiled walkway of the nature reserve. Monkeys can be seen hopping about on the gigantic trees which line this walkway seeking your attention. Try not to feed them, unless you want them chasing and pestering you for the rest of your walk's duration. 

The tourism and forest department officials have done a good job in marking and naming the trees for the common man's understanding. This short trek is about 10 minutes long and takes you to an open rock landing which leads to the downstream area for bathing. 

The waterfalls in the distance will truly amaze you. The bathing spots are clearly visible. You can also try the downward trek through a narrow patch of rugged forest land cleared of its thick undergrowth and wild trees. This path which divides from the earlier mentioned trek's end point takes you further downstream to a more calm and solitary place for jumping into the icy cold waters. The place is amaaaazzzzing and well worth a good two hours of lazing around, watching the waterfalls splashing downwards at a distance from the comfort of fresh hillside water.

 Afternoon: 

A little after noontime would be a good time to get out of the waters, dry yourself and head for lunch at a restaurant outside. Now would also be a good time to wind away from Athirapally and head out to the town of Valparai famous for its friendly forests and vast tea plantations. The journey to Valparai passes through a restricted forest area, and entry is denied once it's evening. You may get lucky and spot wild elephants, bisons, wild boars or perhaps even a tiger or leopard. We though got only a wild buffalo to satisfy our wildlife lust. 

The forest drive passes through small lakes and visible elephant corridors. Since the drive is on your own and without any guides, we found it quite adventurous; stopping at will (something not allowed within forest limits) and enjoying the beautiful scenery of the plains below whenever we found safe spots of clearing. The drive will take you around 2-3 hours. Don't get too adventurous and meander into the forest on your own, or try to swim in the waters of small streams. It is illegal and dangerous.

Evening: 

Valparai is a small hill station. And if Yercaud is considered as the poor man's Ooty, I should say Valparai is the poor man's Yercaud. But it's silent and majorly un-touristed yet. We managed to arrive by 5 in the evening and immediately checked into Whispering Falls Cottages, a fairly decent resort at the edge of the Tamil Nadu checkpost. After a meal of freshly cooked poultry, we went out bottle hunting (since the guards at the Kerala border were extremely strict about the whole no-alcohol thing, even though their counterparts at the other side of the border simply didn't share an iota of this pro-nature enthusiasm).
If you manage to reach a little earlier, evenings can also be spent visiting the Sholayar Dam (the second highest dam in Asia constructed with rocks) nearby and going on a drive through the winding roads criss-crossing acres of tea plantations. Certain land areas around the dam are dried up and make for amazing spots to watch the sky above and the stored waters of the dam right in front.

Anyways, once we were done with shopping for some beer, we returned and enjoyed the cold night, watching the distant blackness for some time, before heading off for a privately arranged campfire within the resort's campus. Boy, is it good to sing and dance in a hill station no one has any frigging clue about.

The next day, I'd recommend exiting Valparai early, unless youw ant to sleep away the cool daytime and leave later. No problem at all with that choice, though there are greater chances of spotting wildlife enroute the Kerala border if you leave early in the morning. We spotted a few monkeys and some coloured birds which seemed rare. But again, no exotic four-legged wildlife came forth.
All said and done, upon crossing the Kerala border all our eyes were on the tree stump holding our stored away bottles. Our Caesar's lay in peace within their hollowed graves and we carried them back with us. Unharmed.

Once into the comfort of the Kerala border, take the road back to Athirapally and then northwards to Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala. As also the land of heritage temples, beautiful dams and breathtaking temple festivals. Also a place, which is most close to my heart. So until next time, take care.