It was a chilly morning on February 5, 2017 and everything around us had an air of excitement as we headed to a hill station for a quick weekend getaway. With just a call, the kids were up and, as excited as they were for the adventure, they got ready with their treasure trove of games.
With our sweaters and hats, we decked ourselves out and in a Qualis vehicle we started our journey at 7 am from Bangalore.
Speeding past the roads of Bangalore and the hustle and bustle of the crowd, we soon find ourselves enveloped in the serene beauty of nature. Coconut palms, bananas and green pastures greeted us on the way to Tirupattur. Gliding through 11 hairpin bends, we reach the tops of the “Yelagiri” hills and are mesmerized by the beauty and calm. Fresh air filled our nostrils and we arrived at our destination at 11:30am. With excitement running high, the children wanted to go boating. The ‘Punganoor Lake Park’ offers paddle boat and paddle boat rides, and the surrounding scenery is stunning. We opted for paddle boats and went the length and breadth of the lake. This was just the beginning as more adventures awaited in the “Wild Adventure Zone”. Here, the children were completely lost with numerous games: archery, car riding, wall climbing, zip line, etc. Before they could venture any further, it was a much-needed lunch break. After tasting the local specialties paddu, mirchi, vada, and various varieties of fruits: lychee, jackfruit, bell fruit, panir, guava, etc., we drive to a farm. A beautiful place to relax and the perfect place to rest was a huge room with 2 king size double beds.
The kids got their shuttle bats and Frisbee to play, while two of us settled for chess on the comfy bed. The night came, with a plan for the Murugan temple and the Venkataramana temple, after which we had to go to the nature park. After fulfilling the prayers to the deities, it was getting dark and we cut through the nature park to the musical fountain. With colored water flowing to the sound of popular music songs, the children had fun eating sweets and chips. After a long day, it was time to finish with a quick dinner almost half asleep.
The next morning, we woke up with renewed energy for a long-awaited trek to the Swamimalai Hills. With a cup of hot tea/coffee and bournvita, we all tied our shoelaces with our trekking pants and bottles of water to climb to the top of these famous hills. Starting at 8:30 am, the path took us into the forest, surrounded by huge trees, with steps, stones and a muddy path. At 10am we successfully reach the top to have experienced this feat of climbing the hills and feeling the beauty around us. The happiness and pleasure that is felt can only be experienced. Having spent almost an hour, eating snacks, cookies, watermelon, papaya, raw mangoes, we bowed at the temple and started our walk along the path. Balancing the uneven terrain, we arrived at the base around 12 o’clock at night.
It was time to leave the country house and we did it willingly, because the next thing was the waterfall. Dreaming of waters in the hot afternoon, brought smiles to the children, and at the same time they were tired from the long walk. The Jalagambarai waterfalls were situated about 40km from Yelagiri and we fell asleep as soon as we headed out in our vehicle. The afternoon siesta worked wonders, as could be seen with children and adults alike excited to jump off and plunge into the falls. A neat flight of 80 steps took us to the waterfall and we were all drenched willingly.
We return from the falls and after a short break for tea, we say goodbye to Yelagiri and head back to Bangalore.
A healthy family package with the best of refreshing change. Recommend to anyone for a quick getaway (170 kms from Bangalore).