Thrissur is an important spiritual destination in Kerala, and in case you are here sometime in April-May, consider yourself fortunate, to witness one of the grandest religious and cultural events - Thrissur pooram. In case you arrive here any other time, don’t despair for Thrissur is-more-than just Thrissur pooram.
You will be astonished to know; 3 of the top picture postcard worthy destinations are within only 2 hours from Thrissur town.
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| Nelliyampathy forest, Kerala |
Tip 1 : Start the day early. With a fairly good road network, you can get a KSRTC bus to your destination. If you have your own transport this journey will obviously be an easy one.
Tip 2 : Since this is a 1 day trip and return to Thrissur, it is advisable to leave the heavy luggage at your hotel/ hostel in Thrissur.
< Day 1 >
#1 Thumboormuzhy dam and Athirpally falls
- distance 2 hours approx (by road)
Thumboormuzhy dam
is the perfect picnic spot, and is guaranteed to keep the whole family engaged. If you are planning to travel by public transport (bus) there are many KSRTC buses that ply on this route, so just hop into any bus going to Chalakudy.
I stopped for breakfast at Chalakudy, before heading onward. The 40 min bus ride from Chalakudy to Thumboomuzhy is particularly interesting. The bus was not too crowded and the air pure, as we drove through the green countryside. No sooner had I alighted the bus, a slight drizzle began, with the sun playing peekaboo made me feel like a child all over again.
Tip : If in Kerala during monsoons from June to Sept-Oct, please keep an umbrella or raincoat handy, rain cover for your backpack and a set of dry clothes.
If only I had taken the above tip seriously! I got bored standing under the ticket counter and did a brisk ‘rain-style run’ ahead to the canteen. I ordered chai and found they also serve ‘payasam’ in various ‘natural’ flavors like banana, mango etc. I tried plain and mango- both were amazing, warm and just perfect for a rainy day, but my favorite was jackfruit payasam- it was just heavenly.
The rain stopped, and I first walked down and onto the hanging bridge (basically a metal suspension bridge). Depending on the season, the Chalakudy river can be seen flowing below you or look dry. I then reached a spot and found a kaleidoscope of butterfly species- ok so that’s basically clusters of butterflies, it was a unique phenomenon.
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| butterflies at Thumboomuzhy dam, Kerala |
Athirapally waterfalls - 15 kms onward
True to its name and all the hype it deserves, Athirapally waterfalls will never let you down. The place is invariably crowded, especially on weekends, and the people I hadn’t seen until now- were all here taking selfies and what not.
As for the falls, it isn’t anything like the movies with the heroine singing and bathing under the falls. The main falls seemed to be in the distance, but still looking amazing.
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| Athirapally falls, Kerala |
From the waterfalls the Chalakudy river can be seen flowing down unabated, there are hotels located on the river bank, so I had an idea! I found one hotel with a restaurant, and ordered a nice fish plate lunch. Later I requested them to show me the bank. The generous staff had no issues, and I was able to enjoy myself sitting and bathing on the river bank. They also had showers and changing rooms.
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| a resort on the banks of Chalakudy river, Athirapally falls |
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| Athirapally falls, Kerala |
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| Athirapally falls draining into the river, Kerala |
Return to Thrissur.
# 2 Palakkad and Malampuzha dam
distance 2 hrs approx by rail/ road
10:20 | THRISUR 11:37 | PALAKKAD JN 2S 75 rs AC chair car 315 rs
Coimbatore (TN) is the nearest important city. It is well-connected and absorbs a substantial workforce from Palakkad area- it’s easy to see how packed buses are that ply on this route. Places of interest in Palakkad are :
Palakkad Fort
This 18th-century fort is located close to the Palakkad bus stand and is worth spending an hour here. As you walk around the precincts, you can see how well-preserved the fort is. The moat surrounding the fort walls are especially beautiful.
Kalpathy agraharam (settlement)
Is a street with old heritage homes on either side of the street, the residents said to be Brahmins who had migrated from Tanjore (TN) a long time ago. There are also a few temples. You can walk down this lane. A 15th-century Viswanatha Swamy Temple located here, is the main venue of the Ratholsavam chariot festival at Kalpathy.
Tip : Palakkad has better and reasonably priced hotels compared to Thrissur. It’s a good idea to stay 1 night here- before heading for Nelliyampathy next day.
Malampuzha dam
Not only is Malampuzha one of Kerala largest dams and reservoirs, but it has a park, aquarium and cable car ride over the garden- a great way to spend an evening.
From Palakkad there are frequent buses that go to Malampuzha dam 14 kms onward.
< Next day >
# 3 Nelliyampathy
distance from Palakkad/ Thrissur 2 hrs approx (by road)
The uphill road from Palakkad to Nelliyampathy was scenic, I got so carried away- that I stuck my camera out to capture pics and videos, when all of a sudden the bus jerked and my camera slipped from my hand and fell down. ‘Sir, camera neeche gir gaya’ I yelled at the conductor, who was trying to make sense of what I was saying. The bus was a looong way, but I got the bus stopped, and ran like hell back to find my camera. A few guys (tourists) were just there and gave it to me, what a relief. The kind bus driver waited till I got back.
Nelliyampathy jeep off-roading ride
Is the major attraction here. Nelliyampathy is a scenic little hill station and the jeep ride takes you to some nice points where you can get good views. Malabar squirrels can be easily spotted here. Jeep/ drivers wait at the start point.
Hotels in Nelliyampathy-
The climate here is just perfect. In case you’d like to stay there are hotels which I found to be expensive.
Friends, I do hope you enjoyed this blog. Tomorrow I'm heading to Kochi an ancient port city.
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| Nelliyampathy forest, Kerala |
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