Valpara Kerala Travel Guide
Valpara is a hill station which is a part of Western Ghats and beautiful with its tea gardens and forest range. This forest range lies in the state of Tamilnadu above 3500 feet from sea level. Western Ghats are the mountain range at the southwest of India. The road from Chalakkudy runs through the hill with thick forests on sides of the narrow roads and hair pin bends. Everyone will like the travel through forest. The mountainous road offers great ways for an adventurous driver. This travel can fill your mind with great travel pleasure.
The place is beautiful with its thick forest range and is best for nature photography. The nearest tourist spots are Athirapilly waterfalls, Peringalkuthu Dam Site, Sholayar Dam Site, Upper Sholayar dam, Valpara Tea Estate, Aliyar Dam, Neerar dam and Kadamparai Dam. The Papaya Farm is very beautiful and a main attraction and is one of the rarest in south India.
The local forest range office in the area provides guides and can help in finding the home stays. The bungalows in tea estates offer home stays. The tree houses on the top of trees to escape from the elephants are popular in Valpara. Tourists can stay in this hut with the permit from forest range office.
The group of wild elephants may pass through the road to Valpara. Sometimes if you are lucky you will get chances to view leopards. The place offers great opportunity for photographers to capture the wild life in its natural habitat.
The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is very near to this place and sanctuary is home to Indian Elephant, Wild Gaur (Bison), Leopards, Tailed Macaque and rare birds.
How to Reach
Cochin International Airport and Coimbatore airport is the nearest airports. The following is the route direction from Kochi to Valpara.
Route Map to Valpara
Kochi-Chalakudi - Athirapally Water Falls - Watch Maram - Sholayar Power House - Malakkappara - Upper Sholayar Dam – Valpara.
The total distance from Kochi to Valpara is 168 km and travel during night is not recommended due to the rough terrain and roads.
Valpara is beautiful like Munnar of Kerala. The place is not popular among the tourists due to the lack of information about this place and availability of route map of Valpara. It is recommended to arrange the trip with your own transportation because transportation facilities are not much available to this place.
