ELAPPARA

Elappara is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala.As of 2001 India census, Elappara had a population of 26094 with 12908 males and 13186 females. This hill area is known for the Elappara Tea estate and their brand MASCO. Elappara is a small village city located near to Tamil Nadu border Kambam & Thenni. Kerala's main agricultural products are cultivated in this region. Elappara is surrounded by tea estates namely the Tyford Tea Ltd, MMJ Plantations, Haileyburia Tea Estates Ltd., etc.Idukki has an area of 4,479 km² (1,729 sq mi) and is the second largest District of Kerala (the largest being Palakkad). Rugged mountains and forests cover about 97 percent of the total area of the District. The district borders the Kerala districts of Pathanamthitta to the south, Kottayam to the southwest, Ernakulam to the northwest and Thrissur to the north and Coimbature, Dindigul and Theni Districts in Tamil Nadu to the east. The district is accessible only by road. Rail and Airlink is not available. National Highway NH 49 and State highgways 13 and 33 passes through the district.

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KUTTANADU

Kuttanadu is a region in the Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam Districts, in the state of Kerala, India, well known for its picturesque vast paddy fields and its geographical peculiarities. It's the region with the lowest altitude in India, and one of the few places in the world where farming is carried out below sea level. It’s also one of the historically important places in the ancient history of South India.The major occupation in Kuttanad is farming. Rice is the important agricultural product, giving Kuttanad the moniker of "The Rice Bowl of Kerala". Three crops are grown every year now instead of the traditional two per year. Large farming areas near Vembanad Lake were actually reclaimed from the lake. The history of the paddy cultivation in Kuttanad can be traced back to centuries. The evolution of paddy cultivation in Kuttanad was correlated to the technological advancement and changes in the regulatory frame-work existed during the 19th and 20th centuries. In the earlier times, the reclamation was done mainly from the shallow part of the Vembanad Lake or from the periphery of river Pamba. These reclamations constituted small areas of paddy fields called “Padsekharams”.The bailing out of water from those fields were done manually using water wheels named “Chakram”. Gradually the manual method used for bailing out of water gave way to steam engines.

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ATHIRAPILLY

 Athirappilly is a first grade Grama Panchayath with 489.00 km² area in Mukundapuram Taluk, Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is located 60 km from Thrissur city, 70 km northeast of Kochi city, 55 km northeast of Cochin International Airport, and 30 km from Chalakudy town.The Athirappilly Falls is situated 1000 ft above sea level on the Chalakudy river, at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges of the Western Ghats, Athirappalli is a scenic combination of forests and little streams. Falling from a height of 80 feet, this is one of the largest waterfalls in the state. Many endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna are found in the forests of the Athirapilly-Vazhachal area. This area is the only place in the Western Ghats where four endangered Hornbill species are seen. The Western Ghats is one of the most important biodiversity hot spot in the world. This valuable natural world is already degraded by mining and hydro electric projects. Environmentalists claim that Athirapally is a one-of its-kind riparian ecosystem in Kerala. V.S. Vijayan, Chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board and former Director of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore, has been quoted in Down to Earth magazine as affirming that the Vazhachal forest division is the second most biodiverse area in the State. The International Bird Association has declared it an "Important Bird Area" and the Asian Nature Conservation Foundation has recommended that the area should be declared a sanctuary or a national park, he points out.

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GAVI

Gavi is a village in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. It is located 28 km southwest of Vandiperiyar, a town in Idukki on N.H 220, the highway connecting Kollam and Madurai.Gavi is 28 km south west of Vandiperiyar, 14 km from Kumily, near Thekkady.Gavi is inside the ranni reserve forest. Gavi is a part of SeethathodePanchayath in Ranni Taluk. Gavi is part of the Periyar Tiger reserve, and the route can be covered by car from Vandiperiyar. The entrance fee is 25 rupees per person and 50 rupees per vehicle. Cameras are 25 rupees and video cameras are charged 100 rupees. Both day and night stays are available. Forest tent camping is available from November through March.. Its been said that most enjoyable route to Gavi is the way from Pathanamthitta. The rough journey to Gavi may better be made on a sturdy vehicle like jeep which are available on hire either from Vandiperiyar or from Kumily. Entry passes must be obtained from the Forest Check Post en route at Vallakkadavu. 

EASY WAY TO REACH:::

Regular buses are available to Vandiperiyar from Kottayam, Kochi & Thiruvananthapuram. A small bus rattles even up to Gavi from Vandiperiyar. KSRTC service is available both from Kumaly and Pathanamthitta(Pathanamthitta-Perunad-Muzhiyar-Kakki-Gavi-Kumily bus route from chengannur-pathanamthitta-Perunad-Muzhiyar-Kakki-Gavi(direct buses not available) KSRTC is operating an Ordinary Bus from Pathanamthitta to Kumali via Gavi and vice versa.

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PONMUDI

Ponmudi Malayalam (the Golden Peak) is a hill station in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in India. Its located 61 km north-east of Trivandrum city at an altitude of 1100 m. It is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea.

Ponmudi is blessed with scenic splendor and natural beauty, Ponmudi has a carpet of thick tropical forest that rolls down to the foot of the hill range. No doubt, the salubrious atmosphere and the twisted trails across clear streams must have contributed to her health.Ponmudi is connected to Trivandrum by a narrow winding road offering scenic views on the way to Ponmudi. The climate is pleasant year-round. Trivandrum serves as a base for trekking and hiking. There are also tea gardens in the area. There are 22 hairpin curves in the short route which makes the travel a definitely thrilling experience.

Other attractions near Ponmudi include Golden Valley and a number of rivulets and rapids, some even across the road. The lush forest area has tropical vegetation. A variety of wildlife inhabit the hills. The Golden Valley offers vistas of the hills and access to the Kallar River. Flowing though a wilderness area, it has rounded pebbles, cool water, fish, and lush green trees.

Some notable tourist attractions located in Ponmudi are Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Echo Point and various trekking spots. Mist-laden valleys, especially Golden Valley near Kallar River, also draw tourists. Travelers can find a deer park and wood and stone cottages coloured in bright hues while visiting here.Located about 1.5 km from the hill station, is the Ponmudi Falls. Around 3 km from the Ponmudi Resort, is the popular Deer Park. The Meenmutty Falls, another popular attraction of the region, is about 3 km from the Kallar Main Road. Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the outskirts of Ponmudi, is a preserve spread across 53 km² and accommodates a variety of wild animals and birds like Asian elephants, sambar, leopards, lion-tailed macaques, Malabar grey hornbills, etc.

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PALARUVI WATER FALLS

The Palaruvi Falls  is a waterfall located in Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the 32ndhighest waterfall in India.It is a single drop, horsetail type waterfall with a total height of 91 metres (299 ft).The Palaruvi Falls is across the Kallada River.The waters of Palaruvi Falls apparently have ayurvedic healing properties as the stream flows through some natural herbal groves further upstream. A cluster of other waterfalls also apparently with ayurvedic healing properties lie across the nearby state border in the state of Tamil Nadu, near the town of Courtallam.alaruvi Falls is some 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the NH 744 and 6 km from the Ayyappa Temple Kerala-Tamilnadu border at Aryankavu, 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Punalur, 75 kilometres (47 mi) from Kollam, and 152 kilometres (94 mi) from Thiruvananthapuram

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ADVENTURE ZONE THENMALA

The activities in this zone favors adventure tourism. The attractions in this area are the Elevated Walkway, The Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, River Crossing, Nature Trails, Resting Spots, Lotus Pond, etc. The nature trail winding through various areas of the zone attracts a large number of nature tourists.

Elevated path mediating and exploring the drastic level changes in the zone originates from the deck plaza and through the canopy of the trees ends up in the old Thiruvananthapuram Shenkottah road. The walkway flies over rocky areas though the canopy of large trees providing an aerial view of various features here. The traveler can explore the flora and fauna of the region from over the forest canopy. Here in Elevated Walkway, one can hear the songs of the wind, listen to its fancy melody while taking a walk through the canopy of trees. One can also hear the melodious chirps of birds while enjoying a bird's view of the awe-inspiring beauty of Mother Nature.

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