Monday, September 1, 2008

Idukki - The spice land of kerala


One of the largest districts of Kerala, Idduki offers diverse attractions from wildlife sanctuaries to hill stations. Idukki is a picturesque blend of mountains, streams, spice plantations, and wooded valleys. It derives its name from the Malayalam word idukku which means a narrow gorge. The town of Idukki flourished after its discovery by Scottish planters, who liked this place on account of its high range, and left behind some fine bungalows. It is also home to South India's highest peak, Anamudi, along with 13 other peaks with a height of over 2000 m, and some important rivers like Periyar, Thodupuzhayar and Thalayar.

Sightseeing:

You can take your pick of Wildlife sanctuaries in Idukki: the Periyar Tiger Reserve, located in the southern part of the district; Eravikulam National Park and Anamudi Shola National Park in the northern area; the Kurinjimala Sanctuary in the east and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in the north east; and Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary in the west.

Brush up some astronomy at the famous Nedumkandam hill known for its stunning view of the constellations.

Visit the famous Idukki Arch Dam, Asia's very first and the worlds second arch dam. It runs across the two hills of Kuravan and Kurathi and is 550 feet high. Its west is flanked by another dam called Kulamavu and the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary is close by as well.

Other sight-seeing spots are the picturesque waterfalls at Kuthumkal and the Mangladevi Temple 13kms from Kumily.

If you want some adventure and outdoor exercise head to Thommankuthu, where you could trek to the many waterfalls and have a picnic on the way.

Activities:

Trekking, fishing, camping, boating, plantation visits are some of the activities you could indulge in.



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