Weekend Getaway to
Yercaud and Hogennakal
I desperately wanted a weekend getaway from Bangalore. But I
didn’t have anybody to go with. Most of my friends here in Bangalore are
married with kids and pretty busy with their own lives. Too busy to take off on
a trip, even if it was just for two days.
I first called Thrillophilia, figuring they could whip up a
travel package for me. But when she heard that I would be travelling solo, she
became totally unhelpful and said I could go to a resort and stay there but
there would be no fun activities. I got really irritated with her attitude and
sought some women-only travel groups.
I zeroed in on Ek Chidiya coz it was recommended by a friend
and the organizer had a trip planned for the dates I had in mind: August 1st
and 2nd.The trip was to Yercaud and Hogenakkal. I was very excited
about the trip although I knew no one travelling with me.
I got up early on August 1st and was picked up by
the organizer and a co-traveller in an Innova from Marathahalli where I stay.
We then picked up the 4th passenger.Introductions were made and I was happy that everyone was
really friendly and free of any hang ups.We kept talking and finding out more about each other when
we stopped for breakfast at Adyar Ananda Bhavan. After a quick bite, we drove
on to Hogennakal. When we reached, it was in the middle of the afternoon, so it
was a bit warm.
The falls were very impressive. It’s no surprise that they
are known as the Nigara falls of India. And having been to the original Niagara
falls, I must say this is not an exaggeration.
Women and men offering massages with dubious looking oils
and promising a bath in the falls kept asking us if we were interested. After
fending them off, we made our way through the bridges and pathways.
We didn’t let the heat prevent us from looking around and
going on the coracle ride. The coracle is a round “boat” made of some
eco-friendly material and re-inforced with sheets and tar to make it
waterproof. Six people could be accommodated in the coracle and each person was
charged Rs. 160 for the ride. Two strangers joined us in our coracle: a
middle-aged man and his son.
It was a one-hour ride and we enjoyed our ride over the
Hogennakal waters, being carried with the currents and getting thrilled.
We stopped at one of the small islands and a couple of the passengers
had fresh fried fish. We then got off at the island, took a car ride to another
location with a bridge and crossed the bridge on foot. On reaching the starting
point, we got back to the car and proceeded to Yercaud in the Innova.
We had taken plenty of snaps and one of the co-passengers
was obsessed with selfies so we nicknamed her the selfie queen.
We drove up the mountains and navigated around twenty
hairpin bends. It made some of us dizzy and nauseous, but the view was
splendid. We finally reached the top of the mountain. We reached Yercaud. It
took us a while to locate our resort, but once we did, we were struck by its
beauty.
The La Four Seasons Resort in Yercaud is a fairly new resort
which was opened only three months ago. There were beautiful villas everywhere
and we had a whole villa to ourselves: a bedroom for two on the ground floor
and another bedroom for two on the first floor.There were beautifully manicured lawns interspersed with
rough-hewn stones to give it that earthy look. There was an artificial
waterfall/stream complete with rocks and water. This cut across the entire
length of the resort. The sound of the water flowing was really soothing to the
ears.
We freshened up in our rooms and explored the resort. There
was a games room with indoor games and even a table tennis table. So we played
a few rallies and then got together at a structure that was like a machan, but
artificially created. It had a winding staircase that led up to the top where
there was a table with chairs. We sat there and chatted. When it started
drizzling, we went under this raised structure and sat on the ground floor in
chairs.
There was suddenly the loud noise of music and we learned
that there was a barbecue with dancing and music. There was also a buffet and
we opted for the buffet since it was drizzling. We had a leisurely meal for
over two hours. The friendly restaurant manager was very curious about how we
knew each other and that four women were travelling by themselves.
The four of us talked about marriage, what it was like being
a woman, pros and cons of being single and just about everything under the sun.
After a sumptuous meal, we retired for the night in our comfortable beds. We
woke up late the next day and after showering, checked out. The staff actually
gave us a complimentary jackfruit each!
We got into our car and visited a temple, and a few gardens
and parks in the vicinity. We also stopped at some ‘viewpoints’ from where we
had a clear view of Salem, the town below. After a morning well spent, we
bought fruits for our journey back and made our way back to Bangalore. It took
us about three hours and we reached Bangalore by 5.30 pm. after stopping for
lunch on the way
This was such a relaxing getaway for me and it was all the
more pleasant thanks to the wonderful company I had. We exchanged numbers and
photographs and vowed to meet again on another trip! I, for one, can’t wait!
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