Yercaud- A short break from Summar , to enjoy scenic view

Each trip is a unique experience. Every trip is warming up the mind and exhilarating. When the summer heat began to swallow Bangalore, we were thinking of a outstation trip to a place that refreshes both mind and body. After considering different choices we were stick to Yercaud as we never been there and it was in our bucket list.

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Yercaud is a hill station close Salem, Tamil Nadu. It is 4.5 hour journey from Bangalore and can be good choice for weekend destination. This was our first trip to yercaud, hence we did a good search on google to understand the different places to visit there. We always make sure that our trips are well planned, and have backup plan aswell. We travelled to quench our thirst for natural and scenic beauty.

Yercaud is 260 Kms away Bangalore and we started around 7.00 in the morning. After having breakfast at Krishnagiri we reached Salem around 11AM. Salem - Yercaud route is better road that lead us it head towards Salem. There was an alternative route 30 kms before you reach Salem but it was not good for ride. Temperature was on its peak and it was 37 degree. We were worried about the climate condition at Yercaud which is close to Salem. We stopped near a kirana stop as we notice they are selling butter milk. The buttermilk served on a mud pot was flavoured with ginger and green chilly. They were charging just Rs.5 per pot. We left from that places immediately to adhere with travel plan.

The first hair pin comes on the beginning itself. A check post just after the first hairpin which we have to take the entry toll pass. Need to cover 20 hairpin to reach the top. On the way, we stopped our car and enjoyed the sight seeing views. The temperature begun to fall down as we approaching towards Yercaud. The temperature was dropped to about 25 degrees. The weather changes has reflected on the faces my kids, and they are enjoying the journey by then. We were almost near the top and stopped to take some snaps of route we covered. After clicking some pictures we bought some oranges from a local seller there and left from there.

Yercaud were welcomed by the rejuvenating freshness nature. By the time we arrived at Yercaud, GPS signal got broken and we were in a dilemma as we lost destination. I saw a tea seller and spoke to him to understand route towards resort. At 12:00 pm we reached the resort. After refreshment and lunch we headed towards Lake which was our first spot in our travel plan. Yercaud is a small hill station and all sightseeing places are nearby.

Yercaud Lake

Like other hill stations, Yercaud too has a lake in the centre. Yercaud lake Known as the Emerald Lake, is the only naturally formed lake across all the hill stations in Tamil Nadu. The garden, trees and hills on the banks together gives a mesmerizing feelings. Lake offers Motor Boats, Row Boats, self-rowing or self-pedaling boats and you can choose depending on you liking and budget. The neatness of lakes and surroundings are good. Overall this is a good place for family to spend time. We took a Row boats and spend 30 minutes in it. Later we moved to pagoda point from there

Pagoda point

Pagoda point is a beautiful viewpoint just 1.5 km away from Lake. The view provides view of the entire town of Salem as well as the neighbouring villages. The 21 hairpin bends of Yercaud can be seen from this spot. The piles of stones arranged like a pyramid resembling a Pagoda give the location this name. These stones are believed to be placed by local tribes. We reached here around 4.30 PM. We clicked some pictured from here. We left the place as camera battery completely discharged. We winded up our plan for the day and decided to stay back at resort. Once we back kids started enjoying with play area and pools.

We had planned for sun rise view in our travel plan and enquired about the Shevaroy hills station which was planned for sunrise view.

Sunrise @ Shevaroy Hill

Shevaroy hill was close to the resort we stayed. It is just 1 km away from resort. We reached the hilltop around 5.45am. There was a lady who was providing the entry ticket to the view point. To clarify the east direction we asked the lady and she had pointed out a direction. We set the camera and was waiting for sunrise. We were doubted when we saw small light in the sky in the other direction. I met lady again to ensure the east, with a little resentment she pointed out same direction. We had good mobile network coverage in that area and I downloaded a compass app immediately. We realize that lady pointed us wrong direction. By then we were able to see sun slightly coming out. We took camera and ran towards other direction. After clicking some photos we slowly move towards down that gave us a better view.

After enjoying the sunrise we slowly moved to the town. A morning visit to the city center always gave a clear picture of a city and lifestyle of people.While searching for a coffee shop, saw a man selling tea in a small cart. After the tea we went to lake and walk round.

Kiliyur Waterfalls

After breakfast we moved towards Kiliyur falls. Mansoon is the only good season to visit this place. Even though it was summer we decided to visit this place. It was around 3.5 kms away from lake and it was narrow road. You can’t find much signboards on the road but you can reach as there is not much deviation / sub roads. After parking the car we stepped towards the entry gate which is 300 meters away from parking.

To see the waterfall you need to step down 240 steps. The steps are very steep in nature, please avoid those who goes with small kids. The places is very scenic but the view will be awesome on monsoon. It was completely dry when we visited, Since we need to checkout hotel at 12 we returned from there immediately.

Shopping @ Yercaud

  • Apart from local sightseeing & natural scenic, tourists are always thinks about a little shopping while leaving Yercaud. You can’t find exclusive souvenirs, but you can shop locally growing herbs from there. Let’s have a look
  • Spices
    • Yercaud is famous for its spice plantations. You can either tour them or buy from spice market. Your hotel should be able to guide you with directions to this market. You can find lot of spices that include cloves, cardamoms, pepper, cinnamon. You can also find stores that are selling the spices from the plantations which surround the hill station.
  • Coffee
    • No doubts , no surprise Yercaud has some of the best coffee in the country. You can find wide varieties from regular flavours to many favoured. The Yercaud coffee powder is available all over the hill station. You can also buy them from local coffee plantations.
  • Cosmetic Items
    • Yercaud is also famous for natural cosmetics that sourced locally. The products include essential oils , face masks, creams ,lotions, natural perfumes, room freshners, soaps. All they are chemical-free and made with care – they can cause no harm to your skin. Look around the many shops available around Yercaud.

NIkhil S

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