Best places to visit in South India during Summer
By The Holiday Navigator
Summer holidays are one of the most expected holiday season for family travel. This is the time when kids are off from school so parents find it easier to plan their office leaves around this time to get out from homes and explore a new destination. Although, it’s not always some new place, yet travelling and spending some time with family is wants needed. Summer also happens to be the best time to travel to hill stations for the weather is perfect at 15 or 20 degrees. Which is, neither too cold nor too hot and just right to enjoy the cool climate and a leisure time from the daily monotonous life.
While there are enough hill stations in India, we bring to you 7 hill station from the South of India to travel during Summer.
1. Coorg
Touted as ‘Scotland of India’, Coorg lives up to its name with a mix of history, adventure, and tasty cuisines. Coorg is easily accessible through road from all famous cities of Karnataka like Bangalore, Mangalore and Mysore. Famous for its coffee plantations, Coorg is a perfect get away for couple, family and friends. You can choose to stay at friendly homestays, lovely resorts and hotels. One can enjoy soft treks to witness the sunrise. The Madikeri Fort, Namdroling Monastery and Abbey falls are some of the must visit. But the highlight is the visit to Talacavery and Raja’s seat. If you are interested in wildlife, elephant in particular, you must visit Dubare Elephant Camp which is about 30 kms from Coorg.
2. Ooty
Nestled in Nilgris, Ooty is a go to holiday destination for many honeymooners. The Toy train ride from Mettupalayam to Ooty is an activity that everyone enjoys the most. Famous for its Tea plantations, one can enjoy visiting the Tea Factory and Tea Museum. Visit the Doddabetta peak (which is the tallest point) to enjoy the beautiful view from atop. Do not forget to visit the famous botanical garden, which is also famous for hosting the “flower show” during the month of May. You can witness 100 types of roses combining to form beautiful living creatures. The boat ride in Ooty lake is the most fun activity for kids. You can also enjoy adventure activities like ropeways here. Ooty can be reached from Coimbatore and Mysore through road and from Mettupalayam through toy train.
3. Kodaikanal
Known as the ‘Princess of Hill Station’, Kodaikanal, is situated at 120 kms from Madurai. The main attraction is the beautiful star shaped man-made lake which is famous for its boating activity. One can choose to enjoy horse riding and cycling around the lake. Some most visited attractions are Dolphins Nose, Pillar Rock, Coakers Walk and Silver Falls. Take a look at Guna Caves, which got its name after the movie name starring the great actor Kamal Hassan which was shot here. Home-made chocolates are very famous here, you will easily find it being sold everywhere across the town. A weekend destination from Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore, a visit to Kodaikanal can be combined with a visit Madurai and its surroundings.
4. Wayanad
Located in the northern part of Kerala, Wayanad is like a best-kept secret of Kerala’s hill stations. Nearest airport is Calicut and it takes about 3 hours from the airport. One can enjoy trekking here in Wayanad. Seeing the wildlife calmly spending their time in mountains during the trek is quite normal. The Edakkal caves located about 25 kms away is a must visit. Wayanad also has falls like Soochipara and Kanthanpara. For some adventure, enjoy bamboo rafting over cool waters of Vythiri river. Banasura Sagar Dam and Chembara Peak are the beautiful spots to watch sun set beyond mountains, with rays painting the dam in orange.
5. Munnar
Munnar is undoubtedly a dream land with deep valleys covered in greenery of tea plantations. It is one of the most sought-after hill station of South India. A visit to the Ervikulam National Park is one of the must do. You can also enjoy Safari in the National Park and Camping activities. You can also enjoy the Shikara ride in Kundala lake. Eravikulam has some endangering species like Nilgiri Tahr and Neelakurinji. It has got so many photo points and hence don’t forget to pack extra batteries for your DSLR cameras. Munnar has well established road connection with both states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and reaching here will never be a point of concern for travelers. Famous attractions are the Attukad Waterfalls, Mettupatty Dam (you can enjoy boat ride in the Mettupatty lake as well). Visit the Top station the highest point at the mountain for some amazing view. A visit to the tea factory and museum is a must. There are some great resorts to choose for your stay and some also offer unique experience such as a Tree-House stay.
6. Thekkady
Thekkady is a delight for travelers with unending chains of hills. It is not a high altitude hill and is famous for its spice plantations like cardamon, tea and coffee. Major attraction of Thekkady is the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary, biggest tiger reserve in India. It also has Elephants and Bisons. You can enjoy a boat ride on periyar lake and watch these amazing giant elephants taking a stroll. Infact one can also enjoy an elephant safari. Do not forget to take a jeep ride to the hill top and enjoy the great view. Though situated in Kerala, Thekkady is located close to Madurai at a distance of 160 Kms. The cultural show depicting the various art forms of Kerala is very famous here, and a must see. You can find almost any spices here and that’s why spice shopping is very famous here.
7. Vagamon
The beautiful town of Vagamon lies between Idukki and Kottayam at an altitude of 1100 feet above sea level. It is well known for its pine forests, waterfalls, and rocky hills. The Meenachill river flowing through the city adds further beauty to the town. Vagamon is very popular among adventure lovers especially for the Paragliding activity. There is a fun saying “if you have not done Paragliding in Vagamon, then it means you have not visited it at all”. There are other activities like ziplining, rock climibing and off roading for the adrenaline lovers. Vagamon has endless waterfalls. Some of the best are Marmala and Shivganga waterfalls. Vagamon is located close to Cochin at about 3 hours drive. Homestays are very famous here. You can enjoy a stay at a lovely homestay inside a rubber plantation (Rubber plantations are very popular here) and get to know a local family and enjoy the local cuisine.
The Holiday Navigator helps you plan your south india tours. If you are looking for tour packages in India or International, please feel free to contact us. You can choose from our various south india tour packages and gift your family the most perfect holiday.
