Ponmudi Hill Resort, Kerala

For a little over a couple of months, I was stuck in one place. And Tenkasi was becoming unbearably hot and uncomfortable. It felt like a second summer, with a vengeance. The temperature soared to uncomfortable levels from the sunrise till late afternoon when dark clouds suddenly loomed large over the sky, threatening heavy rainfall. Only nothing materialized. It just heightened the humidity and uneasiness. 

I had always felt I had wheels on my heels, wanting to escape from the routine at every opportunity. I had always loved traveling, especially to naturally beautiful, exotic places. Last week, there was a golden opportunity to step away. We had three places in mind: Munnar and Theni, Valparai and Ponmudi. We wanted to do at least one place. Thanks to the general weather and our health conditions, we had to abandon our ideas. It was frustrating that I was stuck again.

Suddenly, Friday cheered me up. The weather was fine. No heavy rain forecast in Kerala. Our health too was promising. I should thank one of my cousins who had come down to Trivandrum for a short visit. He had recently celebrated his Sadhabhishekam and we were one of the notable absentees, for we were abroad when the functions were held. My next one month’s plan did not allow me to travel to Bangalore where he lived. We decided to take the plunge and drive to Trivandrum. That would also be a perfect opportunity to go to Ponmudi on our way back. We didn’t pause a second. Spurred by the momentous decision, we were exhilarated about the wonderful opportunity to visit Ponmudi on our return.

Located at a distance of about 60 kms from Trivandrum, Ponmudi is an enchanting hill resort at about 1100 meters above MSL. The drive through the winding roads all the way to Ponmudi from the small village town of Vithura was exciting. The road condition on the hill, I should say, was excellent. It was all green everywhere. 

The tourist spot was a plateau on top of the hill, surrounded by a vast expanse of forest lands, tea gardens, and valleys. The place offers tremendous opportunities for trekking through rough stones and rocks. With some difficulty, we climbed to the top of a viewing tower and had a breathtaking view of the whole valley surrounding the place. On that day, mists and clouds kept kissing the entire environment. Sometimes, it was clear and other times, mists completely hid the beauty behind.

There was a group of cottages, part of which functioning as a restaurant and a store for Kerala’s forestry products. The available restroom facilities were neat and clean. On the whole, the entire surroundings looked very clean, free of garbage. There was a modest tourist crowd, behaving very well. More tourist-facilities could be provided, but the flip side would be, the tourists would make the place dirty.

I hear that the place is known for its fauna and flora, a few rare endangered species of birds, animals and insects. We stayed in Ponmudi only for a couple of hours and returned back with great satisfaction. We thank the Weather God for His cooperation on the day of our visit.

The bonus was the scenic drive from Shencottai on the Western Ghats, passing through the scenic Punalur forests, tea gardens, rubber estates and water channels on the slopes of the mountains. The road condition was awful in many places. Our nation seems to be specializing on creating moon-like craters on earth, for the tourists to enjoy (or suffer). 

On the Ponmudi hills, we were fined by the traffic police for not wearing the seat-belts, but there was no hanky-panky about the fine. You pay the fine on the spot, and they give you a receipt. Who wears seat-belts in cars and helmets on the two-wheelers in Tamil Nadu! I was a spoiled brat. Back in Tamil Nadu, from the border, half-a-dozen motorcyclists and 'scooterists' raced with us, none of them wearing helmet, none of them following any traffic discipline, and dangerously overtaking several trucks and buses. If only, Tamil Nadu traffic police is half-alert as the Kerala police, they would be reaping huge official collections for the department. Thankfully, they are not!

Here are some of the pictures we've taken. For more, you may visit my Facebook site.