Yercaud is a small hill station nestled in the Shevaroys range of hills in the Eastern Ghats. Positioned at a height of almost 5,000 feet above sea level, Yercaud is one of the prominent weekend getaways from Bangalore towards Salem district, Tamil Nadu. Roughly a 4.5-hour drive along NH 44, Yercaud is a lesser-known hill station of South India. However, being surrounded by orange groves, coffee and spice plantations, this quaint little hill station awed us by the serene beauty it offered! Yercaud gets its name from ‘Yeri’ & ‘Kaddu’ which in Tamil, translates to ‘Lake Forest’. After previous visits to hills stations of Coorg and Wayanad, this is the third hill station in South India we visited.
Planning for a short weekend getaway wasn’t immaculate since our main objective was to enjoy a couple of days in peace and calm. To complement the decision of our ‘zen mode’, we chose to make The Kottai Ayurveda Resorts our base location. The resort is coupled with a unique architectural mix of South Indian & contemporary styles with every room offering an infinite view of the Shevaroy mountains through the extended private balcony. Add to it the surrounding forests with vibrant green hues and the dark monsoon clouds playing hide and seek with the sun. It indeed was very peaceful! Post checking in, we spent the afternoon leisurely overlooking the vast expanse of the green landscape and soaking in the beauty of it all.
The first evening at our resort was spent taking a stroll down the road towards the lake, which is hardly at a distance of 800 meters from the resort. Located at the center of the town and surrounded by cloud laden hills, gardens and large trees, the ‘Yercaud Lake’ is one of the most prominently visited locations. There are parks lined up along the lake which serve as a major tourist attraction as well. However, very quickly though, the dark monsoonal clouds gathered pace and threatened to descend with great vigor. We quickly doubled up and headed towards our resort to enjoy the rest of the evening.
One of the most fascinating parts of the Kottai Ayurveda Resort is the roof-top which provides an amazing view of the hills nearby. The images speak for themselves! Post enjoying the sudden downpour, we were witness to an amazing sunset which was straight out of a fairy tale! The remaining part of the night was spent exploring the food options available for an early dinner before we crashed in for the night.!
Day 2 of our trip was majorly spent exploring many of the attractions at Yercaud. Being a hill station laced with lakes to viewpoints to coffee plantations and waterfalls, there is something for everyone. However, one of the best experiences is to drive a full circle on the ring road around Yercaud, as shown in the map below. Roll down the windows and enjoy the drive through narrow roads to experience bliss! Thick foliage, lush shades of green, spread out coffee plantations and tall trees with an abundance of freshness in the air – the tranquil atmosphere is there to welcome you. The 50 KM stretch is a must-drive. Most of the locations to visit are en route itself which makes this drive a must-do.
Kiliyur Falls – A waterfall in the Shevaroyan hills of eastern ghats formed by the Yercaud river overflowing into the Kiliyur Valley, is characterized by a steep descent of almost 300 feet which can be reached by foot through cliffs and unpaved pathways. Set within lush plantations, the refreshing air, and the serene beauty is all to be soaked in! However, this waterfall springs to life during the monsoons with its heavy flow of water, presenting a sight to behold.
After our trek to the Kiliyur falls, we made our way directly towards the drive along the ring road towards the Karadiyoor viewpoint which offers unparalleled views of the surrounding landscape. Post the same, we continued our drive towards the Cauvery Peak Coffee Estate – an Indian family-run business, home to various coffee flavors and spices which are also retailed. For interested travelers, there is a complete coffee experience tour facilitated by the 150-year-old estate. A complete plantation tour is also on the offering.
By the time we reached back to our resort in the evening, the dark clouds had already started grumbling. While we sat on the portico overlooking the hills and the rain lashing against the trees, we were reminded of how close we were to nature and how such a quick weekend trip provided us with so much peace! The constant pitter-patter of raindrops on the extended balcony, the swishing bouts of wind and the rumbling of clouds all added to the brilliant atmosphere.
While we woke up rejuvenated from our short visit to Yercaud, we signed off the trip with breakfast at the in-house restaurant of the resort. For all budding travel enthusiasts out there, if you need our travel experiences straight into your inbox, do visit our page and subscribe to us. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get the weekly dose of travel experiences!!
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