Thursday, September 9, 2010

Chennai to Yelagiri - Economical and Enjoyable


I have read in the books and have heard people telling 13 is an unlucky number, but we 13 professionals started our trip to Yelagiri on Saturday morning from Chennai after completing our tiresome night shift.

The most excitement part is that this is the first trip getting organized in our team and the doubtful part is that do we enjoy? But trust me the trip is just full of enjoyment which never made us to make a move from Yelagiri. 

The Trip (09/04/10 – 09/05/10):

After completing our shift at 5:30 AM on Saturday (09/04/10) we got into the 14 seated tempo travels at 6:00 AM thinking it’s an AC TT. So the first disappointment we had is it’s not an AC tempo travel. I really don’t have to talk about weather when it comes to Chennai. It was very suffocating inside the tempo, no matter since we work for MNC’s we took it as a cost cutting and started taking photographs right from that suffocating place and started turning from professional to recreational. 


We reached Yelagiri at 10.30 AM after completing our breakfast in the middle of Chennai. There we have already booked CLIFF TOP RESORT which is near to the Puganoor boat house. It is definitely the best comfortable resort with very tasty food. The owner Mr. Nagaraj is a very sweet person who gave us a warm welcome and makes us feel like home. The rooms were very neat with all the facilities and very spacious. The people’s working over there was very good and has got a good attitude. Are you thinking about the rate?? Don’t worry it is very economical and Nagaraj sir is not so strict to keep his knife on your neck if you are not vacating on time. We almost stayed there for one and half days and just paid a day charge. The resort is fully covered with the trees, cats, rabbits, birds and ducks. There were small huts to sit there, chat and eat comfortably. They were also in the process of building a swimming pool which will get ready in another 2 months or so. Unfortunately we missed it. 

After getting refreshed in the rooms, we guys and gals started and took a risk of having lunch outside the resort. There was a hotel called Tandoori in the boat house road. PLEASE DON’T GO THERE even if you are in a stage of dying. The food is very bad and the Gobi Manchurian stinks. 


From there we started to the boat house which is very vast in area and a very good place to take different photographs and to have fun. After getting tired taking snaps we sat inside the pedaling boats and were boating for 45 minutes. It was during the pleasant evening and the boating experience was also very pleasant.

It was around 5:30 PM when we all completed our boating. Then we made a move towards the Nature park which is full of flowers, fish tanks, rocks and trees. Because we will never get a chance to see these in Chennai, we had a look at the park and took some pics.

It was around 6:30 PM when we completed our rounds at Nature Park. Opposite to the park on the main road itself there is one road shop which gives you yummy pani pooris and masala Pooris. Don’t Miss it.

After having the evening snacks we walked towards our resort. There again we refreshed and got ready for the musical show arranged by Nagaraj sir. I am not too sure about the name of the gentleman who sung lot of melodies for us. Hats Off sir you have got a divine voice. 


After bidding good bye to him, we had a camp fire at 8:30 PM with our own dancing number songs. As usual guys opened their bottle and gals opened Pepsi which is now like our culture. We started with the casual chat, and then moved to the dance, dancing and dancing till the Pepsi and the other bottles got over. Once the bottles are over we took up a stage over there and everyone started blabbering in the microphone (mike) and having fun of each other. Some talking in English, some in Tamil and some like politicians. LOL

OMG!!! The best moment we all cherished.

After all the things getting over, we ordered for food in the resort itself. It was really yummy veg briyani. Now it was somewhere around 10:30 PM and we all disbursed to our rooms to have a tight sleep so that we become fresh for trekking the next day 09/05/2010.
 
Sept 5th, 2010 – Sunday

We all got up at 5:00 AM and took a hot bath to take lot of funny photographs around the resort till 6:00 AM. 


We planned for SWAMI MALAI trekking at Yelagiri hills and took a guide with us. We started at 6:20 AM from the resort and travelled to Mangalam on our tempo itself. It is 16 Kms up and down we need to walk for this adventurous trekking. When started to walk it was nice, but that wasn’t the case when we reached 2 Kms. The passage were kind off little slippery, long steps and little narrower. Finally we reached the temple at the top of the hill after walking for almost 2 hours and worshipped the small Shiva Linga inside the temple. 



Hold On! The trekking is not yet completed; the guide took us further more inside from the hill which is like a forest though it is small. After doing lot of funny activities and taking pics we started to walk down to reach our tempo. 

At last we reached back to our place at 11:00 AM and completed light Tiffin at the resort itself. The legs were paining like someone dropped a rock on our legs. So some took rest, some played shuttle and some busy in taking pics. Here are some funny pics taken in the resort

With no heart to leave the resort and the hill station we started back to Chennai at 2:00 PM. Somewhere around 4:00 PM we parked the tempo to have our lunch. Non veg eaters had a dhamaka at Ambur. 


After all these fun we reached back Chennai at 7:30 PM and said “See you tomorrow at Office” with a sarcastic smile. :)
 
Though Yelagiri is not as best as Kodaikanal, it is definitely a nearby decent hill station from Chennai to forget our daily routine work and stress. 

I wanted to take this moment in thanking everyone who joined the trip and made it very enjoyable and memorable.Special thanks to Suresh Balaji for helping me in organizing and managing money


People Joined:

Sambo
Palani
Rajesh
Suresh (A) Steve
Terris
Ramadevi
Balaji Suresh
Thiru
Surej
Suresh
Archana
Suresh Balaji
Deepika S.V

Hope I will come back soon with another blog with lot more information on our next trip. 

With Love
Deep (Deepika S.V)



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Readers - This is for your use when you visit Yelagiri

Cliff Top Resort address:

Yelagiri Hills – Cliff Top Resort (Country Club)
Punganoor, Boat House Road,
Yelagiri Hills

Contact Person: Mr. Nagaraj
Contact Number: +91 98416 86123

How to Reach SwamiMalai Trekking Place?

From Cliff Top it is 3 km to Mangalam and from Managalam you have to walk.
Be sure to take enough water bottles and light snacks with you cause you will not get anything in the middle.

This overall trip was completed with in our budget of Rs 1500.00. Isn't it cheap? :) 

Take Care and Stay Healthy :) 



Courtesy - Deepika S.V