Are you a nature lover or a person who loves to travel the world? If so, have a look at this incredible place which I visited recently. Vagamon (also known as ‘Scotland of Asia’) is a small hill station located in Kottayam-Idukki border of Kerala. It is situated 1,100 metres above the sea level. The spectacular view of the green hills attract the tourists from all over the world. The temperature lies between 10 degrees to 23 degrees during summer and below 10 degrees during winter. Vagamon is well known for its tea plantations and trekking to the nearby places.
Some of the ‘Must visit places’ in Vagamon are:
1.Barren hills
2.Thangal Para
3.Murugan hill
4.Kurisumala
5.Vagamon lake
6.Pine forest
Barren hills: Fresh air and breath taking view of mountain scenery with a pond and a lake! Takes about 5 minutes to reach the spot. This is indeed one of the ‘best tourist attractions’ in Vagamon.“Capture the moment and enjoy the silence of nature!”
•Distance: Situated 10 km away from the town•Best time to visit: March – June (daytime)• Time required: 2 to 3 hours approx.
•Activities for children and adults: Trekking, rock climbing, bird watching and paragliding.
Thangal Para: Thangal para is often referred as a place for pilgrims. It was considered as a resting place of Hasrath Sheikh Fariduddin Baba, a revered Sufi Saint. As the name goes by, a huge rock sits at the edge of the mountain.
•Best time to visit: March to June (Avoid during winter and monsoon).
• Time required: Takes about 10 minutes to reach the top. Overall the entire spot could be covered in 1 hour.
•Not safe for children
Murugan hills: Situated in the eastern side of kurisumala. Here, the temple for Lord Muruga is built on a single rock. You could also find a peacock statue while going to the top of the hill.
•Distance: Situated 8km away from the town
•Best time to visit: Daytime (avoid during winter and monsoon)
• Time required: 1 hour
Kurisumala: This place is often considered as a silent valley. Best known for ashram and Catholic Church.
•Distance: Situated 5.4km away from the town
•Best time to visit: Morning and afternoon (avoid during winter and monsoon)
•Time taken to complete the visit: 2 to 3 hours max
Vagamon Lake: A small lake surrounded by hills, mountains and valleys. Peddle boating is opted by many tourists to explore the beauty of the nature.
•Distance: It is situated 6.3km away from Kurisumala
•Best time to visit: One can visit anytime between 8:30am to 5pm
•Time taken to complete the visit: 1.5 hours to 2 hours
Pine forest: Enjoy the charming nature of this place surrounded by pine trees everywhere.•Distance: It is situated 6.2km away from Vagamon lake•Best time to visit: Morning could be a little foggy! Good to visit during noon time.•Time taken to complete the visit: 1 hour
Accommodation: Cottages and hotels are available at Vagamon for reasonable cost.
Last but not the least, though there are many hill stations in and around Kerala, I would personally recommend this place to enjoy with your family and dear one’s.
Author: Rithikkaa Sudhahar
