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Quaint and quiet
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WANDERLUST Yercaud’s delight lies in its small and unassuming beauty
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SYLVAN SURROUNDINGS Woods abound in spiders
The last time I drove down NH7 from Bangalore towards the south it was horribly potholed and full of traffic. The going was slow and the driving was a dangerous game of nip and tuck to get ahead of slow moving goods traffic. So this time I was pleasa
ntly surprised to find the road from Bangalore double laned and the surface smooth enough to maintain three digit speeds.
I was going to a little hill station called Yercaud, which is 25 km from Salem in the Shevroy hills. It is a complete delight driving up the ghat road on the 25 km route from Salem to Yercaud. A series of 20 hairpin bends are present to thrill the enthusiastic driver, the surface is smooth and the views are astounding. I even came across some bison on the road when I was nearing Yercaud.
The hill station itself is small, quiet and very unassuming. It has its clutch of tourist spots to see, but the beauty lies in the jungle walk and the non-cluttered city centre.
Unlike other hill stations the market place is very local. There are no shops selling souvenirs or artefacts aimed at the tourist. Whatever the shops present is for the the locals. The streets are lined with tribals selling local produce, flower sellers and vegetable vendors.
Around town coffee estates and silver oak forests abound. Again bison are a common sight but you have to keep a safe distance from them.
In fact in the evening one can hear fire crackers which are set off by the estate staff to keep the bovines away from the plantations.
Narrow roads run through these plantations where huge spider webs with giant spiders can be spotted.
A good place to visit is the Anamalai temple which has good views and very peaceful surroundings for quiet contemplation. Like most hill stations, here too there is a lake present where paddle boats or rowboats can be hired.
A good place to stay is the Lake Forest Hotel. In fact the name ‘Yercaud’ means ‘Lake Forest’ in Tamil.
The rooms are themed in colonial style. Contact Lake Forest Hotel at email: lakeforest@indecohotels.in
Ph: 04281-223217/18
RISHAD SAAM MEHTA
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