My Travel

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I got the Alleppey - Dhanbad Express from Cherthala at 6.30 am and the train reached Coimbatore at 12 Noon. I just missed the Mettupalayam passenger train. The nest passenger was at 3 pm, so I opt travel by bus. Bus No 32A goes from Coimbatore Railway station to New bus stand (for Ooty bus) Rs 3/ Rs 60 by auto.

Cherthala - Mettupalayam : 275 km, Rs 124 in SL M/E. Coimbatore - Cherthala : 239 km, Rs 113 in SL M/E.

Mettupalayam is at the base of the Nilgiri hill range and has plenty of good-cheap hotels. Ooty is 55 km away via hairpin curved ghat raod. Black Thunder Water theme park, 4 km from Mettupalayam on the Ooty road. Entry Rs 400. The route goes via Burliar, Coonoor, Lovedale and Wellington. The famous Defence Staff College is located at Wellington.



Bus travel is cheap in Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore - Mettupalayam : 80 min by bus/50 km, Mettupalayam - Coonoor : Rs 13, Coonoor - Ooty : Rs 6, 23 km

Ooty - Gudallur : 50 km
Ooty Circuit bus fare Rs 60.
Route : Central Bus STand-Children's Park - Boat House - Botanical Garden - Dodabetta peak - Tea Museum - Rose Garden junction (near Alankar theatre/Hotel Saphire Paradise/Hotel Alkapuri).

Tea Museum cum factory, Doddabetta tea factory, Melkodappamund, Ooty : Entry Rs 5 (2 km before Doddabetta junction on the Kothagiri road)
One can see the Home made Chocolate production. The Ooty view point has a telescope and has good views of the hill town. video



Telescope House, Doddapetta : Rs 5 (9 km from Botanical garden/ 3 km from Dodabetta junction - on the Ooty - Kothagiri road)

Where to Stay

Amritha Lodge, Annaji Rao road, Mettupalayam - 64130, Ph : 04254 229102.
Hotel Ragavendra, Eldee complex, Coonoor - 643102, Ph : 0423 2235333.

Where to Eat

Hotel Sri Lakshmi, TDK Pillai road, Coonoor -2, Ph : 2238889
Hotel Aaryas, Near bus stand, Mettupalayam
Hotel Maruthi, Near bus stand, Mettupalayam, Ph: 222955

Distance from Mettupalayam in km

Sathyamangalam 43
Anoor 22
Avinashi 41
Covai 36
Tiruppur 53
Erode 101
Coonoor 32 (90 min)

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Rose Garden, Ooty : The Rose garden has the largest collections of roses in the country like Hybrid Tea Roses, miniature rose, Floribunda, Ramblers, roses of unusual colours like black and green are some of the more than 3,000 varieties of roses that will captivate your senses. The Rose Garden is situated in slopes of the Elk Hill (4 heactares in 5 terrraces). Entry Rs 20, Camera Rs 30 (2 km from main bus stand)





Dodabetta Peak : It is the highest peak in the Nilgiris at 2637 metre. There is an observatory at the top of Doddabetta with two telescopes available for the public to enjoy the magnificent Ooty aerial view. Located 9 km from Ooty with road access. The Sunset is spectacular from this view point.

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Athirapilly waterfalls is one of the beautiful waterfalls of Kerala located 32 km from Chalakudy on the Valpara road in Thrissur district of Kerala. Chalakudy -Pariyaram - Dream World - Konnakuzhy - Silver storm - Vettilapara - Athirappilly : 32 km, 1 h, Rs 18 by bus. Dream World & Silver storm (Mob :9447603344) are two water theme parks en route.

0630, 1320 & 1420 h Valpara bus from Chalakudy. Chalakudy - Athirappilly - Vazhachal - Peringalkuthu dam - Puliyilapara - Malakapara - Valpara (in Tamil Nadu). Sholayar dam is 43 km and Malakkapara is 58 km away from Athirapilly.



Athirappilly & Vazhachal waterfalls Entry : Rs 15. Camera and video charges extra. Timings : 8 am to 5 pm. Chapra falls is 3 km from Athirappilly. Further 2 km is Vazhachal waterfalls. The last bus from Athirapilly to Chalakudy is at 7.10 pm.



Treks from Athirappilly : Season: Dec. Beware of Leech. Rate for a group of 5 persons.

Athirappilly to Kundoormedu : 1 day, 30 km, Rs 1000.
Ittiyani to Kundoormedu : 2 day, 50 km, Rs 2000

Vazhachal to Orukombankutty : 2 day, 50 km, Rs 2000
Vazhachal to Karanthode : 2 day, 40 km, Rs 2000

For booking Contact : DFO, Chalakudy. Ph : 0480 2701713.

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Nilambur Tourist attractions

Conoly's plot (3 km) : World's oldest teak plantation, planted by Chathu Menon. It is accessible via a hanging bridge across Chaliyar river. The no 23 teak tree has a height of 46.5 m, GBH : 4.2 m. Entry Rs 10, Camera Rs 25, Video Rs 75.



Teak museum & Bio resources Nature Park : Access from Chandakunnu, Nilambur stand by Vazhikadavu bus (3 km). Monday Holiday, Timings : 10 am to 4.30 pm. Entry : Rs 25, Still camera, Video: Rs 200 : Rs 20. Ph : 04931 222846.



Adyanpara falls (14 km) : Travel by Erumamunda bus from Chandakunnu stand, Nilambur and get down 1.5 km away from the falls. Follow the road to the falls. Entry : Free.





Kozhikode - Medical College - Mavoor - Areacode - Edavanna - Mambad - Conolly's plot - Nilambur : 62 km, Rs 35, 2.5 h.

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Vypin lighthouse







Cochin port in the back waters formed by the Periyar river estuary providing a natural harbour site capable of affording shelter to a number of large vessels has been an important trading centre since the 16th century. Mr RC Bristow, Harbour Engineer-in-Chief, prepared a four stage plan in 1935 for Expansion, Development and Modernisation of Cochin port.

There is regular passenger cum cargo ship service from Cochin port to different islands in Lakshadweep. Cochin is the base of Indian Navy’s Southern Command. The Cochin Shipyard built its first vessel ‘Rani Padmini’ (85 kt) and sailed it here in 1984.

The first Lighthouse was provided in 1839 at Fort Cochin. It was a masonry column constructed at a site south of the entrance to port. The light source was an oil wick lamp inside 6th order optic with fixed character. The system worked for 63 years when in 1902 it was improved by inducting a new lantern and an optic. In 1914 a 4th order cut and polished optic and occulting mechanism replaced the earlier equipment. A new 10 m high column was constructed in 1920. It was painted in two white and one black band. The same lighthouse equipment was shifted onto this new column.

Specifications

Flash every 20 second, 46 m high Circular Ribbed Double shell RCC Tower (Red and White bands), a range of 28 Nautical Miles, 375 mm 3rd order 4 Panels Resolving optic inside 2.4 m diameter Lantern house, Cluster of four 150 W, 230 V Metal Halide Lamps, Mains supply 440 V, 50 Hz (Standby Genset provided).

Visit Timings : 3 to 5 pm. No Photography.

The Lighthouse is situated on Vypin Island opposite Kochi at Puthuvaipe, Ph: 0484-2502443. Few Bus service direct to the lighthouse from the High Court bus stop. Otherwise one has to get down at Puthuvype stop and walk 1.5 km to the lighthouse at the beach.