India Travel

Accommodation of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Central Tamil Nadu

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Central Tamil Nadu

Set 1140m up in the Nilgin hills, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most accessible in the south, covering 322 square kilometres of deciduous forest, split by the main road from Ooty (64km) to Mysore (97km) Unfortunately, the park has been closed to visitors for the past couple of seasons amid fears that the sandalwood smuggler, Veerapan, may abduct tourists or Forest Department wardens. You can, however, still stop here en route to or from Mysore to sample the peace and fresh air of the Nilgiri forest after the bus parties of day-trippers from Ooty have all gone home Coming

Practicalities of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Central Tamil Nadu

Until the Forest Department relax restrictions on trekking in the remote woodland areas around Mudumalai, you can only reach the park by road.The fastest and most spectacular route, via Sighur Ghat, is not negotiable by large vehicles, but private minibuses and a regular Cheran Transport bus service run to Masinagudi (Ihr) from Ooty. Travelling on the longer, less steep route via Gudalur, standard buses to Mysore and Bangalore from Ooty take 2hr 30min to reach Theppakkadu. which is connected to Masinagudi, 8km away, by bus and Jeep. You can also walk this route, but should beware of animals, especially wild

Practicalities to Vedanthangal in Tamil Nadu

Getting to Vedanthangal can present a few problems. The nearest town is Maduranthakam, 8km east, on NH-45 between Chengalpattu and Tindivanam. Head here to wait for the hourly buses to the sanctuary, or catch one of the four daily services from Chengalpattu.Taxis make the journey from Maduranthakam for Rs200-250, but cannot be booked from Vedanthangal. Vcdanthangal's only accommodation is the two-roomed forest lodge near the bus stand, school and chai stall. Rooms, spacious and comfortable with attached bath, have to be booked through the Wildlife Warden, 50, 4th Main Candhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai - if you turn up on spec, it

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala

One of the largest and most visited wildlife reserves in India, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary occupies 777 square kilometres of the Cardamom hills region of the Western Ghats. The majority of its many visitors come in the hope of seeing tigers and leopards - and most leave disappointed, as the few that remain very wisely keep their distance, and there's only a slight chance of 3 glimpse even at the height of the dry season (April/May). However, there are plenty of other animals: elephant, sambar, wild pig, Malabar flying squirrel, r. stripe-necked mongoose and over 260 species of birds including Nilgiri wood

East of Jaipur in Rajasthan

The fertile area east of Jaipur, interspersed with the forested slopes of the Aravalli Hills, holds an inviting mixture of historic towns and wildlife sanctuaries. The fortified town of Alwar to the northeast, fought over for centuries before its incorporation into Rajasthan in 1949, served as refuge for the exiled Pandava brothers of the Mahabhamta during their thirteenth year of hiding, before Krishna helped them in the fierce battle against their cousins, the Kauravas, chronicled in the Bhagavad Gita. Not far from Alwar, Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary is renowned for its tigers, while further east are the former princely capitals of Deeg

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in North Bengal

Apart from Darjeeling and the hills, most of North Bengal is well off the beaten track; few travellers venture off the Darjeeling-Sikkim-Nepal road. Probably the best reason to do so is to visit the small Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, roughly 124km east of Siliguri. The sanctuary was established in 1943 to help protect wildlife against the encroachment of tea cultivation. Consisting of tracts of tali elephant grass on the banks of the River Torsa, and set against the backdrop of forested foothills, it now shelters around fifty highly endangered greater one-horned rhinoceroses, wild elephants, sambar and hog deer. jaldapara is open from

Arrival, information and orientation of Udhagamandalam in Central Nadu

Most visitors arrive in Ooty either by bus from Mysore in Karnataka (the more scenic, if steeper, route goes via Masinagudi), or on the miniature mountain railway from Coonoor and Mettupalayani. The bus and railway stations are fairly close together, at the western end of the big bazaar and racecourse. Local transport consists of auto-rickshaws and taxis, which meet incoming trains and gather outside the bus stand and on Commercial Road around Charing Cross. You can rent bikes but the steep hills make cycling very hard work. The TTDC tourist office (Mon-Sat 10am-5.45pm) on the corner of Kelso Road and Woodhouse

Accommodation to Rameshwaram in Central Tamil Nadu

Apart from the TTDC hotels, accommodation m Rameshwaram is restricted to basic lodges, mostly in the Car streets around the temple. The temple authorities have a range of rooms for pilgrims; ask at the Devasthanam Office, E Car Street. The railway retiring rooms consist of six large double and three triple rooms, generally cleaner (and quieter) than town lodges for the same price, plus a dorm (Rs40). Ctiola Lodge, N Car Stteet, A basic pilgrim place in the quietest of the Car streets. Maharaja's, 7 Middle St, Located next to the temple's west gale. Good clean rooms with attached bathrooms, two

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Getting to Periyar in kerala

The pothole-filled road that winds through the undulating hills up to Kumily from Ernakulam and Kottayam makes for a very long, slow drive, but it gives wonderful views across the Ghats. The route is dotted with grand churches among the trees, and numerous jazzy roadside shrines to St Francis, St George or the Virgin Mary - a charming Keralan blend of ancient and modern. Once you've climbed through the rubber-tree forests into Idukki District, the mountains get truly spectacular, and the wide-floored valleys are carpeted with lush tea and cardamom plantations. Travellers heading for the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary have first

Eating to Rameshwaram in Central Tamil Nadu

Eating in Rameshwaram is more about survival than delighting the taste buds. Most places serve up fairly unexciting "meals". Arya Bhavan and Kumbakonam, W Car Street. Both places are run by the same family and dish up standard, inexpensive veg “meals”. Ashok Bhavan, W Car Street. Offers cheap, regional varieties of thalis. TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu, near the beach. Gigantic, noisy, high-ceilinged glasshouse near the sea, serving good south Indian snacks and "meals:: - many items on the menu are unavailable, however.

The Ghats in Central Tamil Nadu

Sixty or more million years ago, what we know today as peninsular India was a separate land mass drifting northwest across the ocean towards central Asia Current geological thinking has it that this mass must originally have broken off the African continent along a fault line that is today discernible as a north-south ridge of volcanic mountains, stretching 1400km down the west coast of India known as the Western Ghats. The range rises to a height of around 2500m making it India's second-highest mountain chain after the Himalayas. Forming a natural barrier between the Tamil plains and coastal Kerala and Karnataka,

Practicalities of Kodikkarai in Central Tamil Nadu

Kodikkarai can only be reached (by regular bus) via Vedaranyam, connected by bus to Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Trichy, Chennai and Ramanathapuram (for Rameshwaram). The nearest railway station is 30km away at Tiruthuraipondi. The only accommodation in the area, the Forest Department's exceptionally inexpensive Poonarai Rest House (reserve through DFO, Main Street, Thanjavur, or the wildlife warden in Nagapattinam), has ten plain, spacious rooms, each with chairs, desk, fan, bedding, bath and balcony. Apart from in January, when the rest house is invariably full, it's usually possible to turn up without a reservation. Food is limited to a couple of chai shops

Kanniyakumari in Central Tamil Nadu

KANNIYAKUMARI, at the southernmost extremity of India, is almost as compelling for Hindus as Rameshwaram. It is significant, not only for its association with a virgin goddess, Kanya Devi, but also as the meeting point of the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Watching the sun rise and set from here is the big attraction, especially on full-moon day in April, when it's possible to see both the setting sun and rising moon on the same horizon. Although Kanniyakumari is in the state of Tamil Nadu, most foreign visitors arrive on day-trips from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala,

Around Tezpur in the Northeast

Tezpur is an ideal base for a trip to the small, rarely visited wildlife sanctuary of Orang, 65km away. The Eco Camp at Potosali - a joint venture between the Forestry and Wildlife departments and the Assam Anglers - lies a few kilometres before the Arunachal border checkpoint on the Bhoroli river. They can arrange fishing trips to pit your wits and strength against the mighty niahseer, as well as jungle treks, rafting and visits to local villages. Accommodation is in double-bed tents with thatched covers and a four-bed dorm. Fishing trips can be booked through the Assam Angling Association

Vaikuntha Perumal Temple in Tamil Nadu

Built shortly after the Kailasanatha Temple at the end of the eighth century, the smaller Vaikuntha Perumal Temple, a few hundred metres west of the railway station, is dedicated to Vishnu. Its lofty carved vimana (towered sanctuary) crowns three shrines containing images ofVishnu, stacked one on top of the other. Unusual scenes carved in the walls enclosing the temple yard depict events central to Pallava history, among them coronations, court gatherings and battles with the Chalukyas who ruled the regions to the northwest. The temples pillared entrance hall was added by Vijayanagar rulers five centuries later, and is very different

Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa

The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, 10km southeast of Chaudi, was established in 1969 to protect a remote and vulnerable area of forest lining the Goa-Karnataka border. Encompassing 86 square kilometres of mixed deciduous woodland, the reserve is certain to inspire tree-lovers, bur less likely to yield many wildlife sightings: its tigers and leopards were hunted out long ago, while the gazelles, sloth bears, porcupines, panthers and hyenas that allegedly lurk in the woods rarely appear. You do, however, stand a good chance of

Practicalities of Sabhanayaka Temple in Central Tamil Nadu

Chidambaram revolves around the Sabhanayaka Temple and the busy market area that surrounds it, along North, East, South and West Car streets. Though little more than a country halt, the railway station, 2km southeast of the centre, has good connections both north and south, and boasts retiring rooms and, on platform 1, a post office (Mon-Sat 9am-lpm & 1.30-5pm). Frequent buses from Chennai,Thanjavur, Mamallapprarn, and Madurai pull in at the bus stand, also in the southeast, but nearer the centre, about lkm from the temple. Staff at the TTDC tourist office, next Co TTDC Tamil Nadu hotel on Railway Feeder Road,

Tiruchirapalli and around in Central Tamil Nadu

TIRUCHIRAPALLI - more commonly referred to as Trichy - stands in the plains between the Shevaroy and Palani hills, just under 100km north of Madurai. Dominated by the dramatic Rock Fort, it's a sprawling cominerc, centre with a modern feel; the town melt holds little attraction, but pilgrim flock through en route to the spectacular Ranganathaswamy Temple : Srirangam. 6km north. The precise date of Trichy s foundation is uncertain, but though little early architecture remains, it is clear that between 200 and 1000 AD control of the city passed between the Pallavas and Pandyas.

Visiting Tamil Nadu

Temperatures in Tamil Nadu, which usually hover around 30°C, peak in May and June, when they often soar above 40°C, and the overpowering heat makes anything but sittmg in a shaded cafe exhausting. The state is barely affected by the southwest monsoon that pounds much of India from June to September: 11 receives most of its rain between October and December, when the odd may well make an appearance. The cooler, rainy days, however, bring their own problems: widescale flooding can disrupt road and rail links and1 imbue everything with an all-pervasive dampness. Accommodation throughout the state is good and plentiful;

Details of Tamil Nadu

When Indians refer to "the South", it's usually TAMIL NADU they're talking about. While Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are essentially cultural transition zones buffering the Hindi-speaking north, and Kerala and Goa maintain their own distinctively idiosyncratic identities, the peninsula's massive Tamil-speaking state is India's piavidian Hindu heartland. Traditionally protected by distance and the military might of the southern Deccan kingdoms, the region has, over the centuries, been less exposed to northern influences than its neighbours. As a result, the three powerful dynasties dominating the south - the Cholas, the Pallavas and the Pandyans - were able, over a period of