Vellimalai

Vellimalai is a small hill station in Meghamalai forest range. Vellimalai was well connected with Meghamalai and Thekkady during the British Era. Vellimalai can be reached from Kodaikanal through Poomparai, Top Station, Munnar, Thekkady and Meghamalai. Entire route was developed to transport Tea. Vellimalai is fully covered under "Reserved Forest" and designated as "Wild Life Reserve". Make sure you reach the Kandamanur Forest Range office and get permission to enter the checkpost near Ghat Road. Range Officer will check for the real reason of your visit and permit you to enter the Ghat roads. There are four tea estates in Vellimalai developed during British Era.

Accommodation is available with Forest Department on demand and approval basis. Please check with Range office for availability and approval. Tea estates have good guest houses available on Estate Managers approval only.

Abundant wild life makes a good destination for good photographers interested in wild life photography in Theni District. Entire area is less or not polluted by human habitation. A good eco destination for travellers. Take your kids with you and enjoy the ride till the Tea estate and return back. Would suggest to start from Chinna Suruli water falls before 2 pm and cross the Poaching Prevention Shed Checkpost before 4 pm. Return back on time so that you cross the Poaching Prevention Shed before 5.30 pm and drive slowly to look for wild life.

I experienced a nice glimpse of wild life that has seen less human population. I didnt have a good camera to capture the wonderful encounters with wild life in Vellimalai of Theni District. You can expect Tropical Bear, Elephant, Malabar Squirrel, Monkeys, Pea-Cock, Pea-Hen, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Nilgiri Thar, Leopard, Tiger, various fowls, Quails, etc. I was able to see barking deer, Malabar Squirrel, Spotted Deer, fowl hen with chicks, Pea-Cock, Pea-Hen, Fowl Cocks, etc. A very good experience but missed to carry a good camera to capture them. We need a good camera that can shoot instantly, less response time, high speed autofocus, low light capability, good aperture value, etc.

Never miss Vellimalai in Lifetime. A good place to encounter wild life!

Chinna Suruli

Chinna Suruli is a mid size waterfall located near Kumana Thozhu in Theni District. You have to take the right 3 KM before Mailadumparai and head towards the Kadamalaikundu Forest range. Chinna Suruli is a good destination for nature lovers and eco travellers. Chinna Suruli can be clubbed with Vellimalai and can be done in one single day.

Accommodation facility is available in Vellimalai Poaching prevention checkpost and is purely a forest department guest house with no or very limited facilities. Guest houses are also available in Tea estates at Vellimalai. Try to stay in Theni and travel from Theni to the water falls.

Staying at Theni helps in enjoying Suruli, Meghamalai, Thekkadi and then travel to Munnar and come down from Munnar through the Marayoor Forest range.

We have to ride over a small bridge to cross the major stream that satisfies the water requirement of these ranges for both drinking and agriculture.

Once you cross the stream, you will see the road lonely for most of the distance untill Kumana Thozhu is reached. Get some stuffs for munching and ensure that you have enough drinking water before you cross this village. On reaching the Chinna Suruli, you need to park your vehicle well before the water falls and walk for about few meters. You will hear the water rushing on the other side of the walk way. There are are many mango trees as you pass by.

Above is the Vellimalai view on the way.

Entire way to Chinna Suruli is really great. We enjoyed a lot all the way to Chinna Suruli. We were surprised when we saw the water falls was more huge and broad than we expected.

There are several other small streams around the waterfalls looking like small waterfalls around greeny shrubs. You should go in person and look at them to enjoy them.

We had a wonderfull time enjoying at the waterfalls, munched few snacks, ensured social responsibility to not to use any plastic, soap, shampoo, etc. and left the place with our foot prints and carried enough sweet memories.

We headed towards Vellimalai to have a glimpse of ecological forest and wildlife still unspoiled.