So, what are you planning to do this weekend? If you still have not made any plans yet, allow us to introduce a new route. A short ride from Thodupuzha – through a couple of scenic spots.
Your trip will start from Thodupuzha and end in Thodupuzha making it one of those rare trips that will start and end at the same place – but through different routes. It is a liberating trip and you can be back within three hours.
So, off we go. We start off from Thodupuzha. The drive takes us through Muttom about 8 km away. The road skirts the Malankara Reservoir for the next nine kilometers. You ride through a canopy of lush green. Beyond the Malankara Plantation, you see the hills and tiny streams of a waterfall cascading down. Do pack your rain gear because you may not find a place to take shelter beyond Kanjar.
And this incidentally is the prettiest stretch. And it is one of those places which the moviemakers have fallen in love with. A lot of films, including Drishyam, Rasathanthram, Meerayude Dukhavum Muthuvinte Swapnavum have been shot here. The road is good – and you will really enjoy the drive on this stretch.
You start the ride uphill from Arakulam Ashoka Junction. There are 12 hairpin bends that you have to zip through before you reach Nadukani view point. And the place lives up to the name. Unless it is covered with mist and sleet, you can see the Malankara Powerhouse, Moolamattam Powerhouse and the villages at a distance from here. This spot is a favorite for those who love to take selfies.
From here, your drive will take you to Kulamavu. There is a picturesque pond near the Kulamavu police station. Do take a break here, because photography is banned at Kulamavu Dam. Give your camera a break and take in the environs. This is where you grab a bite too. There are a couple of local shops and toddy 'shaaps' which dish out the best non-vegetarian food.
From here, you enter the forest area. Take the turn to the left from a place called Paramada - and you can reach Thodupuzha. This road through the meadows and forest is pretty, to say the least. You can stop by along this road and the view is just spectacular. The road winds downhill and has a lot of blind turns - you have to be very careful while you drive this route - which will take you through Uppukunnu, Peringasseri, Karimannoor to Thodupuzha.
Read more: Travel | Beyond Kerala | More places in Idukki
