The Maravakandy watch tower is a surprise package that would provide memorable moments for people visiting Masinagudi, which comes under the Muthumalai Tiger Reserve in Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu.
Usually, the forest terrain is quite treacherous during monsoon, but not in Masinagudi. The drive through the verdant forest to reach the watch tower on the shores of the dam is pretty smooth. Once you reach there, the vistas are amazing and the reflection of blue sky on the placid waters of the dam will blow your mind away.
One can reach the watch tower, which is situated near the dam, after driving for a while on the Moyar road. As electric fences are erected to prevent wild animals from entering the area near the tower, the vehicles can be parked without any hassles. You can reserve rooms in the watch tower through the website of Muthumalai Tiger Reserve if you want to be in the midst of wilderness. The room rent for two persons is Rs 3,000 and for three persons Rs 4,500.
Make sure to carry all essential items while visiting a remote spot like the watch tower in Masinagudi. The green tower literally standing tall amidst the greenery all around will greet you and the mesmerizing sights in the region will definitely overwhelm you. With peacocks and deer on one side and cloud-capped mountains and thick forest on the other, every visitor will be forced to redefine the pristine beauty of nature.
Wake up to the cries of wild animals
One of the highlights of Masinagudi is that it has many resorts that provide opportunities to travellers to say in close proximity, that too safely, to the some of the beautiful wild animals in India. And the Maravakandy watch tower is no different. The structure houses two spick-and-span spacious rooms. The building, which is inside an electric fence, is built atop four pillars and you don’t have to worry about any attack by wild animals.
The first floor has a room with two beds and the next floor a spacious room with three beds. The rooms have tall windows facilitating a magnificent view of the surrounding. Interestingly, four unique engrossing sights await you on four sides of the rooms. On one side you can see the tranquil waters of the Maravakandy water body and on the opposite direction the imposing mountains that look like a fortress. A long winding mud path would catch your eye on the back side of the room and the green dense forest on the left side would reflect the rustic charm of nature. A sound sleep can be a distant dream as you could hear elephants that come to drink water from the water body near the tower trumpeting throughout the night.
The sight of otters swiftly swimming in the water is simply awesome. When the sun rises in the morning, it is euphony of sounds with deer, peacocks, bison, elephants and monkeys contributing their bit. One thing is for sure, people visiting the enthralling Maravakandy can return with a bagful of memories.
