[Nutty Nair]

Hi All,
This is my first travelogue in TBhp. So here goes!

Destination: Bonacord (Bonaccord/Bonacaud) situated at a distance of around 60 Kms from Trivandrum

Ride: Pulsar 150 Dtsi

Route: Trivandrum - Nedumangad - Vithura - Bonacord

Road Condition: Good in patches

Camera: Sony DSC H5

The problem with a vacation is usually the days total up pretty quickly, especially after the customary visits to one's relatives & friends. It was already 2 weeks since I had landed in Trivandrum & apart from some rides to Shanghumugham Beach & Veli, I was not able to go anywhere for any trip. So I was raring to go for a trip somewhere cool to escape from the heat & humidity. Decided to go to Bonacord on Sunday (07/09/08) on my bike.

About Bonacord
Bonacord is a hillstation around 60 kms from Trivandrum. One can find tea plants cultivated in the undulating slopes here.As is usual, the estate & the factory was established by the British. At present, the Bonacord Estate & tea factory is owned by Mahavir Plantations based in Gujarat. As of now, the factory has been closed for some years. These facts I got from the local people who used to work in the factory. The factory building is in a dilapidated condition & the machinery is also in a sorry state. Bonacord is also a sort of "base camp" for trekking to Agastyarkoodam which is the second highest peak in Kerala after Anamudi.

The Trip
I don't know whether it's only me or it happens to others also. I usually become an insomniac the night before the ride. So tossed & turned in my bed the whole night. Got up at around 4 AM, woke my mother (she was going to Ernakulam by train), came back after dropping her at the station & called my friend. He said he would be ready by 7.30 AM, so went to pick him up at 7.30. When I reached there, he was still having his breakfast in a leisurely manner. Ara minute oru iddalikku, naalu iddalliye ulleda (1/2 a minute for 1 idli, only 4 idlis da! he said). Maybe he didn't tell me about the 2 bananas or the milk, anyway when I looked at the time again it was already 8. Well, finally we start at 8.30 AM.

Put around 300 rupees worth of fuel into the tank & zoomed straight to Nedumangadu. Had my breakfast there & a cup of hot tea. We also ordered parcel for afternoon as we knew there will be no hotel open in Bonacord during this time. From Nedumangadu, it was straight ride to Vithura. One has to turn right after 3-4 kms after Vithura to go to Bonacord.

We reached Bonacord by around 1 PM. From Vithura to Bonacord, the distance is around 30-35 kms. The scenery along this route is just awesome! Stopped the bike on numerous occassions to take photos. Just before we reached Bonacord, it started raining heavily. But we had no problems as both of us were ready to get wet. The scenery became more lush & beautiful with the rain. We took some photos & had our food. After taking some more photos after lunch, we started back to Trivandrum in the pouring rain. We reached Trivandrum around 4.30 PM. All in all enjoyed the trip!
Now for some photos

1) Cloudy Day
2) Rubber trees on either side of the road
3) And you will have shade all the way!
4) Undulations
5) Close-up!
6) Bamboo forest
7) All twisted up!
8) Beautiful flowers
9) The Tea Factory shot from the Watch Tower
10) One more macro shot
11) Silver lining in the clouds or Silver in the water?
12) Bent!
13) Small waterfall but what roar it makes!
14) We were not the only ones out in the rain
15) Heavy Rain!

[kutlee]

Nice narrow roads. Perfect for taking turns!!
Good pics. Will visit this place next trip to TVM.

[hellstar]

Thats a nice find Nutty_Nair , will definitely visit the place soon enough ! and nice pictures looks like you had a really nice time ....

[hvkumar]

Always wanted to go to Bonacad since I was a kid, never made it - one must-go place near Trivandrum.

A quick query - does one enter Nedumangad to go to Vithura, or is it further down the road to Palode? Any Check Posts en route where they restrict night movements? What about wildlife on the way - I know the area beyond Bonacad to be extremely thick jungle which has lots of tuskers. Any hotels in Bonacad?

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Such a soothing sight. Thanks for showing us. Our country is so full of such little surprises, tucked away in unknown corners. I just hope they keep this place as pristine for future also.
Sudipto

[bblost]

I love this pic. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...d-dsc00634.jpg

All of them are nice but this is simply superb.

[mjothi]

Good writeup and If I am right, I think this is one new place in this forum right? Thanks for bringing in.

[hellstar]

Right mjothi , this is the first one on teambhp for Bonacord... hopefully i will be able to do this small trip in a weeks time. will give in a report with details on the wildlife then...

[supremeBaleno]

Saw the thread title 'Bonacord' and thought it must be a travelogue about some place in Europe. Pleasantly surprised to see it is in Deivathinte swantham naadu (God's Own Country).

Nice travelogue (and pics too), Nutty Nair.

[Sankar]

Wonderful pics NuttyNair! Rain makes it more beautiful!

[phamilyman]

Lovely place boss. Niiiice!

[Steeroid]

We learn new things everyday. Never heard of this place before!!!

Thanks NuttyNair for introducing us to this new possibility for a D R I V E, and for the pics.

[cnaganathan]

Nice travelogue and great pics. No wonder they call it God's own country

[Nutty Nair]

cnaganathan, Steeroid, phamilyman, Sankar, supremeBaleno, mjothi, bblost, Sudipto, kutlee-
Thanks for the words of encouragement. You people made my day.

hvkumar - Two ways are there
1) Enter Nedumangadu town, carry straight past KSRTC Bus stand & take the first deviation to the right. This way you can save 2 to 3 kms. It joins the main route after Aanadu. From there it is straight to Vithura.
2) While coming from Trivandrum, do not enter Nedumangadu town. Carry on straight. The road goes through Aanadu to Vithura.

Yes, Two checkposts are there, the first one is about 10 kms before Bonacord & the second one is inside the Bonacord estate. The second checkpost is manned only during the trekking season (December to April). I had gone there during night time for trekking to Agastyarkoodam. That time there was no problem. But it may be due to the fact that it was during the period when passes are issued for trekking to Agastyarkoodam. We used to stay at Bonacord overnight (there are no hotels, one had to rough it out in the open) & start trekking early morning itself. But during other times, one has to register at the checkpost & now there is an entry fee of Rs.35 per person & Rs.20/- for the vehicle. Will try to get the information about night travel.

The thick forest starts after the forest check post inside the Bonacord estate. The area has elephants, bisons, etc. but sightings are rare.

The building with the tiled roof in the second last picture is the only hotel in Bonacord. No, it doesn't have boarding facilities & it opens only during the trekking season (December to April). However the food will be basic but tasty stuff if you are visiting during this period. But it is safe to get food from Nedumangadu. You can stay at Nedumangadu or Palode.

hellstar - If you are interested in wildlife, you can visit Pandipattu near Bonacord. But you will need the permission from Forest dept. You can obtain it from PTP Nagar office or from the first checkpost. It is a 2 day program & they will provide the guide, food, accomodation in the dormitory, etc. The main attraction is Bison sightings. Also, there is a waterfall called Bono Falls inside the forest. The area is good for elephant sightings.


Posting some more pictures

[Sankar]

NuttyNair, the picture of the waterbody that you have posted is it a part of the Peppara reservoir?