[darklord]

Tangasseri Lighthouse, Kollam (8.880588, 76.566011):















Ruins of Fort St. Thomas:

[laluks]

Originally Posted by darklord

Tangasseri Lighthouse, Kollam (8.880588, 76.566011):

Brought back some memories of our Thangasseri drive
The views are amazing, only grouse is that FORT is left to fall of on its own!! Somebody should really take care to protect what ever is remaining

[Nutty Nair]

A quick update

Route to Bonacaud is now closed to visitors presently. Reason cited by forest officials is to prevent forest fire during the summer. It is closed indefinitely for now, will update when they allow visitors. At present, one can go till the check post only. Vazhuvanthol w/f is also closed to visitors currently. Of course, if you still want to go to Bonacaud during this time, you can catch the KSRTC bus to Bonacaud.

On another note, glad to see this thread is still alive and kicking!

[gadadhar]

Happy to see new posts on this thread, hope more get added to it soon. No harm in covering Kollam and other nearby districts if you feel is done with Trivandrum..

[venkatt1800]

Agree with gadadhar. This has been a very informative thread and would be nice if it is extended to nearby Kollam district and surroundings.

[Prodigy07]

Has anyone been to Chadayamangalam? Is it worth visiting?

[vindrider2626]

The work is going on in jadayupara and by this month end it will be opened to the public partially and by end October the full opening of the the adventure park is slated for

[darklord]

Originally Posted by Prodigy07

Has anyone been to Chadayamangalam? Is it worth visiting?

laluks' visit a few years ago:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...r-roots-9.html

[aswin ajith]

Originally Posted by Nutty Nair

Kalikesam

Hi. Any updates about the route to this place. Was planning to visit this place from Trivandrum with family tomorrow. Planning early morning start 7 AM from our hotel. Staying at Residency tower near Secretariat. The aim is to reach Kanyakumari before sunset. Wikipedia says we need prior permission from forest office to visit the temple. Please advise. Planning to visit Padhmanabhapuram Palace , Udayagiri fort and Kumarakovil along with this and reach Kanyakumari by evening or late evening. This is the route I have in mind. Please do correct me if needed.
Trivandrum - Kalikesam - Padhmanabhapuram Palace - Kumarakovil - Udayagiri Fort - Kanyakumari.

Thanks in advance.

[airguitar]

Hello folks.

Does anyone know how long it takes to climb Udayagiri fort and get back ( base to base ) ? Three reasonably-fit adults climbing.

Thanks in advance.

[Mysticeyes]

Originally Posted by Nutty Nair

A quick update

Route to Bonacaud is now closed to visitors presently. Reason cited by forest officials is to prevent forest fire during the summer. It is closed indefinitely for now, will update when they allow visitors. At present, one can go till the check post only. Vazhuvanthol w/f is also closed to visitors currently. Of course, if you still want to go to Bonacaud during this time, you can catch the KSRTC bus to Bonacaud.

On another note, glad to see this thread is still alive and kicking!

Even summers can be so inviting at Bonanacaud

[JohnnyBoss]

Originally Posted by Nutty Nair

Thovalai
Thovalai is a village located in Kanyakumari district. It is famous for the cultivation and sale of flowers. Flowers are also exported to various places from Thovalai. The local speciality is the peculiar jasmine flower known as Pichi Vellai or Pichi Poo locally.

Route: Trivandrum (0 km) - Thuckalay (57 kms) - Parvathipuram (68.8 kms)- Vettoorimandam (70.5 kms) - Thovalai (82 kms) - Muppandal (92 kms)

From both Parvathipuram & Vettorimandam, the road forks into two. Take the left fork in both the cases. In case of any confusion, ask the way to Tirunelveli.

There is a Murugan temple at Thovalai which is situated in a hillock. The view from the top of the hillock is an amazing one. You can also see the windmills at Muppandal from here. The market at Thovalai is a good start for seeing the flowers but if you want to see the fields were the flowers are cultivated you have to go further 12 kms from Thovalai. After Muppandal you can see the buildings of Rajas College on the right side. A small road is there to the right adjacent to the college buildings. Travel along the road and you will come across a level crossing. After the level crossing the road deteriorates as some work is being carried on but it is for a very short distance only. As it joins a four lane road you can see the windmill farms on the right side and a small distance further the flower fields starts on the left side.

Digging up from from deep ....

What is the best time to visit Thovalai flower market to see its action in at its peak?

TIA

[spindoc]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBoss

Digging up from from deep ....

What is the best time to visit Thovalai flower market to see its action in at its peak?

TIA

From what I have heard (no 1st hand experience) - You can visit all year round. Market timings are ~ 5 AM - 10/11 AM. Peak trading activity happens during festivals such as Onam / Deepavali.

[darklord]

Tried out boating through Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary a couple of days ago. Tickets are available mostly through the counter at Thenmala Ecotourism Information Center (8.959555, 77.061994), although sometimes a counter may be open near the boating point at Pallamvetty Saddle Dam (8.946943, 77.066146).

There are two big boats and a small 8-seater boat. Ticket rate is 270 per head. Unfortunately, there was nobody else for the trip, so we had to hire the small 8-seater boat on our own (270 x 8 = 2160). The trip is for an hour, but the friendly crew extended it by about 10 mins or so.

This is possibly the worst time for animal sightings as it is the rainy season and is the dam is just 3 m short of full and the water level is up to the treeline of the forest. According to the crew, 4 pm trips during summer months are the best time for sightings. They also explained there were 3-4 jungle camps available to the public. More info here and here.

Saddle dam:






Thenmala dam:










One of their accommodation, Kalamkunnu IB:




White-throated kingfisher:


Predator and prey:




Little cormorant:






Red-wattled lapwing: