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-   -   Civved : Parambikulam, Gavi, Vagamon via Thekkady & Valparai (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/88147-civved-parambikulam-gavi-vagamon-via-thekkady-valparai-5.html)

You can walk around freely in the are where the tents are, that's not much. Once outside that you need a guide / naturalist with you. Those are walking trails, not motorable.

Those cottages are still there. One near Thunakadavu (6km from here) and another one at Parambikulam (18km from here).

Day 02, 20.08.2010
Parambikulam WLS

By 15:00 promptly the bus safari started. People from the other tents were also in the bus. Since I befriended the driver, we got to sit on the front near him. The front portion to the left of the driver in that Swaraj mazda had three seats, and I took the engine top as my seat in the middle. The driver used to spot the wild life and lets me take pictures through his window by positioning the bus in an advantage position for me. Very nice driver and spotter, he was.

Peacock


Spotted Deer




Wild Boar


Sambar






Nilgiri Langur





We passed through Thunakadavu Dam and canals. I did not take any pictures since I anyway have to pass through this area the next day for the next nights stay. I will have my civvy then, and I can stop anywhere to click at leisure.

Our first stop was Kannimara Teak. The largest teak tree in the world.



The road to the teak tree





Kannimara Teak




Junior Power Puff Girl in front of Kannimara Teak. 30 such kids touching each other or 7 adults with both hands extended can form a round about the the tree. Hope you get the scale now :)


Some Special Effects :D




A dead tree trunk for reference


After the teak visit, by around 16:15 we moved on towards Parambikulam Dam for bamboo rafting.


continued...

Day 02, 20.08.2010
Parambikulam WLS

On the way to Parambikulam Dam we stopped at a view point called Dam View Point. From here you can view the Thunakadavu Dam amongst the Teak Forests.

Dam View Point


Beautiful route till Dam View point




Thunakadavu Dam as seen from here




The Panorama - full size.



continued...

Lalu,

Is it the same waterbody? The one which folks have captured on their drive to Athirapally?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...ml#post2028384

Lalu,
I am a late visitor to your thread but thoroughly enjoying your experience, photographs and narration. It is a great feeling, so many are into wildlife in their own ways...these days.

Good photographs, especially the panorama of the dam and water body.
Regards,

Lalu, lovely photos from you as always!

No. What they saw was Aliyar Dam, which is down of the Valparai Ghats. This Dam is Thunakadavu Dam, and orientation wise this is above the mountains to the left of Valparai. It is like Nelliyampathy at the top, then comes Parambikulam, then these dams, then comes Valparai, and then comes Aliyar dam and then comes Munnar, Kodai, Thekkady like that in sequence of right to left :)


Thanks Fazal.
I am an avid fan of your wild life photos. I am trying out my small intro to the wild life and some photography. But it is addictive for sure.

Thanks Imran.

Lalu, the last photo of Kannimara Teak is simply mesmerising.

ampere, no, what you see in Thunakadavu is not the Sholayar which you see when you go from Valparai to Athirapalli, that is the water impounded by the Sholayar Dam.

Thank you HVK :)
The dams in these areas are an engineering marvel. Interconnected by tunnels etc.. I have got an idea on talking to those guides, but still confused.

Parambikulam dam is connected to Thunakkadavu via a tunnel. Thunakkadavu to Aliyar by another tunnel. Sholayar to Parambikulam is it connected? Upper Nira Veir to Sholayar is connected by a tunnel which can be seen at Vellmalai and Upper Nirar veir. More of this as the story progresses. I also took some time to understand all these marvels :)

Lalu, Great going! There seems to be some new developments in Parambikulam now. I think it's time for another visit.
And yes, it is due to the efforts of our teachers like Rev. Fr. Berthold, Christudas Sir, T T Antony Sir etc. that we are able to escape infractions here. :D You still remember Daffodils. Hats off to your memory, man!

So another instigation from my side :D.
Daffodils cannot be forgotten :)

Day 02, 20.08.2010
Parambikulam WLS

We reached the Parambikulam reservoir by 17:00.

We came to the reservoir Bamboo rafting area through some Bamboo Forest.


We could already see some localites rowing across.


We were put into batches of 4 to Bamboo rafts, and we had an hour of rafting in the cool waters, slight drizzle and amazing breeze.


We spotted elephants on an island, and was told that they are very good swimmers.







This is the Veetikunnu Island.


It is possible to stay in this island. Food - you'll have to carry provisoins and cook there. Elephants can give you company if they so wish to swim to that island. It is fun :)

This boat will take you to the island.



Panorama of the reservoir rafting area.



continued....

Day 02, 20.08.2010
Parambikulam WLS

By 18:00 we drove to the Parambikulam Dam.




Panorama


If water is left from this dam by opening these gates then the water goes as waste all the way to Arabian sea via Athirampally falls. This canal will be joined by Thellickal river at Kuriarkutty and thus it forms the start of the water that flows to Athirampally, or simply the origin of that falls.




From here you can see the tallest peak here, the Karimala Gopuram.


There is a trek possible to the top of this peak.

Some local legends say women cannot climb till the peak. If a women so decides to go, then the weather will become dangerous and visibility nil in theose areas. Some people still believes it and swears by God. After seeing how thick Mist was engulfing the peak, I guess it is equally difficult for guys also to make it. Should trek it up one day!


After a quick visit to the dam we reached Parambikulam centre. This is where the Govt. buses come.






A little further from here I saw the Parambikulam Tree Top accomodation.




There was quick arrangement for tea and snacks from a shop nearby.

After tea we went to the Tiger Hall.




A tribal dance was organised here.


At 19:00 we started on our return journey to the tents. The tents are at a place called Anappady, near to the reception and 20 kms from Parambikulam. Only this bus is allowed to ply after the 18:00, and this is the only possibility for a night safari at Parambikulam.

I took my vantage seat next to the driver. A lot of animals were on the roads, the only addition now being Gaurs - lots of them. All those animals which we saw in the afternoon were there on the streets, in huge numbers. I tried to take some video for some time. Then decided to stop and watch them and enjoy. Some morons were clicking them with flash annoying the animals. Finally the driver shouted and made it stop.

We took nearly 1 hour to come back seeing all the animals on the way.

Dinner was served at 20:30.

After Dinner at 21:30 there was a documentary organised on wild life. We went there to see that no body turned up. We waited for a while, and then told the guide instead of the film, to take us for a long trek the next day. The guide agreed for a 5Km trek with kids in search of sloth bear, and we came back to the tents, washed up and pounced on to the bed by 22:00 to wake up early by 05:30 next day.


All in all a long day for me, almost 24 hours starting from 19.08.2010 23:00 to 20.08.2010 22:00. But very fruitful day.

Hi laluks,

Amazing timing on the wildboar and sambar, it is as if they are posing for you as any human would. Again the panorama of the Thunakadavu dam is worth stealing and have done so(actually saved more than just that one). The next photo shows that you now have a long range zoom lens too or was it always there?

A picture is indeed worth a thousand words and having the Jr. PPG pose against the Kannimara teak tree was a great idea. It is only upon seeing the photo that one is struck with the sheer size of the tree. Any photos of the elephants swimming to/from the island(s).

A good read with amazing snaps! What a great way to end the day or begin the week, either way one can't lose.

Thanks Khoj :).

I have picked up a 500mm some months ago, but gets to use it very rarely.

Unfortunately no photos of them swimming :(