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A scenic beauty, the Athirappilly Falls In Kerala has guest-starred in lots of Bollywood movies. This 80 ft high monstrous waterfall is located 70 km from the city of Kochi. It joins the Chalakudy River after plunging down 80 ft from the top. It's also called "The Niagara of India" because of its close resemblance to the Niagara Falls in the USA. For nature lovers, this place is God's gift, and I didn't want to deprive myself of this exotic gift.
Ready for spectacular sightseeing, I was expecting around three hours of driving to reach this beautiful location. I asked my nature lover friend to join me on my amazing road trip for a much needed stress-buster weekend. Without any convincing, he was all ready to join me. So, here's how I faired in my 2 days trip to the Athirappilly Falls.
Table of contents for my trip:
- Starting point: Kochi city
- Number of days: 2 days, 1 night
- Companion: My friend and I
- Mode of Transport: Personal four wheeler car
- Best time to visit: Monsoon
Nearest air and rail locations
- Kochi International Airport is the nearest airport (55 km)
- Chalakudy Railway Station is the nearest railway station (30 km)
Day 1
Driving through the concrete jungle of Kochi was great fun. With dense rubber, pineapple and coconut plantations on both sides, I could see that the land area was optimally used. It felt amazing breezing through this area with no noise or air pollution. All we could hear and feel was the gentle breeze, chirping birds, clean air and lush green plantations. A couple of hours into the drive, we reached a beautiful spot, the Vazahal Waterfall.
PC : Jeganam
Vazahal Waterfall
A charming waterfall, this place is very close to a medicinal garden that contains lots of plants that are known to cure serious health ailments. The garden was not only filled with herbal plants but also monkeys. As such, the waterfall is secured by railings to prevent tourists from getting too close to the waterfall. We also came across lots of beautiful flowers around this place. The view of the waterfall combined with these exotic flowers made it all the more splendid. After spending a good amount of time over here, we headed to our next destination, the Athirapally Waterfall.
PC : Dilshad Roshan
Athirapally Waterfall
The path leading to the waterfall was filled with thick bamboo clusters. The water force was majestic, to say the least. Luckily the weather was pleasant too. So, we were able to enjoy the view to the fullest by walking around the forest area. After walking for a brief period, we found a nice spot just to sit, relax and enjoy our time at this fabulous location. Getting drenched from the sprinkles of the waterfall was great fun as well. In my opinion, the climb and descent can prove to be a little stressful for older adults due to the uneven and slippery path. However, not visiting this place would be like doing injustice to this beauty. After spending a few hours at the Athirapally Waterfall, we headed towards the Kodanad Elephant Training Centre.
PC : Kerala Tourism Official Website
Kodanad Elephant Training Centre
It's an elephant training and rescue centre that has garnered lots of attention from tourists in the recent years. Located on the shores of the Periyar River, it was nice to see the elephants bathe and feed over here. A few hours went by like a breeze as we kept admiring the elephants and nature.
Hotel Malayattor Residency
With the day almost nearing to an end, we decided to stay at Hotel Malayattor Residency. We got our rooms on the second floor of the hotel that offered a nice view from the back window. The room service and food were good. Moreover, the rooms were spacious enough, and they had all the essential amenities at reasonable rates. After having a nice dinner, we went to sleep in our cozy beds, all eager to explore more places, the next day.
Day 2
The hotel offered a complimentary breakfast. So, after feeding ourselves, we set out to visit the following places on day 2.
PC : Sreejith K
Peringalkuthu Dam
We were told that not too many tourists visit this dam as one requires permission from the forest officials to pay a visit to this dam. The dam is used for electricity production. After seeking necessary guidance and permission, we decided to uncover this beauty which was hidden amidst thick forest. The road to the dam wasn't the best, but the view was great. It proved to be a nice place for a short break to enjoy some fresh air.
PC : Rameshng
Silver Storm Water Theme Park
Located very close to the Athirapally waterfalls, this place was amazing. It had plenty of water rides and other fun-filled things to do. The park also had staff members dressed as cartoon characters to welcome people. There were a few gift shops as well. We spent some time shopping when our stay at this place was nearing an end. Overall, it was a nice action-packed day at this park. It felt like we should live in this world of excitement forever. However, this was not going to be the case. With a heavy heart, we set on our path back to the hotel room to return to Kochi city.
Millions of visitors visit the Athirappilly Falls each year, yet the place is nicely conserved. The greenery around the place seemed so clean and untouched. It was incredible to see how the place was well maintained and taken care of. I was definite to make a return sooner or later!
How To Reach Athirappilly Falls?
