Vagamon, Asian
Scotland a tiny plantation township in central Kerala, has an overtone of green
with never ending tea gardens, lush green pine valleys. The small town with
breathtakingly beautiful scenery, alluring meadows, beckoning breeze and meandering
water bodies is really striking. Vagamon truly is a place to experience eternal
bliss and peace of mind.
There are
different transits to reach Vagamon from Kochi. We chose to travel via
Thodupuzha, which is a 100 kms travel. We started from Aluva, reached Thodupuzha
in Kerala state transport bus. We took a break to fill our appetite and after a
small sightseeing in Thodupuzha, we started towards Erattupetta. The last bus
towards Vagamon from Erattupetta is at 7:30pm. It was dark when we reached Erattupetta,
so we rented a room for night stay. We decided to travel Vagamon in the first
bus from Erattupetta next morning. Lodging facility is economic and decent
enough to stay in Erattupetta but as expected we had problem with food as there
were no vegetarian restaurants.
Next day early in the morning we started towards Vagamon. Reaching Vagamon itself is an extraordinary experience. Its bliss and enthralling to travel in meandering roads cut in solid rocks lined with pine forests leading to the breath-taking valley view thousands feet below and magnificent views all around.
Vagamon cuddled
up within three striking hills Thangal, Murugan and Kurusimala hills, is representation
of cultural harmony and it is sacred place for Muslims, Hindus and Christian communities’
gives an enchanting and ethnic feel to this beautiful hill station. Vagamon is
verdant foliage territory where anybody can laze around for weeks happily.
We reached Vagamon at around 7:00am in the morning when the clouds had completely covered the peaks. We got down from the bus at Kurusimala junction. Kurusimala is a renowned Christian pilgrim center where hundreds of devotees from far and near converge to climb the hill in faith. It was an awesome walk amidst mist covered Kurusimala Hills. The peaceful Monastery at the top of the hill, the silence of the hills, the cool mountain air and the lush green landscape are all soothing to the soul. We spent short time in Kurusimala but still had a great time.
Soon, we started
towards Pine valley; the valley having huge lofty pine trees lined in rows and
it is an exquisite Vagamon hideout. Halcyon times of peace, enjoying the beauty
of pine valley was best. After a having a sumptuous breakfast in resort adjacent
to the pine valley, we went to Vagamon meadows.
The never ending
Vagamon meadows all around with cool breeze is a pulchritudinous nature’s
display. Varied moods of nature and climatic differences; the mist, the rain
drops, the gentle breeze or the golden hue romanticize the minds and thoughts.
The gentle walk on meadows till suicide point was enticing.
A v-shaped
canyon, one of the admired view points as well acknowledged as a suicide
point. The outlook from the summit of the strenuous climb is amazing and
the depth of the valley appears like an abyss. The breath-taking view of
suicide point infuses the adrenaline in every person who visits this place.
It’s around 2 - 3 kms trek to suicide point, though the trail is strenuous, the
experience is wonderful as the way to summit is very pleasing and enchanting. The
magnificent sight, and the cool and fresh air at summit made us forget about
our tiring climb and this trip remained as a delightful memory.
Dreams Come True Tips :
- Last bus to Vagamon from Erattupetta is at 7:30pm and first bus is at 6 am.
- Night driving en route is prohibited.
- No vegetarian restaurants in Erattupetta and Vagamon.
- Good resorts, home stays and service apartments are available for stay in Vagamon, offering wide range of activities.
Map :
