Indian giant squirrel ( Malabar giant squirrel ) Wayanadu , Kerala

Indian giant squirrel ( Malabar giant squirrel ) Wayanadu , Kerala

The Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, (Ratufa indica) is a large tree squirrel species genus Ratufa native to India. The Indian giant squirrel is an upper-canopy dwelling species, which rarely leaves the trees, and requires "tall profusely branched trees for the construction of nests. The Giant Squirrel is mostly active in the early hours of the morning and in the evening, resting in the midday. 

On the misty road from Ooty to Gudallur (Tamilnadu)

Tourist Attraction in Ooty and around Ooty

Ooty is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the state of Tamil Nadu. Ooty ( Ootacamund ) is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills and Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Ooty is Located in the Blue Mountains of the Western Ghats, Ooty attracts a large number of tourists every year.   lakes, blue mountains, grasslands, dense forests, eucalyptus trees and miles of tea gardens  greet the visitors en route to Ooty. The hill station itself is a land of picturesque picnic spots. It is situated at an altitude of 2,286 meters above sea level. It used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the colonial days, later it was made into a summer administrative town. 

Ooty Botanical Gardens

 Ooty Botanical Gardens ( 22-acre)  was laid out in 1847 and is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu.  A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held every May. The Gardens have around a thousand species, both exotic and indigenous of plants, trees, herbal, shrubs, ferns, and bonsai plants.The garden has a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree.

Ooty Lake

Ooty lake covers an area of 65 acres.The Boat house  offers boating facilities to tourists, is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. It was constructed in 1824 by John Sullivan, the first collector of Ooty. The lake was formed by damming the mountain streams flowing down Ooty valley.The lake is set among groves of Eucalyptus trees with a railway line line running along one bank.

Rose Garden

The Government rose garden  (Jayalalithaa Rose Garden, Centerary Rose Park and Nootrandu Roja Poonga) is the largest rose garden in India. It is situated on the slopes of the Elk Hill in Vijayanagaram of Ooty town in Tamil Nadu . Today this garden has one of the largest collection of roses in the country with more than 20,000 varieties of roses of 2,800 cultivars.

Ooty Mountain Railway

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras Railway Company. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam locomotives. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India.". For the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam ( Ooty).

Stone House

Stone House is the first bungalow constructed in Ooty. It was built by John Sullivan and was called as Kal Bangala by the tribals (Kal means stone in Tamil).  Today, it is the official residence for the principal of the Government Arts College, Ooty.

Toda huts

There are a few Toda huts on the hills above Botanical Garden, where Todas still dwell. There are other Toda settlements in the area, notably Kandal Mund near Old Ooty.

St. Stephen's Church

St. Stephen's Church is located on the road to Mysore in Ooty, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris district.

Ooty Golf Course

Ooty Golf Course is located in Ooty town. The golf course is set at an altitude of 7600 feet. It is owned by the Gymkhana club in Ooty. 

Tribal Museum

The Tribal Museum is part of the campus of Tribal Research Centre which is in Muthorai Palada (10 km from Ooty town). The Tribal Museum  displays houses belongs to Toda, Kota, Paniya, Kurumba and Kanikaran. It is home to rare artifacts and photographs of tribal groups of Tamil Nadu as well as Andaman and Nicobar Islands and anthropological and archaeological primitive human culture and heritage. 

Wax World, Ooty

A wax museum that houses life-size look-alike wax statues of personalities of Indian history, culture and heritage housed in a 142-year-old bungalow.

Pykara 

Pykara is a river located 19 km from Ooty.  A boat house by the Pykara falls and Dam is added attractions to the tourists.Pykara boasts of well protected fenced Sholas, Toda settlements, undistributed grassy meadows and also a good wildlife habitat. The Pykara river rises at Mukurthi peak. It passes through hilly tract, generally keeping to North and turns to West after reaching the Plateau's edge. The river has a dam and power plant. The river flows through a series of cascades; and the last two falls of 55 meters and 61 meters are known as Pykara falls. The falls are approximately 6 km from the bridge on the main road.  The Pykara Dam, Pykara falls and the reservoir attracts many tourists.

Doddabetta Peak

It is the highest peak (2,623 m) in the Nilgiris, about 10 km from Ooty. It lies at the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats and offers beautiful vistas of the Nilgiri Hill ranges. It is surrounded by dense sholas. One can have a panoramic view of the landscape through the TTDC telescope.

Pine forest

Pine forest Situated between Ooty and Thalakunda. It is a small downhill region where pine trees are arranged in an orderly fashion.

Kamaraj Sagar Dam (also known as Sandynalla reservoir)

Kamaraj Sagar Dam is located at a distance of 10 km from the Ooty .It is a picnic spot and a film shooting spot on the slopes of the Wenlock Downs. 

Mudumalai National Park

Muthumalai National Park ( Tiger Reserve)  lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains), in Nilgiri District.Mudumalai, which means 'first hills’, is one of the first wildlife sanctuaries established in India.The sanctuary is divided into 5 ranges - Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota. Here one can often spot herds of  Indian elephants, vulnerable Gaur, and Chital. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi)), including all of Mudumalai National Park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site. The sanctuary is a haven for  Indian Leopards  and Bengal Tigers and other threatened species.There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, including critically endangered species like the Indian White-rumped Vulture and the long-billed vulture. 

Needle Rock hill viewpoint 

Needle Rock View pont is situated between Goodalore and Pykara. Needle Point Rock View Point is 8 Kms far from Gudalur in Gudalur Ooty road and the view point gives you a 360 degree view. A panoramic view of Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary and Gudalur town far below is a visual treat from this view point. 

Emerald Lake

This lake is near the town of the Emarald. There is a viewpoint near the dam. The rest of the area is mainly in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors.

Shooting Medu

Shooting medu is green & very Beautiful shooting spot. This place is called as "Shooting Medu". This place is Very calm and very interesting for picnics

A scene from Kadalundi kadavu bridge ( Kozhikode , Kerala )

Kadalundi 

Kadalundi is one of the oldest towns in Kerala and is an example of the old ports called "thundies". The tidal/mangrove forest on the banks of the Kadalundi river make it a picturesque area. The deltas formed by the Kadalundi river add to the beauty of the place. The town is divided into two by the river—Kadalundi in the Kozhikode district and Kadalundi Nagaram in Malappuram district. Thousands of migratory birds from all over the world gather here starting in November.

Kadalundi bird sanctuary

The Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary lies in the Malappuram District of the state of Kerala in India. It spreads over a cluster of islands where the Kadalundipuzha River flows into the Arabian Sea. The Sanctuary hill is around 200 m above sea level. It is 19 km from Kozhikode . Over a hundred species of native birds have been recorded in the sanctuary, including about 60 species of migratory birds which visit seasonally.

Beypore 

Beypore town is about 10 km from Kozhikode, at the mouth of the Beypore river. Tippu Sultan named the town “Sultan Pattanam”. It is one of the important ports of Kerala and an important trading centre.

Beypore is famous for its boat building yard where mammoth crafts known as Uru are being built. It is a major fishing harbour of Kerala. There are two man made extensions to the sea to facilitate easy access for fishing boats.

Chaliyam

Chaliyam is on the banks of the Chaliyar river near Beypore and is famous for Uru construction, lighthouse and the fish market. Located 12 km from Kozhikode in Kerala. This is A Beautiful island in Kozhikode Dist. sarrounded by the Beypore and kadalundi rivers. This is the last point of Chalyar river. 

Kappad 

On 27 May 1498, Vasco Da Gama landed at Kappad with three vessels and 170 men. Located 16 km north of Kozhikode by Kannur road. A monument is here to commemorate the historical landing. An ancient temple on a hillock, facing the deep sea, is an added attraction.

Kozhikode Beach 

The beauty and serenity of Kozhikode beach is not yet exploited to develop it into a tourist centre. Still people from all around gather here to enjoy the sunset and it is a popular retreat for local people. Two sea piers almost 125 years old extending well inside the sea are a speciality. Lion’s club, children’s park make evening pleasant for visiting families.

Mananchira Square 

A new attraction in the heart of the city, Mananchira Maithan, is the sublimation of the concept of a planned modern city. The historic maithan, adjacent to Manachira has been converted into an arcadia with beautiful trees and plants, artificial hill, shrubs, sculpture, an open air theatre and above all, a musical fountain. 

Science Centre and Planetarium 

Regional Science Centre and Planetarium are at the city’s Jaffarkhan Colony offers extensive insight into the mysteries of the universe, the planets and the galaxies.

S.M. Street 

Sweet Meat street, popularly known as S.M. Street with its cross roads, is the busiest shopping spot of Kozhikode. 

Pazhassi Raja Museum

Pazhassi Raja Museum is located at East Hill, 5 km from Kozhikode. Copies of ancient mural paintings, antiques, bronzes, old coins, models of temples, megalithic monuments like dolmonoid cysts, umbrella stones etc. are displayed here.

Thusharagiri 

Thusharagiri is 48 km from Kozhikode and is one of the recently identified tourist centres. The waterfalls and streams amidst the hilly regions are really a feast to the eyes. Two streams originating from the Western Ghats meet here to form the Chalippuzha River. The river diverges into three waterfalls creating a snowy spray, which gives the name, 'Thusharagiri'. The word Thusharagiri means the snow capped mountain. Of the three, the highest waterfall is the Thenpara that falls from an altitude of 75 metres. The nearest town Kodencherry is around 11 kilometres  from Thusharagiri. The other main towns situated here are Thiruvambady which is 18 km away and Thamarassery which is 17 km away. One has to purchase all necessary things for trekking from here.

Cashews ready for harvest in ( Malappuram , India )

Cashews ready for harvest in ( Malappuram , India )

The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae.it is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew seeds and cashew apples. While native to Northern South America, the Portuguese took the cashew plant to Goa, India, between the years of 1560 and 1565. From there it spread throughout Southeast Asia and eventually Africa .

Chaliyam-Beypore Jengar Service ( Kozhikode , Kerala )

Chaliyam-Beypore Jengar Service ( Kozhikode , Kerala , India )

Places of Interest near Kozhikode,

Beypore 

Beypore town is about 10 km from Kozhikode, at the mouth of the Beypore river. Tippu Sultan named the town “Sultan Pattanam”. It is one of the important ports of Kerala and an important trading centre.

Beypore is famous for its boat building yard where mammoth crafts known as Uru are being built. It is a major fishing harbour of Kerala. There are two man made extensions to the sea to facilitate easy access for fishing boats.

Chaliyam

Chaliyam is on the banks of the Chaliyar river near Beypore and is famous for Uru construction, lighthouse and the fish market. Located 12 km from Kozhikode in Kerala. This is A Beautiful island in Kozhikode Dist. sarrounded by the Beypore and kadalundi rivers. This is the last point of Chalyar river. 

Kappad 

On 27 May 1498, Vasco Da Gama landed at Kappad with three vessels and 170 men. Located 16 km north of Kozhikode by Kannur road. A monument is here to commemorate the historical landing. An ancient temple on a hillock, facing the deep sea, is an added attraction.

Kozhikode Beach 

The beauty and serenity of Kozhikode beach is not yet exploited to develop it into a tourist centre. Still people from all around gather here to enjoy the sunset and it is a popular retreat for local people. Two sea piers almost 125 years old extending well inside the sea are a speciality. Lion’s club, children’s park make evening pleasant for visiting families.

Kadalundi 

Kadalundi is one of the oldest towns in Kerala and is an example of the old ports called "thundies". The tidal/mangrove forest on the banks of the Kadalundi river make it a picturesque area. The deltas formed by the Kadalundi river add to the beauty of the place. The town is divided into two by the river—Kadalundi in the Kozhikode district and Kadalundi Nagaram in Malappuram district. Thousands of migratory birds from all over the world gather here starting in November.

Kadalundi bird sanctuary

The Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary lies in the Malappuram District of the state of Kerala in India. It spreads over a cluster of islands where the Kadalundipuzha River flows into the Arabian Sea. The Sanctuary hill is around 200 m above sea level. It is 19 km from Kozhikode . Over a hundred species of native birds have been recorded in the sanctuary, including about 60 species of migratory birds which visit seasonally.

Mananchira Square 

A new attraction in the heart of the city, Mananchira Maithan, is the sublimation of the concept of a planned modern city. The historic maithan, adjacent to Manachira has been converted into an arcadia with beautiful trees and plants, artificial hill, shrubs, sculpture, an open air theatre and above all, a musical fountain. 

Science Centre and Planetarium 

Regional Science Centre and Planetarium are at the city’s Jaffarkhan Colony offers extensive insight into the mysteries of the universe, the planets and the galaxies.

S.M. Street 

Sweet Meat street, popularly known as S.M. Street with its cross roads, is the busiest shopping spot of Kozhikode. 

Pazhassi Raja Museum

Pazhassi Raja Museum is located at East Hill, 5 km from Kozhikode. Copies of ancient mural paintings, antiques, bronzes, old coins, models of temples, megalithic monuments like dolmonoid cysts, umbrella stones etc. are displayed here.

Thusharagiri 

Thusharagiri is 48 km from Kozhikode and is one of the recently identified tourist centres. The waterfalls and streams amidst the hilly regions are really a feast to the eyes. Two streams originating from the Western Ghats meet here to form the Chalippuzha River. The river diverges into three waterfalls creating a snowy spray, which gives the name, 'Thusharagiri'. The word Thusharagiri means the snow capped mountain. Of the three, the highest waterfall is the Thenpara that falls from an altitude of 75 metres. The nearest town Kodencherry is around 11 kilometres  from Thusharagiri. The other main towns situated here are Thiruvambady which is 18 km away and Thamarassery which is 17 km away. One has to purchase all necessary things for trekking from here.