Nelliyampathy is a hill station around 55 kilometres from Palakkad, Kerala which also borders Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary. This hill station is at a height of about 1000 meters from mean sea level. Nelliyampathy is well-known for its natural beauty and cool, misty atmosphere. Evergreen forests, part of Western Ghats are part of the Nelliyampathy hills. This place is also famous for rich varieties of flaura and fauna. Dipcadi montanum, a rare plant is also found here. Elephants, Gaurs, Leopards and other birds and animals are also found in the surrounding forests. The place is also famous for trekking as there are numerous jungle trails one can explore here. En route to Nelliyamapthy, after Nenmara town climbing the hills, there are many small waterfalls. Besides all above, this hill station remains clean and litter free unlike many famous hill stations due to less commercialization.  Main tourist attractions include Seetharkundu view point at a distance of 8 kms, Pothundy dam which contains a reservoir and a small garden, Kesavan para, Mampara viewpoint, Karappara waterfalls etc. State run Orange and Vegetables farm is another attraction.

Travelers and Tourists coming separately will want to carry extra fuel in containers as there are no fuel bunks after Nenmara. The climate is windy and cool though, winter clothing may not be necessary unless it is in the monsoon season. To explore Nelliyampathy’s hidden beauty and greenery, tourists may want to hire a 4-wheel-drive Jeep that will help you reach places like Mampara view point or through various jungle trails reaching to tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom plantations. One can spot wildlife in such journeys for example tuskers, deers, and bisons.

How to Reach Nelliyampathy

Nelliyampathy is accessible from Nenmara which is linked to Palakkad. From Nenmara, the roads leads to Pothundi Dam and to Nelliyampathy. This road consists of a good 10 hairpin bends that wants to be negotiated to reach here. There are frequent bus service to Nenmara from Palakkad. Once in Nelliyampathy, tourists can hire Jeeps to reach difficult vantage points like Mampara or to other places like Seetharkundu.  Nearest railway station is Palakkad from where one can hire taxis. Nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport.  There are few resorts and a government rest house at Nelliyampathy. Most of these resorts are available only against prior booking. However, there are cheap, low cost lodging available for bachelors at Pulayanpara.

Activities

Tourists visiting Nelliyampathy can get organized tours to various nearby tourist spots like Seetharkundu, Mambara view point etc. through Jeep safari. Trekking across the jungle trails and through tea, coffee, and cardamom estates will be very satisfying for those who likes adventure. Nellikkotta or Padagiri is the highest point in Nelliyampathy. One can trek to Nellikkotta to have an eagle’s view of the hill station and surroundings. At Seetharkundu you can observe the Palghat gap, which connects central and northern Kerala to neighboring Tamilnadu.

December is the harvesting season for orange in Kerala government owned Orange and Vegetables farm which is spread around 340 hectares of land. Tourists can buy oranges and 91 different varieties of fruit products like squashes and syrups here. Besides these, Tea estates like POABS allows tea factory visits and there are outlets to buy tea powder directly from the factory.

Best time to visit

Nelliyampathy is an all season tourist spot. Throughout summer, the temperature varies from 23°C to 35°C. During winter season, the temperature hovers around 16°C to 30°C. Monsoon is heavy on this region. The best season to visit is winter from November end to February.

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