More than often the
urban crowd gets distracted and exhausted by the daily hectic routines and the
never ending lines of traffic. When you get a weekend to relax, some people
plan a trip to some beautiful locations that are nature’s abode and let you unwind
completely. One such location to explore during your Kerala trip is Paniyeli Poru which is located surprisingly close to
Kochi city. It is a popular picnic spot for the locals even though the tourists
from other states rarely get to know about it. It is actually a perfect weekend
getaway far from the urban crowd and very refreshing for the body and mind. It
is a water picnic and hence, keep your swimming trunks or extra clothes ready.
It is Kerala and hence, would not recommend ladies to shed too much clothes to
get wet! It is just that the people here are a little conservative and hence,
would not advice swimsuits and skimpy dresses even at the beach. Pack some
insect repellents and extra phone battery backup, just in case you get enough
mobile range! Otherwise, it is an interior place and mobile range will be rare
to get.
If you plan your Kerala Trip from Bangalore by flight,
the place is hardly half an hour’s drive from the airport. If you are coming by
train, you can get down at Aluva and take a taxi to reach here within an hour. From
Kochi city, it might take 1.5 hours to reach Paniyeli which is a village near
Perumbavoor. Here, there’s a waterfall and a river which is called the Poru
because of the strong undercurrents that make the rafts men fight against the
waves for getting their raft across the river. Poru is a popular picnic spot
for youngsters, but it is quite a dangerous place too because of the
undercurrents. The area around is perfect to enjoy a day’s outing and you can
even do some trekking too. The rocks and the rivulets make Poru and exciting
place to enjoy with a group. Stay away from this place during the monsoons as
the water levels can be dangerous along with the strong undercurrents. Otherwise,
if you stay in the safe zone, Paniyeli Poru is the perfect place to enjoy a
beautiful picnic during your Kerala Tripfrom Packages.
There’s a guesthouse
here where you can stay and enjoy the natural beauty of the place around.
Trekking is a popular activity for the tourists at Paniyeli. You have to book
in advance and hire a guide who will take you through the 6-hour trek to Bhoothathankettu
Dam area or to the Mahogany forest at Mulankuzhy. It will be a refreshing
experience on your Kerala Trip from
Mumbai. The best time to visit this place is from November to May when
there’s no rain. Once it starts raining, the rocks get slippery and if you fall
into the river, the undercurrents may drag you further inside. During the
summer season, the water is quite shallow and you can see the rocks. This is
the best time as the danger is comparatively less and if you are a little
careful, you can see the rocks and step carefully across the river.
You can even plan a
few days’ Family trip to Kerala to
visit the nearby places like Kodanad, Kaprikad Abhayaranyam, Bhoothathankettu
Dam, Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary, Malayattoor Church, and Kurisumudi pilgrim
center. Kodanad is a beautiful and calm village where there’s an elephant
training center. Estranged baby elephants are brought here, given proper
treatment and trained. They are then sent back to the forest when they are
healthy and can manage themselves. Children and elephant lovers will love this
place as you can see many elephants here and even get a chance to bathe them. You
can take pictures with the elephants and also ride an elephant if you want. Kaprikad
Abhayaranyam is an animal shelter and an eco-tourism project which is more like
a deer park. You will find hundreds of deer roaming around in their natural
habitat here. There’s a mini zoo and you can also enjoy a mini safari. The
place is located very close to Kodanad. Bhoothathankettu Dam is another popular
picnic location where there is a dam, green meadows, garden, and reservoir. Salim
Ali Bird Sanctuary at Thattekkad is a nice place to visit for bird watching. There’s
a mini zoo here and you can hire a guide to take you around the forest who can
show you some rare and exotic birds that visit this forest regularly.
Malayattoor church and
Kurisumudi pilgrim center are popular among the tourists who visit Kerala. During
Easter, many devotees carry wooden cross from nearby places by walk to this
church which is located on top of a mountain. The panoramic views here attract
many tourists on Kerala honeymoon Packages who seek blessings as they start their newly married life. There
are many such picnic spots in Kerala which are less known to the tourists who
come from outside. You can check the options with local tour managers or
friends who stay in Kerala and they can suggest you quite a few beautiful and
calm locations where you can enjoy your holidays far away from the rushes of
the city.
Athirappilly and
Vazhachal waterfalls are another popular tourist place which is a popular
shooting location for movies too. The gorgeous waterfalls have been featured in
many popular Bollywood and South Indian movies such as Raavan, Bahubali, and
more. It is perfect for a weekend picnic and is around 60 kms from Kochi near
Chalakkudy. You can visit a couple of popular water theme parks nearby and the
Kauthuka Park which a nature park set for the children to see and experience
nature from close vicinity. Kids have long forgotten how to play with nature
and always want to spend time playing video games or cricket! Places like
Kauthuka Park are so well-maintained and planned that children would love to
spend as much time possible here even all through the day. Explore nature next
time you plan a visit to Kerala at Paniyeli Poru and such other places.
