SHOLAYAR

Most of you may have heard about Athirappilly waterfalls. But after Athirapally and Vazhachal waterfalls, there is a place called Sholayar dam. The forest road from Vazhachal to Pollachi passes through a forest you cannot express in words. It as alternative road which passes through the majestic western ghats into Tamil Nadu.


From Kochi, it will take you around 3 hours to reach the beautiful Athirappilly waterfalls. Make sure to start early from Kochi as the forest road is only open from 6AM- 6PM. The ride till Chalakudy is mainly on 4 lane NH47 and will be covered in no time.. But from Chalakudy the road gets tricky with hairpin bends and hill climbing. On the way to Athirapally, you will have many tourist spots including a couple of water theme parks, bird watching centre and a river side park.Make sure to fill fuel at Chalakudy.


Once you reach Athirapally, the next stop is Vazhachal waterfalls which passes through dense forests. Both the waterfalls are amazing, and the view is unbeatable. At Vazhachal, you have to sign at the forest check post. The forest guards will check the vehicle for alcohol and plastic covers. Once you start the journey after the check post, the road is narrow but well kept. The traffic on the road is low, but you should beware of the occasional speeding vehicles especially on hairpin bends.


The ride on this road will be unforgettable. Lush evergreen forests on both side, small streams and beautiful dams. You can also expect to see many monkeys and the occasional deers on the road side. When you reach Anakayam bridge (very narrow) you can expect to see some Elephants too. After travelling a bit more, you will reach a lake. The view from there is breathtaking.


At this point you can either choose to go back to Chalakudi or go to Pollachi.  After 50kms from the check post you will reach the exit check post of Kerala. From there you can go through the Tamil Nadu check post and proceed towards Valparai.


The Vazhachal-Sholayar-Valparai road is any riders paradise. The beautiful views on the way is only beaten by the feeling you get when driving on this road. The cool air and twisting road along with some off-roading, It is definitely heaven for riders.