Above: Lush
landscapes at
Meghamalai hold
you in their spell
Below: Relics
like these add
to the Colonial feel
of the bungalowBriar Tea Bungalows Meghamalai Tamil Nadu
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
When you wake up to the call
of a Malabar whistling thrush you just
know youâre going to have a great day
no matter what. Along with a morning
brew of your choice at the Briar Tea
Bungalows you have a window seat
to natureâs daily goings-on. Babblers
chase each other red-whiskered bulbuls
forage for fruits in the on-site orchard
and if youâre lucky a herd of elephants
casually appears from the Meghamalai
forest interspersed with the Woodbriar
groupâs tea plantations.
As you drive up the roads are really
bad for nearly 3.5 hours of the six-hour
journey after Chinnamanur townbut if you brave them your experience in
Meghamalai will more than make up for it.
With lichen- and moss-covered rocks
gurgling forest streams and grass like
a rock starâs unruly hair this 6000-acre
haven in the Western Ghats offers
the nature lover an escape from the greys
of city life. When the noise from your
vehicleâs engine dies down the sudden
silence is overpowering.
The wind rustles tree
leaves and white lilies
in the landscaped gardens
nod at you the smell
of rain-soaked earth mingles
with the crisp air and your
shoulders involuntarily relaxas all signs of stress leave your body.
Walking around you notice
the undulating landscape from which
the High Wavy Mountains draw their
name. A hammock in the fruit orchard
beckons and the moment you settle in
you feel the tranquility that nature brings.
The elements will not just pervade your
senses theyâll shape your schedule too.
True to Meghamalaiâs name meaning
âhills covered with cloudsâ itâs prone
to swift invasions by a fickle mist
to the extent that at times you might
not be able to see the huge Indian giant
squirrel even if it were right in front of you.
If itâs misty and pouring enjoy the
luxury of space and the round-the-clock3
EASY TRIPS
Nature
Break50 July 2016