A Day Out at Top Slip and Manampalli Power House

[pravin1987]

June 22: chennai to pollachi- top slip
june 23: top slip to manampalli
june 24- manampalli- aliyar- thirumoorthy dam- amaravathi dam- chennai

vechile: tata safari

started early at 2 from chennai and reached pollachi by 11 and got the recepit from the project tiger office in pollachi located near bus stand. rooms were booked in advance. Heavy downpour started nearing pollachi. was expecting a typical govt staff type of respone but the officials was very kind and polite. Loacting the reception center in pollachi DFO is a task. finally we made it.

the in charge was very polite and anwsered all our questions paid the amount and the recepit was given. started off to top slip. it was a heavy down all the way till sethumadai village.

Here is the break up of the cost:

Number of persons: 3

pillar top rest house top slip: 3750
manampalli FRH: 2000( 2 persons)
extra person charge for mananpalli: 750
entry free: 120
car parking charges: 100
camera: 100
maintainence: 200

total: 7020

the charges for top slip incluedes entry at sethumadai, safari ride, car parking and all others except food. No food is available at mananpalli. more on that later.

 

[pravin1987]

heavydown pour persisted all the way till top slip after reaching top slip, the situtation was tense all the officials and workers were assembled and a official was sounding at the top of the voice. It was about the recent death of the elephant that was caught at coimbatore and it died in vargaliar elephant camp.

we were made to wait for 20 minutes. the official then arranged for the care taker to guide us to the pillar top rest house. The room was neat and clean. while i was getting the things from car, mom screamed snake and i rushed and saw a spectacled cobra resting in the bamboo logs. the guide came rushing and he called out for a another guy soon 3 officials arrived and the snake was caught and taken away. It was a warm welcome for us. we made sure that no one else was occupying the room.

 

[pravin1987]

the deafult menu is dosai for breakfast, rice with some curry and chappati with veg side dish. Had our lunch. confirmed out participation for the 5.30 safari. People staying in the safari can avail the 5.30 safari. the rain was getting stronger and stronger. elephant ride was cancelled. with only 14 person staying for the night, the cost off 3000 has to be divided. there were 10 other people who was not staying but want to see the safari. so the safari was preponed to 4.45. the rain was intense it was hitting the windshield of the van at some pace.

5.30 safari takes a slightly longer route. at most parts there were water puddles of knee deep. we spotted 3 wild elepants, deers and gaurs. in the 5.30 safari one can see elephant feeding. we were explained on how food is prepared and the elephants were name called by their mahoots and each one responded politely. the safari was over at 6. had our dinner by 7.30. hit the bed and it was chilly night and the rain never stopped till morning.

the 5th pic is that of the elephant name kalim. He is the oldest and he was the pack leader in catching the recent coimbatore elephant operation.

 

[pravin1987]

rest of the pictures from the day 1. weather was really pleasent and it turned out to be a chilly night. spotted some deers, squrilles and gaur right next to the room at night.

 

[pravin1987]

day 2 plan was to visit parambikulam and start to manampalli. but there was not enough tourist at parambikulam to operate safari. we started at 8 from top slip and reached manampalli by 11.

I guess this is the first travellouge about manampalli in TAI. Manampalli can entered from urlickal checkpost in valaparai athirapally route. valaparai is 15 kms from urlickal and sholayar is 7 kms.

cleared the formalities at check post. the road goes through a series of hair bends. first the road climbs up and then it's decline and a again a incline and finally we are the sholayar power station.

the road passes through dense vegetation with elephant marks all the way. the vegetation is fully covered of bamboo. the road is okay. it was not raining when we reached the power house.

the rest house is located further away from the power house. we were the guided by the TNEB officials. there was unmaned check post. after waiting for few mins our caretaker rashid arrived. the last 500 meters was through a concrete path for cars and we were at the rest house. It was a true wild ambience.

 

[pravin1987]

the rest house is basic but clean. no electiricity. only solar powered. no geysers. it started raining again. they do not cook food. food will be cooked if the visitors get the things needed for cooking. the nearest places where you can basic things is main road of valparai and athirapally.

make sure switch of the lights if you want to peep through the window as there were all kinds of insects. carry mosquito repelents and if you want to walk inside the permises wear boots. there were lot of leeches.

a small canal runs in front of the rest house. it's full of crocs. crocs come out and bask in the sun but actually none that day.

we left to check out nirar dam. while coming it was 5 pm, raining heavily but we are lucky not to encounter elephants but there was elephant dung all the way.

 

[pravin1987]

it rained all night long. we left the rest house by 7 we spotted herds of dear and bisons.

 

[pravin1987]

we left to chennai and on the way visiting aliyar, thirumoorthy hills and amaravathi resorvoir.

 

[abhijeetp]

Great travelogue and superb photos! How did you book the room at Top Slip? Is online booking available?

 

[pravin1987]

Great travelogue and superb photos! How did you book the room at Top Slip? Is online booking available?

there is no online booking. you can book the rooms by calling reservation center at 04259 238360. you can pay the money and get the recepit on your arrival

 

[Mathew]

the rest house is basic but clean. no electiricity. only solar powered. no geysers. it started raining again. they do not cook food. food will be cooked if the visitors get the things needed for cooking. the nearest places where you can basic things is main road of valparai and athirapally.

Nice Travelogue pravin1987.

Why multiple photos in each uploaded photos? Why not separate them for better presentation?

 

[pravin1987]

@mathew: i was not sure about the order of the pics hence did a random upload. thanks for pointing it out.