A Trip Through The Wilds - Angamoozhy to Vandiperiyar

This blog is about a trip to the forest on a Jeep. These places are for those who want to enjoy the forest & the wildlife. Recently the state government has been working on eco-tourism projects. A place for nature lovers with lush greenery & refreshing climate. When we started our trip, it was very hot outside & it was sweaty too. But the moment we entered the forest & crossed the check post, it all changed. We started to wonder which part of the world have we reached. It was full green & very dense with tall trees reaching up to sky. There were places where we could feel the presence of the sun. It felt as though the Sun was trying hard to reach us. Our trip was on an open jeep which we had hired for the day. So, we could stand in full length & our lungs were filled with fresh cool air.

We were staying at Thekkady, & we had to travel almost 2 hours by road to reach a place Angamoozhy. Angamoozhy is a village in Pathanamthitta district & on Pathanamthitta – Kumily Road. It is the entry point of forest. It is also known as the gateway to Sabarimala. Once you reach Angamoozhy, you just have to follow the road signs to Sabarimala. The forest check post opens for public at 8.30 AM. We had to wait there for some time. While we were waiting our guide cum driver spotted & showed us Red Jungle Fowl & Grey Jungle Fowl. A little while later we heard very huge sound of wings and its then we saw a big Hornbill. Till date we had not seen a Hornbill this big & close. And after a wait for 15 minutes & our light breakfast which we had carried with us, we got our pass to enter the forest. It is important to note that the journey through this forest is one way. We enter through Angamoozhy and the exit is at Vandiperiyar. The journey was a 90 Km through thick forest, but the roads were tarred as the forest is also house for KSEB which has 5 dams. The only vehicle coming in opposite direction would be belonging to either KSEB or forest guards. 

We got to see Anathode Dam, Moozhiyar Dam, Kakki Dam, Pamba Dam & Gavi Dam. One cannot take any photos at Dam sites as it is prohibited. There is another option for those who are for short time of visit. The same Jeep Safari from Kumily to Gavi and back to Kumily. There are numerous tribal inhabitants in the forest who have their own traditions & beliefs. These dams are the water sources for Sabarigiri Hydro Electric Power Station. There is a point in the forest where one could stop to have a look of penstock pipes from the dam leading to this power station. Our guide showed us a tree on which there were scratching marks of an elephant. That huge tree was a scratching post for the poor big mammal.

On our way, we got to see few deer which were sitting on a steep mountain. If they had not been spotted by our guide, we would have missed sighting them. We got down from our jeep to take some photographs. It is then one of them made a huge sound as if it was a warning for the rest. The male sambar deer would have long antlers. Sitting on the top of the mountain gave them the entire view of the forest & the valley.  The other animals which we got to see in this Goodrical forest range are Long Tailed Macaque, Langur, Barking Deer & a number of Malabar Giant Squirrel. 

It was when we reached Gavi, we came to know that people who were ahead us got to see a wild bison. We stopped over there for taking some photographs & for having our lunch. Even though our roads were full filled with Elephant Dung we were not lucky to spot even one. Seeing the dung on the road, it felt like the road was paved using elephant dung, not the tar.

Our guide showing us a big tall tree with a fat trunk was saying that it is the tree which was used to build ships. It is Benteak tree which is commonly found in western ghats. He also showed us a snowbell tree, the resin of which is used as 'sambrani'. Sambrani is a dried form of the resin which is burnt during any divine ceremonies or as air purifier.

And finally, towards the end of our trip, we got to see a wild tusker which was roaming alone in the deep valley. It seemed to be aggressive. We were lucky as we were on the top. It trumpeted on hearing us. And thus, spotting the biggest mammal, the trip became a complete one. If interested one can go for a coracle ride and also there is a trekking trip at Gavi where they take you to a point from where we can see Sabarimala. This trekking is included in half day, full day or a package that includes a stay at Gavi. It was 2.00 PM when we were about to exit the forest check post. But it was a zombie experience overall.

Click here to view more photos of this trip.