Thenmalai
Thenmalai is the first planned eco-tourism destination in I ndia. The Thenmalai Dam is a popular ecotourism destination in K erala. The dam, which impounds the lar gest reservoir in the state, was built under the Kallada Irrigation and T ree Crop development project.
The dam and its surr oundings is a popular picnic spot. Boating in the r eservoir, surrounded by the verdant beauty around you, is a delightful experience. Y ou can buy your tickets at the eco-tourism centre. Thenmalai attracts foreign and domestic tourists with a host of attractions. Boating on the lak e, a rope bridge, trekking, mountaineering, biking and a musica l fountain are major attractions. Thenmalai is appr oachable both from Trivandrum and Punalur by road. The waterfall called Palaruvi is a prime attraction nearby. Also nearby is a deer rehabilitation centre where visitors can see deer in a for est setting and have a peep into a traditional tree house used by forest dwellers to escape harm fr om wild animals.
Kannara Bridge
The bridge was constructed using S urki construction method as no cement was used in those times. The bridge is about 110 y ears old. The bridge is nearly 102.72 metr es long and 5.18 metres high and even after 100 years of its construction, remains without even a crack. Kannara Bridge with its 13 ar ches is a rail bridge along the Kollam-Shenkottai National Highway. The rail route was one of the major r outes to transport spices and crops from Kollam to Madras in the old times.
Old Railway Track
British ruled India for few centuries and left an indelible mark on this land. T wo of their main contributions ar e the Indian Civil Service and the Indian Railways. These two institutions form the backbone of this countr y. The journey between Punalur and S engottai was the mostbeautiful train journey in Kerala. The train went thr ough unspoilt nature, through hills and tunnels, high bridges, fields, r eserve forests and over streams and rivers, and stopping in quaint little stations. This train co vered 50 km providing a connecting link between people on both sides of the mountains. Befor e the partition of states based on language, lar ge areas of land on the other side of the mounta in belonging to the Travancore kingdom are now in Tamilnadu.
Nagamalai Estate
In the early 1900’s rubber was first planted on a commer cial scale in India. As a major corporate in agricultur e, Harrisons Malayalam took on the yet again pioneering work for y et another crop – having opened new areas for tea in the pr evious century.
Nagamalai Factory
The company produces 8.5 million kilograms fr om their own plantation and processes another 1.5 million kilograms bought from neighbouring holdings.
Rubber though tapped as latex, is pr ocessed into various rubber products – a stabilised concentrated form of latex, smoked sheets, crepes and crumb/block rubber in a wide variety of grades.
Nagamalai Bungalow
Nagamalai Bungalow of Harrisons Mala yalam Limited is a beautiful Plantation Bungalow. Nestled among tea fields, the bungalow commands a beautiful view of the hills around.
Nearby Attractions
Leisure Zone
Leisure zone is a good ar ea to relax, it brings the tourists close to appr eciating nature and eco tourism. I t has a food court with some restaurants, a shooing court and amphitheater etc. I t also has a musical fountain which is v ery famous among tourists.
Zip Line
Zip line is an outdoor r ecreation/adventure sport where a freely moving pulley is used to ride from the top to the bottom of an inclined cable. Racing against y our friends and family as you zoom ground to ground over tea plantation, the zip lines ma ke your adventure that much more fun since you can experience it simultaneously.
Adventure Zone
For the adventure enthusiasts, adventure zone is the place to look out for , from elevated walkway to river crossing and rock climbing, mountain biking and rappelling.
Trekking
There are various kinds of treks organized by the TEPs for all kinds of trekkers. There is soft trek for 4km, another one on the riv erine biking trail route, where trekkers cycle halfway and cover the rest of the distance on foot.
Jatayu Earth’s Centre
Jatayu Nature Park is a rock-themed park under construction at Chandamalayam in Kollam district of Kerala, all set to open in August 2017.
Factory Visit
The fresh buds from the fragrant tea bushes draped in mist ar e collected by the enthusiastic women folk of Thenmalai estate. The green leaf turns into black tea when subjected to the or thodox style of manufacture at Thenmalai factory.
