Wildlife at Mudumalai and Bandipur - November 2012

All the wildlife images and video posed here are taken from my car at Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu and Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on the way to Mysore from Kochi via Nilambur. Even though we passed through these sanctuaries at  2 o'clock (best time to spot wild animals here are early morning or late evening), we were able to see a lot of wildlife particularly elephants, cheetals also called as chital deer, grey langur monkeys, peacocks etc. Night traffic through this forest road is prohibited between 6 pm and 6 am by the Karnataka Government.

Hanging bridge of Nilambur - November 2012

Suspension Bridge upon Chaliyar river, Nilambur.

It was inaugurated three years ago by the then Kerala Forest minister Mr.Benoy Viswom. This suspension bridge constructed as part of the eco tourism project across Chaliyar River connects Conolly Teak Plantation with the main land; Nilambur.

It is regarded as the longest hanging bridge in Kerala spanning 143 feet. Watch the video I posted here, you can hear the jangling sound of the bridge swaying when people walking on it.

Video of Hanging Bridge, Nilambur.

Chaliyar River, Nilambur - November 2012

Muddy Chaliyar river (Beypore Puzha) flowing through Nilambur.

View from Nilambur teak plantation.

Video of Chaliyar River

Conolly's Plot, Nilambur - November 2012

Conolly’s Plot is located about 2 kilometers from Nilambur town. These teak plantations raised in 1846 memorialize the work of Mr, H.V.Conolly, collector of Malabar between 1841 and 1855. Sri Chanthu Menon , forest officer under Conolly, after a hard and forerunning strive nurtured the first 1500 acres of the Nilambur Plantation and thus laid the foundation for methodical forest superintendence in India. It is said that, he was laid to rest in this teak garden.

Video of Conolly’s Plot

Rubber Plantations, Nilambur - November 2012

Rubber estates on the way to Kurumbalangode village of Nilambur taluk in Malappuram district, Kerala. Rubber usually cultivated in large plantations that extent to several acres are a typical sight when travelling through rural villages of central and north Kerala. Some roads pass right across these vast estates and driving through these is an enjoyable experience. Rubber latex, the agricultural product of this plant is extracted from the fully grown rubber trees.

In place like Kerala, where coconuts are in ampleness, the half shell of coconut is used for gathering the rubber latex. When the rubber

Adyanpara Waterfalls, Nilambur – November 2012

Adyanpara is an astounding waterfall near to Nilambur about 12 kilometers from Calicut Nilambur Road. When we visited this place, although the water level was low, the wet rocks here are dangerously slippery. A sign board erected here says that lot of people who ventured into these waters have lost their lives in the past. Now the local administration has appointed a few female guards and male lifeguards for protecting these cascades and the lives of the tourists who come here for recreation. It is definitely a must see place for anyone who is visiting or passing through Nilambur. The negative side is, road condition from Nilambur to Kurmbalangod village where this falls is situated is not so good.

Video of Adyanpara Waterfalls

Aida Diva sailing from Kochi Port – November 2012

Kochi has become the sole turnaround port for cruise ships in India. Aida Diva, cruise liner called at Kochi on Sunday, 25th November 2012, bringing in 1,462 tourists from Germany.
They left for Germany from Cochin International airport and another 1,516 tourists landed here from Germany for embarking Aida Diva. Four chartered flights (Condor Airlines, Air Berlin and TUIfly) and other scheduled flights of Emirates were utilized for the turnaround operation. Aida Diva sailed from Kochi to Colombo in Sri Lanka on Wednesday morning.

Video of Aida Diva sailing from Kochi dated 28-11-2012.

Kochi to Mysore via Nilambur – October 2012

Total distance is about 350 kilometers. If you are travelling to Nilambur during day time and on working days, the traffic is a bit heavy and time consuming. Kochi to Nilambur is 198 kilometers. we took less than four hours to cover this distance as we started from Kochi at around 4 in the morning. Nilambur is just 26 kilometers away from Kerala Tamil Nadu border.An elephant & her baby crossing the road at Bandipur.

Houseboats at Pallathuruthy, Alappuzha

Kettu Vallams coasting through Vembanad Lake near Pallathuruthy (is a village in Kuttanad Taluk in Alappuzha District). Houseboats have evolved a long way from the time it was initiated in the Alleppey & Kumarakom backwaters more than a decade ago. Now the bigger ones have two stories, fully air-conditioned with conference hall, more than six bedrooms etc. Photographed at dusk on my way back from Trivandrum via Changanassery after an assignment.

Cruise ship Celebrity Solstice in Kochi – November 2012

Celebrity Cruiser Liner MV Celebrity SOLSTICE, one of the most magnificent and biggest cruise ships in the world arrived in Kochi on Saturday, 15th November 2012. The ship owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises, Germany, came from Muscat, Sultanate of Oman has 2.800 passengers and 1,250 crew onboard.
Over 1,000 guests disembarked the vessel in Kochi and visited various tourism locales in and around Kochi that includes Mattancherry, Fort Kochi, Kumbalanghi, Vaikom, and Alappuzha. MV Celebrity

SOLSTICE left for Port Klang,  Malaysia on Sunday evening. View from Fort Kochi beach. Canon EOS 5D Mark III.