Mar 16, 2015

Weekend in Yercaud

Except for Yercaud, I had visited all hill stations in Tamilnadu and Kerala earlier. Thanks to Holi weekend, we quickly planned for a trip to Yercaud. It is around 230 kms from Bangalore that took us a little over 4 hours. The drive was pleasant and smooth. We took a breakfast break at A2B in Krishnagiri and drove straight towards Salem. The directions from Salem were very clear and navigating the 20 hairpin bends were exciting. One could feel the gradual shift in temperature as we climbed up the hills. I was pleasantly surprised to experience a cool weather at Yercaud, given that around the same time in Ooty it was extremely hot last year.

We checked-in to our room in Hotel Shevaroys. We had booked a rose room which was clean, hygienic and comfortable. After resting for some time, we headed out to lunch at their multi-cuisine restaurant. Opted for a sumptuous South Indian thali which thankfully, my 3 year old also liked it. We came back to our room and slept like logs for 3 hours. It's been a long time since all three of us (hubby, daughter D and myself) took an afternoon nap together.

In the evening, we took a walk around the hotel which has a sprawling campus. D was more excited about the play area (the maintenance could have been better though). She was also excited to spot some birds - ducks, turkey and cock in the cages.

Thanks to the heavy lunch, we weren't feeling hungry and grabbed some chai from a nearby restaurant. We took a walk and realized the little town is almost completely shut by 7 PM. So we returned, had dinner, watched TV (more enjoyable to watch TV on rare occasions) and slept.

The next morning, we freshened up and had a good breakfast at the hotel. The buffet had a sumptuous spread, offering both continental and Indian options. We spent some time walking inside their catering college campus. The customer service manager showed us around their bakery and commercial ovens they use.

We then headed out to roam around Yercaud. Most of the sight-seeing places are within 4-5 kms distance, so we were able to cover most of them. We went to Rajarajeswari temple, Sevarayon temple, Lady's seat, Gent's seat and Iynthinai park. Thanks to the pleasant weather, it was a nice drive. We had a quick lunch at Hotel Saravana Bhavan near the lake. The dosas are decent here. We went to Anna Park where D was having a ball, playing on the slides and swings. It started to drizzle a bit but she was in no mood to leave the park. After more than an hour, we went to the boat house and took a pedal boat ride. It costs 90 bucks for a 2 seater. D didn't enjoy much as she was insisting that she wants to get into the water and play. No amount of explaining or coaxing would make her stop crying. Challenges of traveling with a toddler, you see! :-)

We came back to our room, ordered some snacks and relaxed for some time. The hotel guys had arranged for a campfire late in the evening. We sat there for some time while D was happily dancing with no inhibitions. Clear night sky, lots of stars and a cool breeze made the evening even more beautiful.

The next morning, after breakfast we checked out around 12 PM and headed to "Deer Park". D was more attracted towards the play area than the deers. After spending an hour there, we headed towards Salem and had lunch. The sun was its peak on the way back, announcing that summer is already here. We took a tea break at A2B and then reached home around 6 PM.

It was a good relaxing break after a long time. And I'm glad that D also had lots of fun. One of the many reasons why I love Bangalore is the proximity to these weekend getaways. Hoping to cover few more of them this year.

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