Things To Do in Yelagiri

Adventure Sports: Yelagiri now figures prominently as one of the few destinations in India to offer paragliding opportunities. In fact, the Yelegiri Paragliding club is all set to form a paragliding training school by 2009. Apart from Para-gliding, you can expect full-fledged adventure tourism, rock climbing and mountain biking in the hills of Yelagiri. 

Nature Walks/ Trails: Be it early morning walks or evening walks, walks are something that has the potential to make your stay at Yelagiri memorable. In the early morning as you get out of the hotel you can be greeted with some amazing sceneries. The clouds touching the lush green hills are sure to leave you asking for more. A walk in the evenings in the Yelagiri hills is sure to invigorate you. The long walks on the wandering roads makes you feel as if you are strolling in a valley. After dinner walks in the near-empty roads is nothing less than an adventure. Pitch darkness greets you as you venture inroads. No ugly blaring of horns, no streetlights and no lights from houses you need to just enjoy the darkness. Do not forget to carry the torch though. Amidst the silence, the only sound you could hear is the croaking of frogs and the chirring of the insects. 

Buy Pure Honey: Yelagiri is famous for 100 % pure Honey in the whole of Tamil Nadu. Homegrown, as well as natural honey, is available. It is priced much lesser than the cities. With a little bargain you can easily get a 750 ml bottled honey for less than Rs 100. This is about 4 times lesser than the price at cities for the same quantity. We suggest that you take natural honey that is extracted from beehives. These natural Honey extracted from Beehives on rocks or trees have a strong smell as well as a deep color. 

Biking & Riding: Yelagiri is truly a biker’s paradise. You can ride the bike from Chennai and Bangalore. The ride is an amazing experience. With Bikes, you have the liberty to stop at any location on the way uphill to capture some great moments with the camera or simply view the plains through a Binocular. Your riding skills would be tested for sure here on this route. 

Watching the city at night: This is one activity that you are going to cherish for a long long time. You can drive down or simply walk to the view point that is around 3/4th of the hill and watch the city below. Words cannot describe the feeling as you see the whole city lit up just like stars. Position yourself comfortably around the railing and enjoy the vast expanse. You would sure be transported to an out of the world feeling. 

Trekking & Hiking: Trekking is considered one of the prime activities in this picturesque Eastern Ghat Hill station. You have the option to trek uphill or downhill. For uphill treks, there are Swamimalai hills. It is the highest peak in Yelagiri. A trek downhill takes you to Jalagamparai waterfalls. If you do not mind a tough climb there is the trek to Karadimalai. For professional trekkers, there is another great route. This takes you through the southern part of the Javvadi Hills to reach a place called Polur. From Polur the temple town of Thiruvannamalai is just 30 kilometers. The hotels where you put up can brief you about the various trekking options as well as provide you with the guides. 

Campfires and Party games: Most of the hotels where you put in organize campfire in chilly wintery nights. You can dance, sing, indulge in mimicry, crack jokes or just cozy up yourself and do nothing around the campfire in full blaze. Party games generally follow the bonfire nights. 

Indulge in Gastronomic Adventures: Treat yourself with some great food both Vegetarian and Non-veg food is available. As your sojourn would involve a lot of physical activity there is nothing like indulging in some great eating exercise. There are a number of eateries at Yelagiri where you can find south/north Indian food at affordable rates. Jackfruit is available in plenty here and if you are in the right season you can have lots and lots of this fruit. You need to bargain with the locals for the right price though. 

Bird Watching: If you are a keen Bird watcher, Yelagiri is the place for you. Without being an expert you can spot different bird species on your way to treks or leisurely walks. Baya Weaver, the red-vented bulbul, spotted munia, paradise flycatcher, etc can easily be spotted. 

Boating: There are two lakes at Yelagiri where you can take boat rides. They are Pungannoor Lake Park and Nilavoor Lake. Both paddle and riding boats are available. 

Jungle Safaris: Hotels and resorts where you stay can arrange for you Jungle safaris in the night. As you go out in the quietude of night except for the sounds of insects and your own footsteps the feeling is something that cannot be described in words. However, do not attempt this without the professional guidance as chances are there that you can lose your way in the wilderness.