Why Kurangani ? : There are a lot of one day treks in South India but mostly all these treks are in a National Park area where camping is not allowed. Kurangani is one of those treks where you are allowed to camp that too inside tea gardens with a mesmerizing view of Sunrise. I have done a few treks in South India , Kudremukh being one of my favorite. I would also advice you to add this trek as a must if you are visiting South India for trekking.
Some pointers :
476 km from Bangalore
Best time to visit would be November to January or monsoons(I did it on fist january)
Round trip 24km, about 8-9 hours while climbing and 6 hours while descending
At one point route separates out for descending
Small villages enroute and can basic food and drinks on the way
At the beginning of the trek there are good waterfalls but later no water point so better to carry at least 2 bottles of water.
Camping point about 2 kms from top station. Top station is a good point to have snacks and tea before heading out to the camping site
Flat camping site with view of mountains and access to toilets nearby
About Kurangani: Kurangani is a hill station atop the Western Ghats accessed from Bodinayakanur in Theni district,Tamil Nadu. It has estates growing coconut, mangos, all spices and coffee. There is a mountain rivulet that passes between Kurangani Mountains in the east and Kolukkumalai in the west. It is an ideal place for trekkers and I won’t mind doing it in monsoon once more. Frequent change in weather and cloud system makes it all the more beautiful. Those who visit Munnar in Kerala can also enter the trekking route here by walking down the dense woods and plain grasslands. By reaching Top Station, border of Theni district, from Munnar after 35 km travel, one can start trekking down the hills.
I spotted a red squirrel on the way and a lot of flowers. This park is very famous for spices, cascades, waterfalls,caves and rock crevices. The villagers say that the tourists frequently spot Indian gaurs, barking deer, langurs and wild cats.Also there is a warning about the presence of leopards and tigers in this hill.
Though the Western Ghats has a lot of trails, this one would feature in my top ten places to trek in South India for sure. Come here to enjoy and breathe fresh air and experience a mesmerizing sunrise.
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