Valparai

[Rajan Kanagasabai]

This is another of the hill station / tea planataions bordering the Anamalai sanctuary (near Pollachi, off Coimbatore) that we at Indiawilds need to check out.

Lot of wonderful plantation stays (old bungalows, now converted into lodges) with a bounty of wild life (including Leapords, Elephants, Gaur the occassional Tiger) and Birdlife. The location is stunning and the weather is awesome.

The sky in this photo was unrealistically blue with not a spec of a cloud . . .

400D, Canon 18-50, F 11, 1/300, ISO 200

regards
Rajan

[Bibhav Behera]

Nice landscape. I feel the trees in the foreground tighten the view. i would have preferred if you'd moved ahead a bit and clicked.

[Mrudul Godbole]

Hi Rajan,

Nice landscape. Agree with Bibhav about the trees. You can upload a bigger image.

Seems we need to visit the place .

[AB Apana]

Nice image with a wonderful sky. Heard of lot of Valparai but have not been there.

Apana

[Lakshminarayanan Nataraja]

Valparai is the centre of wildlife conflict in southern W.Ghats.

Valparai is a small town sorrounded by Anaimalais TR. The once prestine forests have all been converted to green deserts (tea planations).

Elephants are forced to migrate through these tea estates to reach from one forest to the other. Many reservoirs hurdle their path and migration through tea estates is inevitable for them. Their path is perilous.

Making Valparai a town and planting tea is one of the most disastrous and unmindful acts. High ranges of Valparai is the source for many rivers..

I have been in Valparai for days watching elephants and other wildlife along with some of the biologists from NCF an d have learnt a lot about this place.