Kollukumalai – Trip to wonderland

Not everyone falls into the rabbit hole, sometimes we have to sabotage our own inhibitions and find our wonderland. Being a girl who had never been allowed to go even to school or college trips, the experience I had on my first trek is to be cherished forever. I took my first trek in October 2019 to kollukumalai. Being a green panther, i felt obliged to visit this place atleast once in my lifetime. kollukumalai is a hamlet in Theni district which is located in Bodinayakanur taluk. This place is well known for its tea plantation. The flavour and freshness we relish from here is one of its kind. The principal reason behind it is its high altitude. Its one of the highest tea plantation in the world.

Journey Embarked:

The trip embarked on a Friday night and I boarded bus from Koyambedu bus terminal, which is located in Chennai. The bus engine revived and left the terminal at 7 pm. we halted for dinner at a dhabba (motel) around 10 pm. I was spaced out and enjoyed the travel as it was my first time travelling in bus outside Chennai. The next day morning we reached Theni bus depot at 7 am. I went through a travel company, and they had arranged jeep for us to reach our campsite. My eyes popped out in excitement as I saw clouds moving adjacent to me. Besides, i dint travel half way yet. The clouds stood hand-in-hand with me, which literally means clouds would be literally below me when I reach its peak. I can’t even anticipate the view once I reach the peak.

The camp was located in the midway of the mountains and it took two hours for us to reach there. They taught us how to set up a tent and we built our own tent. In addition to that, the view when I open my tent was captivating, it was as though a large wafer cone of meadow (mountains) being topped by puffy clouds. Post lunch we embarked trekking.

Muds & Trails:

Rocky trails, muddy paths, blood sucking leeches in kollukumalai were worth the nature’s view.  As per the saying, the best view comes after the hardest climb, the view when we reached the peak was breath taking. I could witness the panoramic view of mountains spread along as though there is no real end, with the clouds showering rain only at the center. “In nature’s hallway the cloud chandelier was hanged and was lit up with rain“, the admirer in me uttered. We sat there mesmerized by its beauty, not having the heart to return back.

But it became dawn and darkness started encroaching. Before it’s too late we have to reach our campsite. In the way downwards, it was raining cats and dogs. We reached our campsite and got freshen up and had camp fire followed by stand up comedy and slept peacefully. The next day we woke up early to witness the sunrise. It was an off road jeep ride to the peak. Clouds at our foot, we eagerly awaited for the sun to rise. That was the most beautiful sunrise I have ever witnessed in my entire life. 

I remembered the famous dialog from the Malayalam movie, Charlie where the protagonist Dulquer Salman States “Even god will question you in heaven if you don’t see the falling mists at kollukumalai” and I would totally agree to that now.  At least visit this place once in your lifetime. I returned back to Chennai with lots of memories. The pictures incorporated in this dint even do ten percent justice to what we witnessed. So I would advocate you to click with the most expensive camera in the world, your eyes. This trip remains as the evergreen memory throughout my life.