Athirapally Falls: The Niagara of Kerala
Athirapally falls is said to be a sight to behold in late July/early August. However, I was here in early May, but still found the experience captivating and the flow in the waterfall quite decent. The Athirapally falls is the largest waterfall in Kerala and forms on the Chalakudy river deep in the Vazhachal forests of the Western Ghats.
This waterfall, which is dubbed as the ‘Niagara’ of Kerala in peak flow is quite a popular scenic tourist spot with hoards of tourists coming to visit it every weekend and especially during national holidays. The tourist infrastructure here is pretty decent here with great trekking trails both to the top and to the bottom of the waterfall. Each of these trekking trails should take you about 10 minutes one way. The only things to watch out for here are the monkeys, your footing during the rains and proximity to the waters while you are at the bottom of the falls.
Otherwise, this place offers a stunning natural spectacle. If you drive down from Valparai, you will also notice the smaller Vazhachal falls, about 5 kilometers upstream on the Chalakudy river. The treks within the theme park do not offer great shots of the waterfall. In fact, I realized this after I completed the circuit. I wanted to go downstream and explore around the forests to find for a good spot, but unfortunately was running short on time and hence could not do that. Though, I have plans to visit this beautiful place and waterfall during the middle of the monsoons and hopefully then, I will have enough time to explore for good photography spots.
