NoMad: Yercaud Travel and Exploring Experience

I recently went for a weekend trip to Yercaud and it turned out to be a nice exploring trip. I thought before the findings go off my memory, I'll quickly put it down for others to use.

Travel
Our trip started from Bangalore at 5AM by car. Without any breaks in between and at an average speed of 80-90 KM/H, we reached in 3.5 hrs. The drive was enjoyable with well tarred roads, nice landscapes and pleasant morning weather.
To quickly summarize the directions, just keep going on NH7 till Salem. Roads are well marked with direction. Once you reach Salem, ask for 5 road junction. On the junction, look for a board which says "Yercaud" and take that turn. Go straight on that road and you'll hit another circle, take a left on & you get on to the yercaud main road which straight away leads to the ghat section.

Places to Stay in Yercaud
Since we started hunting for a place to stay just 2 days before the trip, we could not get hold of a good place. Also the reviews on the different websites were misleading. So we ended up staying in "Star Holiday Resorts Inc" which is a decent low budget place. Staff is friendly and rooms were clean. But as we started exploring many other places in Yercaud, we found a couple of hotels which seemed like a good experience. So here is our pick:

1. GRT Nature Trails : Hotel is on the hill slope, so you get a beautiful view from your rooms, high end hotel, Basic Room costs Rs 3500 on weekends, well trained staff, good food. Do book atleast 15-20 days in advance as they get filled up very soon.

2. Grange Resorts : Well done cottages with good privacy, gardens were well maintained, you can take nice walks inside the resort. Rooms cost Rs 2600(basic room) - Rs 3000 (has an open bathroom with glass roof). They offer ATV rides for Rs 100 but it is not worth it. I tried ATVs in Bangalore and this is no way compared to it. So don't give too much attention to ATVs.

3. Greenfort Resorts : This is one of our findings after searching a lot to find the perfect place to stay which is low on pockets as well as offer a rustic jungle experience. This is situated in the middle of woods. Rooms seem well done. Nice garden to enjoy the moonlight. Costs Rs 1300. You'll not find much information on them over internet. Best is to call them & book. You can call the manager Prakash at 09486543799.

We did consider stay in Hotel Grand palace & Shevroys Hotel but both of seemed very old style and we personally like the environment.

If you are looking for an exquisite stay, then "Regency Hill Resort" is the perfect place. The property has been setup like a museum with rare collectibles from the owner's own collections. The rooms have been decorated with a lot of attention and style. This is an old bungalow which has been converted to a hotel. So all the rooms are part of one building and not separated like cottages. The place is in the middle of the woods with tall trees. Its a calm and peaceful place but no hill view. Check : www.enjoyyercaud.com

Places to Eat
1. Shevroys : Very prompt service, good food. Average ambiance. A basic meal for two costs Rs 300-Rs 500.

2. GTR Nature Trails: Awesome Breakfast for Rs 250 buffet style. Amazing variety, excellent staff, beautiful view, clean place. Dinner costs Rs 500 ( buffet style).

3. Grand Palace Hotel: Very slow service, laid back staff, food tastes excellent but won't vouch the same for quality as we had a hard time digesting the food. Cost is on the high side. 30% more expensive than Shevroys. Meal for 2 cost Rs 700.

Places to Visit apart from the standard tourist spots
1. Loop Road : Proceed to Shevroy Temple. You'll see a Y-junction with a board pointing right for Shevroy temple. Take the "left" and this is the starting for the loop road. This is a beautiful, picturesque road taking you through different small villages and estates for almost 38km and eventually you come back to the main Yercaud junction ( next to lake). Once you start the journey, you'l drive for 12 KM till the time you come to a T-junction with a lot of shops. Take the right road and drive for another 28km. Don't miss this road as we enjoyed it the most. If you love exploration, it'll excite you in many ways.

2. Annamalai Temple : Take the route to Pagoda Point. On the way, you'll see a T-junction with board indicating "Kodoppu" (not too sure about the spelling). Take that left and drive till "Sengadu Village" - 1 KM. Once you reach the village ask people for "Anamalai Temple". Its starting is a cemented road on the right. As you proceed on the road, you'll hit a Y-junction. You can see the left road which has a steep climb. Take the left road and climb up. It'll directly take you to the 'Annamalai Temple". It is a peaceful place. You won't find a single soul. View is good. temple might be locked.

Some pictures from my trip: