Pristine Vazhachal Rainforest Highway: A special road trip hot spot

It is one of India’s most pristine rainforests. It is a fresh lease of oxygen in Kerala. It is one of the top tropical motorcycle routes in India. I am talking about Vazhachal forest that connects Valparai, the unsung hill station of India with Athirapally Falls, the Niagara falls of Kerala.

This forest highway, a plastic free zone, offers a beautiful mix of cloud rainforests, tropical rainforests, waterfalls, many reservoirs, mountain streams, tea estates, coffee estates, curvy ghat roads and oodles of greenery. It is also an important wildlife corridor as it connects the Anaimalai tiger reserve and Parambikulam tiger reserve with the Sholayar reserve forest, Vazhachal forest and Chimmony wildlife sanctuary. This highway is an integral part of the elephant migration corridor and that is why vehicles are not allowed to ply here between 8 pm and 6 am to prevent any elephant – human conflict. While you might spot wild elephants and wild gaurs on this route from time to time, you will almost always spot lion tailed macaques, bonnet macaques, malabar giant squirrels, nilgiri langurs and tropical birds of paradise if you drive slowly and keep a keen eye out for any movement amidst the dense forest cover.

For most people, the Vazhachal rainforest highway is just a means to connect to Athirapally falls, Vazhachal falls, Poringalkuthu reservoir, Sholayar dam, the vast tea estates and hill station of Valparai and/or the other tourist attractions in and around Valparai. But, for me, this rainforest highway is a destination in itself.



For a few years during and prior to covid, this forest highway was open only to four wheelers. However, now, it is open for all vehicles. Four wheelers can ply between 6 am and 8 pm while two wheelers can ply between 6 am and 6 pm. Be prepared for forest checks at either ends of the Vazhachal forest highway. Plastics of any kind is banned inside the forest and loud silencers are also banned.

Monsoons are the best time to visit this rainforest highway, though you need to ensure that your vehicle tyres and brakes are in top condition and that you are fresh and confident enough to negate poor visibility, heavy downpours and slippery roads. Landslides are quite common on this highway during the monsoons and this might cause a few delays.

I highly recommend this route to all motorcycling and road trip enthusiasts. However, do ensure to carry all your trash back with you. This rainforest is a nature and wildlife hot spot and it is our responsibility to ensure that it thrives in the years to come. Do visit on your next trip to Valparai or Athirapally falls and let me know what you think of this absolutely gorgeous and dense jungle.

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Vazhachal Forests: A fresh lease of oxygen in Kerala

In today’s world that is full of deadlines, a fast paced life, an increased need to earn money, man sacrifices some of those simple things that make life complete for him. In all this traffic and pollution of all kinds, the city dweller is too stressed and is in need of some pure air. If the above describes your current life and if you are in need for some fresh air, then make a visit to the Vazhachal forests of Kerala.


Vazhachal forests of Kerala, in my opinion is the lungs of the south of India. It’s super dense cover, cloud forests and tropical rainforests ensure that the air stays really pure and enriched with oxygen. Such is the pure levels of oxygen that one may get a high from breathing too much pure air. These forests are a great way to detox and lose all those stress from your body. An authentic Ayurveda massage in this terrain will do a miracle on you. A walk into the forests will invigorate your spirits. For those who like some adventure, Vazhachal forests plays host to a lot of wildlife and waterfalls. One of them includes the very famous Athirapally waterfall, nicknamed the Niagara of India where many Indian movies have been shot.

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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.

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Poringalkuthu Reservoir: Nestled in the tropical rainforests of Vazhachal, Kerala

The Pollachi to Chalakudy belt is possibly got the highest concentration of large water bodies in India and all this is made possible by the dense and pristine rainforests of the Western Ghats here. To name a few, we have the Aliyar Dam, Nirar Dam, Upper Sholayar Dam, Lower Sholayar dam, the Poringalkuthu Dam and many more.


Of all these, the Poringalkuthu reservoir is possibly the most remote. While the others are surrounded by tea estates and forests, this one is just surrounded by tropical rainforests and evergreen forests. One can see this mighty reservoir play hide and seek while driving on the Vazhachal forest road.


From the road, the reservoir itself forms quite a sight with large tall trees surrounding it on all sides and dense clouds above it always making their e presence felt. It is the water from this reservoir that ends up landing at the mighty Athirapally falls. This terrain is also home to a large concentration of Asiatic elephants.

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Valparai to Athirapally: One of the top tropical motorcycle routes in India

Tea estates, coffee estates, umpteen curves, dams, reservoirs, rivers, streams, tropical rainforests, waterfalls, wildlife and oodles of greenery will ensure your eyes and mind always stay fresh when you ride from Valparai in Tamil Nadu to Athirapally Falls in Kerala. Having ridden all the roads of tropical India and the Western Ghats in particular, I can easily say that this route through the Vazhachal forest is one of the best tropical motorcycle routes in India and that too especially in the rains.


In terms of distance, the destinations are only 85 kms apart. But, the meandering roads in the middle of dense greenery make you want to stay here forever. The journey in my mind is a natural wonder in itself. The scenic spots like the Sholayar dam, the Poringalputhu reservoir, the Vazhachal falls and the ‘Niagara of Kerala – the Athirapally Falls’ are the icing on the cake.


The route is simply unbelievable, but it does come with some restrictions owing to forest department regulations. This Vazhachal forest route is a part of the elephant migration corridor where the pachyderms move from the Anaimalai and Parambikulam Tiger Reserve to the Chimmony Wildlife sanctuary and the Idukki district of Kerala. In fact, this belt has one of the highest elephant and tiger populations in the country. Hence, this route is open only from sunrise to sunset and that too one has to enter vehicle and personal details at each forest check post. This is only for keeping track of visitors and to launch a search and rescue mission if required.


The entire route is a ‘plastic free’ zone. The forest department takes a count of all the plastic belongings that you carry inside and that count will be matched at the other end of the forest. But over and above these forest department best practices, I think we ourselves should be good Samaritans to ensure that the forest remains pure and pristine forever. To ensure that you have a hassle free journey, ensure you carry enough fuel on you. The nearest fuel stations are either Valparai or Chalakudy in Kerala. A good 105 kms separate both these destinations. Also, a good motorcycle maintenance kit and a first aid kit is recommended to ensure you don’t get stuck in the middle of nowhere for long. Do give this place a visit if you wish to be one with nature even though you are on a motorcycle!

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