Hill stations where you can beat the heat on a budget

Easiest way to escape the heat is to head to a hill station. But that will end up burning a hole in your pocket during the peak tourist season. Luckily, south India has some pretty ‘cool’ getaways! So here are few ideas for where you should actually be going this summer, without spending too much of your salary!

Haven’t made any plans? Too broke to do anything more than a weekend out of the city? Skip the Pondicherry and Bangalore road trips and head to Yelagiri. Just 230 kms from Chennai, this hill-station is a fits-all-budgets type of vacation. Driving down from Chennai is the easiest way to get there, even though you can take a bus directly, or a bus from Jolarpetttai, which you can reach by train again. Not only is Yelagiri quiet, small and refreshing, it also has all kinds of accommodation— from YMCA rooms to posh resorts-  and some fantastic rock trails that you can try trek. Apart from the well-known Sunset Trail, there’s also a mini-trek to Swamimalai, and for those feeling a little adventurous, try the Sunrise trail or maybe even discover a trail of your own. Most of the best spots of Yelagiri are yet to be discovered and daytime exploring can be real fun and adventurous! No trip to Yelagiri is complete without sampling the local delicacies — jackfruit and honey. 

Now you’re thinking, Kodaikanal? Really? Really…I love Kodai.. No matter how touristy or crowded it gets, there’s only one way to enjoy this incredible hill station — like a local. So skip all the tourist spots, get yourself a bicycle and ride around the roads and the lake. I love Kodai also for the food. Whether it is the Moroccan mint tea and bacon strips at Tredis Tea Room or gulab jamun at Aby’s (best place to get homemade chocolates, by the way!) or the poori and srikhand at Tawaor the pizzas, steak and brownies at Cloud Street or just a warm bowl of chicken thukpa at Tibetan Brothers restaurant; Kodaikanal is a food lover’s delight, and I promise you won’t be spending too much either. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, take a road trip to Elephant Valley and trek to the waterfall from the village. It is one of the most beautiful experiences I have seen.

Put your phones away, this drive going to get very, very wet. My top pick for a summer destination isn’t exactly a hill station, but it is a fantastic way to beat the heat. Imagine being in the company of beautiful majestic elephants, whom you can scrub and bathe and play with. Best part? They will thank you with a shower to cool you off. I told you you’d get wet! Thekkady is one of those destinations that will make you want to permanently move to Kerala and settle there for good. In the midst of a forest reserve, with wildlife and wilderness at an accessible distance; the sheer excitement of being away from the city makes it a clear winner, if the calm and soothing breeze and exquisite canopies don’t. Thekkady is just bliss to take in, and the fun bit? The rolling tea plantations and chilly nights of Munnar are just 150 km away! So you can actually hop on a bus or cab and go there as well! 

Now here’s a place we all only hear about but never really go. Next time you plan to be in Bengaluru, just skip that and go to Coorg instead. Incredible weather, beautiful places to stay, lip-smacking local food and the sights and sounds are both breath-taking and unforgettable; whether they’re natural or manmade. Did I mention they have amazing coffee? Only some of the best coffee in the world, actually! And if that isn’t reason enough to visit Coorg, then the fact that it is nature in all its glory should be. Coorg maybe be bit of a tourist spot, but it’s well worth it considering the nearby boroughs of the Kodagu district like Virajpet, Madikeri, Talakaveri and others, which are bursting with natural beauty. Oh, and the Namdroling Monastery. You don’t want to miss that one. Also if you are a pork-lover, you will be in bliss land!

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list of places to go or things to do at these places. However, it is possible to turn the clichéd trip to the clichéd destination into something fantastic because every place has something to discover for everyone. The key? Avoid anything that screams “tourist” and don’t be afraid to try something new! It could change your summer, and your life.