When it was decided that the destination for our next team-trip is Thenmala, I was less than enthusiastic. As per my database, Thenmala is a small village near Punalur city, Kollam district in Kerala – a place known only for its dam. It is located at the foothills of Western Ghats and predominantly a forest area. Little did I know that the next 2 days stored a bundle of adventure and fun.

It was only later that I heard that the first eco-tourism project in India was located at Thenmala and it was hot destination for movie filming. We started on the 200km journey from Kochi in the wee hours of the morning and reached our destination before noon. After refreshing, we made our way to the “Tourism Facilitation Centre”. This is well conceived information centre which provides an encyclopedia of information on the land. We made this our hub, as we visited the hot attractions of the area. There were a number of shops run by local women. This has been an excellent initiative taken by the Self Help Groups in the area. All of us flocked to these shops to buy the fresh honey from the area. Thenmala in Malayalam means “honey hills”. Due to the unique floristic composition of trees, honey gets good quality and high medicinal value. 

Our next halt was the adventure zone which starts with an elevated walkway made of wooden planks taking us above the trees. We proceeded up while viewing the breathtaking views of the trees below. 

Here, I first rushed to try my hand (and legs) at the steep rocks. With the safety measures in place, we enjoyed the recreational rock climbing and rappelling. Meanwhile, some colleagues enjoyed the river crossing by attaching safely to a rope and moving across the river. 

Next day we enjoyed at the leisure zone – which is a natural forest patch specked with sculptures – theme is: Man and Nature. It is a piece of natural forest converted into a zone for leisurely walk. 

A beautiful panoramic view of the Parappar (Thenmala) dam and power house can be seen at the distance. Later we climbed up this dam built under Kallada Irrigation. The small trek up the longest reservoir in the State saw many puffing and panting. Waters from the reservoir is used for power generation. 

Downstream of the dam is a

Hanging Bridge which sways as you walk. 

On our way back home, we halted at the Palaruvi waterfalls. It was mesmerizing watching the milk white waters falling down the mist clad hills.
 

We had an overall unique and authentic experience in the mesmerizing Thenmala. The various tourist friendly and Eco friendly activities made our trip one of the best the state now offer – Ideal  for any energetic holiday seeker and lover of nature.