Tourist Destinations > Athirappally & Vazhachal
Waterfalls
Athirappally
Waterfalls is located 78 kms from Kochi (Cochin), located at the entrance to
Sholayar ranges, this waterfall is a popular picnic spot. Affording to the onlookers,
one of the most bewitching sights, Athirappally Falls is about 80 feet high
and located in the forest area. Combined with the greenery, it infuses freshness
into any tired soul. The Athirapally Falls join the Chalakkudy River after plummeting
a drop of 80 feet.
A tranquil and much needed escape from the troubles and stress of life. Let
the soothing sounds take you to some of natures most relaxing places - the beautiful
waterfalls of Athirampally and Vazhachal (Prounced as vaazhachaal).
The charm of the Athirampally and Vazhachal nature cannot be described by words,
starting calmly from the high ranges, and crashing through gorges overhung with
trees, these waterfall is one of the best places in India to re-capture a real
sense of the classical idea of the 'Picturesque' - not just calm and sweet,
but something wild and natural.
Perched high above in the Sholayar forest ranges on the fringes of Kerala's
famed rain forests, the waterfalls provides a restful escape for those wanting
to leave the hurried pace of city life behind. wild and beautiful, un spoilt
by the passing of time.
Both
this waterfalls are a part of the Chalakudy river and 5 km apart on the road
to hill station (valparai) which has excellent tea estate and is one of India's
highest elephant density habitats and is a crucial corridor between Parambikulam
and Malayattur
Perched high above in the the Sholayar forest ranges on the fringes of Kerala's
famed rain forests, the Athirapalli waterfalls provides a restful escape for
those wanting to leave the hurried pace of city life behind. The water plunges
and joins to the Chalakudi River. The scenic attraction of Vazhachal, the other
picnic spot is just a drive from Athirampally. These scintillating waterfalls
in thick green forest are a part of the Chalakudy river stream.
The riparian forests of the Chalakudy River have revealed the existence of
a thick riparian vegetation of more than 10 metres width for a distance of 10.5
km downstream from Peringalkuth, covering an area of 58.5 hectares. Out of this,
26.4 hectares lie within the Vazachal area, including three large islands densely
covered by riparian forests.
The riparian forests
of the area have been found to be characterised by the presence of typical riparian
species of plants, in addition to evergreen and semi-evergreen species. Out
of the 319 species of flowering plants identified from the study area, 24 are
endemic species of the Western Ghats and 10 are rare and endangered.
Moreover, the Chalakudy River is known for its diversity, as it contains 85
species of fresh water fishes out of the 152 species known from Kerala. Among
these, 35 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and nine are considered to
be endangered.
The Vazhachal waterfall is a scenic and popular waterfall on the edge of the
Sholayar forest range in Kerala. The Vazhachal is part of the Chalakkudy River.
Its cool, misty waters cascading down with the backdrop of thick green forest
and rocky terrain are a scintillating experience for visitors