Ponmudi-The golden crown of Kerala

Ponmudi, the enchanting hill station situated 61 km away from Thiruvananthapuram has a cool climate and the enthralling bounty of nature can be witnessed here in the quiet surroundings. Tucked away in the Western Ghats, this quaint little hill station lies at an altitude of 1100 ft. above the sea level.

Lush green woods, lazily meandering streams and countless varieties of butterflies lend a strange magic to Ponmudi. An idyllic hill resort with narrow, winding pathways and cool green, wooded environs. Along with a variety of beautiful mountain flowers, exotic butterflies, small rivulets, springs and the deer park nearby, this hill station also offers a lot for those with a passion for trekking.

On the way to Ponmudi, the thick tropical forest greets one at the foot of the Ponmudi hill range. The forest recedes gradually giving way to neatly clipped tea bushes.

One will find oneself compulsively pausing every now and then to drink in deep the spectacular sweep of the hill ranges, tea-estates and the mist-covered valleys, peppered with little toy-like stone cottages painted a pretty violet, pink, or white with pointed and peaked roofs. Trekking to the north of Ponmudi crest, one passes along a mini zoo. Entering the forest, the verdant shades of green numb the senses. The air is full with the loud raucous chuckling of heavy billed Malabar hornbills. The shrill notes of the blue-black Malabar whistling thrush add to the cacophony. Even the rare long-tailed paradise flycatchers flit gracefully from tree to tree. It is like an open aviary.

Ponmudi throws up other surprises too. Orchids grow in abundance here. A charming deer park is only 3 kms away from the resort and Golden Valley - another pretty picnic spot endowed with natural springs - is a little further down the hill.