June 15, 2014

Topslip Indira Gandhi National Park Anamalai reserved forest

You can combine this place with other places near Pollachi and Valparai which are listed below. I suggest you to stay in Topslip treetop for a night and there are plenty of other options apart from treetops. See the activities and options below. Particularly the elephant camp and the trekking was a wonderful experience you don't want to miss. In the reception there is a white board in which the forest officers write down the sighting of various animals including Tiger in nearby areas. See the photo. Also see the photo which says for reservations call "04259 238360". Visit my other post on Pollachi for the nearby places and my photos. Topslip checkin time is 12PM and checkout is by 10AM itself.

Distance from Pollachi: 67 Kms
Distance from Valparai: 54 Kms

Activities in Topslip

Trekking and bird watching - Walk inside the forest with the guide

They have three different programs. Easy - 3 hours, Medium - 5 hours and daylong trek. Visit the main reception office for booking. You need to be there early in morning i.e. before 7AM to start the trekking. They take you through the forest. There is a "watch tower" on your way where some stay in night to observe the animals in night. See the photo below.

It is really amazing to walk through the forest. You need to be really silent while walking.
Sometimes you might see elephants, but the guide will help you and be with you always. You can also see lots of birds. If you carry a good camera, you can shoot many pics on the way.

Tour of Herbal plants

There is a place where they grow all different Herbal plants. If you are interested, please visit. See the photos below to know how this place looks like.

Elephant Camp - Kolikamudhi Elephant camp 

If you take the safari, they take you inside the forest and goto the elephant camp. This place is amazingly beautiful. The landscape is so mesmerising, surrounded by hills and the camp is in the middle. Charges are Rs.120 per head and they need minimum 25 people to start the safari.

Stay in Treetop or other suites

See the brochure which has the complete list of suites where you can stay. But for booking, you need to call that number shown in the photo below.
No room service or anything.
Power supply was there and water heater was working.
For coffee, tea, snacks and any other food you need to walk or drive 500mtrs from the treetop to the nearby restaurant. So better stock enough snacks.
Very basic place.
It is very cold during night.

If you getup early morning, you can see deers grazing just below your treetop. Sometimes they say you can see leopards as well !!! Some or inside the forest as well. like "Ambuli illam" and you need to reach this place before dark as elephants might come on your way late night. But remember except the tree top which is slightly better, other places are very basic. We stayed in Ambuli Illam which is inside the forest, but you need to drive inside before dark. As you dont want to see the elephants face to face.. neither they want to !!! :-) Yeah... better avoid going late to this place. But remember this place is very very basic again.

For various other suites and options for stay refer to the brochure below. Depends on what you want to do, you have stay options. Incase if you want to observe the animals during night, you have a watchtower. But better to check in reception about the options available to you.

Food

If you stay in topslip, there is only one option for the food and this is close to the main reception office. Food is very basic. Buy and carry water bottles and snacks from here to your
treetop as there is no room service.

First let me start with some very useful photos which captures the information


Topslip Reservarion Details
Refer to the number listed for reservations. Also see the animal sightings details


Topslip Reservarion Details
Topslip Brochure Page 1

Topslip Reservarion Details
Topslip Brochure Page 2



Topslip Bus timings
Topslip Bus Timings from Pollachi

Topslip forest contact
Topslip Forest officials contact

Topslip main reception
Topslip Main Reception Office

Topslip Safari Details
Topslip Safari Details


Photos of Tree Top and Trekking

Topslip Treetop
Tree Top in Topslip

Treetop in Topslip
Treetop in Topslip

Treetop in Topslip
Just below the treetop.... 

Treetop in Topslip
Note the geyser in treetop

Treetop in Topslip
View from Treetop in Topslip

Topslip canteen
Canteen in Topslip

Treetop in Topslip
View of the treetop

Treetop in Topslip
Treetop in night.... bit scary to walkdown....

Treetop in Topslip
Way to Treetop in Topslip

Treetop in Topslip
Inside the Treetop in topslip 
Treetop in Topslip
Treetop in Topslip

Treetop in Topslip
Support for the Treetop in Topslip

Treetop in Topslip
View of the door and nearby Treetop in Topslip

Treetop in Topslip
Treetop in Topslip

Topslip Elephant Camp
Food and medicines for Elephants in Elephant camp Topslip

Topslip Elephant Camp
List of 8 Elphant names and their food details (in Tamil language)

Topslip Parasitic plants on the tree
Parasitic plants on Tree - Topslip, during the Trekking

Topslip Elephant Camp
Notice the different colors of the trees and the beautiful landscape.... Elephant Camp Topslip

Topslip Elephant Camp
Topslip Elephant Camp

Aliyar Dam
On the way to Topslip, View of Aliyar Reservoir from 1/40th of Haripin bend

Aliyar Dam on the way to Topslip
View of the Aliyar Reservoir, see the hairpin bends down.... Wov... !!!

Topslip
On the way to Topslip

Topslip
On the way to Topslip 
Topslip Trekking
You get to see these beautiful (but scary) view during Trekking in Topslip

Topslip Elephant Camp
Elephant feeding in Camp

Topslip Trekking
Watch Tower inside the forest, you get to see while trekking. You can stay as well in night with a guide it seems

Aliyar Dam

Aliyar Dam
Aliyar Dam





Topslip
So beautiful....

Topslip Elephant Camp
List of Elephants and their photo, their Age, their weight.... Wov...well maintained

Topslip Elephant Camp
Wov, how beautiful .. I remember the film "Kumki" in Tamil

Topslip Trekking
During the trekking, we spot this... Elephant was here sometime back.. we are lucky to escape from seeing elephant face to face !!!

Topslip Trekking
Topslip Trekking

Topslip Trekking
Topslip Trekking

Topslip Herbal Plants Park
Topslip Herbal Plants Park 

Topslip Treetop
Oops, it is very scary to get down and walk to the restaurant in evening. We see many deers.... but it is possible to see leopard as well it seems !!! What ? !!!!!

Topslip Treetop
After seeing us on the our vehicle, they running away.. we are heading towards the canteen for dinner

Topslip
Wov, what a beautiful view of the road from the top .... on the way to Topslip

Topslip
Tea factory on the way to Topslip


Topslip Canteen
Sorry for the broken up photo... see the below photo as well ....  list of herbal oils in shop near the canteen

Topslip canteen
See the above photo first ... list of herbal oils sold at a shop near Topslip canteen

Topslip

Topslip Herbal plants park
Topslip Herbal plants park

Topslip Herbal plants park
Topslip Herbal plants park

Topslip Treetop
View from the Treetop in Topslip

Topslip Trekking
Many deers .... during the trekking 

Topslip trekking
Very beautiful .... during the trekking

Hope you enjoyed this. Please post your comments below. 

Nearby Places that you can plan 

Note: See my blog on "Pollachi, Valparai and nearby Places" as well
http://myjourneysinindia.blogspot.com/2014/06/pollachi-and-valparai.html

Pollachi
Aliyar dam and Aliyar reservoir
Monkey falls
Thirumoorthy hills and Thirumoorthy Falls
Lots of windmills on your way

Valparai
Balaji Temple (nothing great about it, except for a beautiful temple)
Siddhi vinayaka temple (nothing great, except for a beautiful temple)
Nallamudi poonjolai (you get a good view from here)
Koolangal river or Koolangal Aaru (pebble river) (See the photos and decide)

Parambikulam 
 Upper Neerar, Lower Neerar and Parambikulam Teak tree can also be planned if you have time.  Distance to Parambikulam from Pollachi is about 55Kms.







8 comments:

  1. Dear Thanigai Murugan, Thank you for such a detailed informative post. This informations and photos are really very useful. I had visited 15 years back all these places and stayed 3 days in the Traveller Guest house inside the forest with our team, one more team of people from Discovery channel to record Bear's life and The great actor Late.Thiru.Sivaji Ganesan. All those memories are unforgotable. Those days to visit and stay we need to get lot of permission letters, etc. We went deep inside there - one place - Kerala - Tamilnadu border- a big dam(sorry I forgot the name) its big dam almost looks like sea and rare animals are found near to that. Did u visited that place? Mother nature's one of the gift to us.
    Thank you once again for such a good information with beautiful photos. Hope to see more places...

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  2. Thanks a lot Srinivas and happy to know you liked this post.

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  3. Hi, could you please elaborate more about Ambuli illam, ive decided to stay along with my family for 2nights, is that a good idea or any suggestions.

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    1. Hi Ambuli illam is not good and it is very basic. If you are a bachelor you may adjust, but not for family. It is just inside the forest and that is it. We found too many spiders there. So i wont suggest.
      Try the tree house which is good.

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    2. thank you so much, but we booked already by calling the pollachi FD number provided by you, is that possible to change, We are 6in numbers, 3 couples. Which will be the best accommodation there, they asked us to pay the amount after reaching there.

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    3. Hi you can still check if they have tree house available which is good. We stayed only in tree house and ambuli so don't know about other options listed in that brochure page 2. So once you reach ask for better options.

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    4. Hi you can still check if they have tree house available which is good. We stayed only in tree house and ambuli so don't know about other options listed in that brochure page 2. So once you reach ask for better options.

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  4. Topslip is an awesome place to visit. Well written about this place. Thanks for sharing about this lovely place. It really helps to plan for trips. If anyone wants to visit this place then book your bus tickets in Evacay Bus.

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