Hills of Tamil Nadu - A Road Trip to Yercaud

The crazy roads surrounded with bamboo, trees and coffee plantation entices your drive to Yercaud. At a distance of 31 KM from Salem (Tamil Nadu), Yercaud is located in the Shevaroy hills in the Eastern Ghats. Mystic weather, mesmerizing green cover and attractive tourist spots make this place an ideal vacation spot.

As our two-day road trip to Yelagiri was cut short to a day, we decided to pack our bags and drove to Yercaud. From Yelagiri, it was approximately 140 KM drive and we took the Salem-Tirupattur-Vaniyambadi Road i.e., SH 18. The nearest railway station is at Salem and the nearest airport is at Coimbatore; from Salem or Coimbatore you can hire a cab or take a bus to Yercaud.

Here’s my road trip experience to Yelagiri.

Driving to the hilltop, there aren’t many hairpin bends but the curvy roads were slightly scary after the rains. And remember to keep your eyes open to enjoy the scenery. We tried to check for rooms availability at a few hotels throughout our journey and finally landed at Hotel Shevaroys.

That Crazy Road!

Hotel Stay Review: We opted for Standard Room for two days, which cost Rs.5000 INR (tax included) with complimentary breakfast. The room was decent but the service part was a huge turn-off. The food, especially the breakfast spread was good but otherwise, they are priced high.  

The tourist spots were Anna Park, Yercaud Lake, Lady’s Seat, Gent’s Seat, Rose Garden, Pagoda Point, Kiliyur Falls, Shevaroy Temple, Deer Park and drive through the 32-KM Loop Road. There is a mention about Botanical Garden if you browse for places to visit at Yercaud but the Garden doesn’t exist or function. So here’s about the must visit places.

Yercaud Lake, Anna Park, Deer Park: These three places are located near to each other so you can plan to visit them at once. The lake is located at 1.5 KM distance from Yercaud Bus Stand and at a walkable distance from Hotel Shevaroys. The park and lake open at 9 AM and closes at 5.30 PM. There is an entrance fee of Rs.15 INR for adults and Rs.10 INR for children at the Park. And the boating charges differ for motor, row and paddling boat.

The parks are pretty usual and nothing unique so I wouldn’t recommend visiting the park. And we didn’t go for boating; the lake is small but the location looks blissful in the morning hours.

Lady’s Seat, Gent’s Seat, Children’s Seat: At a distance of 2 KM from the Yercaud bus stand, the viewpoints Lady’s Seat, Gent’s Seat and Children’s Seat are must visit. The three view points are located at a distance of 500 meters from each other. The view of Salem city and the roads hiding amidst the green cover is breathtaking. There is an entrance fee for each person and vehicle that is collected commonly for the viewpoints and rose garden.

Rose Garden: The garden is calm and serene. There weren’t many roses to admire but the neatly maintained garden is a great place for a picnic. The path through the rose garden takes you to Children’s and Gent’s seat. You can park your vehicle at Rose Garden and take a walk till the Gent’s Seat if you are up for some serious walking.

Path connecting Gent's Seat & Rose Garden

Rose Garden without Roses ;-)

Pagoda Point: Yet another viewpoint located at a distance of 4.5 KM from Yercaud bus stand. We dropped this place from the itinerary because of time but this is one of the highly recommended as well as visited tourist spots at Yercaud.

Shevaroy Temple: At a distance of approximately 7 KM from Yercaud bus stand, the cave temple or Shevaroy temple is situated at the highest point of Shevaroy hills. The temple is built out of a narrow, dark black cave and the idols of Lord Shevaroyan and Goddess Kaveri are placed inside the temple. And you cannot walk with your head held high i.e., you need to be bend or sitting to enter the temple and worship.

32-KM Loop Road: This road is a 32 KM stretch that begins and ends at Yercaud Lake. This definitely is one of the best roads and place to explore at Yercaud. The never-ending plantations and the wavy roads are insanely beautiful. The locals can guide you well about the loop road. More details about the loop road here :-)

Kiliyur Falls: Though the walk to the falls is tiresome, it’s completely worth a visit. Such an alluring place and the view is surreal. Do inquire about the water flow from the locals before visiting because it is seasonal falls. And also carry some refreshments so you have the energy to climb back from the falls. There are approximately 200+ steep steps and it’s a 2 KM trek from the nearest road point.

And coming to the food part, there are so many restaurants as well as exciting street food options near the tourist spots. As the sun starts to set, the aroma of bajji and tea is hard to resist. The kiosks near the Yercaud lake is filled with vegetable and egg bajjis, paniyaram, corn and garma garam tea to satisfy your senses. The one exciting dish we spotted was the Aattukal Kizhangu Soup, which definitely is a vegetarian dish. The soup made of Aattukal Kizhangu, which grows alongside the rocks of Shevaroys hill helps with bone problems and comes in handy for the people living there. Also, the soup tasted good.

Aattukal Kizhangu

And all through your drive you will spot Coffee and Pepper plantation so don’t forget to buy Peppercorns and Coffee Powder. In terms of price, the difference isn’t huge compared to what we get at our local markets but the quality was definitely better. The peppercorns cost Rs.800 INR for 1 KG and Coffee Powder cost Rs.320 INR for 1 KG.

Yercaud, a calm, serene and mesmerizing place that would be perfect for a short weekend and the roads are a beauty that anyone who loves to drive would enjoy their road trip in this misty hills.

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