Another lesser known waterfall in South India! Another travel post by my friend Sowmya Ramkumar led me to a breathtaking and gorgeous waterfall named Thiruparappu Waterfalls. This time, she shifted her focus to Nagerkoil in Tamilnadu State from Palakkad, Kerala.
Thanking her for her FB feed, I took upon the task of researching about the lesser known Thiruparappu waterfalls and I am happy to share here my findings.
First, take a look at this short video of the roaring waterfall at Thiruparappu.
Isn’t the Thiruparappu Waterfalls stunning? The volume of the water, its force, and the thick green backdrop is very beautiful look at.
It is hard to believe this gushing waterfall at Thiruparappu is manmade. I read the river Kodhai is made to fall from a height of 50 feet mainly for extensive irrigation of paddy fields in and around Nagerkoil and Kanyakumari towns of Tamilnadu.
The two crocodile statues at the entrance of the Thiruparappu waterfalls indicate that river Kodhai is crocodiles infested.
Where is Thiruparappu waterfalls located?
The voluminous Thiruparappu waterfalls fed by 300 feet width Kodhai river can be reached by car from Nagerkoil town that is 55 km away.
The Kerala State capital Trivandrum also is located at almost the same distance.
The nearest railway station is Marthandam (23 km) and the nearest airport to Thiruparappu falls is in Trivandrum.
About Nagerkoil town.
I had been to Nagerkoil once to visit the stunning Thiruvattar temple. The route to Thiruvattar from Nagerkoil is breathtaking. It seems every house and every building all along the way has owned a small forest behind.
The woods were lovely, dark and cool. I had to stop my car at several places just to look and enjoy the wooded countryside.
Even as I approached the Nagerkoil town, I saw several windmills on either side of the highway. The distant hills of the evergreen Western Ghats and the panoramic outskirts of Nagerkoil town were very beautiful.
Things to see and to do in Thiruparappu Waterfalls.
- Enjoy the sound and sight of the falling water from a distance. You won’t be bored at all even if you keep gazing at the waterfalls for an hour.
- There is a boat ride too that is available for all age groups. The ride through thick vegetation, sprawling water body, and green background can make you very happy that you have taken time off to visit Nagerkoil and its surrounding sightseeing places.
- The best time to visit the Thiruparrau waterfalls is from June when the South Weast monsoon starts in Kerala. There will be plenty of water till February in the Kodhai River.
- You will find most of the tourists to Thiruparappu waterfalls stopping first at the revered Shiva temple that is known as Mahadevar Temple here. Built in typical Kerala style, the Pandya King built temple dates back to 9th century.
- Tire your biceps out by having a swimming session in the well-fed freshwater swimming pool.
Where to stay in order to see Thiruparappu waterfalls?
Plan a day trip to Thiruparappu from Nagerkoil town where you can stay. There is no dearth of hotels and lodges in Nagerkoil.
Alternatively, if you are coming by flight from any other city of India, book your ticket up to Trivandrum that is very well connected by flights from all major cities in India.
After checking in to your hotel of which there are hundreds in Trivandrum, hire a car to go to Thriruparrau. Since the roads are not good, it will take more than an hour to cover the 53 km distance.
Eating in Nagerkoil
The local cuisine will be a mixture of Tamil and Malabar.
Being a typical Tamilnadu town, you can taste all the local food such as idly, dosa, and vada sumptuously. You can find an overdose of garlic in the food preparations.
As Nagerkoil is located near the tip of India where the three seas (bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian sea) meet, you can try all the local seafood served just about everywhere. The varieties of fish and lobster are amazing in Nagerkoil.
Good restaurants in Nagerkoil.
The Kings Chick is very popular among tourists as they find it highly reviewed in some online portals. This non-vegetarian restaurant is found at #147, Kottar-Parvathipuram Rd, Ramavarmapuram, Nagercoil. Phone: 95242 79000. Beware nocturnals! This restaurant closes at 2300 hours.
The Hut
Address: Chunkankadai, near St.Xaviers, Nagercoil,
Phone: 94860 84444
This is another excellent restaurant for meat lovers as they can eat some unique items such as mud crab and stuffed squids.
The Arasan Restaurant that is located at Chettikulam Junction is your one more option to eat in Nagerkoil.
Nearby attractions of Thiruparappu Waterfalls.
There are several more places to see when you make your headquarters at either Nagerkoil or Trivandrum to visit the Thiruparappu Waterfalls. Of all the attractions, my first choice would be the Poovar Island near Trivandrum.
Poovar Island reached 40 km from Trivandrum. It is a serene island and less crowded but hot and humid. However, one can stay in an air-conditioned resort or seafront hotel in Kovalam and make a short visit to Poovar Island. Â You will be spending just a couple of hours in Poovar Island.
The Poovar beach mostly thronged by Western tourists who are spellbound by the scenic location of the beach of the Arabian Sea and the Neyyar River.
Reaching Poovar Island
Poovar Island can be accessed from Trivandrum railway station also by and the distance is only 27 km.
The Kerala Government is operating several bus services to Poovar Beach.
Staying in Poovar Island
That’s the floating villas, 12 of them in the Arabian Sea, offered by Poovar Island Resorts
Close up view of the floating cottage in Poovar Island.
Vizhinjam Beach, Trivandrum
A highly popular beach in Trivandrum, the Vizhinjam beach can also act as a gateway to Poovar Island. The distance between the two is only 15 km. While you are at the Vizhinjam Beach, don’t forget to visit the Vizhinjam Marine Aquarium for an unforgettable experience of seeing a great variety of marine life.
Keeriparai Reserve Forest
It will be a great pleasure to enter into a wooded area of Nagerkoil area where you can also spot some wild animals apart from the tall trees that give a canopy to the visitors as well as the forest animals that include elephants, foxes, wild boar, and monkeys, etc. If you foray a bit deep inside the forest, you will see three small waterfalls namely Keeriparai and Vattaparai waterfalls and Kalikesam waterfall that is more of a gentle cascade than a waterfall.
Ullarkarvi Waterfalls is another beautiful waterfall near Nagerkoil. It is only 17 km away from Nagerkoil. The water drop is a rather tall one; it is from a height of 50 feet the waterfalls down gently most of the times but with force at a few times. It is not accessible by any motored vehicles. You have to trek for nearly an hour through the woods to reach the Ullakarvi waterfalls.
Other places of sightseeing importance near Thiruparappu Waterfalls are:
- Kanyakumari beach where the three seas of Indian peninsula meet. You can see hundreds of tourists at two different times in a day to watch the sunrise and sunset. It will be a memorable experience.
- Vivekananda Rock Memorial
- Sothavilai Beach
- Vattakottai Fort
Your whole trip to Nagerkoil should last two full days to visit all the above-mentioned sightseeing attractions near Nagerkoil and Trivandrum.
Travel destination introduced by Sowmya Ramkumar
