The route from Malappuram to the busy city of Coimbatore via the green, windy forests of Attappadi has been on our travel bucket list for a very long time. It is a magical path that promises a beautiful change in scenery, starting in the thick, lush greenery of Kerala, slowly climbing up into the tall, rocky mountains of the Western Ghats, and finally opening up into the wide, flat lands of Tamil Nadu. Just recently, my childhood friends—Umarali, a Kerala government employee, and Sameer, who works in the UAE—and I finally packed our bags. We set out in a car to experience this beautiful and scenic road with our own eyes. It turned out to be an unforgettable trip full of green hills, wild animals, and peaceful spiritual moments shared among lifelong friends..
ISHABIL TRIP AT A GLANCE
- 📍 Destination: Attappadi & Isha. . Yoga Center, Coimbatore
- 📅 Date of Journey: November 18, 2023
- 🚆 Transport Mode: Car
- 👥 Companions: Friends Umarali & Sameer
Starting the Climb Up the Ghats
Our exciting trip began very early in the morning. We pulled out of our driveway at Ishabil Nest in Oorakam Village, leaving the familiar roads behind us. The morning air was crisp and cool, making everybody feel awake and ready for an adventure. Soon, we were driving past the waking towns of Perinthalmanna and Mannarkkad. These places are always so busy, crowded, and loud during the day, but in the early morning, they were peaceful and quiet. The shopkeepers were just opening their doors, and the streets were mostly empty.
As we turned our car toward the huge Attappadi forest range, the scenery changed almost instantly. The tall concrete buildings completely disappeared, replaced by massive, towering trees and thick green bushes. The roads near our village are a comfortable medium type, but as we entered the deep forest area, we faced some rough patches, deep holes, and bumps. The car shook a little bit, but we did not mind it at all. The pure excitement of climbing up into the misty mountains kept everyone's spirits very high. The children were looking out the windows, trying to spot wild animals hiding behind the big trees.
A Very Expensive Breakfast Stop
Before we started driving up the really steep, twisting hairpin bends of the mountain ghat road, our stomachs started rumbling. We are very hungry, so we decided to stop at a small, simple local eatery on the side of the road for some hot breakfast. We were expecting a cheap and simple local meal. We ordered some porota and beef fry.
To be totally honest, the food did not taste very special. It was just okay, and the service was a bit slow. But when the waiter brought us the final bill, our eyes grew wide with shock! The price of that simple breakfast was incredibly high. It cost almost double what we usually pay in our hometown. We paid the bill anyway, laughed it off as a tourist lesson, and got back into the car to continue our journey.
📌 ishabil tips
It is always a smart idea to pack some homemade sandwiches, fruits, and snacks from home when taking a road trip through remote mountain areas. Food prices in small roadside tourist shops often climb just as high as the mountains around you!
As we drove higher and higher up the winding mountain road, the air outside the car grew much colder, fresher, and cleaner. The views became absolutely beautiful. We could see for miles and miles across the bright green landscape. The houses below looked like tiny toys. We found a safe, wide spot on the side of the mountain cliff to park the car safely. We all stepped out to take a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and look at the huge, misty valleys far below us.
😂 ishabil fun
While we were enjoying the wide mountain view, we realized we were not alone at all! A whole troop of wild monkeys came swinging down from the tall trees to say hello. One brave monkey came right up to our car bumper and stared at us, hoping for a snack. We watched them jump, play, and chase each other around, which made us all laugh out loud. It was a hilarious and wonderful little break before we continued our drive up into the clouds.
The Serene Banks of the Beautiful Bhavani River
After reaching the very top of the mountain pass, the road slowly started to go down into a flat, high area known as the Attappadi plateau. Here, the landscape changed yet again. Instead of thick, wild forests, we now saw a very peaceful, quiet countryside filled with tiny, cute houses, small tea shops, and large vegetable farms. One of the absolute best parts of this long stretch of road was taking a break by the famous Bhavani River.
💡 ishabil fact
Did you know there is something very unique and special about the Bhavani River? Out of forty-four rivers in Kerala, it is actually one of only three rivers in the entire state that flows toward the east! It starts high up in the Western Ghats mountains before crossing over into Tamil Nadu to join the famous Kaveri river.
Standing on the soft, muddy banks of the gently flowing river was incredibly relaxing for our minds. The water was clear and cool. We stood there together as a family and watched local farm cows slowly eating the bright green grass near the water's edge. The sight of the calm water flowing gently, with the giant, dark blue mountain ranges standing tall in the background, looked exactly like a beautiful painted picture from a book. It was so quiet, and the gentle sound of the moving water felt like soft music. We took many beautiful photos here to save the memory.
Walking Through Famous Movie Locations
As we finally got back into our car and drove further along the road, we passed through small, busy local village centers like Goolikkadavu and Kottathara. If you love watching Malayalam cinema, you might already know these village names very well! We quickly recognized several roads, buildings, and hillsides that were shown in the super hit movie, "Ayyappanum Koshiyum". Seeing the rough, rocky, and totally natural beauty of the land made perfect sense to me. It is very easy to understand why movie directors find this specific region so beautiful and real for the cinema camera. The landscape has a strong, rough character that tells a story by itself.
Crossing the Border into Tamil Nadu
We kept driving along the countryside until we almost reached the state border line at a place called Anakkatti. The afternoon sun was shining very brightly now, and it was getting quite warm and hot inside the car. We decided it was the perfect time to stop our car and refresh ourselves. We parked next to a small roadside wooden stall and bought some fresh, sweet tender coconuts from a local farmer. The farmer skillfully cut the tops off the green coconuts with a big knife. Drinking the naturally cool coconut water was the perfect remedy for the hot afternoon heat. It gave us instant energy to continue our road trip.
The very minute our car crossed over the checkpoint into the state of Tamil Nadu, we noticed a huge change in the roads. The roads suddenly became much smoother, wider, and painted with clear white lines. Even though the highway was much better, the traffic stayed pleasantly low, which made the driving very easy and relaxing for me. Driving through the traditional Tamilian villages was a wonderful experience all on its own. We looked out the windows and saw vast, wide-open agricultural fields stretching out as far as our eyes could see, with farmers wearing traditional clothes working in the dirt. Life here seemed to move at a much slower, quieter, and happier pace.
The Grandeur of the Isha Yoga Center
After a lot of beautiful, scenic driving through the countryside, we finally reached our main destination for the day: the world-famous Isha Yoga Center. As our car drove closer to the main entrance gates, a massive, dark black shape rose up into view against the bright sky. It was the majestic, 112-foot-tall giant statue of Adiyogi, which represents Lord Shiva. The statue is framed perfectly by the stunning, dark green Velliangiri Mountains standing tall right behind it. The very first sight of it was absolutely jaw-dropping. We parked our car and walked toward the giant structure with a feeling of great wonder.
Standing Before the Giant Adiyogi
When you walk up close and stand right in front of this giant face, you feel a deep sense of how small we are, and a strange, beautiful stillness inside your heart. The statue represents the very first yogi in human history, the one who first taught the ancient science of Yoga and meditation to humanity. It is a brilliant mix of amazing modern engineering and beautiful artistic design. The dark black steel sheets of the statue reflect the changing light of the sky above it. If you look at it when the sun is bright, or later when the sun goes down, it looks slightly different from every single angle. It is truly an engineering masterpiece that everyone should see with their own eyes at least once.
💡 ishabil fact
The magnificent Adiyogi face statue is officially recognized by the famous Guinness World Records as the largest bust sculpture in the entire world! It is made of thousands of steel pieces welded together perfectly.
Experiencing the Peaceful Vibe
We spent a very long time exploring the massive, clean open grounds around the giant statue. The atmosphere there is thick with a very special blend of beautiful architecture and deep spiritual calm. Even though there were thousands of tourists and visitors walking around, the entire place stayed remarkably quiet, peaceful, and respectful. No one was shouting or making loud noises. Whether you go there to sit down on the stone floor, close your eyes, and meditate, or simply to admire the beautiful design like our family did, the center offers a wonderful, quiet escape from the busy and stressful chaos of daily life. The children loved walking around the big open brick paths and looking at the lotus ponds.
A Flavorful Finale in Coimbatore City
As the sun started to drop below the mountains and the evening grew dark, we got back into our car and headed into the busy, brightly lit heart of Coimbatore city. No trip to this city is complete without a fun stop at the famous, massive Lulu Hypermarket. . We spent an hour just walking up and down the giant, bright aisles, looking at all the global products, checking out the toys, and enjoying the happy, festive atmosphere of the huge shopping center.
Of course, a trip to this region is totally incomplete without eating some amazing local Tamil Nadu food! On our way out of the city to start our long journey back home, we stopped at a clean local restaurant. We were all very hungry from all the walking, so we eagerly ordered their dinner specialty: a huge, hot Mushroom Dosa. When it arrived at our table, it was perfectly crisp, golden brown, and filled with delicious, flavorful mushroom spices. It tasted absolutely heavenly and was exactly what our tired bodies needed. It was incredibly delicious and a far cry from our disappointing, expensive breakfast experience earlier that morning!
The Long Night Drive Back Home
With our stomachs full of delicious dosa and our hearts full of happy memories, it was finally time to start the long drive back to Kerala. The return journey took us straight through Palakkad town, which is famously known as the "Gateway of Kerala." The night drive was incredibly smooth, dark, and relaxing, with very few cars on the highway to bother us. . I listened to some soft music to stay awake, and we finally reached our home safely around midnight.
This road trip was so much more than just a simple drive. It was a beautiful loop that connected the high-altitude, wild forests of Attappadi with the calm, spiritual landmarks of Coimbatore. It left our family with a beautiful gallery of wonderful memories that we will talk about for years. From the funny, playful monkeys on the steep mountain curves to the towering, grand black shape of Adiyogi against the evening sky, it was a perfect family adventure. Stay tuned to Ishabil.com for more simple, real, and budget-friendly travel stories from our journeys!
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- The Mettupalam tragedy
- Read my all travel stories
Welcome to my travel stories
Ikbal Valiyathodi is the founder of Ishabil.com, a travel blog sharing budget-friendly travel stories, stopover hacks, and real experiences from around the world. He believes travel should be simple, honest, and possible for everyone.
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