Beat the Heat ! Enjoy your Vacation!. Review on Top Five Summer Destinations

Vacations are a must for everybody.  Research has shown that people who don’t take vacations put themselves at much greater risk of heart attacks and other killer ailments than those who treat themselves even to a few days of rest and recreation. Backaches, headaches and other ailments disappear after just a few days of relaxation.

So, you must just go away to some relaxing place, just for the health of it.  Time off cuts your risk of health problems.  According to studies, vacations tend to increase an employee’s productivity and they will become happier and healthier.

Though presently in Canada, I still cherish the times I had with the time spent on vacation in some South Indian places.  Hope you will try to enjoy those places when you find time and have enough money!  My favorite places to chill out are

1. Courtallam

   
   




2. Kanyakumari (Cape Comerin)

   
   




3. Uthagamandalam or Ootacamund(Ooty)

   
   




4. Yercaud

   
   




5. Kodaikanal

   
   

Courtallam is the first place I enjoyed as a vacation spot, without spending a rupee.  Are you puzzled?  Yes, it is very near to Tenkasi, my in-law’s place.  Whenever we went to Tenkasi to visit my parents-in-law, Courtallam was on the list and we never missed seeing the beautiful waterfalls.

Courtallam is also called the ''Spa of the south''. It is situated on the Western side in Tirunelveli District. It is an excellent health resort. The waters of Courtallam is believed to have medicinal and therapeautical qualities as it flows through forests of herbs.  You can have a nice bath in the Courtallam waterfalls to beat the heat as well as to get refreshed with the medicinal touch of the waters.

Courtallam is 160 Kms from Madurai, 137Kms from Kanniyakumari and 112 Kms from Trivandrum. Those who are near Tenkasi can just reach this place by local bus.  You will find plenty of shops selling hand made decorative stuff, toys and food items.

Kanyakumari is my next choice.  Kanyakumari is at the southernmost tip of India and it is the place where three big seas the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian sea meet.

We took a bus to Kanyakumari from Nagercoil, where we stayed for a day.  As soon as we got down from the bus, the first sight of the place was that it was crowded with lots of foreigners who had come to see the sunset with the camera in their hand.

We stayed in a local hotel and went to see the Vivekananda Memorial.  We went by boat.  I remember paying Rs.25 per head for the ferry service.  This was before five years.  The fare may have increased now. Adjacent to the Vivekananda memorial is a 133ft statue of Thiruvalluvar, theFamous tamil poet, who created Tirukkural, 2000 years ago.

The next morning, we got up very early so excited to the sunrise and walked toward the beach.   There were many people like us going to the beach to see the sunrise.  After all, who wants to miss seeing the beautiful sun rising from the sky?  Thank God, we were not disappointed. It was a beautiful sight!  I recommend you all to go to Kanyakumari just to see this wonderful creation of God.

My next choice Ooty, also called Ootacamund is the queen of hill stations in India. It is one of the oldest mountain ranges, located at the junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. I have visited Ooty many times, as our son studied in an International school there.  It is a very cold place.  If you plan to go there, you need lot of warm clothing.  We used to go there by train.  I am not sure if the train service still exists.  But I know you can go there by taking deluxe buses that offer great comfort.

There is a beautiful botanical garden in Ooty.  This garden seems to have been laid out in the year 1847 and is spread over 55 acres.  The specialty of this garden is that it includes a variety of roses, shrubs and rare flowering plants.  A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held every year in the month of May at this garden.  This Garden is maintained by the Horticulture Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

There is an artificial lake which is very popular tourist spot in Ooty. You can go boating between 8am and 6 pm on all days in this lake.  There is also an amusement park for children.You will also find lots of bazaars selling woolen sweaters, scarves, and gloves etc, needed to protect you against the cold weather.  You get nice woolen shawls which you shouldn’t miss buying.  I still use the ones bought in Ooty.

Yercaud is the place which I have visited just once, but would love to visit again.  Yercaud is famous for coffee plantations and orange groves.  It is blessed with extraordinary scenic beauty.

The main attraction of Yercaud is the cool lake surrounded by greenery everywhere.  It is surrounded by gardens and tall trees.  Boating in this cool water is very refreshing!  You can see Killiyur waterfalls, which is about 300 feet high in a picturesque backdrop. During the month of May, there is a Summer festival, which takes place for a week. You can see flower shows, dog shows, and boating races.

Kodaikanal is yet another hill station, not to be missed for it’s beautiful scenery.  The best way to spend time here is to walk leisurely around the place appreciating the scenic beauty. I remember being to this place just once. There are facilities for boating, cycling, pony riding, angling, and playing golf.

There are some important sites to explore in Kodaikanal.  They are Kodaikanal Lake, Colonial structure, Bryant's Park, and Coaker's Walk.

These are my choices folks, for a good vacation and I see that for the most part, I have chosen the cold hill stations.  May be that is why I am living in one of the coldest places in the world. I have got used to living in extreme cold weather!  Wish you all a very happy vacation, wherever you choose to spend.  Remember, vacation is a must for everyone!