What to expect
Highlights
- Mukurthi National Park — A high-altitude park in the western Nilgiris protecting shola-grassland ecosystems and the endangered Nilgiri tahr, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is no public road into it; entry is on permit from the Kundah side, and Sispara Pass and Bangitappal lie within its western reach.
- Sispara Pass — A high mountain pass on the western edge of the Nilgiri plateau, historically part of an old route linking the hills to the Malabar coast. Standing above the sheer western escarpment near Mukurthi National Park, it is one of the wettest and most dramatic points in the Nilgiris, a classic restricted-permit trek overlooking Kerala's Silent Valley forests.
- Bangitappal — A remote grassland valley at the southwestern end of Mukurthi National Park, at the head of the Sispara Pass where two streams meet. Ringed by shola forest and rolling downs, it is a key stop on the classic multi-day Nilgiri high-altitude trek and requires forest-department permits.
- Upper Bhavani Reservoir — A high reservoir at around 2,100 metres inside the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, marking the source region of the Bhavani river. The approach road passes through undisturbed Silent Valley shola forest, and the wildlife-rich area requires forest permits. It is one of the highest and most pristine dam sites in the Nilgiris.
- Parsons Valley Reservoir — A reservoir in dense forest of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve near Ooty and a key source of the town's drinking water. Surrounded by shola and grassland with frequent wildlife sightings, access is restricted and requires permits, keeping it a pristine, offbeat spot.
- Porthimund Dam — Porthimund Dam is built across the Pykara river in the Kundah hills, about 18 km from Ooty and close to Parsons Valley. Set among forested slopes, it is part of the Kundah hydro-electric scheme and a quiet reservoir stop for visitors exploring the western circuit.
