Yamaha FZ 16 and Fazer to Anaikatti

Coimbatore is one of those unique places which give wanderers like us something new to explore, and this time it was Anaikatti. This scenic place is located 28 kms from Coimbatore and shares its border with Kerala. The reason this quiet little hill got our attention was one of my friend, who has a farmhouse up there. Our ride for this one day retreat was the Yamaha FZ 16 V 1.0 and the Fazer. Both these machines are able handlers when it comes to riding them on hills or plains.

road after Kanuvai

Nearing the foothills

We started at 9.30 in the morning from Coimbatore, and the route is very much straightforward. You have to take the Thadagam – Anaikatty road, passing Edayarpalayam, Kanuvai, Mankarai to reach the foothills. The traffic eases up pretty much after crossing kanuvai and that allowed us to stretch the FZ’s legs for a while, managing around 80 – 90kmph, making it to the foothills in just 20 minutes. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, a research institute and a famous bird sanctuary, is located 4 kms before Anaikatti. 

at Sholayur

small hillocks near Sholayur

The straight line stability of both the bikes is good and inspires confidence. The brakes have sufficient bite and stopping power is good. The front sports a 267 mm disc brake and the rear comes with drum brakes. Both the bikes make 14 PS of power and 13.6 Nm of torque and are eager to rev all the way to the redline and employ a constant mesh, 5 - speed manual gearbox in a one down, 4 up pattern. Telescopic forks are used in the front and monoshock suspension in the rear. The suspension setup and chassis make both these machines rider oriented; and for the pillion rider, it gets uncomfy for long rides on that small seat. Also while the stiff chassis is great for cornering, the ride becomes bumpy on bad roads. On the looks department, both are sporty and are best looking in the front three - quarter view. The dials are simple and functional and have the digital speedo and rev counters with trip meter. 

the FZ 16 and Fazer

Anaikatti at an altitude of just over 700 meters above msl, makes for a quick climb and we made it before 11 in the morning. A little further down the main road, we took an unmarked left turn, which leads to Sholayur, where our friends’ farmhouse is located. The narrow road was much like an off road terrain with potholes and big stones, but the 160 mm ground clearance meant not much harm to the underbelly of the motorcycles. The diamond chassis of the FZ 16 makes it a sporty handler and tackling corners are a delight. On a rainy day, a lot of focus was needed to navigate the narrow, terrible road to Sholayur. Thankfully, our friend’s farmhouse was just 4 kms from the main road. We took a break there and headed further to explore the vastly unused terrain.

cloudy and rainy throughout the day

windmills st Sholayur

A little further there are roads branch from the Sholayur road, and these lead to windmills located there. The cloudy and rainy weather transformed the mountainous region to a scenic location, due to which a lot of time was spent taking pictures and hiking small hillocks nearby. There are small eatery joints in the village of Anaikatti to satisfy your hunger, but don’t go expecting tasty meals. We started the ride back to Coimbatore by 4.30 in the evening and made it in less than an hour to Idayarpalayam and stopped for tea. The grippy MRF radials in the front and rear, made the bike handle rainy conditions in an effortless manner. The FZ 16 and Fazer also had the widest rear tire (140mm) in its segment when launched which had a positive impact on the handling characteristics of the motorcycles. For a quick one day getaway to Anaikatti, the FZ and Fazer proved to be fun motorcycles to ride and the weather being in favor to us making the locales wonderful.

Mystique Valparai

Monsoon makes the hills alluring, no doubt. And after that scorching summer heat,  you tend to imagine yourself in a misty cool hillstation with lush greenery all around, eating pakoras and having Chai...all these thoughts interrupting during work. Wait for the weekend,  I told myself.  This time it was the scenic hill station of Valparai that beckoned us. Our ride was my friend's  Wagon  R that he had  bought recently. 

the road to walayar

Palghat highway at 8 in the morning

 And so, on a cool, rainy day in August, at around 7.30 am from my place near Maruthamalai, we took the NH-47 via Kovaipudur, connecting the NH-209 to Pollachi,  which took us just over an hour, as there was minimal traffic and the Wagon R got an opportunity to stretch its legs. Having breakfast there, we took the SH-78 to Aliyar dam and Monkey falls, which took us another 40 minutes.

Pollachi town

en route to Aaliyar

 road near Monkey falls

hill road to Valparai

view of Aaliyar dam enroute to Valparai  

 Valparai is about a 108 kms from Coimbatore, with Indira Gandhi national park to the left, Aliyar reserve forrest and Parambikulam tiger reserve on the right. Roughly half an hour into the drive, and what surprised us was the mist which started appearing in the plains, in Palghat road, much before we reached Pollachi. On the highway, the Wagon R was pretty confident though slightly uncomfortable at speeds above 100 kmph due to its tall stance. The 998 cc, 3 cylinder, K10B petrol motor produces a max power of 68 PS and 90 Nm of torque. The power steering was quite useful when driving in tight conditions on the hills. Our variant was the VXi and it supported Mp3 and AUX input to keep us entertained. The rear defogger and the fog lamps came in handy as we were using it for most of the trip due to the misty, rainy conditions in the hills.

misty roads en route to valparai

 

view from the tea shop 6 kms before Valparai

lush greenery, everywhere 

We were greeted by mist, as early as the third hairpin bend from the foothills of Valparai. The climb took almost an hour, and the roads, to our surprise were good. Valparai, at an altitude of 3500 feet above msl and boasting of 40 hairpin bends, all much close to each other, the climb was gradual and in some places the road is narrow. Six kilometers before Valparai, we had tea in a small tea shop and a hut nearby surrounded by lush green tea plantations. From there,  Sholayar dam is a 20 km, one hour drive by taking a detour to the SH-21, without entering Valparai town.

our ride, the Wagon R VXi

 En route to Sholayar dam

The route to Sholayar dam was captivating, and the mist and light drizzle made it even more picturesque. Random river streams, small valleys and no rush since it was off season. Perfect. A few kms before the dam, the road meets the river on its left side, the mountains on the right and the last leg of Sholayar dam was almost as if we were driving on a coastal route. The dam was scenic and we hung there for about 20 minutes taking selfies and pictures of the serene place. We drove back the route we came, heading to the town of Valparai by 2 pm and checked in a hotel in the center of town, which had the basic necessities. Valparai, not that much developed compared to Ooty or Kodaikanal has its upside and downside. The upside being the vastly unexplored terrain and the beauty still intact, without pollution of any kind. The downside is lack of star hotels and no 3G network. That would change sometime soon as more star hotels come in place. 

 near Sholayar dam

Sholayar dam

We refreshed ourselves and had a quick lunch in a hotel, and hit the road soon to explore the nearby locales. We took the main road and saw the Koolangal River, scenic and roaring with its current. We halted for a few pictures and drove further, to Nallamudi Punjolai, a view point near the Sangiliroad, 15 kms from Valparai reached there by 3.30pm. The local tea seller told us that we had to walk 1km in the tea estate, to get a good view. The walk up the hill was delightful, with rain, mist and just 2 – 3 tea estate workers apart from us. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the temple from the viewpoint due to the heavy mist that hung for most of the part, reducing visibility to just 50 meters. The elephant droppings that we spotted while climbing scared us though, since the area is visited by the wild elephants and we were the only two people near the viewpoint. After soaking in the enchanting beauty the place offered, rain forced us to turn back and we took shelter in the car, having a hot cuppa from the tea seller. The taste of that hot cardamom tea in the rainy and misty weather was something truly exceptional. Office daydream fulfilled. 

route to nallamudi poonjolai

walk through the tea estate to nallamudi poonjolai

After the rain stopped a bit, we headed to back to the town, from where the route to Nirar dam starts. Located at 15kms from Valparai, the drive turned out to be enthralling, and we were surprised that such a beauty lay here, untouched. Wherever we took a turn, we saw a small valley and natural waterfalls between it. Maybe it was because we came here on monsoon season or it was just simply pouring those two days, we were in awe. After a quick tour of the upper view of the dam and some clicks, we walked down the road that leads to the lower view of the dam, forests surrounding us. It was an eerie feeling as we were the only two blokes walking down the dam and the sounds of the jungle just came alive. Dark as it was, close to 6 in the evening and even darker clouds looming above threatening to pour, we made it back to the car and had a chat with the lady selling tea and aaloo bondas there. It was then that she told us the wild animals like panther, leopards frequenting that area in the evening. Ignorance is bliss eh...?  By 7 pm we drove back from there, the rain pouring down heavily, and ours was the only car for a few kms. We reached hotel by 8.30 pm after having dinner in a Chettinad restaurant. Nearly 210 kms covered on the first day, we were exhausted and called it a day.

Nirar dam

The next day, we freshened ourselves, checked out of our hotel by 11.30 am, and headed to another tourist spot, Birla falls.  At just 2 kms from Valparai in the Sholayar estate, it is well hidden from the main road and there is no board indicating the spot. Finally after much searching and asking around, a local tea estate worker told us just to walk down the muddy road on the left, from our location. Just a short walk later, the falls came into view and we walked about 150 meters on the muddy trail to get a close up view. A small bridge to the other side, surrounded by small hillocks, cloudy and rainy, it was a picture perfect view all around the falls. The falls itself is very small, but the location was charming. After spending some quality time in the enticing place, we drove back to Valparai and then to Coimbatore.

route to Birla falls

Birla falls

    We reached Coimbatore by 5.30 pm and halted at KR bakes opposite to Karpagam University for a quick bite.We tanked up 17.69 liters of petrol at the start of the trip. A total of 330 kms were covered in two days and we got a decent figure of 18.65kmpl on the Wagon R. A special mention to the weather, which remained cloudy, rainy and misty for the entire trip making every possible location from normal to scenic, splendid greenery and as a result we ended up taking pictures almost everywhere, slowing us down. But this is the kind of weather you truly want to experience the untouched beauty of Valparai.

my friend Muthuraj and his Wagon R

                                       

that's me

the mist crossing area before Valparai

Catherine falls, Kothagiri

A trip to the Queen of hills always puts a smile on your face. That can also turn into laughter all the way if you happen to travel with a bunch of your college buddies, all of us meeting after a long time. The decision to go there was spontaneous since the hill station of Nilgiris is quite close to Coimbatore, our hometown and offers a quick getaway.

So with the mighty XUV 500 with us, (a close friend bought it and he wanted to test it in the hills), we started at around 1.30 in the afternoon on a sunny Sunday. Driving to Mettupalayam from Coimbatore took us an hour, with the afternoon traffic not heavy. From Mettupalayam, we took the road that leads to Kothagiri, rather than the conventional Coonoor-Ooty route, since Catherine falls is located near Kothagiri. 
                      

                         View of Kothagiri hills

                     

The pretty views that are on offer en route are instant energy boosters, not to forget the refreshing mountain air. The Kothagiri route of the Nilgiris is often regarded as one of the best-maintained roads. Many travel bugs swear by this route, which offers great views and an almost pothole free road, and a pleasure for anyone behind the wheels.

The May sun, which was with us for a few hairpin bends, suddenly disappeared behind the clouds as we were gaining altitude the warm air gradually turned to cool mountain air, with mild essence of eucalyptus. The road to St Catherine falls branches off at Aravenu, snaking through the valley, a steep descent. The XUV handled the corners pretty well, inspiring confidence in the hilly terrain. The road ends at a point and you have to trek a small distance to the falls.
 
The route to Catherine falls

  
The view en route to Kothagiri

To reach the falls, you have to climb a couple of small hills by walk, through the tea plantations. Finally, the trek through the tea plantations gives way to a mini river crossing, which leads to the top of the waterfalls. Even a small river crossing should never be underestimated; as the rocks beneath us were slippery the force of the current was surprisingly strong. What made the trip more fun was the thunder, lightning, and rain, which gave us company when we began climbing, all the way to the falls.  A word of caution: the trek to the falls is unmarked and not known to many people and it’s easy to get lost in the jungle if you take a wrong turn. So it is advisable to accompany someone who knows the route well. The falls itself is very small and the area is prone to flash floods.  Surrounded by tea estates and forests, the area surrounding the falls is scenic. A good couple of hours were spent playing in the cold waters.


       
Catherine falls

The return trek back was spent taking selfies, pictures and removing leaches from legs. We hit the road at 6.30 in the evening, the clouds turning dark and ready to pour, and at that time I realized I had a leach stuck in my leg too  when I noticed red in on my finger while pulling my sock up. So a pair of shoes, comfortable jeans had all proven to be of no match for a tiny leach to stick to you. Sigh.

The comfort levels in the XUV for the occupants were quite good that no fatigue was experienced at the end of the journey. The seats offered good thigh support and ample legroom as expected of an SUV of this class. The Bluetooth connectivity is seamless and the Bose sound system offered great levels of clarity in music. The overall mileage we achieved was 13.6kmpl, tanking up 8.9 liters of diesel at the start of the trip.

Though we started late in the afternoon, the trip was fascinating as we had the falls all to ourselves for a whole two hours. Catherine falls is 60km from Coimbatore and offers a lot for a one day trip.  A weekend would suffice to explore Ooty and its nearby locales, but that’s another story.

Coimbatore to Kodaikanal on a passion pro

“I’ll be there in an hour”, I told my friend Muthuraj. We were to start our trip to kodaikanal, from Coimbatore on the day of Pongal, (a major festival in Tamilnadu) and I was to meet him at singanallur from where we’d start the trip. The original plan was to go there by car with another friend who vouched to bring his Wagon R. He bailed out at the last moment, and the plan was about to die. “We’ll go to kodai on my bike”, Muthuraj suggested. Riding a 100 cc bike for two days nonstop, on hills with bad roads , I was a bit skeptical at first. But we decided to go on anyway and started at 9.30 am in the morning from singanallur. The bike was in a good condition and the odo read about 20,000 odd kilometers. We tanked up for 6.62 liters of petrol, set the trip meter to zero and began our journey, all equipped.
We rode to Palani via Palladam and Dharapuram. The roads were smooth, straight and traffic free for most of the part. We could see lots pf pilgrims walking their way to Palani, also called pada yatra. The journey to Palani took two and half hours, with minimal stops on the way. We maintained a constant 60kmph since roads were traffic free. We stopped for lunch at Palani and then resumed our ride to Kodai hills, a full 60 kms of hill ride. The ride uphill was traffic free again, making it fast. We could see 2 -3 riders like us and a few buses going uphill. The roads in the hills were bad for most of the parts, so you need to be a little careful while riding. Palani to kodai hills took us another two and half hours.
Now, putting the spotlight on the bike, the passion pro’s chassis handled the bad roads much better than our expectations and also inspired a confidence to push it harder on the hilly terrain. The design of the bike is simple and practical. The dash now features a small LCD screen that displays info like odo, tripmeter readings and fuel indicator. The speedo remains analog though. The other useful touch is the self starter which comes in handy while in traffic signals.

                                        
                                        kodai lake above

Once we reached kodai hills by 3 pm that day, we checked into a hotel right in the heart of the town, the grand paradise inn. The room was decent, we refreshed ourselves and went to see some tourist spots. Since it was already 4 pm, we just visited the Bryant park 2 kms from the town, and the kodai lake near the park. Both these places were heavily crowded, the reason being the pongal holidays falling on the weekdays, giving holiday- goers a full week of vacations. The park was good, but not as good as the botanical garden or sims park in Coonoor . You are bound to compare if you have been to both the hill stations. Cycling is an option to go around the lake, but we preferred walking. The mist started appearing at 5 pm and it transformed the already cool place to a beautiful spot. The walk around the lake with the heavy mist hanging around was mesmerizing. With nightfall fast approaching, the January chill closing in and the mist still hanging around, reducing visibility to a mere 30 meters, we decided to call it a day and headed to our hotel. 

The next morning, waking up late, freshening ourselves and checking out of the hotel at 11 am, we were on our way to Guna caves, 14 kms from the town. On the way to Guna caves there are the pine forests, which offered a pleasant sight. The mad rush on the spot made it less enjoyable, but the cool ride to the place compensated it. One spot down, our next destination was to visit Chettiar Park and then descend down to Palani and finally home. The park itself is very small and there was nothing much to see. One thing that I noticed was the money they collected in every tourist spot, in the name of entrance charges and don’t maintain the place properly. For example, the 15 rupees they collected at Chettiar Park was not worth it, leaving you a tad disappointed. There are lots of hotels and inns dotted along the town and along the way to some tourist spots, making it easier for backpackers without a plan like us.
The bike with its air – cooled 4 stroke single cylinder engine was fun to ride and didn’t pose any problems for the whole trip. A minor glitch occurred though, as one of the fuse in the bike went out, blacking out the LCD display and analog speedo. We fixed it with the help of a local mechanic and we were on our way. Unlike Ooty with its tea estates and English street names, and houses  built in British style, you don’t find anything of that sort in this little hill station. We found eateries like domino's, subway and many other restaurants drawing many customers. Lots of shops selling homemade chocolates, different types of oils, spices were in abundant in and around the town and you have to bargain to get a good deal here. 
Finally, after our brief visit to most of the places nearby, we began our return journey, around 3 pm after having lunch. We reached Palani at 5.15 pm. The ride downhill was good, but would have been better if the roads were well maintained. I must say the passion pro 100, inspired some confidence to ride it fast on the hilly terrain, with its above average handling and performance. We maintained a constant 40 - 60kmph speed in the plains because above that speed, the bike whines and begins to vibrate . The weather also remained pleasant throughout and made the ride enjoyable. For the return journey, our route was Palani – Udumalai – Palladam – Coimbatore, which took us roughly 3 hrs, since we took minimal breaks in between.
Mileage wise, the passion pro 100 gave us an overall figure of 60.6 kmpl. The odo reading after the full trip was 401 kms.  We took turns in riding the bike which made us relax a bit and enjoy the ride as well, the cool mountain air doing wonders for us. A three day trip to Kodaikanal hills is enough to see all the tourist spots and this little hill station too, has much to offer for the enthusiastic rider.

                                         my friend Muthuraj

                                             misty kodai lake, below