A quaint little hill station located in Vellore, Yelagiri is just three hours away from Bangalore, making it the perfect spot for a quick weekend getaway. Spread a little over 30 square kilometres, and at a height of over 1100 metres above sea level, Yelagiri offers its tourists some beautiful places like the Jalagamparai falls, sweeping orchards and rose garden, among others. The ideal destination for nature lovers, Yelagiri is a town that is completely off the beaten tourist trail, lending it a quieter and much more peaceful vibe compared to other more famous hill stations nearby. It has all the features of a great hill station, be it sunset points or lakes and parks. But the beauty of Yelagiri lies in all the more that it has to offer. Being one of the lesser known hill-stations in Tamil Nadu, the place is rarely overcrowded.
The summer month in Yelagiri begins from the month of March and lasts till June. The town experiencesa hot climate during summers with maximum temperature of 35 degree Celsius. Winters lasts from December to February with temperature varying from 11 to 25 degree Celsius. The days are warmer as compared to the nights.
As a hill station, the town has cold, pleasant temperatures throughout the year. Yelagiri is also somewhat of a respite from the hot, sometimes unbearable temperatures of most of the cities in the south. Owing to its latitude, it never really gets too hot. The winters aren't very chilly either. So going to Yelagiri at anytime is just as much fun. Although, the summers might seem to be a good time to visit Yelagiri, the winter months of November to February are ideal for witnessing the true colours of the hill station and all that it has to offer, but if you want to see its Summer Festival, then May and June is the time to go.
The nearest airport to Yelagiri is the Bangalore International Airport. It is about 160 kms away. From the airport you can either take a cab all the way to Yelagiri, or Get onto a bus from one of its bus stands. Nearest Airport: Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) - 123 kms from Yelagiri
Yelagiri sees regular buses from all major nearby centers. The Vellore Bus Stand is regularly connected with the hill station. Buses are also available from other nearby areas.
Travelling by train is pretty convenient. The nearest Station is the Jolarpettai railway Station which is about 20 kms away. You can easily take a cab for the rest of the ride.
Being an upcoming tourist hub, Yelagiri has no problem in intra-city commuting. Taxis are easily available at every hotel. So are autos in the market places and around the Lake. Regular buses run to and from the city, but rarely within the city.
Many hotels hotels, guest houses and resorts such as Aruvi Hotel, Treebo Trend Laa Gardenia Resort, P A Resort are available for stay.
Yelagiri adventure camp has recently been started by the Tamil Nadu government in order to promote adventure activities at the hill station. The endeavor to make Yelagiri an attractive tourist spot includes, mountain climbing, trekking, hiking and even paragliding. The security and safety measures are state of the art and adventure sports at Yelagiri are gaining huge recognition.
Going to the waterfall requires a 5 km trek. But the trek is well worth it. The Attaru river flows through Yelagiri and the breaks into a beautiful fall from the mountain rocks. The fall dries up in the summer season, and is beat seen around November and December.
Nature park, a famous and alluring hill station in Yelagiri in Tamil Nadu is spread over an area of 12 acres. The park is situated near to the Punganoor Lake.The park is the best destination for all ages of people and provide a feeling of relaxation and stunning environment. It consists of diversified and enormous numbers of flora. There are number of things such as artificial cascade or the waterfall, children's park, musical fountain with multi-coloured lighting, fish aquarium, seasonal garden, bamboo house, poly house and many more to engage kids and even elders for a long time.
The Punganoor Lake is one of the most popular artificial lakes in Tamil nadu. The man made lake covers nearly 60 sq. meters of land. There is also a fountain in the middle and boating facilities are available
Yelagiri's most popular hill and one of the most breath taking as well, the Swami Malai Hill is the highest point of the hill station. A 3 km trek from the Punganoor lake will take you to the hill top. A small area of the hilltop has the most dazzling view of the entire Valley. Trekking upto Swami Malai has gained a lot of popularity in the recent past.
Yelagiri has many road side eateries and restaurants that offer delicious north and south Indian cuisine as well as the International delicacies to suit your taste buds. Most of the hotels have in-built restaurants that serve all kinds of delicacies according to the requirements of their guests. Tandoori Hut and Hotel Hills are the popular eating joints in Yelagiri.
Though there is not much to mention about the shopping in Yelagiri but some of the things that you will not afford to miss are home-made honey and jackfruit. Yelagiri is one of the top producers of honey in the state and the honey found here is manufactured naturally by wild bees. A weekly market at Athanavoor is held on every Friday where you can buy pure mountain honey and agricultural products at reasonable rates. Jackfruit can be availed in plenty during the summer season held in Yelagiri in the summer month.
