Listening to the sound of music at Athirapally Falls – largest waterfalls of Kerala

Of all the music in the world, the one produced by nature is the best!

Have you ever listened to the melody of waves of the ocean crashing against the rocks ?

Or the music of the majestic waterfall, singing as it falls ?

We recently did, once again, on our trip to Athirapally Waterfalls in Kerala. Did you know that the Athirapally Falls is the largest waterfalls of Kerala? It falls from a height of 80 plus feet, carrying a volume of such high magnitude. That is fondly named “Niagra Falls of South India”. Created by the sudden fall of the Chalakudy River through the slopes of Western Ghats in Vazhachal forest area. This waterfall reminded me of some of the most massive and beautiful waterfalls in Meghalaya that we witnessed on our 4 days trip to Meghalaya. And also a very beautiful waterfall that we saw on our trip to Thailand. But, the volume of water in the Athirapally waterfalls just beats them all. So, if you love to chase waterfalls like us, you have got to visit Athirapally falls at least once.

In recent past, the Athirapally waterfalls has been made all the more famous by some famous movies shot at this location. The prominent ones include Bahubali, Dil Se, Raavan and Guru to name a few.

How to reach Athirapally Falls Kerala

We visited Athirapally falls in transit from Coimbatore to Kerala. The route we followed was from Coimbatore to Thrissur via Palakkad and then Athirapally :

Coimbatore – Palakkad – Thrissur – Athirapally

How to reach Athirapally via road

One can also visit Athirapally from Coimbatore via Valparai. Or, even do a day trip to Athirapally from Kochi. The distance from Kochi to Athirapally Waterfalls is just 90km. And it is easily covered in around 2 hours. Coimbatore to Valparai distance is around 3 hours. And Valparai to Athirapally falls distance is about another 3 hours. Which makes the total driving distance from Coimbatore to Athirapally falls via Valparai as around 6 hours. The route is way too scenic and passes through the green mountains of western ghats for most parts of the journey.

However, following the route via Palakkad and Thrissur, you can cover the distance from Coimbatore to Athirapally in just 3.5 hours. So, we chose this route. As we were not going to stay at Athirapally. But, proceed further to Kochi after visiting here.

How to reach Athirapally by air or rail

The nearest airport from Athirapally falls is Kochi international airport. And the nearest train station is in Chalakudy. The Athirapally waterfalls is a mere 25 kms away from Chalakudy.  You can get bus from Chalakkudy bus stand or catch taxi. You might as well get an auto-rickshaw from Chalakudy Railway Station. Also, you can reach Athirapally waterfalls by bus. regular buses ply from Coimbatore, Thrissur and Kochi to Athirapally. So, you can reach here by both train or bus if you are not self driving. To reach Athirapally waterfalls from Bangalore, you can drive via Coimbatore, or, fly into Kochi and take a bus or taxi from there to the waterfalls. Or, you can take a train from Bangalore to Ernakulam Railway Station (Kochi). To reach Athirapally from Ernakulam you can get a bus or taxi from outside the railway station.

Please note that Athirapally is located in a very thick forest region. So, night travel to this area is not permitted. So, either plan to stay put here overnight, or, plan to reach here early and start your onwards journey well before evening.

Parking at Athirapally Falls Kerala

Please note, there is a parking space available near Athirapally Falls. But, it can get filled very fast. And thereafter one needs to park by the side of the road. When we reached here in noon, both the sides of the road had huge queue of parked vehicles. As a result, we got to park almost 2km from the fall and then walk to the Athirapally falls entrance.

Where to eat near Athirapally Falls Kerala

We reached Athirapally falls by 12pm. And after visiting the falls, we had our lunch at a A2B on way to Kochi. However, there are plenty of food options along the route to the falls on either side for few kilometers. For fine dine experience, head to Rainforest resort. They have an amazing view of the Athirapally waterfalls from their restaurant. You can either pre-book a table here for a sumptuous meal. Or, you can as well have a sip of coffee at their cafe while enjoying the views of the waterfalls from far.

What are the other facilities at Athirapally Falls Kerala

Near the main entrance gate to the Athirapally Falls, there is a ticket counter on the left where tickets can be bought. The tickets are priced at INR 50 per adult and INR 10 per kid for kids > 8 years of age. From here, you can walk towards the falls. Along the way, there is a place where you can rest before starting the trek down the path that leads to the bottom of the falls. There is a couple of shops here selling refreshment and snacks. However, beware as there are a lot of monkeys around, waiting for an opportunity to snatch the snacks from your hands 🙂

Where to stay near Athirapally Waterfalls Kerala

If you plan to stay in Athirapally itself, you can search for a suitable property on our partner website booking.com here.

For luxury stay near Athirapally waterfalls, try staying at Rainforest Resort. This resort offers rooms with clear views of the waterfalls. And even the gush of the waterfalls can be heard from here.

However, if you don’t plan to stay in Athirapilly region, you can stay at Kochi. We stayed at Hotel P J Princess in Kochi which was at just 2 hours driving distance from Athirapally. And ofcourse there are tons of other accommodation options in Kochi that you can browse here. You could as well try some heritage hotel in Fort Kochi Area.

You can also stay in Thrissur or one of the many beautiful resorts in Palakkad.

What is the visiting time of Athirapally waterfalls

Athirappilly Falls Visiting Time : 8:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Entry fee : Rs 50 per adult and Rs 10 per kid.

What is the best time to visit the Athirapally Falls Kerala

Although the Athirapally Falls Kerala is one of the rare waterfalls of South India that has massive volume all through the year. But to see it at it’s highest glory, visit it right after the monsoons season. From Thus, October to December will be the best time to visit the Athirapally waterfalls.

Is Swimming Allowed in Athirapally Waterfalls

Swimming is allowed in the pools at the top of Athirapally Waterfalls, which are formed by the river before it plunges. But swimming at the base of the falls or standing there is not allowed. Since the volume and energy of Athirapally waterfalls is way too high as it cascades down. However, even standing at the view point, you can get wet by the water splashing around. So, its good to carry a change of cloths with you.

What are other popular Tourist Attractions near Athirappilly Waterfalls

Chapra Falls

These falls are located near Athirapally Waterfalls, on the way towards Valparai. They are highly rated by tourists who get to visit here. Although volume of water is less than Athirapally Waterfalls. But that is the reason that some tourists and travellers prefer Chapra Falls. To avoid the crowd at Athirapally Waterfalls.

Sholayar Dam

A concrete dam built over the Chalakkudi River in Valparai district. You can visit the dam and the surrounding areas while traveling from Valparai to Athirapally or vice versa. The region around the dam is very blue and beautiful.

Valparai

The Valparai district is one of the greenest places in Kerala to visit. It has dense forests and beautiful waterfalls, trekking trails and beautiful valleys.

Vazachal Waterfalls

Another waterfalls very near to Athirapally waterfalls that you can visit no the way is Vazachal Waterfalls. It is a cascading fall 5km upstream of Athirapally Waterfalls. A narrow but well paved path leads to the fall. This is where Chalakudy river descends in a cascading fashion before plunging in the form of the massive Athirapally Waterfalls.

Malayattur Wildlife Sanctuary

A wildlife sanctuary very close to Athirapally waterfalls that you can enjoy if you have further time or you are staying in the region.

Other tips on visiting Athirapally waterfalls

• Wearing a good walking or trekking shoe is a must. There is a paved pathway that descents from the top all the way to the waterfalls. And it is rough.
• If you are visiting in rainy season, the pathway can get slippery as well, so be extra careful.
• People with knee problem or any other walking problem should avoid the climb up and down the pathway. I wish there were arrangements made at such places for elderly and families with small kids. Reminded me of my trip to Bern where there was a lift installed to go down to the river bed without any inconvenience and come back up.
• There is restrooms available right before you start the trek to Athirapally waterfalls
• Also, near the restrooms, there are a few small shops selling snacks and food items. We had ice creams here.
• Beware of monkeys, particularly near the Athirapally waterfalls and near the shops. They are quiet good at snatching food stuff and running away 🙂
• There is not much place available to sit and rest near the Athirapally waterfalls.
• Parking can become a challenge as the day progresses. The main parking area is not very large, it gets filled up quickly. And then your only option is to park by the side of the road. Also the vehicles parked on either side of road create congestion at times.
• Don’t visit on weekends or holidays if possible as it gets extra crowded then.

 

PS: We visited Athirapally Waterfalls on our week long trip across Kerala. On this trip, we further drove to Cochi.  And then went ahead to spent 4 days in Munnar. From there, we went to Alleppey. And then further to Thrivandrum after exploring Varkala on the way. From Trivandrum, we went to Madurai via Kanyakumari and also stopped for a visit to Padmnabhapuram Palace. On our other trips to Kerala, we have also explored the backwaters of Kumarakom and the mountains and valleys of Wayanad. Hope you will find these articles informative if you are also planning a trip to Kerala. 

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