14

CHILLING CANOPY
WALKWAY
Thenmala
Madhavi Vinod Kumar

KUMAAR HOLIDAYS
No. 42, Chowdary Nagar Main Road,
Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600 087.
Cell: 78109 86933 / 78108 96933 / 93810 61000
E-mail: kumaarholidays1@gmail.com
www.kumaarholidays.com



Thenmala is a first planned Eco tourism spot in India. In Thenmala there are 3
zones namely Leisure Zone, Adventure Zone and Culture Zone. Adventure Zone
offers various adventurous activities namely rock climbing, mountain biking, river
crossing, Burmese bridge walk, boating in the forest pond, rapelling etc.

The major tourist attractions here in Adventure zone of Thenmala are, Forest
Canopy Elevated walkway bridge, Nature trails through the forested hills. You
shouldn't miss this adventure spot of Thenmala ecotours, even if you are not
much adventurous. Being adventurous helps you to get the most out of this eco
tourism location of southern Kerala. For a Nature tourist the canopy walkway and
Nature trails will be an experience with chances to watch the nature, birds and
the mighty forest trees closer walking towards them.


After verifying the tickets you will be entering right into a museum here. A
descriptive display of all the types of rope knots used during rock climbing like
adventure sports and also by Surgeons, Fishermen, rescue professionals, sailors
etc. From the knot museum you will move on to the Canopy Walkway or Elevated
bridge of the adventure zone, a must visit here.

From canopy bridge you can either walk to the top of the hill and traverse
through the nature trails or select a more adventurous way to go down to the
forest pond through a rope (valley crossing), exactly the same way you have to
cross the river using ropes. The information board says, "Resemble Canopy
Walkway. The canopy bridge hangs suspended over the forest floor".
Specifications of the bridge is gives as, Length of the Bridge: 120 meter, Number
of Steps: 109, Number of tree canopies: 11 big trees. The platform of the bridge
is done with of wooden planks paved over steel structure,very similar to the old
hanging bridge of Punalur.





The view of the bridge that winds up between the trees, snapped from some
what, a quarter length up. What you can get is a close encounter with the forest
trees and the flying and jumping tree top wild life.Canopy walkways were used
for studying the flora and fauna by watching them closer by researchers. Present
days are time of canopy cranes for the same purpose. Wonder if they using tree
houses too for living in the forest canopy while research.

Huge canopy hanging bridges are still existing through rain and tropical forests,
mostly intended for tourism and recreation. Some of the famous eco tourism
canopy walkways are the Canopy walk bridge of Amazons, Dhilinza forests, and
some of them seen in South African forests. The longest and highest canopy
walkway is in Taman Negara, a hanging canopy walk which may swing as you
walk.

The canopy bridge here in Thenmala winds through the big forest trees to the top
of the hill and connects you to the pathway that extends through the hill
there.You can continue your nature walk through the trails of nature winding
through the hilltop after getting there through this bridge.You can access the rock
climbing spot from there. And to the nervous ones, don't be afraid as the bridge
won't swing as you walk for it's a fixed steel structure over pillars. The canopy
bridge has resting platforms and viewing points in between. Being with a group
you have amazing chances for taking memorable photos here posing in between
the green lush of dense forest trees.



The calm and quiet small forest pond seen at the valley below the canopy
walking bridge. In the manual a lotus pond is listed here in the adventure zone
which is said to have many water plants.

Adventure Attractions like Burmese bridge, bow and arrow target practice, photo
point rock, river crossing, valley crossing etc are concentrated around this pond.
A spider net for tourist adventures was present. Some pedal and row boats are
seen in the pond and a lady is there to manage the boating activities here. some
of the boats resembling the shape of basket boats of Hogenekkal river journey.




The rope bridge model of Burma, which is meant for the adventure tourists
coming to this adventure zone.

The tourist information board near to the bridge says:- the bridge is of 30 meters
long and what it 's written there about the bridge is, "Burma bridge is a body
balancing activity of ropes on the obstacle course that link two ground structures.
Burma bridge usually has a large thick rope to support feet and two smaller
ropes on either sides for holding hands. We organize these adventure sport
activities keeping in mind all the safety measures".

Eventhough the real Burma bridge has only a rope to walk, here they have
provided sticks to support the feet.. Hmm may be giving an opportunity even for
grannies to have some adventures here.


The whole place is drenched in the beauty and calmness of the forest around
and if you a nature tourist you will be preferring to excavate the nature trails
through forests more than any other activities here. The sign boards in nature
trails are interesting, ceramic arrows fixed in walking trail side rocks or on the
nature trails itself.

The eco tourism points coming under the Thenmala eco tourism project is
scattered throughout the forests here in the southern part of Western ghats. So
many waterfalls are there deep inside and also in the outer circles of the forests
around Thenmala, like the famous waterfalls of Palaruvi. You should visit
Thenmala if you a tourist or traveller who loves adventure, trekking, nature,
mountain biking or someone who want to disappear into the forests and relax
with nature from the daily busy life. Along with natural attractions many tourist
activities are planned here for the needed tourists everyday like forest camping,
trekking by the ecotour authorities.


LIFE IS EITHER A
DARING ADVENTURE
OR NOTHING




KUMAAR HOLIDAYS
No. 42, Chowdary Nagar Main Road,
Valasaravakkam, Chennai-600 087.
Cell: 78109 86933 / 78108 96933 / 93810 61000
E-mail: kumaarholidays1@gmail.com
www.kumaarholidays.com