Hill Station near Chennai - Horsley hills

We decided to go for a holiday as our kids were away to Bangalore n we were alone in Chennai. The place should be not so far away and could be travelled by car as the train tickets for long journeys are difficult to get during this Christmas holidays. The place we chose atlast is very nearby Chennai around 250 kms and it is a small hill station which is unfamiliar to most of the people in Chennai. Though it is in andhrapradesh  it is just 250 kms from Chennai and 150 kms from Bangalore. It is one of just two hillstations  Andhra has. World famous Jiddu Krishnamurthys Rishi valley  School is located underneath that hills. Have u guessed most of you would have not.

It is the Horsley Hills.

It is located near madanapalli town near Palamaner. It is a very small hill like Yelagiri. Cuddapah’collector  Horsley stayed there during his posting in South India it seems. We somehow booked the rooms there with the help of our friend rajnikanth as he is also from the same district. But when we approached aptdc reception and asked for room, he replied “evaru book cheyyalethu” . he was very cool. But somehow we got the keys. There were just twenty to twentyfive rooms in aptdc., and it is difficult to get rooms in weekends but in weekdays i am sure u will get easily.

The weather was awesome, very pleasant but at nights it drops below five it seems. The place was very calm ,pleasant ,peaceful  and divine which made us love the place the moment we reached there. There were eucalyptus vegetation but very difficult to find rose plants and other hill station vegetation which we usually see in ooty and kodaikanal , might be because of water scarcity. But the room we stayed was absolutely good with excellent amenities. Tatasky was put instead of cable.

Next day we went to environmental park. Dont imagine anything big from the name as there is nothing other than four monkeys, one peacock without feather (as it is very old), and few rabbits. Crocodile pond has four crocodiles smaller in size might be because of less food in a pond with no water. I cautioned my husband who went near it since the crocodiles may be hungry. Very poorly maintained park with less animals and less trees. But it has got excellent view point and forest guest house which we have to do prior booking for staying there it seems.  There  was one Nature Study Centre which had a very good building but  i don’t know who studies nature there. It was closed when we went. Surprisingly it was opened by Janardhana Reddy, then chief minister. He had come all the way to H.H to inaugurate this center.

Our H.h has got only one Aptdc with few rooms, but the rooms are good. Please book beforehand.

But the food was very good, with authentic Andhra karam.

If you want to enjoy your just two days holidays our h.h is most suitable, particularly for chennaites and bangloreans. This is Andhra’s okke okka hillstation other than Araku, still to get attention from Andhra’s fast track politicians.

But the place is most enjoyable with unpolluted air and cold climate. Just go to enjoy and relax.