Palkulam Medu - 5 Things to Know Before Visiting

Palkulam Medu (also known as Palkulamedu), a hill range on top of a plateau, sits at an elevation of 1,100 meters above sea level offering enchanting views of valleys of the Western Ghats, and its vast spans of evergreen forests and mountain ridges one after the other until they fill the horizon. 

The hill is popular for its views and the hike. You can see the gorge of Periyar River  at a distance with its mountains standing tall in each side creating a large channel for the river to flow.

The pond of Palkulam Medu and the waterfall with milky waters

A small fresh water pond with perennial waters sits half way through the hill top. It is shallow and visitors can take a dip in there. The pond certainly is an infinity pool created by nature and visitors can enjoy all the incredible views offered by Palkulam Medu sitting relaxed in the waters. The water from the pond later flows through a rocky slope to the bottom of the hill creating the beautiful Palkulamedu waterfalls that can be seen from far away.

The hill also received its name from this small pond. Palkulam Medu means ‘hill of milky waters’. Perhaps due to the milky white water pouring down from it’s side. In Malayalam, the word Pal-kulam-Medu literally translates to ‘Milk-Pond-Hills’.

The hike to the top of Palkulam Medu

It takes a couple of hours of trekking to reach the top of the hill. The trail is through grasslands and patches of stunted tropical mountain forest. Its green grass all around the trails and the hills, with a cool breeze carrying the fragrance of the forest. Towards the top, the grasses get shoulder high making it difficult to find the hiking trails.

At the top, the freshwater pond, the steep rocky slopes and the enchanting view in all  direction awaits. Unlike most other peaks, you can walk through the top of the entire hill range from the south to the north. It is about 3km in distance from one side to the other. On a clear day, you can see parts of Ernakulam city and the ships in the Arabian Sea from the top, that lies some 100 km away.

During the monsoon months of June to September, the place will be covered in thick mists blocking the view it normally offers. The regular lush greenery of the place will change to an orange-ish brown combination during the peak of the summer in the months between March and May.

Getting to Palkulam Medu peak

The hike to Palkulam Medu starts at a small town named Churali, 5km away. The nearest larger town is at Cheruthoni (14km) and the major railway station is at Kottayam (103km), connected to rest of the places of the country. There are buses to Cheruthoni from Kottayam though Pala Town and from Cheruthoni one can get bus (non-frequent) or rickshaw/ taxi to Churali. From Churali visitors can hike up or hire a four wheeled Jeep to reach the base of the peak and then climb to the top. Palkulam Medu is located in Idukki District of Kerala State in Southern India.