I didn’t sign up for this. All I wanted was a quiet weekend and there I was clutching the handrail in a 4x4 Toyota Hilux in the middle of a gravity defying drive. I picked Yercaud for its ease of access. It’s just over four hours from Bengaluru and under six hours from Chennai. It’s certainly not as crowded as Kodaikanal or Ooty during the busy season when these hill stations provide a much-needed respite from the sweltering heat. But as I’ve discovered over multiple trips to Yercaud, it’s the town’s unassuming presence on tourism maps that has worked to it’s advantage.

Life in a loop

The drive from Salem is short and offers beautiful views Shutterstock

There’s one thing that I do each time I arrive in Yercaud — drive around the 32km loop road. It’s easy to recommend this for first-time visitors to this colonial-era hill station that sits on the Shevaroy Hills less than an hour away from Salem. The drive from Salem is short and offers beautiful views as you navigate the 20-hairpin bends that bring you to Yercaud. Some of the best views of the plains are from the Great Trails resort by GRT Hotels that is located at the 20th hairpin bend. It’s a great pit-stop as you drive into Yercaud. The Skywalk located close to their all-day diner is a surreal experience and offers beautiful views at sunset. The perfect abode for my first night in Yercaud.

The Skywalk offers beautiful views at sunset

I set out after breakfast on Day 2 to drive down the loop road. This is the quintessential Yercaud experience and is almost like an Instagram reel on loop that takes you through towering silver oaks, coffee plantations, viewpoints and water bodies. There are two ways to do this loop. Drive straight through or make stops along the way. I’d suggest two separate drives for the best of both worlds.

Room with a view 

Rooms at the Great Trails resort offer sweeping views that are also beautiful once the sun goes down and the city lights of Salem take over

If panoramic views are your thing, then there’s no better resort than Great Trails. Many of the rooms at the resort offer sweeping views that are also beautiful once the sun goes down and the city lights of Salem take over. But that’s not the only way to take in the views. There are at least two vantage points along the loop road. There’s the Karadiyur viewpoint and Majakuttai that I’d recommend at sunset. While these are the more popular viewpoints, I discovered some stunning views thanks to my off-roading adventure that began at Tipperary Estate, a charming 70-acre working farm that also offers a range of cosy cottages. The resort’s fleet of 4x4 vehicles scythe through bumpy terrain and through the woods. While you can explore this trail if you have your own 4x4 ride, I’d still recommend you leave it to their seasoned experts. While the day drives are popular, it’s the evening and midnight drives that are more thrilling. The occasional bison encounter is always in the mix.

Off-roading at Tipperary Estate, a charming 70-acre working farm that also offers a range of cosy cottages

Of forests and lakes

Yeri is the Tamil word for lake while kadu means forest. That explains the etymology of Yercaud that shot to prominence in the 1820s thanks to Montague Dundas Cockburn who has been called the ‘Father of Yercaud’. He introduced coffee cultivations in Yercaud while he was the Collector of Salem and stayed at a modest home — Grange Estate, now a full-fledged resort. Yercaud gradually developed as a tourist destination around its lake. Unlike the lakes at Kodaikanal and Ooty that are both manmade, the Yercaud lake is one of the only natural lakes at a major hill station in Tamil Nadu.

Yercaud gradually developed as a tourist destination around its lake

Aside from the lake and viewpoints, you can make a stop at Kiliyur Waterfall and the Kottachedu Teak Forest. Many visitors also used to drive into Montfort school (that’s now closed for visitors) that dates back to 1917 and whose illustrious alumni include Shashi Tharoor, actor Vikram and Nagesh Kukunoor. I also discovered Peeku Park, a bird park that allows you to get up close with exotic birds from across the world.

The author at Peeku Park

Chill zone 

While both Kodaikanal and Ooty are located at an altitude above 2,000 metres, Yercaud sits at just above 1,500 metres and is certainly not as cold as its more popular cousins. For most repeat visitors to Yercaud, this is a chill zone where you unwind at a resort of your choice. There’s ‘The Story’, that’s one of my current favourites that’s tucked away and also offers a decadent spa and Shambala that’s nestled in a private plantation with one of the most atmospheric dining spaces in Yercaud. While these resorts are all destinations in their own right, I’d still suggest stepping out of these comfort zones and indulge in some real adventures and forest treks. The off-roading trip is a great place to start.

A part of The Story resort