HORSLEY HILLS - TALAKONA FALLS (FROM CHENNAI)

At a distance of 200 m from Horsley Hills Bus Stand, the View Point is situated behind Governor's Bungalow. It is one of the most popular places to visit in Horsley Hills, located at the highest summit that offers the great view of valleys, hillocks and dense forests.

The view of the endless expanse, dotted by hills and forests is in itself worth the trip to the hill station. Don't miss the sunset from this point; dipping sun is magical from this area as it seems to be going down in the valley.

At a distance of 300 m from Horsley Hills Bus Stand, Gali Banda (Windy Rock), a rocky slope that derives its name from the gusty winds that blow nearly all day. It is one of the best places to visit in Horsley Hills.

One can walk down the entire hill rock, admiring the unobstructed view of valleys of Horsley Hills and this is one of the prime places to visit in Horsley Hills. Enjoy the rejuvenating heavy winds as they blow past you.
The Eastern and Western viewpoints here are great places for sunrises and sunsets. Kids frolic in the tiny gardens here. A small natural lake, 1 km down the hill, is good for angling. The Microwave station near Wink Rocks is one of oldest Microwave stations.

At a distance of 350 m from Horsley Hills Bus Stand, Mallamma Temple is one of the ancient temples located on the top of Horsley Hills. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mallamma and it is one of the well know tourist places in Horsley Hills.

The initial name of Horsley Hills was Yenugu Mallamma Konda. According to the legend, a little girl called Mallamma lived on the hills and cured the tribal people. One day she suddenly disappeared and the local people started believing her to be a Goddess and built the temple for her. Devotees flock to this temple in huge numbers every year during festival season.

At a distance of less than 1 km from Horsley Hills Bus Station, Horsley Hill Zoo is situated inside Van Vihar park at the center of Horsley Hills opposite to Haritha Hotel. Visiting zoo is one of the popular things to do in Horsley Hills, particularly with kids.

This is relatively small zoo park with few animals protected by the forest department. The wildlife in the zoo include peacocks, rabbits, pigeons, monkeys and crocodiles. The location of zoo is covered with thick vegetation and is a nice place to spend some time.

The park is spread with lush vegetation and tall eucalyptus trees keeping the weather cool in peak summer season as well. There is a view point in the park that offers panoramic view of the surrounding hills.

There is not much activity at this minor zoo apart from watching the small collection of wildlife and enjoying the nature.

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM
Entrance Fee: Rs. 20

At a distance of less than 1 km from Horsley Hills Bus Station, Kalyan is a 150 years old Eucalyptus tree situated inside Van Vihar park at the center of Horsley Hills, opposite to Haritha Resort Complex. It is one of the prime places to visit in Horsley Hills.

This is probably the only tree in India that is called with a name. The tree was planted in 1859 by Horsleys, then collector of the region. This is very large tree with a height of 40 meters and circumference is about 4.7 meters.

The tree is hidden behind an old forest bungalow and is well protected with several tall Eucalyptus and other trees all around.

At a distance of 2.5 km from Horsley Hills Bus Station, Gangotri Lake is a small lake situated on Horsley Hills - Madanapalle Road.

Gangotri Lake is a seasonal lake that is filled with rain water during monsoons. The lake is surrounded by large vegetation of Eucalyptus trees which offers serene look to the location. The lake is mostly dried up in summer season. There are no activities available at the lake, but tourists can spend some time enjoying the nature around the lake.

At a distance of 49 km from Bakarapet, 64 km from Tirupati, 120 km from Horsley Hills, 192 km from Chennai, 241 km from Bangalore and 89 km from Chittoor, Talakona Falls are situated in Sri Venkateswara National Park near Nerabailu Village of Yerravari Mandal of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. The gorgeous waterfall falling deep into a valley from a height of around 270 feet makes it the highest waterfall in Andhra Pradesh and also one of the top Tourist places in Andhra Pradesh. It is also one of the popular waterfalls near Bangalore.

The waterfalls are placed amidst dense forest surrounded by natural beauty and greenery. It is believed that the water of Talakona Falls is enriched with herbs with healing powers. Talakona was declared as Bio-Sphere Reserve in 1990 because of wide .....