Ranipuram, Coorg - Best Season to Visit, Things to Do

At a distance of 55 km from Kasaragod, 50 km from Bekal, 45 km from Kanhangad, 195 km from Kozhikode, 100 km from Mangalore & 80 km from Madikeri, Ranipuram is a hill station of Kerala located in Kasaragod district. It lies at an altitude of 750 m adjacent to Kottancheri-Talacauvery mountain range and sharing the border with Karnataka.

Ranipuram was formerly known as Madathumala. The extensive forests of Madathumala merge with the forests of Karnataka. It is a beautiful mountain terrain covered with evergreen shola woods, rain forests and grasslands.

The prime attraction of Ranipuram is Ranipuram National Park. The 50 sq.km sanctuary is bordered with Talacauvery in Karnataka. The national park is home to a substantial population of elephants and many fauna like deer, leopard, porcupine, butterflies and giant Malabar squirrels. There are more than 200 species of birds. Safaris can be arranged in the park and this is the best way to explore the sanctuary.

Ranipuram is famous for its trekking trails and varied vegetation. There are two trekking trails available to explore the beauty of Western Ghats of Ranipuram. In order to reach the top of the Ranipuram hill which is called Mani, a 45 minutes' walk through the forest is needed. One can get a panoramic view of the landscape and large expanse of green valleys. The rocks on the trekking path are slippery and visitors have to be cautious. Since leeches are very common here travellers are advised to wear long socks and carry salt. There are also trek paths to Talacauvery (origin place of River Cauvery) and Kottagiri from Ranipuram.

Madiyam Kovilakam Temple, Palakkunnu Bhagavathy Temple, Bharani Maholsavam, Anandashram, Nityanandashram and Kottancheri Hill are the other attractions near to Ranipuram. There are tourist cottages on the hill top, provided by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. The best time to visit Ranipuram is from November to March.

Ranipuram can be reached via Kanhangad and Panathady. Panathady is the nearest stop from where Ranipuram hill station is about 9 km. Jeep services are available from Panathady. One bus service from Kanhangad is also available which is at 4 PM and reaches Ranipuram at 6.30 PM.