Weekend getaway

Any Guesses on which place this is ??



















The above snaps are taken in our very own singara Chennai !! The place is Mudaliar Kuppam Boathouse. I had heard of this place earlier, but never visited it. Hence thought of checking out this spot.

23-Aug-2010 : Had bunked office just to make it for this place. We started from our home at 12:00 and reached the Boathouse at 14:30. The place is 35 kms away from Mahabs, right on the East Coast Road. Initially, I thought the place was very similar to Muthukadu boathouse. I infact thought we had wasted time in coming all the way to see the replica of Muthukadu. The perception changed once we setout on the Motor boat ride (All the above snaps were taken during the boat-ride). The ride is for 20 mins, after which we will be dropped in a 'Beach Island' where we are allowed to stayback for 30 mins (its for namesake. We can take our own time). After the waiting time, we will be driven back to the starting point.

We started on our motor boat at around 15:00. It was very dark with rain clouds just hovering around. As we drove further, we witnessed one of the most exotic locations in Chennai. I never knew that Chennai had such a good picnic spot. I have heard of this place before, but didn't expect it to be so good. The drive in the back waters was eye-pleasing. The feeling was as though we were somewhere boating in Kodai Lake or someother hill station. The cool weather added to the beauty of the location.

The starting point









After 20 mins, we set foot on the 'Beach Island'. We were greeted by what I would describe as 'Nature's exquisite painting'. The sight of the white waves with the backdrop of dark clouds was a sight to behold. Never have I experienced such a scenic beauty in Chennai before in my lifetime. The below pictures explains my feeling better....

The drop at the 'Beach Island'



Nature's painting !!!!













Best Beach experience I've ever had.... Thanks to those clouds















After a few minutes there was a sudden down-pour. We didn't have any place to seek shelter. That's when the travel experience of my brother came in handy. Anticipating rains, he had brought along with him the car cover, to be used as shelter. Although the idea sounds weird, it was something which proved to be our saviour when the rain lashed out for close to 20 mins. Our entire family took shelter under it. (Although Hyundai Santro can accommodate only 5 adults, its cover could accommodate 8 adults ) For people looking from outside, it would have looked strange to find one crazy bunch of people hiding under a cover in the middle of heavy rains, in the open beach. Nevertheless, it was a different experience for us and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it.

Shelter inside Car-cover in the Beach











Once the rain stopped, we spent some time in the water and started back from the Island. It was around 5 o clock when we reached the starting point. We still had enough time to try our hands in the Water-scooter. The ride was fun-filled although we were merely passengers. The sudden swivels, slides and bumps in the ride, added to the excitement. Just as we finished our ride, the rain started to lash out again. Heavy rain, supplemented by strong wind pushed us indoors. We had our late lunch and started our journey back. Thanks to the excellent climate and an equally good location, we had a memorable outing.

Returning from Beach Island



Water scooter





The ECR bridge, running over the lake





For people who are looking out for a weekend drive, better make it to this place during this excellent weather conditions. It was the climate which added charm to the location. The experience wouldn't have been the same if the above outing was taken up somewhere during April.

Details

The Mudaliar Kuppam Boathouse is otherwise called as 'Raindrop Boathouse'. The contact number is 09176995827. Its open all days.

Tariff:
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6 seaters Motor Boat Rs. 360 for 20 min
8 seaters Motor Boat Rs. 480 for 20 min
10 seater motor boat Rs. 600 for 20 min

Water sports boat
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Single seat kayak – Rs. 120 for 1 hour
2 seaters water scotter Rs.460 for 5 min
3 seaters high speed boat – Rs 660 for 10 min

Pedal Boats
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2 seaters pedal boat self ride Rs 120 for 30 min
4 seaters pedal boat self ride Rs 150 for 30 min
4 seaters row boat with helper – Rs 170 for 30 min

Special Package :
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Beach Island – around 4 kms – Rs.120 for single.

regards

Sri Kumar J