Thursday, August 22, 2013

Tree houses @ Top Slip

While my visit to Top Slip at the Anamalai Tiger reserve near Pollachi, Coimbatore, I got to see tree houses where man could stay and enjoy the wildlife tourism. The tree houses are houses exactly built not on top of trees but comprise of wood and wood related materials and built at an elevation in support of pillars and tree trunks. Other than tree houses, there is a bamboo hut and number of tiled roof houses to accommodate tourist, and while coming around we saw two foreigners leisurely taking rest by sitting at their bamboo hut portico.

Topslip Tree House
The tree houses were surrounded by woods of teak and eucalyptus and since it was autumn the leaves were crushing down to wind and being afternoon, the silence and cool breeze carrying us through woods. We stayed at the Bison Lodge, opposite to the tree houses across the road to Parambikulam after failed seeking accommodation at glass house (due to some renovation work), on a hill top with meadows all around. The bison lodge is a cement roof house, situated at a T junction and very close to meadows with better chance of watching animals that come to feed on grasses.

Tree houses totally made of bamboos
The Bison Lodge is built in 1959 at the elevation of 744 meters above MSL - which was carved on a stone on the wall of the house, is a series of 5 suites with 2 beds at each. It was an experience stayed at this place and going through strange silence at night and uncertain noise to tremor, and to add fear, we brought our pet dog along with us (we would be the only pet owners in the world to bringing it to wild) because dogs are favorite prey of leopards. Waking up to dawn we find bison dung left at front of the house; making it clear their present and perhaps it may be the reason why the house is named after Bison due to their frequent visit and being close to meadow.

Bison Lodge, Topslip
Bison Lodge
My first meeting with tree houses was at Pondicherry, when we visited to Chunnambar boat house on the road to Cuddalore in year 2000. Those tree houses were climbed only through rope ladders and they were little ones just for kid’s adventure and fun. I really want to be at Top Slip some other time with advance booking on glass house to have more such adventure thrillers. The only problem I think with tree houses are, they have narrow and steep steps which is hardly possible for someone to support me to stay. 

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Nice pictures
Regards :)
My new post about Bibi Ka Maqbara.

Ramakrishnan said...

Top Slip is a great experience.Did you see any wild animals during your jungle safari ?

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I have always meant to ask you, have you ever seen any tigers at these reserves(like Anamalai)? They are such a beautiful animal.

TexWisGirl said...

the tree houses built on huge stilts are impressive! the bison coming up next to your lodge would be interesting!

Indrani said...

I would like to be there some day!
What a great place.

Anonymous said...

What an amazing place! Lovely shots too.

George said...

The Bison Lodge sounds very nice, but I really like the tree house you pictured. I hope you will be able to stay in the Glass House some day in the future.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Wow---interesting that you got to see a Bison.. When George and I were in Yellowstone, we took a hike and had to hike past a Bison.. He paid no attention to us at all.

Great tree houses....Thanks for sharing.

Hugs,
Betsy

deeps said...

wow..
thats like a dream house...

Krishna/കൃഷ്ണ said...

Great place.. you will get spectacular view from there.

thanks

Destination Infinity said...

I thought tree houses are built on trees. Well, if so many trees are around, then it should not matter much, I guess. Good to know that you liked the Bison lodge. Hope you'll get the glasshouse accommodation next time :)

Destination Infinity

Magia da Inês said...

¸.•°❤❤⊱彡

Lugar lindo e agradável.

Bom fim de semana!
Beijinhos do Brasil.
¸.•°❤❤⊱彡

Rajesh said...

This sure is a interesting place I must visit.

Jeevan said...

Ram - I haven’t got the opportunity to see any wild animals except malabar squirrel and lion tail monkeys but the safari take us to the elephant camp inside the jungle...

Keith - I ever seen a tiger in wild. We go there usually wishing to see them... but so far had not had the opportunity.

Arti said...

A stay in one of those tree houses should be an interesting way to spend some time in the wild. The bison lodge looks to be comfortable too, hope you get to stay in one of those glass houses the next time around.

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Wow! Always wanted one for myself :D

Preetilata【ツ】 said...

eeeeeeeeee i always thought that tree houses on built atop tress :p

i so want to experience staying in tree-houses, the ones that are built on trees.

Once again a beautiful post. Enjoyed it.

Anonymous said...

Please post/update your blog with the address of this hotel / tree house provider.