Agastyaarkoodam trekking details
Announcement for the Year 2020 of Agastyakoodam/Agastyaarkoodam/Agastyamala/Agastyarkoodam trekking has arrived.
It starts from January 14 to February 18, 2020. Only a maximum of 100 people is permitted per day. Visitor admission passes can be booked through Akshaya Kendra or People who have an internet connection and Net Banking / Debit Card / Credit Card can be booked through the forest department website www.forest.kerala.gov.in or serviceonline.gov.in/trekking. The booking facility is available from January 08, 2020, at 11 am.
Those who arrive at Akshaya Kendras to book their admission tickets must bring a photocopy(Aadhaar/Pan/driving license/any govt proof) of them and their team members. The online application requires the identification card number of each participant in the trek. Make sure you enter the valid number such as your Aadhaar/PAN/driving license. Verification will be done at Bonacaud point, the forest department will not entertain the wrong entry of document numbers. Any correction in the ticket can be corrected at the Trivandrum forest department office on the working days.
The ticket cost per person is Rs 1,100/-. Only a maximum of 10 people can be included in a ticket. In addition to the ticket fare, the following charges will be charged from those who book tickets at Akshaya Centers along with payment gateway charges and service charges. 50 /- per ticket for 1 to 5 people. Rs. 70/- per ticket from 6 to 10 people. The price varies from year to year.
You need to fill out the affidavit which comes along with the entry pass. There will be a group leader for each team. A Group leader affidavit is enough. That will do the job.
Only those with good fitness can enter the trek. Children under the age of 14 cannot apply for trekking. Women are allowed for the trek. There is no special treatment for women.
The visitor should arrive at the Forest Picket Station at Bonacaud at 7 am on the day of the trekking along with a print out of the ticket and the original photo card.
Each group of up to 10 people will be provided with a guide by the Eco-Development Committee. Carrying/Consumption of pooja, plastic, alcohol and other intoxicants is strictly prohibited in the trekking as the Agastyarkoodam is having great ecological importance and is included in the UNESCO Heritage List. Strict action will be taken on the individual who smuggle the alcohol into the trekking. Last year, with the help of a flying squad, a couple of fellows caught carrying alcohol around their belt.
Smoking and cooking inside the forest are not permitted. Punishment for violating prohibited property will be punishable, including fines. As wildlife threats can be encountered on the canyon route, travelers must travel at their own risk, as set forth in the Declaration. Neither the Forest Department nor the Eco-Development Committee will be responsible for the damages caused by the journey. For the convenience of the visitors, the canteens are operated 24 hours a day under the aegis of the Eco-Development Committee of the Forest Department at Bonacaud and Athiramala(Base Station). For more information, please contact the Wildlife Warden’s Office at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar (Telephone N0: 0471–2360762), Wildlife Warden
I even booked 2018 Agastyakoodam and went till Bonacaud with my valid ticket but two of my friends who came in replacement for drop out friends couldn’t chip in, because the officers were very strict — long trekking — No blame game. So in solidarity for those two guys, I didn’t go for a trek. Instead, we went to haunted Bangalow at Bonacaud in 2018.
P.S The Images mentioned in the article are not taken from Google. I have done this trek 3 times and every time it is a challenging and thrilling experience. At the end of every time, I feel I shouldn’t come next time but I book and go. That pain and the mesmerizing nature call you every year.
