Visit Yelagiri Hills this summer to beat the heat.

• Often known as poor man's Ooty, this picturesque and scenic place will have you lusting for more, what with it clean, pollution-free air, rose gardens, trekking spots and glistening lakes. A perfect place to visit to get away from the maddening hustle and bustle of the city. Once in Yelagiri, you will be thankful that you aren't spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding what to do. If you want to head out for a bit of exploring, then the Jalagamparai Waterfalls, Punganoor artificial lake-cum-park, Swamimalai and the Telescope House are about the only places available for some sight-seeing. Oh! And don't worry about the number of people inhabiting the place... Chances are you will see more monkeys than human beings in this quiet and serene town. Also, check out the new Nature park near the Kotai Vizha Thidal, which has been built especially to entertain tourists. It is a lovely 10-acre spread, replete with an artificial fall, an aquarium, musical fountain in the evenings and spell-binding aesthetics.
  
• Accommodation: Yelagiri has about 30 resorts which are only actually lodges, save a few. If you are on a tight budget, then head to Hotel Yelagiri, which charges about Rs 500 for a standard room. If you are willing to loosen your purse strings a little, then head to Leauroville Resort, which cost about Rs 1500 per room.
• How to get there: Well, I decided to be adventurous and ride pillion on a bullet. The easiest way to get there however would be to take a train from Chennai that stops at Jolarpet. Alternately, there are a number of buses that go directly to Yelagiri.
• You can take the Yelagiri Express, which runs between Chennai central and Jolarpet Junction. The first class ticket will cost you Rs 315 while for a second class seater, you will need to pay Rs 60. The cab ride should cost about Rs 450 from Jolarpet to Yelagiri.