EMERALD LAKE, YERCAUD:
The Yercaud Lake/ Big Lake/ Emerald Lake is undoubtedly a must-visit place in Yercaud. It was named as Emerald Lake as it is the only natural lake among all the hill stations in the South of India and it can rightly be the topmost sightseeing place in Yercaud. It is located within a distance of 1.5km from the Yercaud Bus stand. Cab and Auto facilities are available from Yercaud Bus stand. The lake is surrounded by perfectly trimmed green grass, little shrubs and well-manicured flower gardens which enhances the beauty of the lake. One can indulge in various fun activities like boating, cycling, balloon shooting, etc.. It has both self-pedalling and rowing boats(no self rowing is allowed, one the staff of the boathouse will row the boat) with the minimum time spent can be 15 minutes. Boat services are available at a reasonable rate which is 110 INR for 2 seats and 140 INR for 4 seats in case of pedalling boats and Rs. 90 for 3 seater and Rs. 120 for five-seater rowing boats. One must also pay the caution deposits for boats which will be refunded later. The soothing music of cold water, the sound of the breeze from the garden and trees, and the freezing cold of hill station will give you a heavenly experience during that 15 to 20 minutes of boating. We can almost have a mini-tour of the whole of Yercaud while boating. None of the tourist's returns without clicking photographs of the beautiful views of the Yercaud city while boating. There are various hotels, eateries shops which offer the real taste of South Indian cuisine, hot bajjis, tea, coffee and other spicy snacks around Emerald lake. The deer park is located on the other bank of the lake. It is an added feature that Emerald Lake is one of the best sightseeing places in Yercaud. The Deerpark has 3 deers, a few swans, peacocks and hamsters in cages. Kids can enjoy watching animals with full safety. Both the boathouse and the deer park timings are strictly between 9 am to 5 pm. Hence, all kinds of tourists including couples, family and friends of all ages can have Emerald lake as the top sightseeing place in Yercaud. On the whole, one can have refreshing and tranquil moments at Emerald Lake.