Kaas Plateau of Flowers Tour (03 Days; # 433)

Among the ancient mountains of the Western Ghats lies a rare treasure. Formed from one of the basalt plateaus that are characteristic of the region, an ephemeral and fleeting Eden is visible every monsoon. The Kaas Plateau is a rolling grassland atop a hill that is transformed by the rains into a carpet of colourful flowers, most of them unique to the Western Ghats, including the Strobilanthes shrub, fondly called “topli karvi” due to its upturned-bowl-like nature, that flowers once every 7-8 years. Another flower in abundance on the plateau is the Hairy Smithia, sometimes called the “Mickey Mouse Flower” because of its large roundish petals. Visiting and exploring this “Plateau of Flowers” is something that should be on everyone’s travel list.