Tada Falls

What is it?

It is a beautiful waterfall not yet spoiled by the tourist crowd. Nature at its best. I am a Nellorean (Tada is in Nellore District) and I had not heard about these falls until a year ago. Hence its pristine beauty is still undisturbed.

Where is it?

First go to Tada which is on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. You can take NH-5 from Chennai and drive for about 85 kilometers to reach Tada. Just before you enter the town Tada, you hit the Kalahasti Road going west off NH-5. Take this road and go another 10 to 15 kilometers till you hit Varadaiah Palem. Ask any local for directions to Ubbalamadugu Falls. That is the actual name of the Falls. In fact the falls are nearer to Kalahasti than to Tada. However since the approach is from Tada, outsiders like us call it Tada Falls.

The road from Varadaiah Palem to Ubbalamadugu checkpost is fairly OK. If you are traveling in anything other than an SUV or Motorbike, be very careful and drive slowly. Once you hit the checkpost, listen patiently to all the warnings from the ranger-watchman and pay 50 rupees per vehicle.

Now the drama starts. There is no proper road. All you see is an endless stretch of about two meters width comprising of small to medium sized rocks amidst dense vegetation. The locals call it a road. Again, if you are not in an SUV or a bike, the safest speed on this road is 5 kilometers per hour. Anything more than that is going to break your axle into two if not three.

We actually got down from the Santro at this point and started walking towards the hills. It was faster that way. However this walk/drive is around 5 kilometers. The actual trek starts after you reach the base camp. So it is better to be in your vehicle if you are not very trek-savvy. J

On second thoughts, if you are not very trek-savvy, turn your vehicle back and go back to Chennai. Reaching Tada Falls is no childs play. Make sure you have no kids or elderly people in your group. They simply cannot make it to the falls.

Once you reach the base camp which is nothing but a slightly larger open space on this gravel road, you have two options. If you are in a Santro/Indica/Zen/WagonR, park your car there and use your legs. If you are in an SUV/bike, continue further till you reach a small stream of water. The depth is only around a foot. So you can cross it comfortably and then park the vehicle there. (Base Camp 2). The distance between these two camps is just a furlong. It is up to you to decide whether you want to reach base camp 2 before testing your legs.

What do I need to carry in my backpack?

First things first. Backpacks are a must. This is Godforsaken land. You wont get anything. In fact you wont see a human face after the first two kilometers. So pack your backpacks adequately. Do NOT carry a lot of water. We bought two 20 liter cans of water for this trek. It was our biggest mistake. We could not carry that weight over the steep rocks. Halfway through the trek, we abandoned all those water cans and relied heavily on Nature to get our water supplies. However believe me, Tada falls water is definitely much better and clearer than the so called mineral water we get in Chennai. It is best to carry a one-liter bottle of water in every backpack. You can fill it up all through the trek. There is a water stream running all along the trek path. The water is crystal clear.

Carry some medication Painkillers, Mosquito repellents, bandage, Dettol and a pair of scissors with some clean cloth.

How is the path?

From base camp 2 till you reach the first rest point which is about three kilometers from the start, it is a fairly easy trek. You just have to take the pathway which is mostly flat and straight. At the end of this phase, you will reach a Siva Temple. You have to cross the water stream at this point. Depth varies from 5 feet to 2 feet. Be careful while crossing this stream. There are lots of submerged boulders. You can refresh yourself by swimming in these waters. The trek ahead is not going to be easy.

Once you cross this point, there is no such thing as a path. You need to trek on the rocks/boulders/logs/trees etc to go upstream towards the water falls. Some rocks are taller than five meters and some are steeper than you can imagine. A rope will come in handy in conquering these rocks. When you come to the stage where you are greeted with an almost formidable rock formation, do not get disheartened. This is the best place of Tada Falls. You can see a clear water stream and a small waterfall sandwiched between two boulders. Climb those boulders and sit under those falls. Heavenly! This is our second rest point.

Spend as much time as you can in this point. Then gather all your energy and climb that rock formation. Life is going to be easy once you conquer this formation. All you have to do next is to climb the hill at an angle of 60 degrees for one more kilometer and then climb down at the same angle for another kilometer. Congratulations You have reached the Tada Falls. Have fun and start your journey home at 3pm. You need at least two hours to reach the Sivalayam. Make sure you reach this point before the sun sets.

What next?

Provided your car has not been frisked away, drive home carefully. :)

Is it worth the effort?

Very much. This is perhaps the best outing I have ever been a part of. The scenery is beautiful. The trek is soul satisfying and the adventure part is really great. However as I said earlier, the ideal age group is 15-40.

When should we visit these falls?

Wait till rainy days are over. Winter is the best time to visit this place. January/February is the ideal time.

Can I use public transportation to reach this place?

Are you kidding? Get your own vehicle.

Have fun.