Tada Falls

Ubbalamadugu Falls

Ubbalamadugu Falls (also called Tada Falls or Kambakam Falls) is a beautiful waterfall, located to the North of Sricity in the Chittoor district. Coming under the Buchinaidu kandriga & Varadaiahpalem mandals the falls are located 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Chennai and 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Srikalahasti.

The falls are located in a forest called the Kaambakam forest or Sidduliah Kona. The relation to Lord Shiva ensures that the festival of Maha Shivaratri is a common time for people to visit.

Tada is a relatively little known tourist destination. It is known for its waterfall (Locally called as Ubbalamadugu Falls), hillocks and greenery. It is ideal for hiking, trekking and picnics.

Access

To reach the falls one must go through the village Varadaiahpalem, about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) away, of which only 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) is paved. During Maha Shivaratri transport services are provided by APSRTC from the village Varadaiahpalem. SUVs or some vehicles with high ground clearance are best suited for the paved road. Small cars should be avoided. With limited accommodation available nearby, the best locations to stay are at Srikalahasti or Varadaiahpalem town. Staying in the forest beyond sun set is not advised. To reach the actual waterfall requires trekking. There is limited guidance, in the form of arrow marks, provided for the hike. It is accessible only by physically fit people.

Get in 

Tada is well connected to Chennai via local trains and mofussil buses that head to Chennai from Tirupathi and Nellore.

• By bus:

Buses are available from chennai(starting at Koyembedu bustand) SETC bus no.114 drops you till Varadayya palem(the last human sttelement on the way to TADA falls. Varadyya palem is approximately 8 km from the forest dept. ceck post, from their autos are available till the check post

• By Train

Trains from Chennai heading to Sullurpeta from Chennai Central pass via Tada. There is a train every two hours and the last train from Tada to Chennai leaves at 8:30 pm.

• By Car

To reach Tada, Cross the Padi junction in Chennai and take the redhills route and join NH-5. Drive for about 60Kms and you will reach Tada town. Before you reach Tada you will cross the AP checkpost. If you are taking taxis, then you will have to shell out permit tax here (Rs.250 for Indica and Ambassador) and it is pretty high for a Tata Sumo or Tempo Traveller. It might be cost effective to take 2 Indica's compared to a Tata Sumo.
Once you reach Tada, take the left which is right next to the bridge and you will reach Varadiah Palem. Ask the people for directions from here. You have to take a left turn to reach Tada falls and there are absolutely no indications at this point. You can reach this place from Kalahasti too.

Camping and Trekking
 

Camp fire and Cooking

Trekking in forest

Swimming in 2 pool

Tada final pool

Once you have reached Basecamp the trek begins. (Believe me, it is called Base Camp). The total trek distance would be about 10kms to and fro with nearly 4kms in real rocky conditions. From here the mud road begins and if you are on SUV or two wheelers, you can go for another 1km.
Just after 150mts or so, we reached the place where we had to cross a water body. It was just a small stream.
A small word of caution: Don't get excited on seeing the water and get into it with your shoes on. It will become really tough to trek with wet soles.
Once you cross this small stream the walk continues till you reach a mud-path. Just follow this mud-path and you will first go up the hill and then down the hill. It is quite tricky to follow the path as in some places only rocks are seen and there is absolutely nothing to indicate a path.
Keep walking along the mud-path and you will cross another stream. We sat for about 10mins here as it was really hot. Continue walking on the mud-path and around 30mins later you will reach a Siva Temple. This is the last place where you can sit comfortably and have food, if you haven't had any so far. You can call this BaseCamp 3, if you want to. If you don't reach the Siva temple within an hour and half of starting the trek, then you have lost your way. Use the time tested method of following the stream and proceed.
After this point there is no proper path and you have to rely on the direction shown people who are around the Siva Temple. You have to cross the stream and then look for a path. You will find a small clearing and this might help you on the way forward. From here on, the trek starts to become difficult. You encounter rocks and millipedes on those rocks on the way forward. (Remember to listen for the stream from this point on. This would be very helpful.)
Some of the rocks are pretty big and it would help if someone who is a good trekker is around. You have to climb nearly 10ft at times and some of the formations are also difficult. There should be two falls, but only one is found during peak summer before the rains have started.
The Day is incomplete without a Camera to click the Crystal clear Waters.

See

• Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish – water lake or lagoon in India
• Chengalamma Temple is in Sullurpeta. The temple don't have any doors. 

Eat

 Commercialization of this place hasn't begun as on date. So, it is still a nice spot for trekking without the usual buzz of people and shops surrounding you. There are small cantees and grocery stores at Tada, where you can buy snacks or water. Locally the falls is called "Ubbalamadugu falls". On the national highway their is Swathi restaurant(A/C) oppsite to SBI ATM and next to TADA police station, were you can find south, north indian and Chinese dishes 

Sleep

With limited accommodation available nearby, the nearest place is Sullurpeta, which has very good AC and Non-AC lodges. Staying in the forest beyond sun set is not advised. 

Total Cost

Total cost per person (approx) : 450/- (includes travelling, lunch, breakfast)

A few things to remember when you plan for a trip to Tada:

Leave early to escape the mad rush in the afternoon. Shorts and T-shirt are a must. You have to wade through water to reach the biotopes so you don’t want your trousers or jeans to get wet. A spare change of clothes is great if you plan to get wet. Wear footwear that do not slip in water (canvas shoes are great). Carry a shoulder bag so that your hands are free to hold and balance. Carry lots of water to drink. Cell phones do not work, Carry cameras in waterproof bags so that they are not spoilt if they fall into water. Hats are a must. The sun beats down hard and there is very little shade except in a few places. If someone has a leg related problem, it would be better that they do not go to the 5th biotope and the falls. The ideal season to go to Tada falls is between December and mid of February.