Yercaud: As you travel up the mountain ranges to Yercaud, exchange your worries for cool hills and tranquility. Yercaud is a mere five hour drive from Bangalore and a seven hour drive from Chennai. The town was established by the British in the late 19th century as a coffee plantation, and its cool, pleasant climate attracted missionaries. Yercaud's hilly, cool terrain makes it an ideal destination for trekking and dirt biking; both of which can be organised locally at nominal rates.