Mesmerising Kerala

Beautiful things takes time, probably a little longer than usual. Likewise, for a travel enthusiast like me, some memorable experiences did made me wait.

While my country was healing from the current pandemic, travel ideas started blossoming in my mind. Yes! I had waited too long for this. Of late, having completed a short tour in some nearby districts I was not averse to plan for something distant, because it gave me an insight to the "new normal" and educated me to travel with possible safety precautions. Given the time when I was reflecting on my upcoming travel destination was winter season, hills were already ticked off from my list. Instantly the beautiful south India came to my mind and I started searching for the suitable itinerary. "God's own country" would be the most appropriate, specially the time frame of one week which I had, I should be able to visit the popular tourist destinations of Kerala. Not contemplating further, made a quick plan of 6 nights -7 days in the month of January, covering the places which are most admired and sought-after.

Day 1 - Munnar : On 23rd January we had our flight tickets from Kolkata - Kochi. It was direct flight of nearly 3 hours duration without any stoppage. After landing from flight, realised that I need to get my sweaters off and dump it in my suitcase and probably would not require for the entire trip as well. The temperature here is sweltering despite it being the month of January. We spotted our driver and got into our car, heading towards our first destination - Munnar. On our way we halted to visit Valara waterfalls, located at a distance of almost 14 kms from Kochi in the district of Idukki. Easily viewed from road, the waterfall gave us a spectacular sight, post-monsoon season. Just after a while, we also visited a small spice garden and gathered few useful information of the most useful spices of our country which are cultivated extensively here. Would definitely recommend buying some whole spices. coffee, and delicious home-made chocolates from here.

After almost hours drive from Kochi ,we reached our hotel "The Whispering Meadows" at Munnar where had booked our stay for 2 nights. It's situated at 2kms way from Munnar bus stand. Located amidst the jungle in a hillock in Pallivasal in a scenic location, the series of cottages are tastefully done with good view in 7 layers.  At night the earth seemed to cool down as I experienced a slight dip in the temperature. It convinced me that the pleasant weather would enhance the delightful experience that I was about to have. 

Valara Waterfalls

Day 2- Munnar : I'm a late riser, but luckily the travel bug inside me never turns me lazy on my vacation days. With an attempt to have an early breakfast I headed straight towards the buffet section. The buffet included a varied spread starting from cereals and milk to south delicacies like dosa, idli, sambar and English essentials like toast & eggs , and to my surprise North special chhole batura. After having a sumptuous breakfast I headed for my sight-seeing planned for today.

Munnar reminds me of the term "rolling hills" which I've heard of since childhood. Going past the winding roads of this beautiful hill-station I recognized why it's the home of "rolling hills". A terrain of gently sloped hills covered with a fluffy green blanket of plantations - a perfect eye-soothing view. I reached the first spot, Mattupetty Dam, which is built in the hills of Munnar. Before taking a boat ride at the dam I took a brief walk amidst the lush green meadows , situated beside the dam. The boat ride activity of Mattupetty Dam is of short 15 minutes duration and can be completed anytime between 9:30am to 5:30pm. While enjoying the boat ride one can view its surroundings and the still water that reflects the green tea garden. Thereafter we went to Echo Point, which as the name suggests is famous for its echo effect. Situated alongside the banks of the enchanting Kundala Lake, Echo Point boasts of a misty background while being surrounded by greenery. One can go for boating or can just enjoy the panoramic view standing at the banks of the river. 

Eravikulam National Park is famous in Munnar and is home to various flora and fauna. While we were driving to the park I could feel I am being taken to some high altitude place, courtesy my nausea feeling. The park is surrounded to an area of  97 square kms, promised us of getting a glance of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. After buying the entrance tickets I got into a bus which transferred us to a common spot of the national park, where other tourists were waiting. A cafe and a souvenir shop attracted some portion of the crowd. I started going uphill and I was not disappointed because the glimpse of Munnar's beauty from far off and some Nilgiri Tahr who crossed my path didn't make my effort pointless. On reaching the last limit point, I could see a flock of Nilgiri Tahr, feeding on the grasslands & unaware of the human population standing at a distance and capturing the beautiful scene on their electronic gadgets.

Ripple Tea Museum was the last stop for the day. The tea factory is situated at the same place. The entry fees is 100 Rs. One will be spoilt for choices while buying tea from here. The rates are pretty reasonable and are a must buy. You can shop from a variety of flavoured teas and additionally take a tour of the entire factory & demonstration of tea production. By paying a nominal amount you can taste different kinds of teas that are displayed. 

By this time I was super starving and without much delay had my lunch at a local restaurant. I tried chicken biryani , as it's must for me no matter in which part of the country I am. I reached hotel by evening and waited eagerly for my next venture.

Mattupetty Dam

Nilgiri Tahr @Eravikulam National Park

Day 3 - Thekkady : After an early breakfast we started our journey for Thekkady. It's a 4 hours drive from Munnar. The smooth road & serene view made the journey seem non-hectic for me, though I could still feel a slight nausea. Enroute I visited the Periyar Lake. This artificial lake is located inside a beautiful sanctuary governed by the Kerala Government. The name of the sanctuary is the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to many different species of animals, birds and reptiles. Taking a cruise ride on this lake is a definite must. The two hours ride is totally worth the fees its charged for. During the cruise ride you can visually identify different animals in the surrounding sanctuary, making it one of the best places to experience wildlife in India. 

Later I went to Kumily to experience Elephant Ride. The elephant safari of Periyar tourism gives us the choice to perform a photo-session or feed the elephant, and different amount is charged based on that. I opted for a 20 minutes elephant ride with photo session. The ride is truly enjoyable and you won't want to miss it. At the same location, we watched Kathakali show from 5pm-6pm. Kathakali is a dance form native to Kerala. Once done I went to watch Kalaripayuttu show from 6pm-7pm. Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest of martial arts that originated in south India. Over the duration of these shows, it takes you through an enthralling experience of captivating performances by well-trained and supremely talented artists. Be amazed at the flexibility and agility of Kalari artists as they showcase astonishing forms of self-defense through Kalaripayattu. 

In the evening, I checked-in to hotel "Mountain Hues" at Thekkady.

Periyar Lake-View from the cruise

Day 4 - Alleppey : It was always a dream to see the undoubtedly famous backwaters of Kerala and finally my wish was soon to become a reality. My day started even more early today & I finished my breakfast from complementary buffet menu, without wasting much time. As Kerala is also famous for spices I decided to pay a visit to Periyar Spice Garden. On paying the entrance fees, I took a tour of the spice garden where, apart form spices, ayurveda/medicinal plants are also cultured. The tour guide briefed about the benefits of each plant. I bought quite a number of spice packets from here and headed towards Alleppey. 

On reaching Alleppey I boarded the houseboat which I had booked prior for one night stay. The houseboat was parked on the banks of the backwaters. Alleppey is the center point of Kerala's backwaters, home to an immense system of waterways and more than a thousand houseboats. I was bit skeptical of the houseboat experience but to my surprise I found it to be equally luxurious. The boat started the ride amidst the backwaters and one can see the beautiful greenery on both sides. After almost 4 hours journey the houseboat settles at the shores in the evening. During lunch, we got to enjoy Pomfret fish fry. All 3 meals of the day were included in the package of the houseboat that I booked. 

The expedition at houseboat is a remarkable experience and is the primary fascination if you're staying at Alleppey. It gives us the opportunity to take pleasure in the stunning beauty of Kerala with a perfect blend of greenery and blue water.  As it sails through, you can experience the diverse ecosystem of the terrain and the lake, and the moment you step aboard, you feel at home on the houseboat.

Alleppey backwaters & houseboat

Day 5 - Kovalam : Time for me to say goodbye to an exhilarating experience of staying at houseboat, and proceed to have some beach moments at Kovalam. After covering a distance of nearly 160 kms (4 hours 30 mins) I reached "Sagara Beach Resort" where I had booked a 2 nights stay. The beaches are present right opposite to the hotel , just a 2 minutes walk from the backyard. Hawa beach & Lighthouse beach are the main tourist attraction of Kovalam. A considerable amount of tourists visit both the beaches & despite that the beach & sea-water are completely clean. Both beaches are located nearby at an walking distance from each other. Practically both are same, with a long shore that acts as a connector between them. One can indulge in some water sport activities or just enjoy the majestic view of sunset or sunrise.

Lighthouse Beach

Day 6 - Poovar : Poovar is a small coastal village situated in Trivandrum nearby Kovalam. I visited Poovar and took a quick boat ride in the backwaters. The speed boat ride costs 2200/- Rs. Poovar, famous for its backwaters & beach, is one of the natural wonders of Kerala, where the Arabian Sea and Neyyar River meet to form an estuary. On the boat trip you'll get to see dense mangrove forest, floating cottages, & coconut trees. The boat takes a halt near the golden sand beach. The golden colored sand that meets the blue water, makes the place worthy of visit. You can visit the beach for a while and get back to the boat for your return trip.

Golden Beach - Poovar

Day 7 - It was time for me to bid adieu to the amazing times that I spent in the past one week. My return flight was from Trivandrum. Trivandrum airport is just an hour away from Kovalam. My debut visit to Kerala ended here , as my tired legs hopped into the car to set me for my home.

To be continued.. with more such wonderful memories. 

Signing Off ,

~ Curious Anklet