In this post I am sharing my incredible and lovely experience of traveling to Kerala , Gods own country
Coconut palm lined coastlines, serene backwaters, lush tea gardens elephant reserves and of course unspoiled natural beauty Kerala is a paradise which beckons you again and again.......
Me and my Husband got an invitation to attend a wedding in one of close relative’s family to be held in Chennai. The wedding was to be in the month of September in Chennai. As we decided to go for the wedding we thought of making a trip to Kerala. Our wedding anniversary was also falling in that period so all the more reason to take a vacation.
We planned a 8 day trip covering kochi, Munnar, thekkady and kumarakom,aleppey and then take the train to Chennai from aleppey .We planned to stay in each place 2 or 3 days in Munnar, Thekkady and Kumarakom and one day in kochin & in Aleppey as we dint want a very rushed trip. Though we have visited Kerala before, we had not visited these places.
Frankly the raw and pristine beauty of Kerala keeps pulling you back to this place. This time we truly wanted to enjoy the verdant coastlines, the pristine backwaters, lush green tea gardens, the panoramic hill stations and also indulge in an authentic Ayurveda massage.
Kerala, is truly gods own country has something to offer for every traveler.Lush green mountains for mountain lovers, lovely beaches for beach lover, houseboats and cruises for people who love cruising and complete rest and relaxation for travelers who don’t have any agenda
We chalked out the iternary .Booked Mahindra resorts in munnar.Thekkady and kumarakom as we were members of Mahindra. In Kochi we decide to stay at a friend’s place which was vacant.
We also arranged for a pvt vehicle to pick us up from airport and be with us throughout out kerala trip.We boarded a flight to Cochin on 6th September 2015.our flight was delayed and we landed at Cochin at 2.00pm Driver Lijjo was waiting for us. We went to our friend’s place whose house was located in Abad Aquarius.
Though we had informed the caretaker to keep lunch for us, he had not done that some onam celebration was going on. The caretaker requested us to join the festivity and have lunch there but we were not too keen on that.After freshening up we went to Arya Bhavan for lunch. After lunch we proceeded to see the folklore museum.
The Kerala folklore museum is a cultural hub to promote and preserve the art and culture of south India.The museum has more than 4000 artifacts from tiny to large which includes wood and bronze sculptures,stone age objects,paintings.musical instruments,tribal art,masks.utensils ,oil lamps etc.each artifact gives a small glimpse of our heritage.
Frankly the raw and pristine beauty of Kerala keeps pulling you back to this place. This time we truly wanted to enjoy the verdant coastlines, the pristine backwaters, lush green tea gardens, the panoramic hill stations and also indulge in an authentic Ayurveda massage.
Kerala, is truly gods own country has something to offer for every traveler.Lush green mountains for mountain lovers, lovely beaches for beach lover, houseboats and cruises for people who love cruising and complete rest and relaxation for travelers who don’t have any agenda
We chalked out the iternary .Booked Mahindra resorts in munnar.Thekkady and kumarakom as we were members of Mahindra. In Kochi we decide to stay at a friend’s place which was vacant.
We also arranged for a pvt vehicle to pick us up from airport and be with us throughout out kerala trip.We boarded a flight to Cochin on 6th September 2015.our flight was delayed and we landed at Cochin at 2.00pm Driver Lijjo was waiting for us. We went to our friend’s place whose house was located in Abad Aquarius.
Though we had informed the caretaker to keep lunch for us, he had not done that some onam celebration was going on. The caretaker requested us to join the festivity and have lunch there but we were not too keen on that.After freshening up we went to Arya Bhavan for lunch. After lunch we proceeded to see the folklore museum.
The Kerala folklore museum is a cultural hub to promote and preserve the art and culture of south India.The museum has more than 4000 artifacts from tiny to large which includes wood and bronze sculptures,stone age objects,paintings.musical instruments,tribal art,masks.utensils ,oil lamps etc.each artifact gives a small glimpse of our heritage.
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| inside the museum |
By the time we finished the museum, it was almost 5 pm and hence don’t have much time to visit the churches and synagogues. So we decided to go for a nice boating in back waters. It was an enjoyable ride .we got to see kingfishers, kites. Snake cranes along the way. It started to rain and was also getting dark. So after an hour’s boat ride we decided to visit Lulu mall to pick up some dry snacks for our trip and also finish our dinner. Lulu mall is supposed to be Asia’s biggest mall.
After dinner came back around 10.30 watched a movie and retired for the night
7th September-Monday
Started from Cochin for munnar at 9.30am. Munnar is a very sought after hill station situated on the foot hills of the Western Ghats. Our first stop was cheeyapara water falls. As the monsoon was just receding there was enough water and the sight was really refreshing.
Cheeyapara water falls runs down from a rocky mountain in seven steps. It is a big waterfall and is right on the highway. There is no specific parking space and the vehicle has to be parked alongside the road. There is lot of small stalls selling small tea /coffee .snacks .The view of the valley on other side of the road is really amazing.
After dinner came back around 10.30 watched a movie and retired for the night
7th September-Monday
Started from Cochin for munnar at 9.30am. Munnar is a very sought after hill station situated on the foot hills of the Western Ghats. Our first stop was cheeyapara water falls. As the monsoon was just receding there was enough water and the sight was really refreshing.
Cheeyapara water falls runs down from a rocky mountain in seven steps. It is a big waterfall and is right on the highway. There is no specific parking space and the vehicle has to be parked alongside the road. There is lot of small stalls selling small tea /coffee .snacks .The view of the valley on other side of the road is really amazing.
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| cheeyapara falls |
Very close to cheeyapara falls is vallara falls. This fall is a real beauty to watch as water gushes down from the mountain in a foamy layer. The serene surrounding provides ideal habitat for many rare birds
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| vallara falls |
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| monkey with tender coconut |
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| spice garden |
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| scenic view |
Next our driver drove us to a spice garden which also had a small ayurvedic museum. Kerala spices are famous for their distinct taste and flavor.There was a guide who showed us around the full garden. We could see different herbs and spices with medicinal and culinary properties.
Chief among them were datura, Ashtagandha, Neelambari, Ginger, pepper, Turmeric, cardamon, Rubber etc. The guide gave us a very detailed explanation about all plants and herbs. He explained how rubber was tapped and then mixed with Formaldehyde and water before it became rubber sheets.
Chief among them were datura, Ashtagandha, Neelambari, Ginger, pepper, Turmeric, cardamon, Rubber etc. The guide gave us a very detailed explanation about all plants and herbs. He explained how rubber was tapped and then mixed with Formaldehyde and water before it became rubber sheets.
We then proceeded to have our lunch at a Gujarati restaurant. The entire drive from Cochin to Munnar is simply amazing. View across the lush green tea gardens, a floating cloud cover somewhere sunlight and mist in a constantly changing pattern. Its nature, nature everywhere -24 hours of the day. Every time, in every place, you’ll see a green background We did our checking in at Munnar lake side resort and were allotted room 1048 in Mount Serene. Mahindra has two properties in Munnar Lake side view and mount serene. Mount serene is a smaller one and slightly at a greater height as compared to lake side view.
The view from our room was amazing. It felt as though we were living amidst the clouds. As it began to rain we decided to just stay put in our room and enjoy the nature from our room.
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| Munnar lake side View |
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| view from room |
Went for dinner to the restaurant attached to the resort and retired for the night
8th September
The entire munnar was closed due to some strike of the tea plantation workers. So we were advised not to venture out. Went down to mount serene for a breakfast. After breakfast spent some time taking a stroll around the resort. Took a nice walk in the hills and good chat with the locals and then came back to our room. As we had had heavy breakfast we skipped lunch. Spent the entire day in the room simply lazing around.
8th September
The entire munnar was closed due to some strike of the tea plantation workers. So we were advised not to venture out. Went down to mount serene for a breakfast. After breakfast spent some time taking a stroll around the resort. Took a nice walk in the hills and good chat with the locals and then came back to our room. As we had had heavy breakfast we skipped lunch. Spent the entire day in the room simply lazing around.
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| climb up from munnar lake side to munnar serene property |
9th September
Decided to have breakfast in some local restaurant and then go for sightseeing. So left early and went to Saravana Bhavan which was in the main town area. Had an excellent sumptuous breakfast and set out for sightseeing.
The first spot we visited was the rose garden. Spread over 2 acres of land the stretch is full of variety of plants including cardamon, flowering plants, cacti, fruit trees. Adding to the charm of the place are sprawling tea plantations in the background.
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| rose garden |
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| view from garden |
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| different plants |
We spent some time here and then went to the market area to buy banana chips and other Kerala specialties.This center nurtures some of the most exotic and exquisite flowers, besides common garden varieties. Ornamental leaves, herbal plants and creepers are grown. Plants and seeds are sold at the outlet attached.
Next halt was at Mettupatty dam. Mettupatty Dam is a concrete gravity dam, constructed between 1949 and 1953 for the purpose of conservation of water and hydroelectricity generation. We enjoyed the scenery, pristine blue water and cool breeze and loved the view from the bridge.
Next halt was at Mettupatty dam. Mettupatty Dam is a concrete gravity dam, constructed between 1949 and 1953 for the purpose of conservation of water and hydroelectricity generation. We enjoyed the scenery, pristine blue water and cool breeze and loved the view from the bridge.
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| View from metupatty Dam |
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| Lake |
There are boating facilities for tourists. Tourists can enjoy speed boats, motor boats, pedal boats and row boat facilities at the lake. You can also just sit by the lake side and relax; Neelakurinjii plant which famous for Munnar, which bloom once in twelve years, blooms in the hills and valleys around Kundala Lake.
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| kunadala dam |
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| kundala lake |
We then went to Top Station. We had to keep our car at the parking lot and climb for about 500 meters to reach the top point. Top station is the highest point (around 1800m) in Munnar, on the Munnar-Kodaikkanal road. Top Station got its name from the fact that it was the uppermost railway station located in the Kundala Valley.The panoramic view from here is truly mind blowing.
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| climb down from top station |
Our next place of visits for the day was Eravikulam National park. The vehicle drops us to a particular spot where we have to buy ticket to board the mini bus arranged by the Eravikulam National Part Authorities. These buses drop visitors till the foot of the park. From there visitors have to climb up the hill to reach the top.Pvt vehicles are not allowed inside the park.
Eravikulam National park is the home and sanctuary Nilgiri Tahr" (Mountain Goat) a rare and endangered species. This animal can be seen only in Eravikulam National Park. We were told that if we are lucky we could spot these animals. After buying our tickets we boarded a Mini bus along with many other tourists and the bus started for the park. The bus ride which take you through narrow paths and tea plantations and green hills itself is a beautiful experience.
The bus operated by the park took us up the hill up till a certain point after which we had to trek the remaining distance by walk. We climbed the hill searching for the Nilgiri Tahr. Although there were not many different species of animals out there, we could not spot a single Nilgiri Tahr.The walk was tiring but refreshing with scenic views. We reached a spot called Anamudi meaning Elephants forehead, the highest peak in south India having an elevation of around 2700 meters.
Eravikulam National park is the home and sanctuary Nilgiri Tahr" (Mountain Goat) a rare and endangered species. This animal can be seen only in Eravikulam National Park. We were told that if we are lucky we could spot these animals. After buying our tickets we boarded a Mini bus along with many other tourists and the bus started for the park. The bus ride which take you through narrow paths and tea plantations and green hills itself is a beautiful experience.
The bus operated by the park took us up the hill up till a certain point after which we had to trek the remaining distance by walk. We climbed the hill searching for the Nilgiri Tahr. Although there were not many different species of animals out there, we could not spot a single Nilgiri Tahr.The walk was tiring but refreshing with scenic views. We reached a spot called Anamudi meaning Elephants forehead, the highest peak in south India having an elevation of around 2700 meters.
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| eravikulam |
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| Anai mudi |
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| view from top |
10th September 2015
We were to leave for thekkady early morning. But munnar was covered in mist and there was hardly any visibility. So after breakfast we left for thekkady at 9.30 am. We took the Madurai road. It was a run through tea plantations, forest roads, and small towns on the way. You will also see small streams of water falls. Over all a very scenic route.
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| A beautiful church on the way |
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| scenic route |
We reached the resort at 12.30 pm.The property is very clean and well maintained and rooms are designed more like cottages surrounded by greenery. We were allotted room 131 –christened parakeet. Though the room was big and clean somehow the typical Mahindra’s signature furnishing and aesthetics were missing
We checked dour luggage, freshened up and decided to just venture out. There is nice market place and quite a few restaurants once you step out of the resort and walk for some distance.
We had our lunch in a restaurant called Arya Bhavan. The food was below average. We just ate rice and sambar
After lunch we proceeded to Periyar Lake /tiger reserve by car. The car had t be parked at the parking lot and from there we walked to the boating venue. We booked our tickets for the boat ride. Only while booking the tickets we learnt that if you wanted to sit on the upper deck then tickets had to be booked din advance. Wish we had known this because traveling on upper deck confers a great advantage in terms of view and fro clicking photographs. We also realize that traveling to such places; we should carry a goo zoom lens camera so that you can really capture long distance images.
The boat took off at 2 pm and every seat had safety jacket which had to be worn mandatory. Fortunately the boat was not very crowded and we both got good window seats. The entire ride lasted fo r1 ½ hours
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| The Boat |
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| With our life jackets |
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| Periyar lake |
The lake is surrounded by thick trees on both sides .These trees are home for some of the rare species of birds. We visited just after monsoon, we could not see many animals because there would be puddles of water/small water bodies available at many spots inside the forest and animals do not have to come to lake fro water. During the summer months of March to May, one can have a better chance of viewing the wildlife as the other water sources in the reserve dry up and the animals come to the lake for water. All we could spot were some deer,Bison elephants and few birds.Never the less the ride was enjoyable
After the boat ride we went back to our room and freshened up.as w had booked tickets for kathakali dance w went to see the show. Kathakali, an important genre in the Indian classical dance form, is associated with storytelling form of this art. It is the dance drama from of Kerala .The story in Kathakali is also communicated to audience through excellent footwork and impressive gestures of face (mainly eyes and eyebrows) and hands complimented with music and vocal performance. However the most distinguished part of kathakali is the intricate and vivid make up, unique face masks and costumes. This dance is traditionally performed by male dancers
As we had gone for the first show we could get to see the artists put on their makeup. An attempt is made to enlarge the actors’ proportions by using heavily plaited skirts and that the padding under the skirt is done with jute bags
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| Expressions of Kathakali |
The dance was really good and we enjoyed the show. The navarasa or nine emotions was well enacted by the actor. However the introduction though given in English had too much of Malayalam accent and we were unable to understand most of it
From here we moved to see the kalaripayattu –Kerala’s martial arts. The show was performed in Kuzhikalari. It is (a sort of a huge pit and audiences are seated on the floor above) highly designed gallery built in such a way that the viewers get a clear vision from a safer distance. The training here is aimed at the ultimate co-ordination and control over mind and body. The weapons become an extension of the body, controlled by the mind. The show was really enjoyable
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| Getting ready to show the skill |
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| kalaripayattu_The Skill |
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| Fire works |
11th September- Friday
Today was our 30th wedding anniversary. Got up leisurely, had tea and went around the property .We booked for an ayurvedic massage –Full body with Kizi massage. It was a truly rejuvenating massage for more than an hour.
We proceeded to have breakfast where we were wished by all the staff .Back in the room after some rest had a nice bath and slept for a while. After waking up and having tea we just roamed around the resort clicking pics.
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| Our Cottage |
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| In the resort |
We then called our drive r and asked him to drop us in city area where there were lots of shops selling artifacts. Picked up some artifacts, some gift articles and had a nice walk back to our room.
Night again stepped out for dinner band opted for a simple meal and a good fresh lime juice.
12th September –Saturday
Checked out of the resort and left for kumarakom. Kumarakom is a tiny backwater hamlet perched on the western banks of the Vembanadu Lake.
En route visited Harrison Malayalam Plantation at pattumalai.Pattumalai which literally means hill draped in silk, is home to the two most famous tea plantations .Harrison Malayalam and A V Thomas and co.
We paid our entrance fee and were given a face mask and a shower cap.A guide took us around the factory, This factory processes approximately 50000 Kg of tea in peak season. We were shown and were explained the complete process right form plucking tea leaves, removal of moisture, crushing, sorting and then again crushing. The crushed leaves get a brownish colour.Crushed leaves are then cooled at different temperatures and then fermented. The fermented leaves are dried with hot air (by steam which is generated by boiling water) .These are then sorted and steam removed.
Where tea consists of leaves and stem it is called CTC or dust tea. Where it is only leaves it is orthodox tea.
Night again stepped out for dinner band opted for a simple meal and a good fresh lime juice.
12th September –Saturday
Checked out of the resort and left for kumarakom. Kumarakom is a tiny backwater hamlet perched on the western banks of the Vembanadu Lake.
En route visited Harrison Malayalam Plantation at pattumalai.Pattumalai which literally means hill draped in silk, is home to the two most famous tea plantations .Harrison Malayalam and A V Thomas and co.
We paid our entrance fee and were given a face mask and a shower cap.A guide took us around the factory, This factory processes approximately 50000 Kg of tea in peak season. We were shown and were explained the complete process right form plucking tea leaves, removal of moisture, crushing, sorting and then again crushing. The crushed leaves get a brownish colour.Crushed leaves are then cooled at different temperatures and then fermented. The fermented leaves are dried with hot air (by steam which is generated by boiling water) .These are then sorted and steam removed.
Where tea consists of leaves and stem it is called CTC or dust tea. Where it is only leaves it is orthodox tea.
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| Harrison Tea estate |
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| Inside the factory |
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| the Luscious Tea Garden |
At kottayam we dined at hotel Ariyas grand .The food was excellent and as we were hungry w really gorged on the food.
Touched Mahindra Kumarakom resort at 2 PM.It was a beautiful resort spread over 28 acres and had 22 cottages the backwaters flow (stagnant) through all cottages. Abetting the cottage is a river where one could do speed boating or use Shikara.
We were allotted room 114 .After relaxing in the room for a while we just went around the resort clicking snaps. The resort was situated quite inside and hence there was no way that we can walk down to any area outside.We went for dinner to the resort’s restaurant and spent almost an hour dining as we had nothing better to do.
13th September 2015
It had rained quite heavily last night and hence the climate was cooler and pleasant.We finished our breakfast and the driver picked us up at 10 AM and drove us to the lakeside. We had booked a houseboat for a day cruise for about 4 ½ hours (6000/-) . The day cruises usually starts at 10.30 or 11 am and offer a lavish Kerala style lunch in the houseboat. The day cruise finish by about 3.30 or 4 pm with a Tea/coffee and snacks our hose boat kailasam Honeymoon castle was waiting for us along the breathtaking back waters of vembanadu lake. It looked really clean and impressive. It has a spacious bedroom, a modern well equipped bathroom, a kitchen area
Touched Mahindra Kumarakom resort at 2 PM.It was a beautiful resort spread over 28 acres and had 22 cottages the backwaters flow (stagnant) through all cottages. Abetting the cottage is a river where one could do speed boating or use Shikara.
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| Reception at Kumarakom Property |
We were allotted room 114 .After relaxing in the room for a while we just went around the resort clicking snaps. The resort was situated quite inside and hence there was no way that we can walk down to any area outside.We went for dinner to the resort’s restaurant and spent almost an hour dining as we had nothing better to do.
13th September 2015
It had rained quite heavily last night and hence the climate was cooler and pleasant.We finished our breakfast and the driver picked us up at 10 AM and drove us to the lakeside. We had booked a houseboat for a day cruise for about 4 ½ hours (6000/-) . The day cruises usually starts at 10.30 or 11 am and offer a lavish Kerala style lunch in the houseboat. The day cruise finish by about 3.30 or 4 pm with a Tea/coffee and snacks our hose boat kailasam Honeymoon castle was waiting for us along the breathtaking back waters of vembanadu lake. It looked really clean and impressive. It has a spacious bedroom, a modern well equipped bathroom, a kitchen area
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| Our House Boat |
The cruise started at 10.35. We were mesmerized the moment we started our journey. The backwaters are dotted by the swaying palm trees on both the sides and we could see many holiday resorts
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| Serene Waters |
The greenery and the beauty surrounding was too scenic peaceful and serene
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| Bird Perched on a wooden log |
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| Water Hyacinth Covering the :Lake |
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| Chinese Fishing Nets |
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| Enjoying the view and the calmness |
We reached aleppey at around 12.50 Pm and the house boat was docked for some time. Hot lunch was served .It was a very good typical south Indian vegetarian spread consisting of Rice,Avial,cabbage curry,French beans curry,sambhar,rasam and morkozambu papaddam,pickles and semiya payasam. We ate to our hearts content.
We started our ride around 2. 15 pm .We could see the Aleppey Bridge. We passed by many other visitors in their canoes and houseboats. We could see the locals enjoying their life in simple activities and we realized how much we need this type of break in our busy schedule and hectic lives
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| The feast |
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| View of Aleppey Bridge |
We reached the shores of Kumarakom back at 4 Pm .It was truly fantastic experience to enjoy the back waters which also gave us the much needed pampering and refreshing change.
We were back in the room by 4.30 carrying with us memories of a beautiful day
14th September
We woke up early as we wanted to visit the kumarakom bird sanctuary .The bird sanctuary is located along the side of Vembanad lake and is spread across about 14 acres of land,. This place is operated by Kerala Tourist Development .We bought our entry tickets and went inside.
The first attraction in the bird sanctuary was a Butterfly Garden. We saw a few butterflies but nothing impressive
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| Butterfly park |
We continued our walk through the trails, jumping over the fallen trees but couldn't spot any birds. Also there are no proper sign boards showing the proper path We just kept walking .could spot some Herons up above the high Trees could not capture the pics with our normal camera.
We almost reached the end where we say one watch tower .We climbed up the watch tower. we did not have much hope of seeing any birds but to our surprise we say hundreds of white birds nesting on top
We almost reached the end where we say one watch tower .We climbed up the watch tower. we did not have much hope of seeing any birds but to our surprise we say hundreds of white birds nesting on top
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| Birds Atop trees |
The sanctuary was nothing very impressive, but it provided us with a good morning walk
Came back to our room, finished our breakfast and left for aleppey. Our original plan of staying in aleppey did not work out. So went straight to Aleppey beach
The Alleppey beach is known throughout Kerala as one of the best beaches, owing to its intrinsic natural beauty.
Came back to our room, finished our breakfast and left for aleppey. Our original plan of staying in aleppey did not work out. So went straight to Aleppey beach
The Alleppey beach is known throughout Kerala as one of the best beaches, owing to its intrinsic natural beauty.
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| Aleppey Beach |
After finishing our purchase headed to the railway station to take our train to Chennai
All in all a very enjoyable and refreshing trip. Calling this place as Gods own country is no exaggeration. It is truly a beautiful place and how much ever you see this place you still want to come back for more and more and more .
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