At last the morning finally came, when we were to board the flight from New Delhi to Kochi. I had been awaiting this day since months.... We boarded the flight with mixed emotions.....
Can you believe, a few days before this "awaited day" my son fractured his foot.
Finally, it was decided that we would leave him with my brother and sis- in-law. My son was happy with the decision. Well...ultimately, we were on board the flight to Kochi.
Here we come...... KERALA
The closer we got to our destination....KERALA , the greener the views became and more water bodies could be seen...on the ground !!!
This trip was like a dream come true for me!! Had been preparing for it since months.There is just so much to see and experience in Kerala. Unfortunately, we had leaves for only five days, in the month of October 2014. The month of October is one of the best times to visit this beautiful location. Immediately after the monsoon (rainy season)....Everything is rain washed and fresh and clean and its actually a treat for the eyes !!
I love to go through people's travelogues.....one gets first hand information, and accurate ones too. This is the reason I decided to write this travelogue too ! We had made our bookings online, no travel agent or middleman was required. Even before stepping foot in "His own Country"..... I knew what was coming !
For the information of the viewers who know little about India -
KERALA - also known as God's own country !
This beautiful state of Kerala, is in India's south-west region. It is on the beautiful green Malabar coast. It is a state with the highest literacy rate. A must visit place, if you are in India !
Mountains, sea, beaches rivers, waterfalls.....
Oh Yes! You get it all !!
Our destinations in Kerala were, Kochi, Munnar, Alleppey (Alappuzha, also called the Venice of the East).
We had a stop over at Hyderabad and finally landed in Kochi, after almost around 4 hours.A nice pleasant breeze welcomed us with swaying coconut trees everywhere, that was a different sight for me.
Well, this five day trip to Kerala in the month of October '14, (which obviously was a short and rushed trip) had started !! We spent the first day in and around Kochi. We visited the famous Athirapally waterfall in the afternoon...n let me tell you its a nice long walk..but worth the effort.
DAY ONE
The Grand Athirapally waterfall
At the bottom of the fall
The Athirapally falls is situated 1000 ft above sea level on the Chalakudy river, at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges of the Western Ghats, Athirappalli is a scenic combination of forests and little streams. Falling from a height of 80 feet, this is one of the largest waterfalls in the state. Many endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna are found in the forests of the Athirapilly-Vazhachal area.
Worth seeing after the rains! Takes two hours to reach from Kochi...through a beautiful winding road through the dense forest.You will need to buy a ticket of Rupees 10 per person.
DAY TWO
Kochi - Munnar
Day two started with a feeling of excitement... we were headed to Munnar .We had booked a cab for the rest of our trip.
Distance : Around 130 Kms
Time taken : Around 3 hours
Mode of Transport : Cab
Waterfalls en route Munnar
You'll see two waterfalls.
Waterfalls en route Munnar
Cheeyappara waterfall
Right on the road...can't miss it !
Valara waterfall...Again visible from the road.
The drive...all the way to Munnar was wonderful, especially ... for someone, who loves being close to nature! The condition of the road was good , though it gets narrow at some places. It is a beautiful drive through the hills and the trees and the waterfalls, which you can't miss !
I would like to mention here that the countryside of Kochi is also beautiful, mainly because of all the well made and well maintained huge houses that you come across, on both the sides of the road...worth noticing!!
Must say people have a great taste... when it comes to building houses, over there!
Upon reaching Munnar, I must admit, I was a little disappointed ..found the town to be too cramped, and ofcourse like any hill station during season time.. were welcomed by a long traffic jam and also......
the green emerald carpet was missing !! That's what I associated Munnar with !
Well...well...well.. !!!
Munnar without the emerald carpet...not possible !
Treat for the eyes
Guess where I found this?
These mesmerising views you'll get on the
MUNNAR - TOP STATION ROUTE.
I would highly recommend this beautiful route to you all.
Well before I update you all about this breathtakingly beautiful route, let me update you with all that we did on day two.We checked into our hotel, which was little away from the main town, towards Top Station route.
View from our room in Munnar
The road below the hotel is always packed with cars, either going to Top station or coming back.
That's what we experienced on both the days that we spent in this hotel in Munnar.
Traffic jam
Taking this state of traffic, into consideration we decided to walk it all the way to Munnar town, on the first day.Also needed to withdraw money from the ATM.
To our surprise there was only one ATM that had cash that day.....
well, you can imagine the long queue ! Now what ?
Obviously, waited for our turn.
We had dinner at Sarvana Bhavan that day. Also bought some special tea flavours and spices and picked up some homemade chocolates too. Would recommend you buy masala tea powder from there.
View a few meters away from our hotel
DAY THREE.... Off toTop Station
Mattupetty Dam..... en route
DAY FOUR - MUNNAR- ALLEPPEY
ALLEPPEY - Backwaters , Houseboats and.... The Sun the sea and the beaches!!
Now for the last stretch of our wonderful Kerala trip. We left Munnar early in the morning, as a result, did not get stuck in traffic! After Munnar our next destination was Alleppey also called Alappuzha. This place is also called the Venice of the East !
Distance - Around 170 Kms
Time taken - Close to 5 hours
Mode of transport - Cab
The highlight of a travel to Alleppey is the leisurely boat cruise through the stretch of backwaters enjoying the most entrancing scenery of palm-fringed banks, quiet water-bound villages, Chinese fishing nets, prawn farming and coir manufacture. Alleppey, one of the exotic sites of backwater tourism in the state of Kerala is better known as the "Venice of the East" for its labyrinth of lakes, lagoons and freshwater rivers crisscrossing it.
Stay in house boats are lifetime experience in Alleppey. This is one of the most popular activities , which relax the visitors completely and erase all the stress of daily life. Some houseboats have spa treatments, beauty salons and massage parlors. People also get engaged in fishing and do experimental cooking in traditional methods. A walk through the villages in evening is also rejuvenating. Shopping and strolling in the beaches are also the two most favorite past time of the Alappuzha travelers.
The travelers should wear loose and comfortable clothes and should carry torch, mosquito repellent, mobile chargers, and compulsorily sun tan creams. Carrying some necessary medicines is also included in the Alleppey travel tips.
We were very excited to reach this beautiful place. Though, nothing can match the greenery we saw in Munnar !! That was just soooo green.. breathtaking..... must say! Still this place had its own charm!
We had picked a very nice place to stay in Alleppey, it was right next to this beautiful location-(This picture that you see )
The hotel where we stayed in Alleppey...Beautiful place
Different rooms
There was room for the birds too....
The beautiful path...
Whilst waiting for tea ...time to explore the hotel
Don't miss the traffic.....of the houseboats !
Tea
The path that led to the dinning place
2ND PART OF THE TRIP............
http://needhisb.blogspot.in/2015/01/munnar-in-and-around.html
3RD PART OF THE TRIP.............
http://needhisb.blogspot.in/2015/01/munnar-alleppey-backwaters-houseboats.html
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Coming up next.... Road trip from Delhi to Goa..... Goa in the monsoons
NEEDHI SB's
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