Visiting Kerala
– Munnar the only hill station of Kerala
An idol of Lord Ganesha on way to Munnar
A map of Ernakulam district (sourced from internet)
Another road map of Ernakulam district (Sourced from internet)
A pictorial depiction of tourist points of Munnar (sourced from Internet)
We started our journey from Thekaddy at around 10.00 AM and after
traversing a distance of about 100 Kms., passing by rubber plantation, spice
plantations that gradually gave way to tea plantations, as the altitude was
gained gradually, we reached Munnar at around 1.30 PM.Since we had a light Breakfast in Thekaddy
and noting much in between during the journey, so we were almost famished by
the time we reached our hotel called Grace Munnar Resort in Chirdkandathil (H),
Anachal, PO Adimaly.The hotel had been
booked through ‘MakeMyTrip’ portal and advertised its’ location as little away
from Munnar, but when I reached the actual destination, at first we could not
locate it, despite the fact that the driver was a local and after much
enquiries, we finally reached the hotel and found it to be located in middle of
some paddy fields, with no proper roads.Moreover, when I asked for some meal for lunch, I was told that they had
not advertised it in their profile and the restaurant was not having a chef at
that time and would only be available by evening.Thereafter, the driver took us to a
restaurant in Adimaly, which was a good 5-8 Kms. away, we finally had out lunch
at around 2.30 P.M and we had a good hearty meal there.Thereafter, the driver suggested, that we
cancel the booking, but as there was no refund available, I decided against
it.In the evening, a whole horde of
persons, purportedly the owners of said resort and their known to, trooped into
the hotel and all the hotel personnel were diverted to serve them, we got some
tea/coffee after much persuasion and the dinner was atrocious, we almost slept
on empty stomach that night.It is advisable that the MakeMyTrip people
check the hotels that they book the tourists in and provide every detail, as
what I faced was total cheating by the hotel, if they wanted to host their
family members, they should have declined booking of guests for that day,
‘GRACE MUNNAR RESORT’ is a totally atrocious place to visit, as neither its
location is tourist friendly nor are there any amenities available nearby, so a
tourist is struck in a hell-hole during the duration of his stay there.The next day we headed for Munnar early
in the morning and had a ‘parotha’ each, as B’fast was included in the room charges.
Panoramic view of Munnar township
The famed 'Idli point' of Munnar
The Lockhart Tea factory - steeped in antiquity
First step of making tea out of tea leaves - withering process
Munnar is the only hill station of Kerala and is situated in the
Western Ghats. The climate there is
conducive for huge tea plantations and the scenic beauty that it imparts, has
made this area famous, especially through shooting of films etc. and thereby
attracts hordes of tourists to the quaint township. The Malayalam word “Moonu Aaru,” which can be translated
literally as “three rivers,” is from where the name “Munnar” evolves. The
confluence of the three rivers namely Kundaly, Nallathanni and the Madhurapuzha
is where the hill station is perched. In
addition to the Rivers, one can enjoy the massive wilderness, the lush greenery
and the aromas emanating of tea industries, as usually passing wind brings in
whiffs of tea aroma and thus, makes it a verdant location.It is also a popular
honeymoon destination and is often called the “Kashmir of South India.”Once known as the High Range of
Travancore, Munnar used to be the summer resort of the British during colonial
times and it is perched at an altitude of 6000 feet. Another attraction of Munnar is the blooming
of Neelakurinji flowers, that is scientifically called Strobilanthus, which also plays a significant role in attracting tourists
from all across the world, as it blooms only once every twelve years, covering
the entire hill side in a shade of purple blue.
Some scenic views around Munnar
Some huge boulders and hill tops around Munnar
Panoramic view of tea plantation in Munnar
Close up of tea plantation in Munnar
View of highest peak of Munnar i.e. Anamudi peak (2695 MSl)
The first view of the Munnar township from the
opposite ridge was our first sighting of the place and I found it quite mesmerizing. The first destination we visited is one of the oldest Tea Estates of
Munnar i.e. Lockhart Tea Factory and enroute another scenic view
unfolded, aptly called the ‘Idli point’, as the hillocks covered with
tea plantations, appeared like green colored Idlis (a local steamed snack made
of fermented rice & lentil powder).
Having visited the Tea Estate and having learned about the process of
making tea etc., with tickets costing around Rs.200/- per head, we headed back
to Munnar town. Since it was
almost mid-day, we had our lunch and thereafter headed for the famed ‘Eravikulam
National Park’, which was once used by the British as a hunting preserve, this area is
now a national park. To this day, the park continues to provide excellent
protection for its native wildlife. Located at an altitude of around 3,000
meters (10,000 feet), this national park is perched at a relatively high
altitude. The Nilgiri tahr, a rare
wild goat, is the protected species of this National Park. For visiting the park, we had had purchase
tickets @ Rs.200/- per head plus charges for camera etc. and therefrom, after
waiting for a considerable period of time, boarded a bus operated by the park
authorities, which takes the visitors to the hill top and later transfers them
back to the gate by the road side. The
busses run in a circular route and one can board any bus, subject to availability
of seats, during the return journey. It
is a must visit destination for the nature and wildlife lovers.
Details of Eravikulam National Park at its entrance
The famed 'Nilgiri Thar' the protected species of Eravikulam National Park
The famed 'Neelakurinji' flowers that bloom every twelve years (sourced from internet)
Panoramic view from atop Anamudi hill in Munnar
Panoramic view of Mattupetty dam in Munnar
Panoramic view of 'Echo Point' in Munnar
In late afternoon pruning of tea plants being undertaken by labourer
Thereafter, having visited the
Eravikulam National Park, we headed for another
destination known as the Mattupetty Dam that is a water reservoir in Idukki
district, located at about 13km from the heart of the hill station. Owing to the availability of water year round,
it houses an exotic range of flora and fauna thriving around it. If luck favors, one may spot a herd of Asiatic
Elephants here or a little ahead at a place called Echo Point. Mattupetty, is also perched at
an elevation of about 5000 feet and takes about an hour’s drive from Munnar to
reach the place, which is also well-known for its old Swiss type dairy farms.
The picturesque Mattupetty lake and dam, is an ideal picnic point where one can
enjoy the thrills of boating and other related adventure activities. We crossed the bridge across the dam and
headed towards the Echo Point, by this time it was getting late afternoon and
it had started drizzling and so after a brief visit, we headed back towards
Munnar town. On our way back, we visited
the Botanical Garden in Munnar and
had some delectable tea/coffee and some snacks at the restaurant run within the
precincts of the Botanical garden.
Thereafter, we made a pit stop at the Munnar market wherefrom we got our
dinner packed, because of the experience we had in the hotel the previous night
and then we headed back to the hotel, where we reached quite late in the
evening.
Entrance of Botanical Garden
Some flowers growing the the Botanical Garden in Munnar
Some orchids growing the the Botanical garden in Munnar
