Munnar | Tekkaddy | Kumarakom | Cochin
Kerela – Land of Gods or God’s own country, as it is so rightly said. It’s a paradise on planet Earth, similar to Kashmir in the North. The only missing thing in Kerela is snow; otherwise, it is as beautiful as Kashmir. It is a Heaven on planet Earth.
We (me & my husband) went to Kerela during Monsoon season, which is considered as not so good season to go. But I feel one should travel during off seasons. And trust me, you do not lose a single thing in terms of sightseeing, facilities, or any other service. The weather was pleasant, just perfect to enjoy.
There are lots of advantages if you travel during the non-peak season.
One of the major advantages is that you do not get a lot of crowds, which results in no long queues, no traffic jams, and a lot of personal attention. Second, you can negotiate better. Third, you can enjoy, relax, and take your own sweet time for sightseeing. And last but not least, you can capture your experience and journey absolutely hassle-free, So you don’t have to take pictures/clicks quickly, as there will be no/fewer people waiting/staring at you to get away so that they can have their picture clicked.
Coming back to our Kerela tour, we went in August 2013. And we enjoyed every bit of it. It is advisable to book your flights & land packages separately. Your land package should include a hotel stay, travel/sightseeing & food (breakfast & dinner). Lunch is something which you can do at a sightseeing place you are in the afternoon.
After extensive research, we booked the KTDC land package & it was the best decision taken. There are no better locations than KTDC hotels + the service is A Class. Earlier, we were a little skeptical about the state-owned hotel, but there is no doubt about the location & service provided by them. Although the food is of average quality in terms of taste, other than this there is no negative point. The view from any KTDC Hotel is unbeatable.
Our Land package included all Hotels (4 places), Breakfast, Dinner, & a private Car for 5 days. And the package cost was very economical, approx 36K.
Just a caution: Kerela is a costly city at first, and there is an entry ticket to every tourist spot (which I felt was a little high for a few places).
It takes approximately 4 hours to travel from one place to another by road.
We ensured that this trip of ours is a blend of relaxation & sightseeing. So, a Holiday is not required after a holiday/vacation trip before resuming office.
The Journey,
Places Travelled – Munnar (Hill Station), Tekkaddy/Periyar (National Park), Kumarakom (Backwaters) & the capital city Cochin. It was a 6N, 5D tour.
Day 1: Munnar
We started from Delhi on 15th Aug’2013, catching the morning flight & reaching Cochin. From Cochin, we had our Car waiting for us to take us to Munnar. The whole journey to Munnar was awesome. There were a couple of waterfalls on the way, where we stopped to take some pictures. Post Lunch, we reached the hotel by late afternoon & enjoyed the rest of the evening only to rest at the hotel.
Day 2: Munnar
Early morning, we got ready for some more camera clicks, as our hotel was at the best picturesque location possible.
Once we had all our pictures clicked at the hotel, we went sightseeing in Munnar. We went to Rose Garden, & 3-4 spots around Mattupati Dam.
There is one spot around the Dam where we just walked down & reached the river/beach (whatever you would like to call it). That experience was good; not everyone was going down as it was a little steep to walk, like you see in movies, and it is said that you can get encountered by wild elephants. But to our luck, we didn’t see even the E of Elephant.
Then we went to Elephant Park. Here, you are allowed to bathe/feed the elephant, but you need to book in advance. Otherwise, what you get is only a 20-minute ride on the elephant. Well, we were not that much keen to take just a ride. So we moved on to our next destination – to see the species available only in Kerela, in entire Asia. There, your own car is allowed to go at a certain point. From there, one needs to take govt. owned minibus. It drops you at a fixed point, and from there, you need to walk on the road.
Walking in such great weather was enjoyable. In fact, I liked the idea of no vehicle allowed, not even cycling. It is up to you how much you want to walk. You can return from the middle. There is no set endpoint. The walk is similar to Vaishno Devi if one has traveled there.
Here, nature’s beauty is at its best. It is a paradise for Nature lovers. We were lucky to see a rare species, “Wild Goat,” from very nearby. After walking for a couple of hours, we thought of returning, as we could see he had come a long way & there was nobody near us. And the fact that we had to walk the entire path we traveled to reach the point where that bus dropped us.
After lunch, we went to see the traditional Kathakali dance. It was nice, something different, Indian culture to see.
In the evening, we returned to our hotel to relax. The view from the hotel was valley at both sides.
Day 3: Tekkaddy/Periyar
After breakfast, we started for Tekkaddy/Periyar in our Car. The road trip between these destinations was spectacular. The entire journey had tea gardens on both sides of the roads. We were reminded of the song “Kashmir tu mein Kanyakumari…..of Chennai express”, which must have been shot on this stretch road.
On the way we stopped to see Spice Garden, Tea Plantation, to see how tea is made.
We stopped at the tea gardens alongside the road only to take pictures. Tea plantations were one of the best things done by the British when they ruled our country.
There were a few more WOW stopovers in between (no specifics); we just felt that we were not in India. We have so much beauty in our own country & we admire foreign land. It is just that we need to explore them.
After reaching Tekkady, we went to our Hotel. Well, we were asked to reach the hotel before 5 PM, as it was inside the forest, a national park. And the hotel was awesome. Every facility was available, from leisure activities like playing table tennis and badminton to the swimming pool, garden, spa…etc.
The hotel surroundings were like, you walk a bit & there is a lake, where outsiders come for a Boat safari.
That day we took the world-famous “Shirodhara” to our hotel, and our whole body got so relaxed afterward. For those who do not know what “Shirodhara’ is – it is like a Spa, where oil is dropped at the center of your forehead to relax from a small container put above you. It is an Ayurvedic treatment for complete relaxation, stress-busting…etc.
Day 4: Periyar
We went to the National Park in Jeep Safari. The Jeep Safari package included – breakfast, Jeep Safari, Trekking in Dense Forest, Boating, and Lunch.
Although we did not see any animals, it was quite an experience in an open jeep.
The highlight of the day was the trekking. It was a 2 hr trekking & it was literally a jungle/forest trekking. We were accompanied by another couple & a guide. So, in all, we were 5 people trekking.
We were given long socks to avoid “glitch” biting. Litch – is a long stick-like thing which will stick to your body & will suck blood if not removed.
What a trekking that was – I actually thought that it would be like – there will be a defined path where we will have to walk. But to my surprise, it was something else. It was a real trek, for sure.
I felt similar to what we see in English Movies. 4 people (2 girls & 2 boys) walking in a forest of Kerela, searching their way to the road. Pushing branches away to make their way. And, if you slip, you are just gone in the valley below.
But do not worry, it is safe. And if you are a family with kids, then I don’t think the same path is used to trek. Then it is more friendly & walkable.
We were a group of 4 young pax, and that’s the reason that path was used for our trek. We couldn’t see any other group on our trek path.
After finishing Boating & lunch, we proceeded to our next destination in Kerela was- Kumarakom. We reached our hotel in the evening & relaxed afterward.
The KTDC Hotel of Kumarakom was inside the Bird Sanctuary, The Best location possible.
The room was on a Canal & from the Balcony, the view was the lake. It was an unbeatable location. The area was huge to rome around, one could actually do nothing & relax and enjoy the lake side, walk around the hotel.
Day 5: Kumarakom
Early morning, after breakfast, we went to Bird Sanctuary. It was again against our perception of a Bird Sanctuary. Generally, there is a road on which you have to walk or take a Cycle ride (if you would have seen Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.. etc.). It was like a small forest where one needs to walk. Yes, there was a defined path made of concrete (similar to a jogging track), but it was a different experience from a regular/typical Bird Sanctuary.
Next, we went on a Motor Boat ride for an hour of Backwaters, for which Kumarakom is very famous. That day, I got to know what backwaters actually mean. There are races happening at the Onam festival.
Suggest taking a Backwater ride by Motor Boat instead of a Speed Boat. For a simple reason, you will enjoy a motorboat more as it is slower and more economical compared to a speedboat.
Later, we proceeded to our final destination, Cochin. Before checking into yet another beautiful hotel, we completed our Cochin sightseeing. Went to the Museum (where Portuguese, Kerela-style items were displayed). Suggest, if you really like Museums & are into history, then must visit, otherwise, could be avoided. Followed by Jew Synagogue, Jew Town, Dutch Palace, St Franchis Chruch, and Fishermen’s’ Bay. They are all nearby.
On the way to hotel, had some shopping in between of famous fresh tempting Banana Chips, Banana fry….and there are other snacks which could be purchased. In the evening, we reached the Hotel, KTDC’s – Bolgatty Palace, the only Hotel which is enclosed by Sea on three sides & has an 18-hole Golf Course. Now, one can imagine how big the hotel is. It was a British palace earlier. It also had all the amenities like a swimming pool, other recreational activities, a spa, play..etc.
After check-in, we just rested inside the hotel. One thing to point, the hotel has two types of rooms one in the proper building & another rooms near the sea. Suggest taking rooms in the hotel. They are much better than rooms near the sea.
Day 6: Cochin
After Breakfast, we just went around the hotel to take pictures, followed by playing some Table Tennis for a couple of hours. Post that, we checked out of our Hotel only to return back home to Delhi.
This was one of the best trips I’ve had; it was an exceptional one. I’m not sure if the same could be experienced when I travel there again.
Wish to travel to Kerela, to experience other places like Kovalam, Alleppy…….
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