Kerala – Now I know why they call is Gods own Country

 Having been 500 kms from Kerala and done quite a few quick work trips to Kerala I had never explored Kerala in all its fullest until this trip where I made a dedicated week off to visit both – the hills and coast of Kerala. And so this journey took me through the hills of Munnar and Idukki district down to the coast of Aleppey and Kovalam down south ! Here is a recount of the  trip …

Munnar

The closest airport to Munnar is Kochi international airport about 135 kms away. The Journey by road is around 4-5 hours from Kochi airport. It’s a Good road and very scenic for the most part. The climb to munnar begins almost 2 hours before you actually hit the town and the views are interesting in how you start seeing Coconut ; areca and banana plantations which lead to spice and fruit gardens and eventually give way to the tea gardens at higher altitudes. There are also Couple of beautiful waterfalls en route on the climb. Munnar district is just Endless hills and valleys dotted with tea plantations across the mountain sides. Much of it are private estates operated by TATA group under various labels and brand names.

Things to do at Munnar – stop on the roadside at a scenic spot and take some clicks enjoy fresh air and the pure oxygen. Lot of the time its very cloudy and foggy especially in the mornings and evenings. Take a walk / trek into the hill slopes and tea gardens. Many are private estates though and may not allow you to enter or might be fenced.

Places to visit – spice gardens – there are several but be careful of what you buy as prices can be steep and authenticity needs to be checked ; chocolate factory – theres one on the climb to Munnar called Montana Chocolate; tea museum TATA / Ripples ; mutapaddy lake and boating – boating is closed on Mondays after 5 pm so plan accordingly.  The town has quite a few shops to buy souvenirs and at probably better rates. However most of the scenic hotels are located outside the main town and in the hillsides. So its typically a 20-30 mins drive to the town center. Some good eateries are also present in the town. Montana hotel serves good food – both local and Indian cuisine. Here in the town you can Buy things indigenous to this area such as tea ; chocolate ; fruits ; jams etc

An absolute must visit is Eravikulam national park – do take the bus safari right to the top. The Last 2 kms is trekking and a climb of around 150 mtrs. by foot on a scenic route on the hillside. Spot the nilgiri tahr if you are lucky and 2-3 rare birds indigenous to this area. At 2000 mtrs ASL Views of the Anaimudi peak – the highest peak in south india and valleys below are incredible on a clear day.

In general the climate is chilly all through the day and moreso at evening / night so carry warm clothes.

We stayed at the Amber Dale luxury resort. Rated a 4-5 star property; the hospitality is incredible; the location is absolutely fantastic perched on a cliff edge overlooking the Munnar Valley and Pallivasal tea estates. Good well decked rooms ; food is reasonable and decent etc.

 

Aleppey boat house

Our next stop was to the coastal town of Aleppey famous for its houseboats, The Aleppey boat house is a unique experience to be cherished in Kerala. Go back in time as you sail down the backwaters of aleppey and touch the Vembanad Lake. Get a feel of village life as sleepy hamlets dot the banks of the backwater canals and ferries are still transporting people from these little islets in the mangroves to the mainland. There are several houseboat companies and basically the comfort and amenities would depend on the money you pay. But they offer a standard route and sights. However onboard cuisine ; room size and amenities ; could differ slightly. We used JCT houseboats and it was pretty good. I would recommend them. Try a speedboat ride ; buy fresh fish from the banks and the boat guys will cook it for you.  Aleppey town is famous for eatables like banana chips ; toddy ; and other sweet meats from this area.

Marari Beach

Aleppey is particular doesn’t have much to see or do other than a beach which is quite clean but can also be crowded. If you opt to stay in Marari there are resorts with sea facing locations and have their own beach which is obviously much more pristine and isolated. The marari coastline is beautiful and waters are quite nice for a dip. We stayed at the CGH Earth Marari beach resort and comes definitely recommended for its amazing location by the sea side and the property itself is very beautiful and lavish.

Poovar and Kovalam

Kovalam and Marari are clearly amongst the most beautiful beaches in Kerala. I’ve also heard of Varkala and Bekaal up north but having visited these two can vouch for it. Swimming conditions can vary depending on the tide and season but the coastline itself is very beautiful with spacious sandy beach space. Many resorts line up on the beach front opening out to the beach front and are obviously pricier. We stayed at the Taj green Cove resort and it offered the best of two worlds – perched on a hill side spectacular views of the sea and also a sea front lawns area for simply gazing into the open ocean and the fishing boats taking off into the sea and of course the not to miss sunset. The infinity pool is another amazing thing about this place. Other hotels such as Leela also offer similar views.

Close to Kovalam and at a 30-40 mins drive is the stop of Poovar backwaters. Certainly recommended, as it’s a unique experience to wade through the backwater canals in a slow motor boat. While the Govt approved rate are pricey, there is little or no room to negotiate. Take the 1.5 hrs package and they could throw a total of couple of hours in the backwaters. More than the so called “Sights” to see , I just enjoyed wading down the peaceful backwaters lined with coconut palms ; mangroves and varieties of birds some local and many migratory species we were told. There is a stop on a sand bank called Golden Beach which is simply spectacular as it has the backwater canal on one side and the ocean on the other. Standing on the middle feels like being on a paradisiac and somewhat unearthly place.  However unfortunately the beach itself was quite dirty with glass and plastic littered and no one has cleaned it up in forever and so also sometimes thrash can be seen floating in the canals. Its sad – what is a absolutely marvel of nature spoilt by humans yet again as part of irresponsible tourism.

All in all Kerala has a bit of everything for everyone – be it mountains and cool climates to the beaches and tropical climate. Not to forget the pilgrimage sites which are world famous though I did not do any on this particular trip. The food is simply incredible. Hotels we ate at and I can vouch for are the Hotel Montana (Munnar), Taste of Kerala for local cuisine (Kovalam) and some others.

It is nature that has put Kerala on the world map tourism, but it is man who will destroy it yet again if immediate actions aren’t taken to keep the place clean, litter free and pollution free.