MUNNAR - A PARADISE

If Kerala is God's own country,

 
Munnar rightfully deserves to be called 

"The God's Capital".

Munnar

I was on a ten-day Kerala trip, for the first eight days I was exploring coastal Kerala like the Capital Trivandrum, Varkala, Poovar, Kovalam, and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. I still had two days left of my trip and at that time I was in Cochin. I had two options, I could go to Alleppey which is famous for its backwater beauty or I could go to Munnar which is famous for its natural beauty and tea plantation but my urge was more towards Munnar. Finally, I hired a taxi and started another unplanned trip to an unknown location.

I love unplanned trips, it gives different enjoyment and excitement. Do you guys like unplanned trips? let me know in the comment box below.

Munnar was around 125km from Cochin, there was a little communication gap between my driver and me but somehow we both managed. The road was beautifully surrounded by greenery on both sides the best part was that with the wide roads and very little traffic I could get a beautiful frame from every angle. I also saw so many small and big waterfalls on the way, the water coming out of the lush green hills was very pleasing. Every waterfall I saw on the way was majestic.

After a long drive of 3 hours, I reached Munnar and all I could see was greenery. Seeing the first glimpse of Munnar I came to know why it is called paradise. Before reaching the hotel my driver took me to a tea garden, there I saw beautiful Tea plantations natural, green, and appealing. Tea plantation in continuity was a treat to watch and the breeze keeps me awake all the time. Nature has given a nice extra beauty to this place. It was a fantastic place to get away from the daily chores.

Tea Garden

In the evening I went to explore the Munnar town, the weather in Munnar was cold and I did not have any warm clothes. I put on a couple of shirts and it did help. There was a famous Church in the center of the town, Mount Carmel Church. The Church was big and beautiful and was at a height, So I had to climb the stairs and the view from the top was just amazing. 

Kathakali

At 6 PM I attended the Kathakali Dance show at Thirumeny cultural center, It was just near the Munnar market just walking distance from the chai bazaar shop. The ticket price was 300 per person for a one hour show and it was worth it. The first part of the show was a description of Kathakali, they give a little introduction about the poses and signs which was important to understand the dance, I came to know about so many signs and poses of kathakali. The whole dance performance was storytelling with a Malayali commentary, but the performance was amazing. The facial expression of the dancer personifying the female character was top notch. After the show, I went to explore the local market which was full of tea and spice shops. I ate a delicious fish curry with rice and ended my first day with a cup of filter coffee.

Filter Coffee

Roads of Munnar

The next morning I woke up a little late and unfortunately could not see the sunrise. After breakfast, I went to the top station which is one of the best spots in Munnar, it was very near to the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The drive till the top station was scenic with lush green tea gardens, sharp hairpin bends, and gorgeous panorama. That 50 minutes mini drive was one of the most satisfying drives of my life. It was like a healing session to eyes.

The entry fee in the top station was around 20 per person and I had to trek a little bit to reach the famous viewpoint, the trek was risky but the place was worth taking risks. The place was angelic I experienced mist movements from bottom to top of the hill, it felt like I was floating in clouds. luckily, it was offseason and the place wasn't too crowded. I spent almost 40 minutes there.

Top Station

View Point

Top Station

After the top station, My driver took me to a place called the Echo point. I got a little perception of the place in my mind but when I reached there I was completely taken by surprise. Normally, echo points are on the edge of mountains but this was something unique. There's a lake between the lush green hills the echos can be heard from mountains across the lake. it was a treat to eyes and ears. Tall eucalyptus trees, serenity, and picturesque landscapes. I was literally shouting my heart out without caring anything, I experienced a different type of calmness there means, you shout your heart out, hear the echo after that ''utter silence'' that moment, that feeling I am trying to explain. Nature at it's best! I could spend hours sitting over there surrendering myself to nature but sadly, I have to return to Cochin. That place has lots of souvenir shops, fruit stalls, spices, tea, and local chocolates. The rates were reasonable I bought 4 packets of chocolate they were delicious. 

Echo point

Echo point

In the end, I want to add that Munnar is all about greenery and natural charm. The best way to enjoy this beauty is to drive around, there are many beautiful points every now and then along the roads and many spots where you can park your vehicle and soak in the beauty and calmness of nature. What makes Munnar more delightful is its pleasing weather. Munnar impressed me a lot, in 2 days I realized how important is to take a break from the daily rush. The feeling of being close to nature is unmatchable. I will go to Munnar again and this time for at least one week. Our hectic lives are too often centered around looking at a screen all the time and can become toxic to our physical and emotional wellness, so why not choose to spend some time with nature, Munnar is like a paradise and a perfect place for that.

A village of Munnar

Make a plan and if you want to ask anything feel free to contact me on Instagram, Facebook and you can also reach me via E-mail.

Enjoy your life!

Thank you!