Misty Munnar; A travelogue

Munnar is one of the famous hill stations in Kerala. This mystical place is a part of the Western Ghats
situated in Idukki district. The name Munnar means moonu aaru’(three rivers), where Madhurapuzha,
Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers flow together.

It was a weekend (Saturday, July 27th 2013) and I was sitting near the window enjoying the monsoon rain. I
always enjoyed driving long trips during rain. So I decided for a weekend trip. Hill stations are always beautiful during monsoon season. One of the best hill station in Kerala is Munnar. I
picked up my phone, called my best buddies and here we are all set for our next trip. Since it was a one day
trip, we decided Top Station as our final destination.

A one day trip to Munnar from Kochi

Sunday July 28th 2013 we started our journey from Ernakulam around 8:00 AM. Inspite of the heavy rains,
the roads were in good condition. When we were about to reach Thalakode, we could feel the climate
changing. The joy of high range drive started when we reached Neriamangalam. Climate changes every
other minute, sometimes it rains and then suddenly mist covers the whole route.

Almost after 1 ½ hours of ride we reached Valara water falls around 10:00 AM. It was a beautiful one and I
believe it was the monsoon that made her look prettier. We almost spend 10-15 minutes there. There was a
small restaurant nearby the falls. We had coffee, bought some bottles of water from there kept it in our
backpack and continued our journey.

Around 12’o clock we reached Munnar. Somewhere between Iruttukanam and Kallar Vattiyar, we had a
wonderful view of mist covering the forest. Usually you could get such surprise views from nature during
monsoon season. On the way to Top Station from Munnar there are lots of places to stop by. There are
viewpoints where you will get beautiful sight of tea estates on either sides. Mattupetty Dam is nearly 10km
drive from Munnar town. You can get a beautiful panoramic view of hills and clouds from top of the dam.
We reached there by 1:15 PM. Also there are boat rides available, which is really enjoyable.

The next spot was a scenic place called Echo Point (15km from Munnar) which got its name from the natural
echo phenomenon there. We reached there by 1:45 PM. Here the tourists will scream and shout aloud to
hear back their own voice. Pedal boat ride is also a good time pass here. You can find lots of shops around
here. We had a cup of coffee and some Chilli Bajji. We bought some home-made chocolates which is the
speciality of Munnar, and had it till our next spot.

Our next spot was Kundala Lake (25 kms from Munnar). We reached there by 3:00 PM. On the way there are many spots where you could get into tea plantations and get some photographs with the scenic beauty of
the nature. A small pine forest is situated near to this lake. Horse rides and pedal boats are available there.
You could get this pedal boat and can drive into the beautiful calm lake for long time. Since it was monsoon
season there was less number of tourists so no one will compel you to hurry.

Our next point was the final destination, Top Station (35 kms from Munnar) which is just 10 kms from
Kundala. We reached there by around 4:00 PM. Tourists have to walk nearly 600m to reach the View Point.

While we walk towards the View Point we could experience the hill become smaller and smaller. One could
see the plain land of Tamil Nadu while reaching the extreme end. View Point offers a panoramic view of the
majestic Western Ghats and the valley of Theni and Bodinaykanur. There were couple of shops available at
Top Station where you could get tea/coffee and snacks. Beautiful view of mountains touched by rain clouds
will always catch your eyes throughout this route.

We started our journey back by around 5:15 PM. On the way back, we had a really surprising view of a
family of elephants roaming over a valley eating grass. It is the first time that I am seeing something of that
sort. So we enjoyed it until the heard headed back to the forest. The night drive through forest was really
fantastic. We stopped in between to enjoy the forest in its full extend.

We reached back Ernakulam by 10:30 PM. We drove around 330 kms that day. Coming back to my room,
lying on my cosy bed I felt this was the best trip I had in a while, a trip that we could never forget.

Main attractions: Eravikulam National Park, Anamudi, Devikulam, Photo Point, Attukal Waterfalls,
Nyayamakad, Muniyara Dolmens, Pothemadu Point, Echo Point, Mattupetty Dam, Tea Estate. There are lot
of viewpoints on the route.

Season for visiting: Munnar experiences a moderate climate throughout the year. Best time to visit is
between September and May.

Accommodation: Various range of hotels, cottages, home stay are available

Accessibility: Kochi International Airport is located 105 km from Munnar. Ernakulam Junction at 130 kms is the closest railway station.

About the Author:

What are the attractions at Fort Kochi

We started off looking at our empty calendar for a Saturday. We surely didn't want to kill the day sitting idle looking at the greenery outside the balcony window. We finally got settled down for a day (half day) at Fort Kochi which became the single most favorite place for us in Kochi.

An area small enough to cover on foot or a bicycle, glimpses of Kochi's variegated history greet you at almost every turn in Fort Kochi. Fort Kochi (and Mattanchery) are connected to the modern Kochi (Cochin) via a complex system of ferries. You can also take the road route which goes over many bridges on your way.

More details on the history of the place can be found in Wiki.

Below are the attractions you don't want to miss

1) China fishing nets

You will not miss the China fishing nets installed over a long stretch of the water body. Its very much fun watching how he fishermen install the net and catch fish and sell in front of you live. These fishing nets are probably the most familiar element in any panoramic scenery of Kochi. They are suspended from arched poles and balanced by weights at multiple locations, requires 4-5 skilled operators to operate.

2) St Francis Church

3) Santa Cruz basilica

4) Koder House Restaurant

5) Fresh Sea Breeze along the Beach

Dhe Puttu @ Kochi for interesting varieties of Puttu

You hardly see a Keralites who don't love Puttu, the authentic Kerala breakfast known for ages. Puttu is authentically prepared by steam cooking rice or wheat powder in layers separated by shredded coconut. There are other special verities of puttu prepared with raagi, corn flour, oats etc also using various layer separators like meat, vegetables, fruits etc.

Puttu was recognized as one of the healthiest breakfasts in the world. As it is stream cooked can be used by any person, kids, fat watchers etc.

The place where you can easily find this authentic Kerala break fast all day is the Dhe Puttu restaurant near Edappally Junction. You can find interesting varieties of Puttu like Erachi puttu (Meat Puttu), Chocolate Puttu, Corn Puttu, Marble Puttu, Fish Puttu etc.

The restaurant is owned by famous Malayalam Actor Dileep and his friend Nadirsha (Actor). You can also see few dishes named after Dileep's Movies. Meesha Madhavan, Chandu Puttu, Maya Mohini are few amoung them.

Dhe Puttu will start at 11 AM in the morning and will be open till 11 PM

Marine Drive - Place to spend Evenings at Kochi

Marine Drive, a place equally interesting for all age groups which provides a panoramic view of the setting sun and cool breeze from the Vembanad Lake has made Marine Drive an important tourist destination in Kochi. The walkway at Marine drive is a man made popular hangout for the locales as well as visitors were no vehicles are allowed.

 

This is also famous for the posh verticals of 20+ floors mostly occupied by celebrities. There are shopping opportunities along the walk way and across the road were Broad way, Market Road and Convent Junctions provides plenty of shopping opportunity especially for the ladies among you.

The walkway starts from the High court Junction (which will be extended till Goshree Bridge soon) and continues till the Rajendra Maidan for about 2.5 km once completed. In between you can see 2 contemporary structured bridges, The Rainbow bridge and The Chinese Fishing Net bridge, GCDA Shopping complex, Many Apartment complexes and Children's Park.

There are plenty of Private and Govt operated Ferry Tours available along the Walk way which takes you around the Lake for half - one hour rounds. If you are planning to spend your evening at Marine drive take a ride around Sunset which will be the perfect choice. To make your ride happier and safer choose a bigger ferry f available as it provides a lively atmosphere with all the noise and fun at the same time a better balance over the water so that you can move around on the boat floor. Smaller boats restrict this once you get seated for better safety.

Enjoy the Skyline of Kochi from the Ferry, take a better glimpse at the Rainbow bridge and the Chinese fish net bridge and the wide angle view of tall apartment buildings lining the Marin Drive. You can also capture the Cargo container terminal, Willington Island, Bolgaty Island and Palace from the Ferry.

No doubt you will be returning home with a fresher and relaxed Mind.

Parking : Paid Parking Available at various points.
Kids Friendly : Yes
Senior Citizen Friendly : Yes plenty of seats to take rest when you are tired of walking.

Mainland China Restaurant in Dream Hotel Kochi

Mainland China restaurant in the Dream Hotel Kochi is the best place for an Exotic Chinese cuisine. The ambiance of the whole place was fantastic and the waiters gave best experiences explaining various dishes.

We surely wanted to try only some authentic Chinees dishes in order to evaluate the originality. We were very satisfied would surely try again in the future.

All the dishes were spicy so our daughter could not enjoy them much, so we ended up ordering  Potato fries for her.

Wok tossed Hakka Noodles - Fantastic
Fried rice - Average
Potato fries - Overpriced

Kovalam Open for Surfing - Spice Coast Open Competition, India's first Surfing Event

The God’s own country, Kerala is home to some of the best beaches in India. Kovalam beach in Kerala with golden sands and vast stretch of water is one of the best beaches in Kerala, Around May, Just before the onset of monsoons, is the best time of the year to hold surfing competition and other surfing related events. Hence, Surfing Federation of India will be holding it's first official surfing and SUP competition.

Jonty Rhodes our surfing ambassador will be attending Spice Coast Open.

• All participants are requested to bring their original ID documents (Passport, Ration Card, Voters ID) to the event to be verified by SFI officials.
• Holders of PIO or OCI cards are not eligible to participate under local categories and are limited to open categories only.
• Rs. 500 is the registration fee for each category participation for all surfers who are registering for Spice Coast Open. Under 16 category is excluded from paying the registration fee.
• SFI is providing food and free accommodation for Registered participants, starting from 2nd of May till 5th of May.
• Registration ends on 25th of April.
• All categories will require a minimum of 5 participants, otherwise that particular category will be cancelled.  

Venue Kovalam beach, Trivandrum,
Kerala, India
Phone: +919980845767, +919663141146

Schedule Friday, 3 May 2013 to Sunday, 5 May 2013

More details here http://www.surfingfederationofindia.org/india-surf-festival-2013

Kochi Muziris Biennale @ Fort Kochi

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art being held in Kochi, Kerala From 12/12/12 till 16/03/13. The exhibition will be set in spaces across Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands were Indian and international artists will exhibit artworks and site-specific installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and disused structures.