Our much awaited 3-day weekend trip to Munnar began on a bright and sunny Friday morning (7am) in early March from our home in Cochin. Each of us in the hired Qualis – my wife and kids, brother and wife and our mom – were equally charged as we wanted a change from our hectic daily schedule and the fast city life. The latter 2 ½ hours of the 4-hr drive is through high ranges, with many hair pin bends and a heavy stomach could  cause discomfort on such a terrain. We sped forward across the winding roads, still very much on the plains, past the small towns of Kolenchery, Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam until our vehicle suddenly came to a halt near a small tea and snacks shop at Neriyamangalam. From here, it was a climb up all the way to Munnar. It was then that we all looked out of the windows and saw the towering mountains beyond. We had indeed reached the gateway to the highranges!

            As we climbed up the narrow ghat road, well maintained at this time of the year we realized the dense forests on either side – upslope on one side and steep downslope on the other – accounted for the sudden darkness, at half past ten in the morn. It was a real treat to our eyes to behold the evergreen forest of the Western Ghats on either side, with the chirping of birds and the humming of the crickets. This was really the feel of the jungle.  Our friendly driver informed us that there were two wayside waterfalls – at Vallara and at Cheeyappara – enroute Munnar. But at this time of the year, there would not be a drop of water in them. Both the spots, a couple of kms away from each other, were deserted. We proceeded further and past the bustling trade-town of Adimali. We stopped at a gushing waterfall on the roadside after Adimali, climbed the few steps down to reach the bubbling falls and sat for a few minutes with our feet in the chilling waters! The face wash at the water stream here was really rejuvenating. A further drive up the winding road, and we suddenly began sensing the rising altitude. We were crossing the limits of bearable human altitudes; so far we had not felt any palpable change, and now our ascend was more steep and we were fast approaching Munnar, who beckoned to us from her place atop the Ghats. Sprawling tea plantations began coming into view on the mountain slopes. We suddenly spotted our reserved resort nestling on the mountain -slope on the opposite side, amidst thick foliage. This was a couple of kms before reaching Munnar town. The narrow winding road took us through tea plantations and we finally reached our hotel, and promptly checked into our rooms, with balconies facing the road across the jungle, through which we had just traveled.

            After a thali lunch at a small North Indian restaurant in Munnar town, we set off on the winding road to Top station, the highest view point around Munnar. We passed the Mattupetty dam and the Echo point, and decided to halt at both these places on our way back As we neared the Top Station, we saw the road sign indicating the entry into Tamil Nadu. Our driver promptly informed us that the Top station was NOT a part of Kerala, and it belonged to Tamil Nadu! We parked our vehicle at the barricade around which a small cluster of tea shops were open. We walked down a narrow mud path, which led to the entrance point of the view point and paying the entry fee of fifteen rupees per person, we were allowed to pass beyond the entry barricade. From here, the flight of steps dropped almost vertically down to a square clearing, which seemed to be hanging in open air, without any support. This was THE view point. Our hearts skipped a beat as we reached the clearing and looked down from this area. It was a sheer drop down, we were face to face with the vast expanse of the Western Ghats. After savoring the beauty of nature at her best!  We trekked back to the vehicle, had fresh omelets sprinkled with pepper and hot steaming masala tea from the tea shop. Nearby, local ladies were squatting on the road-side with baskets full of locally grown fruits and vegetables and we managed to bargain and buy fresh from the soil tender carrots, passion fruits and wild tomatoes – all juicy and tasty.

We stopped at echo point on the way back – the weather had started turning chilly; it was 5pm – and went to the lake side and shouted at top voices, to hear our voices come back to us twice or thrice – from the forests across the lake. Elephants roamed here freely after sunset, the shopkeepers informed us, as they were packing their wares. We proceeded further to stop at Mattupetty dam. Boating had closed (the last boats are available at 5pm) and we took the horse ride instead, and had a good trot in the forest around the dam. We returned to have a sumptuous buffet dinner at our hotel and then for a sound sleep. 

The next morning we again took the morning view of Munnar from our balcony, as we sipped the freshly brewed coffee. The mountain across was covered with mist halfway, and vehicles, which appeared like toys were snaking their way through the narrow road. After breakfast, we set off by around 9 am to explore the wilder part of Munnar – the Chinnar wild life sanctuary, 40 km away, on the Munnar-Udumalpettai road. The air still had the chill of the night, and we still had to have our warm clothes on. Our entire journey was through winding roads across the sprawling tea plantations of Kannan Devan. Workers had begun their plucking jobs as was seen when we passed the plantations. Fir and orange trees, ripe with bright orange fruits dotted the boundaries of these plantations. We stopped near a fruit laden tree very close to the road, and with the permission of the lone security guard plucked a handful of oranges, which were juicy but soar, as we realized soon. We passed a small town called Marayur, the abode of one of the very few natural sandal wood forests in the world. The forest had suddenly ceased to show any other tree, but sandal. We proceeded further down the winding road and after 5 kms, saw the board welcoming us into the Chinnar wild life sanctuary. Unlike many other sanctuaries in the country all the animal sighting had to be done by trekking by foot into dense forests. A small one room office of the tourism department  within the sanctuary, e gives all details of the rates, time and routes for the trekking into forests. We opted for a 2 hour trek into the forest to see the ancient dolmens and cave paintings in the dense forests. Our guide (each trekking group gets a guide from this office)led us into the forest which was sparse at first, but began getting denser at every step. It was a climb up and we soon reached the dolmens (rocks of various sized arranged unusually) of ancient sages. These were supposed to be the sacred burial grounds of the hermits who meditated centuries ago in these forests. We climbed further and the guide showed us the dried droppings of some wild animals (cheetah and the elephants) indicating their presence there. (The best time to spot wild animals was just before dusk or soon after dawn). We climbed down a huge boulder and saw faint drawings which we made out as some animal and a human figure. He explained these paintings were probably made by early men who inhabited the forest caves The view down the valley from this point was breathtaking. Trekking back, we drove to Marayur for lunch taking in the breath-taking beauty of the Thuvanam waterfalls, cascading from the dense foliage atop the mountain across the road, into the depths of the jungles below. We then took a deviation from the town onto a side road, where the sign board showed – Kanthallur: 15kms. Kanthallur was a small village, nestling atop one of the mountains of the Munnar range, famous for its fruit and vegetable plantations. Our hearts leapt as we really reached the top of the winding road up the mountain, and the atmosphere suddenly became damp and dark, and we realized we were actually moving through the clouds at half past three in the afternoon!!! A local guide stopped us at the main junction of the town and offered his services to show around the plantations. We took him along, and stopped by the side of a private fruit farm. The farm was mist covered, and we gaped in wonder at the small plums, peaches and apples  which were dangling on their branches! And juicy straw berries lying close to the soil, all red in color! Passion fruits ripening on their creepers! Our guide informed us that the time after the monsoons  was the usual harvest time for most fruits, and we could buy them real cheap at the local markets here then. Munching a few ripe strawberries offered to us by the plantation worker, we set out to the vegetable gardens. We came to a vast patch of land separated at different levels, a different crop grown at each level. Cabbages, spring onions, garlic, cauliflowers, beans – and what not! We bought a few cabbages for a meager price, bade goodbye to the guide and proceeded back to Munnar. It was half past five and exactly two hours later, we found ourselves having a delicious south Indian dinner at Hotel Saravana Bhavan in Munnar town.

On the final day of our trip which came a bit too fast, we took a early morning trek on the path going up from our hotel into the cardamom and tea plantations. It was exciting to see the cardamom plants with their stalks containing the thick and small pods of the aromatic cardamom. After breakfast, we visited the Kannan Devan Hill Tea factory where the guide showed us the entire machinery involved in the making of the different varieties of one of the most consumed beverages in the world. We bought a few packs of local cardamom and pepper and flavored tea from the authorized sale outlet of the factory. Back to the hotel we realized it was time to leave, to get back to the routine of the city life. We left Munnar with heavy hearts, but the memories she presented us on our 3 days of stay here would linger in our hearts for many years to come.

How to get there: Munnar is well connected by road to all major towns and cities of Kerala. It is around 130 km from Cochin, located on the Cochin – Madurai National Highway (NH 5). From Ernakulam junction (those reaching Kerala by rail) and from the  Cochin International airport, private taxis or buses are readily available. 

When to visit: . Journey during the monsoon season(June – September) may be avoided. The night temperatures in January often drop down to near freezing point. The famous Rajamalai in Munnar, which houses the Eravikulam National park, is home to the highly endangered mountain goat – Nilgiri Tahr is closed for visitors between January and March, as it is the breeding season for the animals. The famous ‘Neelakurinji’ flower which is supposed to bloom only once every twelve years also grows on the mountain slopes of Rajamalai. March – May would be thus the ideal time to visit, but may be a little overcrowded.

Where to eat and stay: In Munnar, the small 2-room restaurant “Saravana Bhavan” serves hot and tasty South Indian veg.food on plantain leaves. “Food court” would appease the taste of ‘fast food’ lovers. The buffet spread for breakfast and dinner at “Abad” is worth every pie spent. Don’t forget to try out the hot masala flavoured tea from the wayside tea shacks. Advance reservations for the stay are a must at Munnar, most of them which can be made via internet. Accommodation of all ranges are readily available. Most travel operators now offer Munnar tour packages, which include stay, food and sight-seeing.