From highlands to coastline in 8 days: My family trip to Kerala (Part 12)

After Bhutan next on list for our family trip was spice coast of India-Kerala and in Nov 2019 we finally together got the time off. We wanted to cover the whole of this amazing state and Kanyakumari, so we worked on the itinerary accordingly. Because it was a family trip and we wanted a hassle free tour we booked a cab for the whole trip with our pick-up from Thrissur and drop at Thiruvananthapuram also, we pre-booked all our stays and that's pretty much what went into the planning. Now because this was a long 8 day trip I am gonna split it in 2, 4 day blogs so that the blogs are not blowing out of proportion. This part covers our journey from Thrissur to Munnar, hope you enjoy it :)

Day 1

Thrissur

Our first stop was this religious city Thrissur with marvelous temples, old enough to be considered as historic monuments. Vadakkunnathan Temple, Our Lady of Dolours Basilica Church and Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple are the ones that we visited. It took us a whole day for Guruvayur as it is approximately 30 kms from Thrissur and being one the most popular temples, there was a huge crowd (although tackled skillfully and in order), also we were lucky enough to catch the evening aarti and preparation that goes into it.

Next day was an early morning visit to Vadakkunnathan temple which was at a walking distance from our stay and then we straight away went to attend a Sunday mass at Our Lady of Dolours Basilica Church. I am not much of a religious person and so I was not very keen on covering this city but these places are beyond that, the experience of a different culture and beliefs and the built is what you can look upto, so don't just strike off these places they are totally worth a visit. A little heads up on the attire for temple visit, they do not allow women in western wear and men are supposed to be in dhotis and bare chested to enter the temple.

Hotel Pooram International

Accommodation: Our only concern for our stay here was the location and distance from Vadakkunnathan temple and so we came across Pooram which is just 300-400 meter away, was decently priced and amenities were pretty good too.

Day 2

Kochi

In around 2 hours after leaving Thrissur we were in Kochi and instantly left for a city tour. Kerala folklore museum, Saint Francis Church, Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue and Chinese fishing nets are places that we covered. Fort Kochi has to be the most interesting place of the whole trip, mostly because we see Portugese and Jew architecture and culture around. Also, the food and cuisines available at fort Kochi is surprising and you should try out the amazing restaurants here, the ones that we went to are mentioned below, though they are a bit expensive but if you have the budget you should check it out.

Fort House Hotel

The Asian Kitchen by Tokyo Bay

Keys Select Kochi - By Lemon Tree Hotels

Accommodation: Our stay was near Kerala Folklore Museum, the room and services provided were top notch and the place was squeaky clean.

Day 3

Munnar

Next day we started for the misty hill station of Munnar on our way there we stopped for waterfalls and a spice garden, the drive was an amazing transformation from typical coastal flora and fauna to vast tea gardens and a more chilly environment.

In approximately 4-5 hours with short brakes we finally reached Munnar and because it was an exhaustive journey we just agreed on spending our evening at Echo Point and strolling around our resort and the town that surrounds.

Day 4

Munnar

Following day we had the Tea Museum tour and some sightseeing to do. Munnar as I experienced is very close to Ooty, the view points are pretty for sure and also you'll see some wildlife just casually crossing roads around, which is a rare and stunning sight. Apart from this in 2 days we did not cover much because I feel hill stations are more for us to sit back and relax and enjoy the weather and that's exactly what we did!