"God's own country.
Or a heaven on earth.
Place full of mountains, greenery and streams,
Oh Kerala! God created you with utmost care."
- REKHA MENON
We took our flight on the next morning and we reached Kochi at 8:30 AM. We were received by the cab driver from the travel company. He took us to our first destination i.e. Athirappilly Waterfalls. We had a real time experience of Bahubali water falls at its best. The trek-up towards the falls is steep and arduous. Both the top and the bottom of the falls are accessible. The best time to behold this miracle would be monsoon and winter. During monsoon you can see the waterfall in full glory.
Then we reached Munnar, the Kashmir of South India at 08:00 PM. On day 2, we visited Rajamalai (Eravikulam) National Park. It is a beautiful National Park near Munnar. You are allowed up to a point from where only National Park buses take you for 3 km ride. From there one has to walk about 1 km up to the mountain. The walk through the winding roads with clouds kissing your head is just beyond words. Surely this park is the best spot to visit in Munnar. I took some of my memorable shots there.
We also visited some other spots in Munnar e.g. Echo Point, Shooting Point, Mattupetty Dam, Tea Factory and Munnar Market in the evening.
We stayed for two nights in Munnar. On the next morning, we started moving towards Thekkady. On the way to Thekkady, we visited Lockhart Tea Museum, Munnar. It is a tea factory located about 5 km away from the Munnar Town. You can also visit the museum which has antique stuff from the British Period. It also has an outlet where you can buy white tea, black tea and green tea. There is a porch area in the property with a beautiful view of the Munnar hills. You can enjoy the view with a cup of tea here.
We reached Thekkady at 5 in the evening. We went to see the shows of Kadathanadan Kalari Martial Arts and Navarasa Kathakali. The Kalari Martial Arts is one of the oldest martial arts of India. The performance was thrilling, spell binding and beautifully executed. The Kathakali show represents the culture and tradition of India. The expressions of the artists in Kathakali were truly remarkable.
Next day, we visited the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve, Thekkady. In the morning, we went for the boat ride in Periyar lake. It is a nice calm and serene lake amidst the woods. The ferries take you far enough through the lake. Boating in Periyar lake was definitely a unique experience for all of us.
Then we went for the Pugmark trail inside the Periyar Wildlife Reserve. The Pugmark trail is a self-guided, 2 km walk through the dense forest. This trail is very easy for the young and the children alike. You can spot many animals grazing in the forest at a very close distance.
After the tracking, it was time for the elephant ride in the afternoon.. The elephants are well trained for ride and photo shoot as well. Never miss this fun while visiting Kerala.
In the evening, we enjoyed another theater show of tribal dance at Vanashree auditorium, Thekkady. Interestingly, we were the only audience and it turned out to be a private performance for us. The dancers did their best in spite of having only four people in the audience. The performance was great. The dance program depicts their various rituals like rice harvesting,marriage, function etc. We also visited the market in the evening and enjoyed the banana chips and home made chocolates of the city.
Next morning, we headed towards Allepey. We spent a full day on the houseboat for a trip on the backwaters and It was really an incredible experience. The water all around gives you a completely different view. You can watch temples, market, rice fields and people using the backwaters for washing clothes, dishes and even for themselves. It is one of the best ways to see real Kerala Rural life while being in the comfort of the houseboat.
After checking out of the houseboat, we went to the Alleppey town. We visited Revi Karunakaran Museum. This is a private museum with lots of precious stones, paintings and wooden stuff. There are different types of Rubys, Emeralds, Jade, Sworaski crystals, ancient wooden furniture, intricate ivory and porcelain items.
In the evening, we went to the Alleppey Beach. The beach is well known for its white and clean sand. Definitely, it is a wonderful place to spend an evening with your loved ones.
We spent relaxing ourselves on the last day of our Kerala tour at Marari Beach. This beach is one of the most beautiful and clean beaches in India and is less frequented by Indians. We saw many foreigners there. This is an unexplored and virgin beach whose beauty gets enhanced with the shades of the coconut and palm trees lined up all around. You will not see the place crowded at all which makes it easier for you to listen and feel the sound of wind and water. For us, visiting Marari Beach was the best experience of the whole Kerala tour.
As Jane Austen wrote, ‘To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment,’ and Kerala is one such destination that not only rejuvenates you but also cleanses your body, mind and soul. The fond memories of this visit will keep us afresh forever.
' fill='%23359391'%3e %3cpath d='M46.1538462%2c43.5714286 L41.5%2c50 L36.8461538%2c43.5714286 L36.8670256%2c43.5714286 C36.3173077%2c42.7142857 36%2c41.6851429 36%2c40.5714286 C36%2c37.4854286 38.4535641%2c35 41.5%2c35 C44.5464359%2c35 47%2c37.4854286 47%2c40.5714286 C47%2c41.6851429 46.6826923%2c42.7142857 46.1329744%2c43.5714286 L46.1538462%2c43.5714286 Z M41.4294872%2c39 C40.6150641%2c39 39.9487179%2c39.675 39.9487179%2c40.5 C39.9487179%2c41.325 40.6150641%2c42 41.4294872%2c42 C42.2439103%2c42 42.9102564%2c41.325 42.9102564%2c40.5 C42.9102564%2c39.675 42.2439103%2c39 41.4294872%2c39 L41.4294872%2c39 Z' id='Location-white'%3e%3c/path%3e %3c/g%3e %3c/svg%3e)
