Saturday 23 January 2016

Athirapally Waterfall, Kerala

DAY 10: ATHIRAPALLY WATERFALL & BACK TO MUMBAI

Today was the last day of our vacation and also our last day in Kerala. We started early as we had to see Athirapally Waterfall before we catch our flight (back to Mumbai) from Kochi.

And once again we were all in our car, enjoying the lush greenery of Kerala. There were times when we could feel that we were almost floating through the clouds. The feeling was very soothing.


Idukki Lake
Idukki Lake

Idukki Dam
Idukki Dam
Half way to Athirapally we found ourselves in the midst of a dense rubber plantation. Both sides of the road were full of rubber plants with a half cut coconut shell fixed at the middle of the tree for collecting rubber. The drive to Athirapally passes through winding roads, small villages and lush greenery. It is situated in the midst of a thick forest, therefore one should avoid driving here at night.

You can enjoy the waterfall from the top as well from the bottom. A paved path leads you to the top of the waterfall whereas a steep narrow path leads you to the bottom of the waterfall. Generally there are a lot of monkeys along both paths and one should be especially careful of their mobile phones, camera & video recorders. As far as possible avoid carrying water bottles or eatables in your hand. Take a break, consume your food  & water and then start again.


First View of Athirapally Waterfall
First View of Athirapally Waterfall

Athirapally Waterfall - Top View
Athirapally Waterfall - Top View

Athirapally Waterfall - Bottom View
Athirapally Waterfall - Bottom View

Athirapally Waterfall
Athirapally Waterfall
The waterfall is a panoramic, charming and gigantic. There are lot of spots for taking selfies or snaps of the waterfall. Though a little off season the waterfall was still thundering down with tremendous force.

We didn’t spend too much time at the waterfall as we had a flight to catch. We then headed to Kochi Airport from where we took a flight back to Mumbai. Kochi Airport is nearer to Athirapally than Kochi City.

In this vacation we covered everything – Backwaters of Alleppey, Beaches of Lakshadweep, Hills of Munnar, Tiger Reserve of Periyar and Waterfall at Athirapally. What else is there that a person can ask for……. Except where is our next vacation gonna be ;)

Points to remember:
  • You can combine Vazachall falls and Charpa Falls with your visit to Athirapally Waterfalls. These two waterfalls are in close vicinity.
  • Expense Details of the day:

Expense Particulars
Amount for 4 people
Amount per head
Breakfast enroute Athirapally
                                    235
                               59
Lunch at Airport
                                    400
                             100
TOTAL
                                    635
                             159


Friday 22 January 2016

Periyar & Thekaddy

DAY 9: PERIYAR & THEKADDY

Munnar was wonderful, the weather was perfect, and the tea gardens were mesmerizing. Though because of the strike we were unable to see most of the tourist points, but even with our limited viewing, the sheer beauty for which Munnar is so famous for, was hard to miss. Munnar had made a place in our heart and we all knew that in few years we are definitely coming back to enjoy the simplicity, nature’s beauty and the blissfulness.

Sunrise at Munnar
Sunrise at Munnar
To continue our trip, we left from Munnar early morning and drove towards Thekkady which is famous for Periyar tiger reserve and cardamom plantation. Just the way Munnar is sacrosanct with tea gardens, Thekkady is for cardamom.

The drive through the hills from Munnar to Thekkady was like meditation in itself. The road was lined on both sides with trees / plants all along from Munnar to Thekaaddy. The plants had blossomed with beautiful flowers and we were fortunate to see flowers of all hue and color on this drive. It was indeed peaceful and serene. After driving for half an hour there was cardamom plantation along the way.

Once in Thekkady we directly went for an elephant ride. Our elephants name was Rani and she took us for a smooth ride. All along the ride, our friend (elephant’s trainer) showed us the different types of plant namely, three different kinds of coffee, banana, cinnamon, cardamom.


Post the ride we all took pics with Rani and then went to our homestay – Kerala House.

Our rooms were on the first floor with a balcony facing the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The rooms were huge and comfortable. We all rested for a while and then headed out for lunch. Thekaaddy is relatively more commercialized than Munnar & Alleppy. And it was here after days of eating the native food that we had a chance to dig into pizza. Post lunch we still had some time on our hand. We strolled around the main road and did some shopping. We bought Periyar Tiger Reserve Tshirts and then drove for our evening boating trip on Periyar Lake.

When we reached the gate of the Tiger reserve, we were already in queue of cars. You don’t get the boat tickets at the gate. Here you get an entry ticket and parking ticket. You need to collect the boat ticket from the boat jetty counter which is around 2 kms inside from the gate.

Boating at Periyar Tiger Reserve
Boating at Periyar Tiger Reserve

Periyar Tiger Reserve
Periyar Tiger Reserve
You cannot take your car till the boating jetty. The parking lot is around 1 km away from the jetty. We had booked the boating tickets online and therefore we didnt have to stand in the queue. There is a separate counter for online booking where you have to show your online booking confirmation along with ID proof. We were given upper deck tickets which enhances the chances of spotting wildlife. To get good seats it is advisable to book online at-least a few weeks in advance.

The boat ride was pretty good and we did spot some wildlife boars, elephants, deers. Birds were in abundance. There were cranes, kingfisher, cormorants, snake bird and many more. The lake had been artificially created to give the tourists an opportunity to spot the animals when they come to the waterholes. Similarly stems / trees had been planted in the lake for the birds to sit on or at times even make their nest. This helped the tourists to spot birds up close.  The lake was beautiful, covered by dense forest from all sides and the landscape had its own appeal.

Elephants at Periyar Tiger Reserve
Elephants at Periyar Tiger Reserve




After having a highly unique & exciting time (first time in wildlife) I will say Periyar Tiger Reserve was a fantastic experience for us and we would like to come back to this place again. It is said one should book the first boat ride of the morning or last one of the evening, as this improves the chances of spotting birds / animals.

Post the boating ride, we had a show of Kalaripayattu, Indian Martial Arts, in the evening. We had booked this show online as well. We were again early and wandered around the theatre for a while. We were amongst the first one to enter the theatre and got the got the ring side seat of the theatre. The theatre was like an arena, rectangular in shape, wherein performance is in the middle and seats are on all the sides of the performance area (like a football ground). We sat in the area while the martial art experts performed in the rectangular pit below us, like gladiators.



Ring on fire
Ring on Fire
It was another new experience altogether. They use a multitude of weapons like spears, swords, daggers, bamboo sticks etc. We watched quite fascinated by what was going on in the performance area. With their oiled bodies, they stood in perfect symmentry, doing jumps, leaps and moves which were not humanly possible. They could move in any direction – with extreme agility and flexibility as if they have an elastic band in place of a spine. The show was thrilling as they pulled up insane moves and I was at the edge of my seat for the entire show.

It’s an art which requires dedication, practice and concentration. After the two hours performance of crazy acrobats, we went down to talk to them and get some pics clicked. We even tried out some weapons & poses. We all came out highly impressed with the performance.

Just outside the theatre is the main market of Thekkady. We decided to take a stroll in the market, do some shopping, have our dinner and then head back to our homestay for a peaceful sleep.

Thekkady is the best place to buy spices. There is a lot of coffee and cardamom plantation in this area.

Points to remember:
  • Online booking for Periyar Tiger Reserve boating can be done at www.periyartigerreserve.org.
  • You can book show of Kalaripayattu or Kathakali dance at www.kalaripayattu.co.in. The tickets are of Rs 200 per person.
  • Just outside the Kalaripayattu or Kathakali centre is a great spice shop – Responsible Tourism Spice super market. Do shop your spices from here.
  • Our homestay (walking distance to Periyar Tiger Reserve) was named “Kerala House”, you can contact Mr. Shibu 09495 46 9085 or on shibukeralahouse@gmail.com. The website of the homestay is www.keralahouseperiyar.com
  • Expense Details of the day:


Expense Particulars
Amount for 4 people
Amount per head
Breakfast enroute Periyar
                                    300
                               75
Lunch at Periyar
                                1,140
                             285
Elephant Ride
                                    700
                             175
Periyar Tiger Reserve entry
                                    200
                               50
Periyar Tiger Reserve boating
                                1,000
                             250
Periyar Tiger Reserve camera
                                      80
                               20
Martial Arts advance booking
                                    850
                             213
Dinner at Periyar
                                    530
                             133
Periyar - home stay
                                3,100
                             775
TOTAL
                                7,900
                         1,975



Thursday 21 January 2016

Munnar, Kerala

DAY 8: MUNNAR

We woke up early to catch the rising sun. From the windows of our room, we could see the famed hills of Munnar, but there was fog all around. The sky was not clear, with the sun playing hide and seek; but I still took out my camera to try my luck.

Munnar Hills
Munnar Hills
After a nice shower and home cooked idly for breakfast, we went to the water reservoir and dam where we could do some boating. After spending 5 days on a ship and spending enough time everyday on boats and in rich blue water of Lakshadweep, going for a boat ride was the last thing that we wanted to do.

But we didn’t have any other option and we headed to the massive Matupetty Dam and Reservoir. The view from the reservoir was beautiful. The lake was covered by forest area on all sides with the hills as the backdrop. This was the true beauty of Munnar.

Matupetty Dam, Munnar
Matupetty Dam, Munnar
After a stroll in the garden, we went for the ride in the reservoir in the speed boat. It was a thrilling experience and all of us had a ball. Our boatsmen (Rajesh) was an ace photographer. While we all hung on to our boots as the boat swayed through the water, he deftly clicked some beautiful snaps.

Matupetty Dam, Munnar
Its FUN Time!!!
After an exciting speed boat ride, we went for a drive to see the very famous tea gardens of Munnar. The landscape of Munnar can put the very best manicured gardens to shame. Thanks to the thousands of acres of tea gardens. To add to this is the ever changing colour of the sky. And between the land and the sky, fog, clouds and sun play hide and seek. Munnar is sheer romance. In fact it is one of the most preferred hill station destination for honeymoon couples.

Tea Gardens, Munnar
Tea Gardens, Munnar
Since we could not see Munnar, we decided to enjoy a Kathakali Dance, a traditional Kerala dance. The dance uses elaborate makeup, costumes and jewelry. It was sheer joy to see the efforts, the devotion of the artists. All the performers in Kathakali are men and they play the role of both male and female characters. 


Make up of Kathakali Performers
Make up of Kathakali Performers
Along with the actors, the music and vocals plays an important role in kathakali. The story enacted is told to the audience beforehand. The performers never speak during the performance; they act and convey their emotions and story with their hand gestures and expressions. The make-up of the artists takes an hour and one can see the artists while putting on their make-up and the transformation they undergo.

Kathakali Dance
Kathakali Dance
We were amongst the first to arrive and therefore we had the first row seat. They started with teaching us the basics of Kathakali, the meaning of the hand movements and eye movements. The artist would invite 1-2 volunteers from the crowd onto the stage and try to convey messages purely via their hand & eye expressions. It was hilarious to see the reactions of the volunteers & counter actions of the artists on stage.



Then they got started on the actual dancing, which is a performance based on a story from the Hindu Classics. It was quite entertaining. At the end of the show you can get your snap clicked with the artists.

After enjoying the beautiful dance we decided to enjoy a Kerela massage (massage center adjoining the theatre). Though far more expensive than Alleppy, the massages at Munnar seem more sophisticated and gentle. After a relaxing massage, we all headed back to our homestay to enjoy a simple and delicious home cooked dinner.


Points to remember:
  • Munnar is a little costly as far as accommodation is concerned.
  • Munnar can get a little cold in early morning and night. Please carry warm clothes accordingly.
  • The road from Kochi to Munnar is a two lane road and is curvy and hills. Therefore, while estimating the travel time, don’t consider the kms. It takes around 4 – 5 hours to reach Munnar.
  • Our homestay was Gokulam Homstay. You can check out their website on www.gokulamhomestay.com and can contact Mr. Sunil G P at gokulamhomeaway@gmail.com or on 09567 76 2611.
  • Expense Details of the day:

Expense Particulars
Amount for 4 people
Amount per head
Boat Ride in Munnar
                                    750
                             188
Kathakali Dance
                                1,300
                             325
Homestay at Munnar
                                1,500
                             375
All meals at Homestay
                                1,585
                             396
TOTAL
                                5,135
                         1,284

Massage ranges from Rs. 1500 to 4000


Tuesday 19 January 2016

Kochi to Munnar, Kerala

DAY 7: KOCHI TO MUNNAR

DAY 5: OF LAKSHADWEEP CRUISE – BACK TO KOCHI

We all got up early today as it was the last time we will get to see a spectacular sunrise in the middle of the sea. Once up we went on the deck of the ship which had by now become our favorite place on the ship. We took some pictures of the sunrise, some wacky pictures of ourselves, did some running around, some goofing here and there… whatever we can think of, we did everything as today was our last day on the ship. We all knew that in few hours we will be in Kochi and it will be time to bid goodbye to this ship, to the beautiful sea, to the wonderful breeze and to the freedom we had because our mobile phones had no network.


Our Last Sunrise on M.V. Kavaratti
Our Last Sunrise on M.V. Kavaratti
We were out of network area the moment we left Kochi and trust me it was bliss. No phone calls, no mails (personal or official), no Facebook, no twitter.. nothing.  It was just you, your friends and family and the sea, the island, the ship, the adventure…. This was a true vacation.

We got ready and had our breakfast and again went to the deck. As we came closer to Kochi the colour of the sea started changing. The colour of the sea water changed from deep emerald green to grey now.

Flag of India on the deck of the Ship
India's Flag on the deck of the Ship

Boat near Kochi Port
Boat near Kochi
We saw how our ship was being parked on the dock. We again took our friends (tugboats) help to park at Kochi Port. Tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them towards the dock. The entire process took quite some time, much more than it had taken us to leave the port and head towards the sea.


Tugboat
Tugboat
M.V. Kavaretti finally docked around 11:30 pm at Kochi Port. We were advised to leave our luggage in front of our rooms and collect the same from the Port. It took an hour to exit from the ship (12:30 pm).

This cruise was in short a totally different experience. The ship is very well maintained – through out our stay on the ship we din’t find any rodents or insects. The ship was always clean and the crew members were always very hospitable and ready to help. We would definitely recommend all our friends to take this cruise.

With this we came to the end of our Lakshadweep cruise, but our vacation was not over yet. Except Parth (who was rushing back to Mumbai) we all were heading to Munnar. We had pre booked an Innova for our Kerela trip covering Munnar, Periyar, Athirapally and back to Kochi Airport.

We had earlier planned to visit Athirapally waterfall first and then head to Munnar. But our driver suggested to cover Athirapally on the last day of our trip before catching the flight back to Mumbai. So, after a delicious lunch in Kochi and dropping Parth at Kochi Airport, we headed straight to Munnar.

While on the cruise we were completely struck off from the world and didn’t have an idea what was going on. Once back to the land, we came to know that the strike in Munnar (into its 30th day) by the tea workers was still on and all entrances to Munnar had been completely blocked. The tea workers were neither allowing anyone to enter Munnar nor did they allow those tourists already there to leave. There were some incidents of violence reported such as breaking windshield of tourist cars. etc. Thankfully we had arranged for our accommodation at a home stay (Gokulam Homestay) which is located around 3 kms on the outskirts of Munnar.

The drive to Munnar is simply amazing. The roads are narrow (it’s not a highway), covered with trees all around. When you are a few kilometers short of Munnar, and you can start feeling the fresh air. We switched off the air condition of the car and enjoyed the fresh and cool air. There was greenery all around.

Enroute Munnar
Enroute Munnar
Enroute to Munnar, we stopped at Cheeyappara Waterfall. Tall, lean and majestic, the waterfall was in full glory. As usual we did some photo shoot, stretched our legs and then resumed our journey to the homestay. Before reaching our homestay we stopped over at a spice garden. The entry fees per tourist (with a guided tour) into the spice garden costed us Rs. 250. Before entering the garden, we were handed an umbrella each, which was quite strange as it was not raining.

Cheeyappara Waterfall
Cheeyappara Waterfall
The spice garden guide took us around for 30 minutes making us aware of the various herbs, spices and the trees that the garden has. She showed us the plants of pepper, lemon grass, vanilla, turmeric, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, coffee. In the midst of our tour it had started raining and thus the umbrellas came in handy.

Every spice garden has a shop just at the entrance of the spice garden from where you can buy fresh spices and herbs. We also bought few packets of spices from the shop. Not too sure if we got a decent deal, but it was surely convenient.

Spice Garden, Munnar

Spice Garden, Munnar
Spice Garden, Munnar
By the time we reached our homestay it was dark and we had no idea how the view from our rooms was. The owner of the homestay, Mr. Sunil was a nice guy and briefed us of the situation of Munnar. He discouraged us from trying to venture in to Munnar as it could turn fatal.

It was cold and we all took out our sweaters and shawls, thus enjoying the cold weather. We had some amazing and simple home cooked food, watched TV for a bit and retired for the day. We were sleeping after so many days on land – where our bed was not rocking ;).

Points to remember:

  • Munnar is a little costly as far as accommodation is concerned.
  • Munnar can get a little cold in early morning and night. Please carry warm clothes accordingly.
  • The road from Kochi to Munnar is a two lane road and is curvy and hills. Therefore, while estimating the travel time, don’t consider the kms. It takes around 4 – 5 hours to reach Munnar.
  • Expense Details of the day:

Expense Particulars
Amount for 4 people
Amount per head
Lunch enroute Munnar
1,250
313
Refreshments enroute Munnar
100
25
Cab - 4 day booking for Munnar, Alleppey, Athirapally and Kochi
14,500
3,625
Homestay at Munnar
1,500
375
TOTAL
17,350
4,338