How it all came about
Most people have many friend-circles throughout life, and some of us are lucky enough to keep some of these friend circles as we grow up and move forward in life. Growing up, I was quite lucky to have a circle of friends living on my same street. We were all around the same age and shared similar interests, which helped us stick together and become a close-knit group. But as life progressed, we all started going our own ways and began to see each other only on holidays. To breathe new life into our childhood friendship, we decided to go out for dinner and a movie. Plans moved fast after that and before we knew it, we were packing our bags for Munnar! A short drive away from our city of Cochin, it seemed like a no-brainer of an idea.
Finding a place to stay
Planning the details of the weekend getaway fell upon me, and I turned to AirBnb for suggestions on a suitable place to stay. We didn’t have many requirements, apart from the property being a clean, and independent space. As a group of 9, we decided to look for houses, and in no time found Munnar Tea Country Resort. Close to Munnar and overlooking hills and tea plantations, we finalized our bookings and headed out the next day, a Saturday.
En Route
We started our day post breakfast, no later than 7 am. As Munnar is just a 3 hour drive away, we aimed to reach our destination well before the check-in time of 10 am, with some impromptu sightseeing along the way. A convoy of two cars, we left the city in no time and were welcomed into the lap of nature, with trees and plants, replacing shopping malls and flats.
Mattupetty Dam was close to our chosen AirBnB location, so we decided to head over there before checking in. The sun was not at its harshest yet, as it was only a little after 10 am, and the weather was perfect for some sightseeing. The dam’s reservoir is a picturesque place to stroll about, and readily available for nibbling are fresh carrots, strawberries, pears, and more. After taking many photos, we headed to the house we rented.
We had asked for a buffet lunch to be included in our stay, as well as a buffet dinner for our first night there. So after finishing the formalities and collecting the keys, we sat down for a nice hot lunch. We tried typical Kerala style food. Lobster Fry, Hot Crab Masala, Karimeen Fry and Fish Grill (Chemballi) were the food varieties offered.
Post lunch, we headed out for more sightseeing. Eravikulam National Park or Rajamalai was put into the navigation system, and after a few hairpin turns we reached our destination. Home to the elusive Nilgiri Tahr, we kept our eyes peeled hoping to spot a herd or even a solitary one. The light foggy weather wasn’t helping though. We waited for a while, and decided to give up, but it wasn’t a total waste, as the views from the top were postcard worthy! Rolling green hills, with some fog thrown in for artistic measure; aaah, blissful views!
After the sun went down, we made our way back to Munnar Tea Country Resort, calling it a day. The plan was to have an early dinner and hit the sack, but sometimes things rarely go as planned! Instead, we sat out on the balcony talking for a while and listening to the peaceful night sounds of crickets chirping and the occasional shrill bird call.
Despite the late bedtime, we all awoke early and were eager to see the sunrise at Top Station. A must-visit if you are visiting Munnar, here, panoramic views await you. And if you make the trip before sunrise, you get to see misty valleys, thick forests and of course tea gardens, as the sun slowly rises over them, gradually lighting everything up. It’s a great spot for some creative photos and time-lapse videos.
Afterwards, we headed back to the resort for breakfast and to check out. After saying our good byes and thanking our hosts for a lovely stay, we headed to Anayirangal Valley. Here, everywhere you look, you see well-manicured tea plants, with the Anayirangal Dam and the reservoir adding to the picturesque view. The Western Ghats are also visible in the background.
After lunch, we headed to our last sightseeing destination before heading home. Kundala Lake combines serenity and the raw beauty of nature. You also get a bit of Kashmir with shikars plying on the lake. There are cherry gardens surrounding the lake, along with eucalyptus and pine trees.
A perfect end to a weekend trip to Munnar. Can’t wait to explore more places!