Munnar, The beauty of Kerala

Hello Friends,

Another one of my thrilling trips was to Munnar that I visited during the end of March 2018. Actually, it supposed to happen at least a year ago but I kept on postponing as I was waiting for the right crowd of friends to enjoy this amazing place with. Also, as I always keep telling to my friends that this could be the last trip in South, so it had to be special. But who knows when I might change my mind ;). One more reason why this trip is so special is that so far I had only been trekking in hill stations that had beautiful hills but this was the first time I had been to a place where I trekked in such an amazing place with thick, dense forests. When in Munnar, you'll witness the lush green tea plantations, dense forests, cool mountains as far as you can see.

Kannan Devan Hills

I had all the details of the trip, like the hotel booking, cab booking, etc. all in place about two months in advance but the group I was gonna take off with was not decided until the last moment. Finally, I made my office colleagues and roommates go with me and put together a group of 11 people and decided to book a TT.

There are so many places to visit nearby Munnar but I have listed only those which we could cover in our three days plan. So here we go...

How to Reach:

Below are the major cities from where you can easily reach the Munnar. To further minimize the trip budget in case you are in a small group, booking Train tickets in advance up until the below-mentioned places would be the best idea. For the onward journey, we can easily book a cab.

1. Ernakulam to Munnar   (135 KM )

2. Madurai to Munnar  (135 KM )

3. Palani to Munnar (120 KM)

4. Coimbatore to Munnar ( 158 KM )

Bangalore to Munnar : 

We hired a TT from Bangalore. It is a 476 KM journey one-way. If you are traveling from Bangalore to Munnar below are the state entry charges which was taken care by our TT driver:

Tamilnadu state: 1500 RS /-, Kerala State: 5000 RS /-, Toll Charges approximate 1000 Rs., TT (Non AC) charges was about 11.5 RS /- per KM  (Total trip route: 1300 KM).

We started our journey on a Thursday night @11 PM. All my friends were happy with the TT we had booked as it was well-maintained and clean, fitted with JBL speakers and some Red&Green LED lights giving a disco-kind vibe. You can contact the TT driver at the below-mentioned number:

TT contact :

Driver- Chethu: 8073103532          Driver Owner:  9845001079    Travel Company: 9901113359

Note: Cab charges may subject to change Season wise

Places to cover:

I have categorized the following places the way we covered them, namely, Day1, Day2 & Day3. Depending on the location of your stay I would suggest that it is better to choose a plan to cover distant places first.

Note: Please don't hire a guide in Munnar. If you know the places and the route to get there, you will be just fine but hiring a guide may spoil your entire plan. I have also shared the route maps on the blog to help you out there.

Day 1:

Below listed places amount to a total round distance of 68 KM from Munnar.

Day_1 Route map

      1)  Kannan Devan Hills:

If you are arriving to Munnar from Bangalore by road, you will be welcomed by the beautiful  Kannan Devan Hills. Here you will experience the green tea plantation over the hills just like they show in the movies.

2) Tea Museum :

KDHP tea museum is an Industrial and historical museum situated in Munnar. It is also known as Tata Tea Museum.

3) The Blossom park:

Also known as the Hyde Park. You can trek through the thick tea plantations and forests.

4) Pothamedu View Point:

Pothamedu View Point provides a panoramic view of Munnar, adjoining valleys and the Mathirapuzha river. The lush green vegetation in the place with Cardamom and Tea plantation gives a rich view of this place.

Pothamedu View Point

5) Attakud Water Fall:

This is not very big Fall but the view of flowing water through the large rocks is a true beauty.

Attakud Waterfall

                                                              

 Day 2

Now, the Day-2 places are one of the major attractions of  Munnar which needs a complete day to explore. This leg of the trip covers a total of 76 KM from Munnar.

Day_2 Route map

1) Mattupetty Dam: 

Mattupetty Dam comes in Idukki district is a storage of concrete gravity dam built in the mountains of Kerala to conserve the water for Hydroelectricity.

Mattupetty Dam

2) Echo Point & Kundumala View Point :

Both places are close by. It is a small trek to reach Kudumala. The view here is eye-catchy. 

Echo Point

3) Kundla Lake:

This is peaceful, still water lake flowing among the hills. It's a little crowded, nevertheless, you can spend a good time here. Plus point is the boating.

4) Munnar Top Station:

Top station is around 10 KMs from Kundla lake. While going towards this place I felt like I was on top of Munnar and the weather also started to get a lot cooler. The view from this point is absolutely stunning with forests situated in the foot of majestic hills. If you wish, you can take the narrow path to trek mid-way down and do some awesome photography there.

There are two viewpoints close by on this route. To reach the Top station keep walking further ahead until you reach the end. There is an entry fee of 10 Rs /- at the Top Station.

Day 3:

On the 3rd day, we booked a Jeep Safari because we decided to enjoy a little off-road ride. The Jeeps are a little bit costly here. They charged about Rs. 5000/- for 11 people and 2 Jeeps.

Also, because we were not aware of the route and the places to cover, we had to take the offer.  The places listed below cost a little extra, you can save this money if you have your own vehicle. But be careful as the roads are very narrow, and risky. Make sure you have a skilled driver :)

This a brochure is given to us by the Jeep drivers. The trip started at Sengulam. In case you are planning on hiring on of these jeeps, I must tell you, the prices mentioned in it are negotiable.

Page 1

Page 2

1) Sengulam Boating:

This place is 16 KM from Munnar. Lake view is breath-taking. It is relaxing to spend time at the park. There is an entry free to be paid.

The route to the next destination was an off-road drive. It was so exciting to travel through the thick forest along a very narrow path. It was a little scary too as the jeep kept swaying from one side to the other. 

i. Ripple Waterfall:

This was the first place we visited by Jeep driving through the deep forest. The waterfall was very dreamy. The driver warned us to be careful and not to go deep in the fall. We enjoyed a shower in cascading fall here. Just this one stop  made us feel like it was best 5000 rupees we had ever spent.

ii. Hanging Bridge:

There is beautiful wooden bridge fastened and hanging between two Hills. The bridge would shake even if were just walking or driving on it. It felt like we were gonna lose our balance and fall. But it was still safe and nothing happened :D

Hanging Bridge

iii. Ponmudi Dam view:

This is an awesome place for photographers. The water from the lake at the bottom of hills was really a peaceful view and pleasing to the eye.

Ponmudi Dam view

iv. Ponmudi Top Station:

There is a beautiful view of thick forests spread over a long distance with the among tall hills. Again a photogenic and relaxing place.

Ponmudi Top Station

v. Ponmudi Echo Point:

This was the last spot for the day. There is a small brook of water flowing through the large cleavage of rocks at Echo point. There was large open space inside so we relaxed there for about an hour.

It was time for us to leave for Bangalore. It was Easter, and we found it difficult to find food.
Munnar, is a beauty one can visit throughout the year. Except for the places listed under Day 2, there are no specific spots that you need to cover because, any path you take, any place you go in Munnar, you'll find it to be the most beautiful place in the world. It's a largely spread forest area including adjoining Anamudi, Chinnar, Annamalai, and other small reserve forests. It's a very peaceful and calm place. Winter (September to February) could be the best time to visit this place.

We were all so happy. For me, personally, this was the best trip I have had so far. Given a chance, I wish to go back and visit once again with my family :)

Alappuzha the Backwater trip in Kerala

Hello Friends,

At the start of this winter, I decided to go to the beach and I immediately thought of Kerala. I decided to explore Alleppey after doing a little Google search. I booked a hotel by the beach without even consulting my friends Ganesh and Avinash but when I told my friend Gowtham what I was planning, he straight out asked me to cancel the hotel booking and suggested me to book a boathouse instead. That’s when I came to know how famous Allepey (or Alappuzha)is for its beautiful backwaters and boathouses. The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast also known as the Malabar Coast in Kerala. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man-made and natural, fed by 38 rivers.

The boathouse experience in the backwaters was something beyond calm, resting and peaceful. I won’t be wrong if I said that it is heaven indeed. Alleppey is humid and hot during summer but October to January is the best time to visit. 

How to get there:

Nearest Station: Alleppey can be reached easily It is about46 km from Kottayam, 53 km from Kochi, 155 km north of Trivandrum and 28 km from Changanacherry. 

Route map

Trains from Bangalore:

Island Express till Changanacherry, Ernakulam Express till Ernakulam/Kochi, Kochuveli express tillAllepey. Early reservation is always a good idea.

Buses can also be booked but that is more expensive than traveling by train.

BoatHouse Booking and Details:

I chose “Alleppey Crystal Holidays Houseboat” on Make My Trip. The total price was about Rs 5800 for a single room for three people on sharing basis. But when we got there, we saw that it was a two bedroom boathouse and luckily, the other room was vacant that night and we got to use it (Complimentary ;)). 

BoatHouse Interior

Shown above is the inside of one of the rooms. It’s nothing less than a luxurious hotel room with all the facilities like warm, cozy beds, a bathroom, a toilet, a TV, a music system, dining table, and chairs. It was literally a house on a boat. We were welcomed with a cool drink, and they served breakfast, tea, lunch and dinner onboard, veg and nonveg all included in the booking price. I recommend you to definitely taste the authentic Kerala fish curry and other dishes. It was delicious. 

The crew even takes you to a market where you can buy your own fish and they will prepare it for you in the boathouse kitchen. And while your dinner is getting ready, you can have a little party under the bright blue disco lights on the boat dancing away to your music.

The view:

We boarded the boathouse at around 9:30 AM and our journey started at 10 AM. There were breath-taking views while the ride was pleasant. You could see the little plants in the backwaters, all the Boathouses floating around you, some big and some small, little cottages and trees along the banks. There is no way I can describe how beautiful the view was so you can see it for yourself in the video below. 

Major Attraction of Kerala Backwaters:

Boat races are occasions of great excitement and entertainment with thousands gathered on the banks to watch and cheer. Most of these races are held in the Kuttanad Region. The Thazhathangadi boat race held every year on Meenachil river, at Thazhathangadi, Kottayam is one of the oldest and most popular boat races in the state.

When Jawaharlal Nehru visited Kerala in 1952, four traditional chundan valloms went to receive him. A snake boat race was organized for him. He was so impressed that when he went back to Delhi, he sent back a gleaming silver trophy for a boat race. Even today, the 1.5 km Nehru Trophy Boat Race is the most prestigious.

Other Attractions:

You must also visit the Alleppey Beach. It is about a 2km walk from the backwaters. Since we got off the Boathouse at 11 AM the next day and our return bus was booked for 5 PM, we had a little time to spare so we hit the beach. It was a lot of fun. We built a little fort using the waste on the beach like a tube light and some tree-branches and spread a thin blanket over them. See the picture below J

Shed on Alleppey Beach

Return journey:

Direct Buses to the Bangalore are available from here. So we booked it from the Red Bus and finished our one of the peaceful trip. 

Gallery: 

Aurangabad The Tourism Capital of Maharashtra

Hello Guys,

Aurangabad was the most frequently tour destination during my school time but every time I have been deprived of attending one.  When this fact suddenly hit me, I could not stop myself from planning one with my family during the Christmas Vacation last year and I could make it happen rather easily. Aurangabad is the fifth largest city of Maharashtra and falls under Marathwada region. It is well known as the Tourism capital of Maharashtra. Ajanta Caves, Ellora caves, Bibi ka Maqbara are UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Aurangabad.

Brief History :

This city was founded in 1610 by Malik Amber. “Khadki” was the original name of the village which was made the capital city by Malik. His Son Fateh Khan changed the name from Khadki to “Fatehnagar”. In 1633 both Daulatabad (Devagiri) and Fatehnagar went into the possession of Moghals. In 1653 when Mughal prince Aurangzeb was appointed the Viceroy of the Deccan for the second time, he made “Fatehnagar” his capital and renamed it Aurangabad.

In 1724, Asif Jah, a Turkic general and Nizam al-Mulk of the Mughals in the Deccan region, decided to withdraw from the crumbling Mughal Empire, with the purpose of founding his own dynasty in the Deccan and decided to make Aurangabad his capital. His son and successor, Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah II transferred his capital from Aurangabad to Hyderabad in 1763.

 In 1795, the city came under the Maratha rule, following the Maratha victory in the Battle of Kharda, along with an indemnity of 30 million rupees paid by Ali Khan Asaf Jah II, Nizam of Hyderabad to the Marathas. However, Maratha rule lasted only eight years before the city came under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad, under the protection of the British East India Company, following the British victory in the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

So let’s look at the details of the trip :

Aurangabad is well connected to major cities of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Pune, Dhule etc.

From Pune: Bus is the preferable option because It’s 235 Km by road, takes approximately 5 Hrs. The train will take 7 to 9 Hrs. Many public and private Buses are available from Pune.

If you have a private vehicle the route via Ahmadnagar is best because on the way you can cover “Ranjangao” and “Shani Shignapur” temples which are very famous in Maharashtra.

From Mumbai:  Both train and bus are convenient to reach Aurangabad from Mumbai. It is about 335Km by road.

Train (Devagiri Exp-22:00- CST ) this train takes 7 hrs to reach Aurangabad.

From Dhule: Dhule comes under Khandesh part of Maharashtra.  Aurangabad is only 149 Km from here. There are so many public buses you can take from Dhule bus stand and they are cost effective ;) 

Day 1 :

Below is the route map for day 1 tour which covers four major parts of your trip.

Route map

If you are in a group, booking a cab/auto/taxi would be the best option and you can do this at the Aurangabad bus stand. Public buses are also available and are very cheap.

Places to Visit :

1)      Bibi ka Maqbara :

“Bibi Ka Maqbara” is the Tomb located in Aurangabad. This strongly resembles to the Taj Mahal also called “Deccan Taj”.

Bibi ka Maqbara

2)      Deogiri Fort:

Also known as Daulatabad Fort. it is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra. The historical triangular fort of Daulatabad was built by first Yadava king Bhillama V in 1187.

In 1499 the Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar captured and made Daulatabad as their capital in 1607. The subsequent period witnesses a series of wars between the Deccan Sultans and the Mughals under Akbar and Shah Jahan. In 1633 AD Daulatabad was finally captured after a prolonged siege of four months. It was during this time Aurangzeb was placed as viceroy of Deccan who had his campaign against Bijapur and Golconda from Daulatabad. For a short period, Daulatabad was under the control of the Marathas before the Nizams of Hyderabad took control of it in 1724 AD.

Devagiri Fort

3)      Ghrishneshwar  Temple :

This is the temple of Lord Shiva. Also 12^th Temple amongst Twelve Jyotirlingas mentioned in a sacred Shivpuran. This temple was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate during the Hindu-Muslim wars of 13th and 14th-century. The temple went through several rounds of rebuilding followed by re-destruction during the Mughal-Maratha conflict. It was rebuilt in the current form in the 18th century under the sponsorship of a Hindu queen Rani Ahalyabai of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire.

Ggrishneshwar Temple

4)      Ellora Caves :

There are 34 caves excavation from the Basalt cliffs in the Charanandri Hills of Verul, Aurangabad. These are having 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves. These monuments are made with Dravidian architecture and artwork dating from 600 to 1000 CE period. All of the Ellora monuments were built during Hindu dynasties such as the Rashtrakuta dynasty, which constructed part of the Hindu & Buddhist caves, and the Yadava dynasty, which constructed a number of the Jain caves.

Kailash Cave is the most visited and 16^th Cave. If you want to see all other caves may need a half day.

 

Ellora Cave

Day 2 :

Ajanta Caves are 97 Km far from Ellora caves. It is better to stay in Verul for the night so that you can leave for Ajanta caves early the next morning.

1)      Ajanta Caves:

The Ajanta Caves are about 29 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India.[1][note 1] The caves include paintings and rock cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotion through gesture, pose and form

The Ajanta Caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 250 feet wall of rock. The caves also present paintings depicting the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha, pictorial tales from Aryasura's Jatakamala, as well as rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities. Textual records suggest that these caves served as a monsoon retreat for monks, as well as a resting site for merchants and pilgrims in ancient India. While vivid colors and mural wall painting were abundant in Indian history as evidenced by historical records, Caves 16, 17, 1 and 2 of Ajanta form the largest corpus of surviving ancient Indian wall-painting. To know more follow below link –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajanta_Caves#Cave-by-cave

Ajanta Cave

Photos :

 

Mahabalipuram Day Trip from Bangalore in 1000 Rs /-

Hello Readers,

This was my first trip to see some ancient place & Indian art. Really If you are a lover of ancient  Indian Heritage, Culture & Carving Art, definitely Mabalipuram trip would be irresistible & interesting for you. Also this place’s beauty is blessed with scenic sea shore of Bay of Bengal.

The group of monuments at Mahabalipuram is a collection of 7th and 8th-century religious monuments. It’s listed in UNESCO world heritage. It is located in the south of Chennai around 60km in Tamilnadu State.

Mahabalipuram Beach

How to get there:

Source Station: To reach the Mahabalipuram first we have to reach Chennai and There are many trains too for Chennai.

Bangalore to Chennai (Train Kaveri Express -Friday 23:25). Fare RS 140 /-. (SL Approx RS 250 /- )

We were planned to go with Chennai Central Mail at 22:40. but we faced too much crowd because we were 15 Min late and the train was already there on the platform. In a rush even there was no place to keep a foot on the train. So we came out of this train. We scared and my friend suggested me to cancel this trip but also I was obsessed to reach Mahabalipuram and kept patients to wait for next Train. Friends also agreed with me. Next train came at 23:25 and this time anyhow we managed to grab the place on the train. It was big relief of sure hope to reach Mahabalipuram.

Morning 7:00 AM we reached Chennai.

Chennai to Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram):

From Railway station you have to reach CMBT Bus stand. But for that, you have to catch one another bus. Once you reach there to look for the “ECR-Pondicherry” bus. This public transport bus will go to Mahabalipuram. But one thing I must specify while taking ticket ask for “Mamallapuram”.  It’s fare around Apprx 70 Rs /-. We reached Mahabalipuram at 12:00 PM. It was actually too late because we waste much time to find the exact bus in confusion of Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram.

Places to Visit :

Since we were restricted to a time limit of one day, we covered only important spots. All are within walkable distance and yes can cover in one day. Route map as below-

Rout Map

1)      Mahabalipuram Beach:

Guys if you are walking from bus stand toward Shore temple, this would be your first point of attraction. If your plan is for two days, this is the place you can easily spend one day here. Beach is very nice. This is an attraction for foreigners because of “Surfing”. If you are expert really would enjoy here. It’s also famous for Seafood. 

While on the beach you can get a nice view of shore Temple which is settled on the heap of rocks.

Along the beach, if you walked toward temple there is one cave as well.

We had a limited time so spent only one hour here with lot’s photos we enjoyed this place. Also wished for Surfing but didn’t go because we loved to be alive for more trips J

Cave on Beach

Beach

2)      Shore Temple:

The Shore Temple (built in 700–728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD.

Since 1984 it’s in UNESCO world heritage record.

Shore Temple

3)      Krishna’s Butter Ball :

It is also known as “Vaan Irai Kal”. It is a huge granite boulder resting in an inclined position on a rock. The boulder is approximately 6 meters high and 5 meters wide and weighs around 250 tons. It stands on an approximately 4 ft base on a slope and is said to have been at the same place for 1200 years.

Butter Ball

4)      Arjuna’s Penace:

There is big logic behind the carving of this sculpture. The concept depicted here has been derived from Mahabharatha’s story. For more details click on below link-

http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/india/mamallapuram/ap01.html

5)      Tiger Cave :

The Tiger Cave is considered to be one of the Mahabalipuram rock-cut temples constructed by the Pallava’s in the 8th century AD.

6)      Light House Museum :

This is the place where you can see an overall top view of Mahabalipuram which is situated on the shore of Bay of Bengal. Here Entry Fees is Rs 10 /- only. If you have a Binocular can really these views. This is also a good place for photography.

In the same place also have one big cave which is visible as of giant animal sleeping on the floor from the lighthouse. 

View from Lighthouse

7)      Pancha Rathas:

Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. Dating from the late 7th century, it is attributed to the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I (630–680 AD; also called Mamalla, or "great warrior") of the Pallava Kingdom.

Here also you can take many photos. It has the big status of Elephant, Lion, and Caves as well.

Pancharathas

So this was our last place we covered all spots except only Butterball and Lion Caves.

Mahabalipuram to Chennai:

There are so many buses which flow toward Chennai. By walk only we reached to Mahabalipuram bus stand. It’s around 2.5 KM from Panch Rathas.  We caught the bus and reached to Chennai.

Chennai to Bangalore :

(Train Chennai-Bangalore Mail -Sat 23:15). Fare RS 140 /-. (SL Approx RS 250 /- ).

We were so tired also wish to take a proper rest but we had to catch a train. Since Chennai is a source station for this train we got a nice place in the train. After this successful trip we reached to Bangalore around 5:30 am. We really enjoyed a lot.

Note: At one of above place, entry fees around 40 Rs /- is collected. Also, the same receipt is acceptable in all places. No need to pay extra fees.

Photos: