Munnar
“Winding Roads from Ernakulam with the bright green fields on both sides lead to breathtakingly beautiful Munnar” – mentioned a well-designed travel brochure about the place – but the winding roads and the uncomfortable car actually made me sick to the stomach.
We had started from Ernakulam early in the morning so that we could utilise the solitary day off by exploring Munnar to the fullest. Taking breaks at every possible opportunity, I tried to get over the motion sickness and enjoy the view. The green mountains and the blue skies did have a calming effect
Water falls en route -
Interestingly the word “Munnar” is derived from the Malayalam words Muunu (three) and aaru (river), referring to the town's strategic location at the confluence of the mountain streams of Muthirappuzha, Chanduvarai and Kundala.
It would be a pity if you don’t enjoy the waterfalls en route to Munnar. Cheeyappara and Valara near Adimali have a chain of waterfalls surrounded by thick green forests. Both are beautiful and though we didn’t attempt to get in the water, the view was quite spectacular.
Mattupetty Dam and Lake –
Situated at a height of 1700 m, making it the highest point on the Munnar-Kodaikanal road - Mattupetty is famous for its highly specialized dairy farm, the Indo-Swiss live stock project. Over 100 varieties of high yielding cattle are reared here. But the more interesting trivia is that a lot of romantic duet Tamil movie songs have been shot here.
The rare Neelakurunji (strobilanthus) belongs to this region. Near the dam you can shop for eucalyptus oil, olive oil and lemon grass oil. Make sure that you bargain a lot or you might feel cheated once you check the prices in the town market
A strict must-do activity in the area is boating in the Mattupetty Lake. Speed Launch and slow speed motor boats are available on hire. You should get into one of the lonely waterways, shut down the motor and just enjoy the sights and sounds of a peaceful jungle area. If you are lucky or unlike us, have a good guide, you can spot elephants come for a drink and a wash.
Guided tours of the working tea factory take visitors through the various stages of tea processing. Tea tasting is also available for visitors to sample different varieties of tea. Apart from tea, twelve different varieties of spices are cultivated in Munnar and its neighbouring villages.
I started my journey feeling tired and sick, but the overall experience of walking in the tea plantation added to the experience of lazing in a boat in a quiet lake along with a pinch of tea that I tasted in the museum and a whiff of spices in the plantations has definitely made me active and as the tea ads would say – feeling tazaa.
We had started from Ernakulam early in the morning so that we could utilise the solitary day off by exploring Munnar to the fullest. Taking breaks at every possible opportunity, I tried to get over the motion sickness and enjoy the view. The green mountains and the blue skies did have a calming effect
Water falls en route -
Interestingly the word “Munnar” is derived from the Malayalam words Muunu (three) and aaru (river), referring to the town's strategic location at the confluence of the mountain streams of Muthirappuzha, Chanduvarai and Kundala.
It would be a pity if you don’t enjoy the waterfalls en route to Munnar. Cheeyappara and Valara near Adimali have a chain of waterfalls surrounded by thick green forests. Both are beautiful and though we didn’t attempt to get in the water, the view was quite spectacular.
Mattupetty Dam and Lake –
Situated at a height of 1700 m, making it the highest point on the Munnar-Kodaikanal road - Mattupetty is famous for its highly specialized dairy farm, the Indo-Swiss live stock project. Over 100 varieties of high yielding cattle are reared here. But the more interesting trivia is that a lot of romantic duet Tamil movie songs have been shot here.
The rare Neelakurunji (strobilanthus) belongs to this region. Near the dam you can shop for eucalyptus oil, olive oil and lemon grass oil. Make sure that you bargain a lot or you might feel cheated once you check the prices in the town market
A strict must-do activity in the area is boating in the Mattupetty Lake. Speed Launch and slow speed motor boats are available on hire. You should get into one of the lonely waterways, shut down the motor and just enjoy the sights and sounds of a peaceful jungle area. If you are lucky or unlike us, have a good guide, you can spot elephants come for a drink and a wash.
Guided tours of the working tea factory take visitors through the various stages of tea processing. Tea tasting is also available for visitors to sample different varieties of tea. Apart from tea, twelve different varieties of spices are cultivated in Munnar and its neighbouring villages.
I started my journey feeling tired and sick, but the overall experience of walking in the tea plantation added to the experience of lazing in a boat in a quiet lake along with a pinch of tea that I tasted in the museum and a whiff of spices in the plantations has definitely made me active and as the tea ads would say – feeling tazaa.
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