The descision to visit Moonar/Munnar by mid June was a quick one that we made, There were two things in our mind. The first being complete the first 1000 Kms of the Maruthi WagonR that our friend, Gokul have and second was to doze out of the hassles of a busy week that we had at our office.
Gokul, Linish, Irene, Jomy and I started from Ernakulam at 4:45 AM so that we can reach Munnar at least by 9:00AM, which was approximately 135 Km from Cochin. It took us around 3 hours by car, my friend commented that it would have been 4 hours by bus. En route to this place you have several locations where you can stop by to see the water falls and enjoy the scenic beauty. Lying at an altitude of more than 1500 meters, Munnar houses the famous Nilakurinji flowers which blossoms once in twelve years. The major attraction are the tea gardens, where plantations were started when British ruled India, and they are still in business.
The weather was very pleasant when we went there. The usual rain that starts in the month of June didn't blocked us from enjoying the goodness of Moonnar. Munnar is a small place located in Idukki, a district of the state of Kerala in South India. Munnar's mesmerising greenery with mountain view, calmness and the cool and refreshing air attracts honeymooners and tourists throughout the year. It is also a weekend hideout location for domestic tourists like us, The scenic beauty on the Moonar - Thekkady route is commendable and will be in the memories of the traveler for ever.
Munnar as the name depicts is a confluence of three rivers. In malayalam (as well as Tamil), the word 'moonnu' means "three" and 'aar' means "river", hence the name Munnar, a shortened version of "Moonnu aar". Three streams, Madurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala joins here in munnar.
Munnar is a commercial centre with one of the world's best tea estates. There are about 30 tea plantations in and around Munnar, and the taste of the blend that we get from the tea leaves of munnar is amazing. Among the number of plantations in Munnar, majority of the plantations are owned by Tata Group's Kannan Devan Tea Estate. Nurturing of tea in plantation to the process of manufacturing and packing is a not to be missed item if you are planning to visit munnar.
The tea estates, hills, lakes and forests in Munnar exposes it's beauty. The hills covered with the green sprouting tea leaves fills an effect of green carpet, covered over a wide area. From Munnar we accented the Top Station Route. This route was blessed with things that were pleasant to the eyes, like the flower show, Mattupetty Dam, Mattupetty Lake Side, Kundala Lake, attractive hills & finally Hill Station. Reaching top station we had the scope for trekking, which I wasn't willing to do, as Irene was with me. The guys were completely charged and was running around from place to place. The excitement to visit Munnar doubled after visiting all these places. We had food near the kundala lake and Irene had a good time enjoying the attention she was getting from the tourists around. Starting back from Munnar by around 5.30 PM, all of us had one thing common in our mind, "We will be visiting this place again".
Route we took: Cochin(Ernakulam) > Vytila > Thrippunithura > Muvattupuzha > Kothamangalam > Adimali > Munnar.
Distance: 135 Kms from Kochi(Approx)
Nearest Airport: Kochi (150 Kms. Approx)
Nearest Railway Station: Kochi / Alwaye
Attraction: Devikulam, Pallivasal, Sita Devi Lake, Attukal, Echo Point, Top station, Christ hills, and the Tea Gardens
Hotels in Munnar: There are star category and budget hotels in Munnar. Club Mahindra, Abad, Edassery, KTDC are some of the major groups that are having hotels in Munnar.
Tips: Carry ear plugs, and other cold resisting apparels, if you are sensitive to the cold and humid environment. If you are driving be cautious, and don't mix drink with driving. If Possible hire a bicycle and explore Munnar in the most eco friendly way!
Compiled By: Mrs. Marymol Jomy
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