Trip to Kochi and Munnar, Kerala
DAY 1 (29 Jan 2017/Sunday) : Delhi to Kochi.
We a group of friends had an opportunity to visit Kochi and Munnar in the month of January 2017. From Delhi we took Air India Flight No AI048 from IGI Airport at 1805 hours and landed at Cochin International Airport at around 2130 hours. The airport is located at Nedumbassery which is about 30 km northeast of Kochi city.
The Dunes, Cochin
Night stay was in a hotel called The Dunes in the main city and is a 40 mins ride from the airport. Dinner and stay were at the hotel. The next day (Day 2) was spent sightseeing Kochi city. It is a beautiful and calm place. The people of Kerala, the Keralites are simple, honest, well behaved, and helpful people.
DAY 2 (30 Jan 2017/Monday) :
Sight Seeing Kochi.
Kochi has so much to offer to the tourists like backwaters of Kochi, Marine Drive, Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Palace, Willingdon Island, Santa Cruz Cathedral, and St Francis Church. However, keeping in view the fact that we have only one day, we could visit only Fort Kochi and St Francis Church as well as the local markets etc.
DAY 3 (31 Jan 2017/Tuesday) :
Kochi to Munnar.
After breakfast and check out, we left for Munnar. The road trip to Munnar was fascinating with winding roads passing through hills with tea gardens on all sides. Munnar is the hill station of Kerala, situated at around 1,600 meters (5,200ft), in the Western Ghats range of mountains. The name Munnar is believed to mean “three rivers”, referring to its location at the confluence of the Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundaly rivers.
At around 1230 hours we reached and halted at a place calledChakkupallamand visited a spice garden called Hindustan Spices and Herbals, where different varieties of spices and herbals including ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove, nutmeg, Bettle Nut, Cadbury, Allspices (Sarvasuganthi), Lemon Grass, Curry Leaf, Hibiscus, Papaya, Mosambi, Orange, Mango, varieties of JackFruit, Water cherry, Various type of Gua Tree, Coconut Tree, Arbi, Insulin Plant, Pathimukam plant, Gooseberry, Tulsi are grown. We bought spices and other items from the shop in this establishment. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant.
After lunch, our journey recommenced and we reached the beautiful hill station of Munnar at around 1600 hours. Out stay had been booked at Hotel Silver Tips. This famous hotel was once a cinema hall. Dinner was served at around 2100 hours.
DAY 4 (01 Feb 2017/Wednesday) :
Stay at Munnar and Local Sightseeing.
After breakfast, we left for local sightseeing in places around Munnar. The first place to visit wasMattupetty which is located 13 km away from Munnar. The main attraction of Mattupetty is the dam and the lake here. The dam is a vital source of electricity generation in Munnar and a haven for many wild animals and birds due to its constant water availability.
We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery all around with green forests, a beautiful lake, and a fabulous climate. The serene ambiance of the lake captivated everyone.
The next place to visit is known as Echo Point, located 2-3 km from Mattupetty. Echo Point always has a greenish look as it is covered with abundant green forests all around. It is also a destination for those who love to have a nature walk or trekking. The group didn’t have that much time though but enjoyed the brief stay with clean air.
Lunch was taken on return at a place near Munnar. The evening was at our leisure and we utilized the opportunity for shopping and local sightseeing.
DAY 5 (02 Feb 2017/Thursday) :
Munnar to Kochi and to Delhi.
After breakfast, we check out from the hotel Silver Tips, Munnar, and left for Kochi reaching there at around 1315 hours. After having lunch and some shopping, we left for the airport and back to Delhi
