Paradise Revealed

Day 1 : Kochi - Munnar | 150Km | 5Hrs

On arrival our Tripdoers travel executive will greet you at the Airport Lounge or Railway station. Thereafter proceed to Munnar, a gracious hill station that lives up to its huge reputation as a tourism hot spot. Developed by the British into a summer resort, Munnar’s picture post card image is considered by many international tourists as very similar to the Scottish hillsides, with its distinctly English and colonial imprint of crystalline lakes, sprawling hillsides swathed in the green of tea gardens, lush meadows, banks of flowers, pebble-strewn streams and the lavish, colonial bungalows with gabled roofs and tall chimneys. On the way from Kochi to Munnar we will cover sightseeing places. On arrival to Munnar, we will check into hotel and spend the remaining day in leisure.

After breakfast proceed to Munnar sightseeing. Romance beckons from every up and dip of its seductively curving hills and lanes. With the main town saturated with tourism, it is better to move away to the less frequented and still pristine locales of Rajamala, Chinnakkanal and Lock Heart Gap for a more private rendezvous with nature. Rajamala is known for its proximity to the Eravikulam National Park that conserves the almost extinct Nilgiri Tahr, which can be observed only at a distance. Mattupetty, famous for the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project and the Kundala dairy farm, further uphill surrounded by endless vistas of tea gardens are great spots for a kaleidoscopic view of Munnar and its surroundings. In the evening return to the hotel and sleep comfortably after having a special candle light dinner.

After Breakfast Proceed to Thekkady. The rich tropical forests of Kerala are home to endless varieties of wildlife. No travel itinerary of Kerala is complete without a visit to the state’s wildlife sanctuaries. Thekkady, nestled in the lush and rough terrains of Kerala’s jungle district Idukki tops the list. The Periyar Tiger Reserve and National Park at Thekkady, 192 kilometers south east of Kochi, is one among the 18 Project Tiger Reserves in the country and one of the most fascinating and famous tourist spots in India. The artificial lake that runs across the dense evergreen forests offers a boating experience perhaps unmatched by anything in the country as it enables one to observe wild animals especially elephants at close quarters. After having delicious dinner, stay overnight at hotel.

After Breakfast proceed to Houseboat. A rich tapestry of rivers, estuaries, lagoons, lakes and canals, Kerala has a 1500 kilometer stretch of waterways. The backwater cruises in the traditional houseboats called kettuvalloms is unique to the Kerala brand of tourism and there are few experiences more exotic. The backwaters of Kerala have been used for transportation, fishing and agriculture. The kettuvalloms sport a thatched roof over the wooden hulls and were in earlier days used as grain barges to transport rice and other cargo to the local markets. Today the houseboat is an experience in itself, it is a floating home with all the modern luxury that a resort or hotel provides. With the stunning vistas of equally vivid waterscapes and landscapes that unspool along the sides, a cruise is refreshing as it is restful.

After Breakfast proceed to Alappuzha, or the erstwhile Alleppey, is a very visible landmark on the tourism map of Kerala, thanks to its popularity as the hub of Kerala’s houseboat cruises. A labyrinth of canals that criss-cross the city, has won Alappuzha the eponym, the Venice of the East. The canals that once buzzed with commercial vibrance and hosted an unending traffic of canopied boats that carried cargo of yore, have become lackluster, flowing by unhurriedly, a mute witness to the dilapidation of the city that happened when its status as the premier port deserted it. The endless stretch of palm fringed bunds and causeways that keep the sea at bay and flank the entire route of the famous house boat cruises, set up an idyllic setting for the traveller.

Till recently Kochi was Cochin, a name redolent of its British and colonial past. Today Kochi is at the crossroads of history and modernity. Made up of the twin towns of Fort Kochi and Ernakulam, it still wears a thin veil of historical threads – English, Dutch, Portuguese and Chinees. Kochi, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is the most important stop for a true feel of Kochi’s colonial past. With its quaint, old-world charm, and eclectic architectural mix of Dutch, Portuguese, British, Gothic, Renaissance, Indo-European, one is immediately transported to the colonial era. Kochi, in short, is a delightful cocktail of experiences that offers all the flavors of a dream holiday.