Munnar - a peep into heaven. Review on Munnar

It was an early morning drive to Munnar from Madurai. The weather was perfect; the birds were just waking up and preparing themselves for breakfast, dogs lazily stretching by the side of the road and we sped across the free road. It was just my friend, me and music.

The Drive: The drive to Munnar was half the excursion - it was just wonderful. If you like driving, or if you?ve just got a new car, or if you live close enough to Munnar that you can drive up or if you can just rent a car or even if none of these reasons suit - I strongly recommend you to self-drive to Munnar. The road until Bodi-Metu (if you?re driving from TN) is a single road and you?ll have to stop or at times even reverse 100-200 mts so you can let the oncoming traffic pass. The road then becomes better and is wonderful.

Green luscious shrubbery and a mossy periphery flank moist roads with thin streams that flow from somewhere to nowhere. The bends in the road remind you of the natural curves of a nude woman and you feel in seventh heaven speeding up and down, an array of smells tantalizing your nostrils, the cold air soothing your skin, the sun rays stealing a look once a while, soft green grass pamper the eye and you just do not want to stop being caressed by lady nature.

(Drove 300 km only in the hills in 1 day)

You can drive to Munnar from Ernakulam, Coimbatore or Madurai. All three towns are well connected by air, rail and road.

Munnar: Munnar, a panchayat located 1600Mts above sea level is solely dependent on the surrounding tea plantations and the tourists that flock here during summer holidays. The place, by some mysterious manner has not yet been completely destroyed by humans; people here have learnt to live in harmony with the surrounding forests, though most of the place has been encroached by tea and cardamom plantations.

It's a perfect place to relieve yourself of stress, a place to walk around leisurely enjoying the gifts of nature, a place to rest, read and while away with your closest ones, a perfect place for honeymooners. Children may get bored in a day or two and as place for trekking, it has some good routes but the choice is not that very big.

Sightseeing: There are 4 wildlife sanctuaries at a distance ranging from 15-50 km from Munnar; the farther you go, the better it becomes. Elephants, Leopards, Giant flying squirrels, Languars, wild cats, mountain goats are some of the animals present here. All sanctuaries have restrictions and you have access to a very small part of it only. The chances of seeing wild elephants or any other wild animal (other than the wild goat which is in abundance) is a matter of luck.

Munnar is not an abode for the elephants but a passing between the Muddumalai forests and the forests in southern Kerala. It's not that easy to see a wild elephant as it is in Muddumalai or Thekaddy. The Kerala forest department does an excellent job in barring tourists from the natural habitats of animals thus protecting them well from humans and letting them lead a peaceful life.

There are 2 other dams one at Madupatty and another further up toward top point, one of the highest points in south India. The dams have a picturesque view and boating facility also. The view is more than worth the 25 km you?ll have to travel to get there.

Food: All hotels boast of Chinese, North Indian, South Indian, Chettinad, Kerala cuisine. The choice is big but they never have half of what is there in the menu. The availability of vegetables is scarce here and so most of the dishes may lack half of the ingredients it's supposed to have. Food in general is tasty, but be sure to taste before ordering, they use a lot of coconut oil for cooking and it makes some taste buds go on strike.

People: The people are very friendly and courteous. You don't have a lot of people stalking you or offering tours, travel and accommodation even in the main town area. It's much safer than most of the cities in India, so if you're Indian, you've had a training called life and you will not have any problems. If you're a foreign national, just remember that friendly and courteous talk does not mean truth.

The girls of Kerala are gorgeous, so if get bored with nature and sceneries, there's always something else to ogle your eyes at. I guess, god created this heavenly land and to justify its beauty, made the girls as stunning as the land around.

Stay: There are a lot of resorts and hotels in and around Munnar. It is better to book them in advance if you're traveling during summer holidays or otherwise most of them are pretty free and can be booked on arrival.

Tips: Try the road less traveled here. You'll find a new word of beauty awaiting you. At a number of places I had a funny feeling, I was walking through one of the post cards I received. I've fallen in Love with this place, will return for sure again and again. (Mail me if you want more details)

Munnar as a whole is a marvelous place to go to for a week to rest, breathe fresh air, be with your loved ones and not be disturbed. God's own country - Kerala and Munnar is just an other proof of it.