KERALA - God's Own Country

One of the must see places in the world – God's Own Country - Kerala - Located in south India is an extra ordinary land with almost all elements of nature.

How to reach KERALA? By Air : Thiruvnanthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode have three separate international airports. Thiruvnanthapuram is the capital of Kerala which is well connected to the other cities of Kerala. By Road: Kerala is connected by road to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu through national highway. You can hire buses, tourist taxis, and autos which are the main mode of road transport. Kerala is connected with other states through metalled roads. By Rail: Railway connects different places within and outside Kerala as there are about 200 railway stations present in Kerala. For long distances there are super fast trains, express trains which connect Kerala to Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. Apart from these, there are speed-boats, public ferry services, houseboats or ketuvallams to reach different destinations of this exotic place. 

 I wanted to experience it ALL... the mountains the valleys, exotic wildlife, the lakes & rivers, thick forests and the beaches. So I made a plan to cover the best of all these.

The Plan

MUST SEE PLACES :

1. Munnar – Hill Station.
2. Alleppey Backwater.
3. Thekkady or Periyar Tiger Reserve – WildLife Sanctuary.
4. Varkala – Beautiful Beach Side.
5. Kovalam – Beach.
6. Kumarakom – Backwater.
7. Cochin – City Tour.
8. Wayanad – Wildlife.

MUST DO THINGS IN KERALA :

1. Take a Ride on an ELEPHANT
2. Enjoy an Ayurvedic MASSAGE and be rejuvenated 
3. Stay in a tree house
4. Watch a KATHAKALI performance – and be mesmerized
5. Eat traditional Kerala meal on a BANANA LEAF
6. Sip tender coconut plucked from a coconut tree- And be refreshed
7. Sail down in backwaters and stay in a houseboat - romantic experience
8. Go fishing with Chinese fishing nets

DAY 1 : Arrived at Cochin International Airport. Proceeded to Munnar by car ~ approx. 3 h 30 min (140 km). Picturesque route.  Valara and Cheeyappara waterfalls on the way ...

Munnar is a hill station and former resort for the British Raj elite, it's surrounded by rolling hills dotted with tea plantations established in the late 19th century. Eravikulam National Park, a habitat for the endangered mountain goat Nilgiri tahr, is home to the Lakkam Waterfalls, hiking trails and 2,695m-tall Anamudi Peak.
The Tea Museum at the Nallathanni Estate presents the region’s history of tea production. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is an ecotourism site that protects numerous animal species. Northeast of town, Top Station is a 1,700m-high overlook and trekking site with views over the mountains. Fields of blue Neelakurinji flowers bloom there once every 12 years. En route to Top Station, reservoirs at Mattupetty Dam and Kundala Dam are popular for boating and picnicking. Aside from Lakkam, the region's many picturesque waterfalls include Attukal and Chinnakanal.

Arrived at Kaivalyam Retreat...

Surrounded by spice plantations and forest, this subdued resort is set within stone-built cottages, the airy rooms feature teak furnishings, hardwood floors and handmade lamps.
The vision of an eco-retreat has been developed in concert with the attributes of the site : year-around cool climatic conditions of hill station, abundant tree spread across with views of distant tea gardens, existing landscape type mountain slopes, natural pathways of water streams and plantations of tea, coffee, cardamom, pepper and other spices.

DAY 2: Munnar Sightseeing.

DAY 3: Munnar  - Periyar (Thekkady)
Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India. Visit the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary by boat in Periyar Lake. The wildlife sanctuary is notable as an elephant reserve, a tiger reserve and is home to various rare, endangered flora and fauna.

DAY 4:

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is situated at Kumarakom in Kottayam taluk of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala, on the banks of Vembanad Lake. Set in the Kerala Backwaters, the bird sanctuary is a favourite haunt of migratory birds.

Vembanad Lake : Sprawling lake with a lush shoreline known for its bird preserve, boating, fishing & festivals.
 Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India, and the largest lake in the state of Kerala. Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Vembanadu Lake in Kottayam, Punnamada Lake in Kuttanad and Kochi Lake in Kochi.

Stay in a houseboat!

DAY 5:
Fort Kochi
Beaches, synagogues, fishing, and basilicas - Fort Kochi is a region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India.