Day 0:
I spent four years of my education in Kerala but missed going to Alleppey and Kochi and always wanted to go back someday and cover those places. Finally, the time is ripe and I along with my friend set off on a workcation to God’s own country. We started on a Friday to Alappuzha from KR Puram Railway station on Kochuveli Express. This train seems to be decent enough in punctuality.
Day 1:
We reached our first destination i.e Aleppey early in the morning. We booked our stay at Kottaram Heritage Resort which is just opposite the Collectorate. We decided to walk there from the railway station. Our hotel check-in time is supposed to be in noon but the owner was kind enough to allow us an early check-in. We had breakfast in the hotel present in the resort itself. Crispy Kerala parotta felt delicious with juicy egg curry blended with spices.
Our hotel owner also owns a boat business and he arranged a shikhara boat (the one famous in Dal lake, Srinagar) ride for us. He charged 800 per hour for the whole boat. Later we felt it could have come down if we had gone directly to the boats lined up in the Boat Jetty Road and negotiated. We took a four-hour ride through the beautiful backwaters of Alleppey. We felt this much better than a houseboat which is expensive and only covers wider water lanes. But if you want to experience much narrower lanes and village life, a canoe ride is a must. For a movie buff like me, these canals and houses lined up aside reminded me of the movies “Naa Autograph” and “Ye Maaya Chesave”. It’s fascinating to see how these canals and backwaters are part of the lives of the natives. The people, paddy fields, and canals seem inseparable. I was surprised to see there are ferries all the way up to places like Kollam and Kottayam. These are really cheap and managed by Kerala State Water Transport Department and locals use them for their daily commute. We had Kerala Meals in a floating hotel in the backwaters.
Backwaters of Alleppey
After the ride, we decided to go to Marari beach which is one of the cleanliest beaches in Kerala. We took a private bus to reach the junction near the beach. On the way, we could see a lot of cutouts of football players laid out by their fans, thanks to the FIFA world cup. It’s a few minutes’ walk from there. Most part of the beach looks clean and we can spot a few foreigners here and there relaxing on the beach. After spending some time, we went to Alleppey beach which is much more crowded and less clean. We had some seafood close to the beach for supper.
Day 2:
I was desperate to go to the church seen in the movie “Ye Maaya Chesave”, but apparently it seems to be far away and we didn’t have enough time. We wanted to go to Ambalapuzha temple and started on a private bus but it will stop us only on the highway and we had to take an auto to reach the temple. You prepare yourself to take off your shirt if you plan to visit a temple in Kerala. Lake in the temple looks really clean probably either due to good management or disciplined devotees. We waited for a long time near the temple for a government bus back to Alleppey, but our hopes got shattered after seeing the bus fully packed. We had to again come back to the highway to catch a bus.
Four hours of the ride in the backwaters couldn’t satiate our love for the waters, so we thought to go on a ferry ride to Kainakary (also called Kuttanad ferry) to experience how the locals travel. It starts at 12:30 noon even though the board there and information on the internet say otherwise. Staff, there are helpful with your queries. Fare is just 60 rupees on the upper deck and 40 if you settle for the lower deck. Locals mostly settle in the lower deck. It’s amazing to see a ferry station just like a bus station/railway station managed by the government for daily commutes. It’s located at a walkable distance from the ksrtc bus station. Ferry passed through some stops where locals could hop in or out. We reached the last stop after an hour and took the same ride back which cost 60 rupees again. Since it’s a Sunday most of the businesses are shut down except for a few hotels/restaurants even though it’s a district headquarters. We got tired and took a rest for the remaining part of the day as we got to take a bus early in the morning to Munnar.
Day 3:
I had been to Munnar before but it is that destination which you would long to visit again and stay longer. We woke up early in the morning to take the bus to Munnar. Our warm host took all the trouble to drop us at the bus stand at 3:30 in the morning. We were lucky enough to have a reservation as the bus is mostly full till Ernakulam. After we crossed Kothamanagalam, I can feel the change in the weather with lush greens and hills further soaring charm after Adimali. Our stay is at Hotel Emerald Inn, which is closer to the Town Centre. Most of the buses end at the town center even though the ksrtc bus stand is much earlier located in what they call Old Munnar. The interesting part about that bus stand is one can stay in a remodeled bus for a night for just 100 bucks. Technically even though Munnar is part of Kerala, I felt like I am in Tamil Nadu due to a large number of Tamil-speaking people and most of the boards only in Tamil and English (surprised to see less Malayalam). We couldn’t roam at all due to the work. Only in the evening, we got to visit Mount Carmel church built in the 19th century by a Spanish missionary. We had food mostly in the low-budget hotels just like how locals eat. The night temperature went down to 14 degrees and all the hotels don’t have fans. The last time I was here was in December and felt much more chilly.
Day 4:
For sightseeing in Munnar, there are mainly four routes. The first one is called the “Top tour” which covers all the places on the way to the top station. It covers some really beautiful places and is recommended for someone who likes the solace of mother nature. “Park Tour” also called the Ernakulam route which covers places like Wonder valley, Dream Land, and some viewpoints along with Spice garden. Most auto drivers suggest this route probably for their cuts(commission). It is for someone who likes some fun and adventure. The third one is called Chinnar Tour also called Pollachi/Coimbatore route which covers Eravikulam National Park and Chinnar wildlife sanctuary along with others. The fourth one is a less famous route called the Misty valley tour. Each of these costs ranges from 500-1500 for an auto rickshaw (also nicknamed tuk-tuk).
I chose the top station route and our first stop is Flower Garden which can be skipped if you are not much into flowers/botanical gardens. But it offers a great spectacle for floral photographers with its picturesque backdrops. The next stop is Photo point which is basically stopping by the side of aesthetically pleasing tea plantations. We can see plantation workers plucking tea leaves using shears unlike the old-fashioned way of plucking with fingers and filling the basket often seen in movies. Our next stop is Matupetty dam where you can do boat riding on the reservoir side. Further, we went to Echo Point. Then we arrived at the best part of the route which is kundaly lake. An ideal place for an amazing photoshoot and spend some time in the woods with a lake view. The final stop is Top Station which was supposed to be a railway station on the top laid out by the British to transport goods from there to the valley in Tamil Nadu. There are no remains of the station anymore but offers an amazing view of the tea estates. Most of these estates in Munnar are owned by the TATA group and they transferred most of these assets to “Kannan Devan Hills Plantations Company”.
Before I could praise the British for creating this beauty of Munnar, I remembered a Tamizh movie called “Paradesi” depicting the grueling life of bonded laborers in tea plantations before independence. 🙁
Day 5:
We set out for the Park Tour but wanted to avoid Wonder Valley and Dream Land as those are some places where we could get to see anywhere and also due to the dearth of time. We got to see a couple of viewpoints and waterfalls. We were disappointed as the waterfalls were not accessible and we were prepared to get into the water. Then we were taken to a Spice plantation. We got deceived by the name, as it’s like an exhibition of different plants which have ayurvedic value (where a guide explains the value of each plant in ayurvedic medicine) and a shop to buy their products at exorbitant prices. It felt more like a sales pitch with the buyer paying for the presentation which is ironic. Then we went to Hydel Park built by the Tourism department which is more of like a picnic spot for children and families.
We came back early due to work and we also have a bus at 8 PM to reach Ernakulam. The bus starts from the Town itself and the ride felt like a roller coaster ride. Special kudos to the ksrtc driver who drove through sharp curves in the hills with ease and expertise. We reached by 11 and took an auto rickshaw from the ksrtc bus stand to the hotel which is on Market Road at a walkable distance from Marine Drive.
Day 6:
We stayed at Hotel Mart View on Market road where a lot of trade happens. I had a presumption that Ernakulam and Kochi are one and the same place. But they are more like twin cities separated by the sea. There are roadways connecting both these places but it’s much easier/shorter to take a Jetty/ferry which costs just 6 rupees and it’s always fun to travel by ferry. We walked from the hotel to Marine drive which is roughly 2 km and took a jetty from there to Fort Kochi. Fort Kochi reaps the legacy left by the Portuguese, Dutch, and their architecture. We got to see giant Chinese fishing nets in the morning operated by the fisherfolk. We had a walk on the promenade and stayed put enjoying the sea breeze and solitude. Close to there is Saint Francis Church where Vasco De Gama was originally buried and later his remains were moved to Lisbon.
From there, we went to Mattanchery Palace (also called the Dutch palace) which was gifted to appease the local king by the Portuguese after plundering a temple nearby. It has murals depicting Hindu epics, the History of Kerala kings, and their lifestyle. We also get to see different items used by them like swords, palanquins, and royal heritage. Very close to the palace is Jewish street where Jews used to stay before the formation of Israel. Most of them relocated to Israel now and they used to be called Paradesi Jews. Kerala had a rich legacy of Jewish history dating hundreds of years besides also having the first church in India and very early trade relations with the Middle East and entry of Islam.
Most of the Jewish street is currently lined up with shops selling antique items. At the end of the street is a Jewish synagogue. It was built adjacent to Mattancherry palace temple both sharing a common wall. There are some Hebrew inscriptions showcasing its rich history and heritage. I felt a whole new experience being the first time in a synagogue making me proud of this country’s diversity and inclusiveness.
We came back to Ernakulam ferry station and took a private bus this time to reach the hotel. At night, we wanted to go to Lulu Mall which is the biggest mall in India. We took a metro from MG Road station to reach Edapally metro station which has an entrance directly into the mall through a skywalk. No doubt Ernakulam has the best transport system with all kinds of travel options available at your feet. We were spellbound by the massive size of the mall and shopping options and decided to come back the next day. We took a metro back and were surprised that the fare is much lesser due to the time.
Day 7:
We spent the latter part of the day exploring the Lulu Mall. We returned to Bangalore by Garibrath Express from Ernakulam Town station (also called North by the locals). Don’t get confused by the other station called Ernakulam Junction or South which caters mainly to the routes towards Kollam via Alappuzha whereas the North station caters to the trains going/coming to/from Kollam via Kottayam.
We wished we could settle in Kerala for its natural beauty and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life but it was time to come back from God’s Own Country. Until next time…..