situated in Idukki district. The name Munnar means moonu aaru’(three rivers), where Madhurapuzha,
Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers flow together.
It was a weekend (Saturday, July 27th 2013) and I was sitting near the window enjoying the monsoon rain. I
always enjoyed driving long trips during rain. So I decided for a weekend trip. Hill stations are always beautiful during monsoon season. One of the best hill station in Kerala is Munnar. I
picked up my phone, called my best buddies and here we are all set for our next trip. Since it was a one day
trip, we decided Top Station as our final destination.
A one day trip to Munnar from Kochi
Sunday July 28th 2013 we started our journey from Ernakulam around 8:00 AM. Inspite of the heavy rains,
the roads were in good condition. When we were about to reach Thalakode, we could feel the climate
changing. The joy of high range drive started when we reached Neriamangalam. Climate changes every
other minute, sometimes it rains and then suddenly mist covers the whole route.
Almost after 1 ½ hours of ride we reached Valara water falls around 10:00 AM. It was a beautiful one and I
believe it was the monsoon that made her look prettier. We almost spend 10-15 minutes there. There was a
small restaurant nearby the falls. We had coffee, bought some bottles of water from there kept it in our
backpack and continued our journey.
Around 12’o clock we reached Munnar. Somewhere between Iruttukanam and Kallar Vattiyar, we had a
wonderful view of mist covering the forest. Usually you could get such surprise views from nature during
monsoon season. On the way to Top Station from Munnar there are lots of places to stop by. There are
viewpoints where you will get beautiful sight of tea estates on either sides. Mattupetty Dam is nearly 10km
drive from Munnar town. You can get a beautiful panoramic view of hills and clouds from top of the dam.
We reached there by 1:15 PM. Also there are boat rides available, which is really enjoyable.
The next spot was a scenic place called Echo Point (15km from Munnar) which got its name from the natural
echo phenomenon there. We reached there by 1:45 PM. Here the tourists will scream and shout aloud to
hear back their own voice. Pedal boat ride is also a good time pass here. You can find lots of shops around
here. We had a cup of coffee and some Chilli Bajji. We bought some home-made chocolates which is the
speciality of Munnar, and had it till our next spot.
Our next spot was Kundala Lake (25 kms from Munnar). We reached there by 3:00 PM. On the way there are many spots where you could get into tea plantations and get some photographs with the scenic beauty of
the nature. A small pine forest is situated near to this lake. Horse rides and pedal boats are available there.
You could get this pedal boat and can drive into the beautiful calm lake for long time. Since it was monsoon
season there was less number of tourists so no one will compel you to hurry.
Our next point was the final destination, Top Station (35 kms from Munnar) which is just 10 kms from
Kundala. We reached there by around 4:00 PM. Tourists have to walk nearly 600m to reach the View Point.
While we walk towards the View Point we could experience the hill become smaller and smaller. One could
see the plain land of Tamil Nadu while reaching the extreme end. View Point offers a panoramic view of the
majestic Western Ghats and the valley of Theni and Bodinaykanur. There were couple of shops available at
Top Station where you could get tea/coffee and snacks. Beautiful view of mountains touched by rain clouds
will always catch your eyes throughout this route.
We started our journey back by around 5:15 PM. On the way back, we had a really surprising view of a
family of elephants roaming over a valley eating grass. It is the first time that I am seeing something of that
sort. So we enjoyed it until the heard headed back to the forest. The night drive through forest was really
fantastic. We stopped in between to enjoy the forest in its full extend.
We reached back Ernakulam by 10:30 PM. We drove around 330 kms that day. Coming back to my room,
lying on my cosy bed I felt this was the best trip I had in a while, a trip that we could never forget.
Main attractions: Eravikulam National Park, Anamudi, Devikulam, Photo Point, Attukal Waterfalls,
Nyayamakad, Muniyara Dolmens, Pothemadu Point, Echo Point, Mattupetty Dam, Tea Estate. There are lot
of viewpoints on the route.
Season for visiting: Munnar experiences a moderate climate throughout the year. Best time to visit is
between September and May.
Accommodation: Various range of hotels, cottages, home stay are available
Accessibility: Kochi International Airport is located 105 km from Munnar. Ernakulam Junction at 130 kms is the closest railway station.
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