Kerala is home to me, yet I feel like a maiden tourist while visiting the state everytime. It’s because I was majorly brought up in the northern states of India. However, I made it a point to visit every nook and corner of the state in my every visit. Hills and forests of Palakkad, the temples of Thrissur, the Kozhikode Biriyani, the Fort Cochin and the Ananthapadmanaban of capital city Thirvanandapuram, I have missed nothing!
But today I am again at India Imagine’s travel dairy will be sharing my weekend getaway experience of Munnar and Alleppey. Stick with me and enjoy the ride!
Trip to a mesmerising hill station -Munnar
We planned a weekend getaway to Munnar and Alleppey last year on one of our visits to Kerala. It was easy for me to reach Munnar as it was exactly a three hours ride from Thrissur (the place I was staying). As it was a quick one our major plan was to stay Friday night at a resort and do all major sightseeing on Saturday. We even chalked out the list of places to visit to avoid last moment confusion.
So, here goes the list of things that we did at Munnar.
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Our first plan was to visit the nearest to our resort and the main city. Atukkad waterfalls, Tata Tea Museum, Pothamedu View Point and Indo Swiss Dairy Farm are nearly one to two kilometers from the city.
Also Read: Munnar – The Mystic Hill Station Of Kerala
- Atukkad Waterfalls
Atukkad Waterfalls Munnar
Hill station can’t get away from beautiful waterfalls flushing out in a silver line. The place is considered a romantic spot and an escapade from your hectic life. But make sure you are hiring an experienced driver throughout your route as the road to Atukkad is quite steep and narrow.
- Pothamedu View Point
Pothamedu View Point Munnar
This is a place where you would forget all your concerns and issues for a while at least. The view from here is breathtaking, with cardamom, tea and coffee plantations. This is a paradise for photographers and selfie lovers alike. But for me, it took me a few minutes to realise I was still on earth.
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- Indo Swiss Dairy
You don’t have to go to Switzerland to get a glimpse of high-quality cattle grazing on the lush green lands. The view that we encapsulate in movies is live in the hilly areas of Munnar. The Indo Swiss Dairy is spread across almost 469 acres of land. The dairy contains more than 400 herds that are of high quality.
Visit the farm and click some fabulous pictures to reminisce later.
- Tata Tea Estate and Museum
Tata Tea Estate and Museum / Image credit: en.wikipedia.org
Tata Tea Museum is located in the laps of vast hills. My favourite Kannan Devan tea powder comes from this plantation. Apart from the tea plantation that gives the people the best of Tata Tea, there is a Museum that is quite popular for its antiquities. There is an urn in the museum which is from 2nd century AD! That would be a real wonder, isn’t it?
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When we finished these places, it was already past noon. After a quick lunch, we headed towards the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary which comes under UNESCO World Heritage. It was a long drive but worth a visit. Then we planned to wind up our trip and drove back halting at some beautiful hilly sides and waterfalls.
This is not my first visit to Munnar, However, if yours is the first visit, better stay for two more days as there are several spots that you shouldn’t miss!
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Alleppey (Alappuzha)- A dream destination
We started towards Alleppey after dinner, it was a 4-hour journey from Munnar. We had booked a hotel to stay the night and decided to start our tour the next day.
- Alleppey Backwaters
Kayaking At Backwaters Kerala, Via: travspire.com
Early in the morning, we started our exciting trip to see the mesmerising backwaters. The views were worth a million dollars that keep sticking there for a long. If you are on a honeymoon trip or have more than a day to spare you should avail luxurious houseboat to stay in the waters.
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- Krishnan Puram Palace
Ok, I can’t resist the historic place. So bear with me for some time. We spend half of the day at the shores of backwaters and relishing the tasty homemade seafood. After which we headed to Krishna Puram Palace, which is a part of the famous Travancore Kingdom. The palace’s architectural style and the premises are worth appreciation. It was built during the reign of Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma. The paint and canvas inside the places are old enough to represent history.
- Kuttanad
Kuttanad / Image credit: keralatourism.travel
Kuttanad has a different place in the hearts of Keralite. It is an example of how beautiful nature can be. The land is filled with lush green paddy and rice fields. Surrounded by backwaters and lakes that are rich in marine life. Kuttanad is known as the rice bowl of Kerala. The scenery is such a mesmerising beauty that tourists from all over the globe come here to take a break from regular life.
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The famous snake boat festival or vellam-kali that we call in Malayalam is a major tourist attraction. People around the world come here for a particular month to watch a fabulous sport. If you are planning to stay long in Alleppey you should book a homestay. You won’t miss your home for sure, instead, you will feel homesick to leave this place. Also, relish your tastebuds with the best of seafood available. Fish, crab, prawns, oyster you name it, you will get it.
Plan a trip to two of Kerala’s most beautiful place soon and enjoy the picturesque countryside. Till then Bon Voyage!
