Kerala Monsoon Travel ~ Summing Up

First allow me to thank you if you have read all the previous parts of this wonderful Kerala monsoon travelogue. If you have not you can read them from the links below:

Part 1: Cherai Beach

Part 2: Periyar National Park

Part 3: Munnar

Part 4 : Marayoor

Before I start summarising the trip, the most frequently asked question that I have received time and our again is:

Is it necessary to take RT PCR for those who travel from Kerala?

The Answer is NO. There is no vaccination certificate or RT PCR report required anywhere. No hotels, national parks or bus terminus.However you are expected to put on your mask in all public places.

The route that we followed was : Bangalore - > Cherai -> Periyar National Park -> Marayoor -> Bangalore

It was roughly 900 kms for the entire trip from Bangalore to Bangalore. We did the entire trip on road in our car ( Duster).






Cherai Beach

Cherai is a popular fisherman's village in the Vypin Islands of Kerala. It is near to Kochi.

Highlights: clean beaches, backwater, fresh seafood at affordable price.

Places to see:

• The Backwaters: The place where the lakes, lagoons and canals come together is where the heart of Cherai lies. The calm waters of Periyar along with coconut trees depict the perfect scene of nature altogether. 

• Kuzhuppilly Beach: Beautiful quiet beach. There are Indian pine trees on the shore leading to the beach. Its a nice place for some sunset photography.

• Munamam Break Water Point & Beach: This attraction is situated towards the northern end of the Cherai beach and is a beautiful place where the Periyar River meets the Arabian Sea. It is a perfect spot to sit and spend time with your family as well as friends while enjoying the scenic beauty. The sunset sure should not be missed out on

• Munamam Fishing Harbour: This attraction is what attracts millions of tourists every year to buy fish and all other fresh seafood from the fishers at Fisherman's Wharf directly. 

• Pallipuram Church: The foundation of the Pallipuram church was laid down in 1507 and comprises of an image of Mary placed on top of the altar. The cultural life of Cherai would not be complete without the festival at the church which is celebrated for 15 days every year.

• Pallipuram Fort: This fort lies amongst the most ancient European monuments in India with a three-storied hexagonal structure. It was repaired between 1596 and 1605 and has a frontage added to it in the Manueline style.

Ideal number of days to stay: 2

Stay: We stayed at LightHouse Beach Resort. It is a homestay newly renovated. I will write a review post separately.

Rate was 6k per night
Cleanlines: 4/5
Location: 4.5/5 ( its a beach access property)
Space: 3.5/5 ( it accommodates 2 families. The villa is a little congested for two families staying at the same time)
Overall rating: 4.2 / 5 ( Considering stay options at Cherai are still not many)


They have a caretaker who lives adjacent to the guesthouse.She can make tea, snacks or meals at additional cost.

Periyar National Park

The most popular National park of Kerala along with Eravikulam National Park. Its a great place to sight plenty of wild animals and birds in their natural habitat. The morning boat ride in the Periyar river is the best to spot wild dogs, sambhar deer, boar and a hoard of birds.

Highlights: flora and fauna, the boat ride in the Periyar river

Places to see:

• Periyar National Park : You should not miss the morning 7:30 am ferry ride.One can also book a guided trekking trip in the forest to spot animals and birds and also see some rare trees.

Ideal number of days to stay: 1

Stay: We stayed at Periyar House. It is a Government property. We booked through Goibibo.
Cleanlines: 3/5
Location: 4.8/5 ( its inside the forest )
Space: 3.8/5 ( Rooms are okay in size. Wish the furnitures were a bit more decent looking.)
Overall rating: 4 / 5 ( Considering the property is inside the wildlife sanctuary and very courteous staff )

Munnar

The most popular tourist destination of Kerala, a slice of heaven in nature's lap, Munnar needs no introduction.If there is only one single place that you can visit in Kerala then it should be Munnar.

Highlights: scenic beauty, mountains,waterfalls and most importantly tea gardens

Places to see: 

• Mattupetty Dam : Situated 13 km off Munnar at 1700m above the sea level, is highly famous for the Indo-Swiss live stock projects. This picnic spot is also popular among its visitors for various activities like speed boating and horse riding.

• Echo Point : Located between Kundala Lake and Mattupetty dam is Echo Point.The place is extremely beautiful. However there is a lot of garbage that needs to be cleaned.Also there are a lot of hawkers and shops at the entry of the place which makes it look very congested.But once you get inside, the beauty of the place surely takes away all the not so pleasant first impressions.

• Cattle Point : Indo Swiss Dairy Farm is a cattle development and research centre that spreads over an area of 469 acres of lush green grasslands and is home to a variety of high-quality cattle. The farm rears about 400 heads of cattle and is the headquarter of the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project that was launched in 1963 on mutual agreement between the Swiss and the Indian Government.

• Kundala Lake and Dam : Situated in the laps of the lush jungle is Kundala Dam & Lake laying 23 km off Munnar. This arch dam is famous for its Kashmiri-Shikara boat rides and pedal boat rides.

• Top Station : Top Station is the highest point in Munnar at 6276 ft. It is the top place to visit in Munnar to enjoy the panoramic view of the majestic Western Ghats and valley of Theni District of Tamil Nadu.However you need to walk 2km to reach the view point.

• Tea Gardens : Perched at several feet over the sea level and boasting of misty skies above and green carpeted fields below, these splendid Tea gardens in Munnar are a must-visit for every traveller.

• Tea Museum : Located in the Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea, the KDHP Museum is a tea museum housing old machinery used for tea processing, photographs and other memorabilia.

• Photo Point : A place on the road to Madupetty Dam where the road curvature gives beautiful views of surrounding tea gardens. The green tea fields and the blue sky gives the perfect landscape for any picture.

• Pallivasal Tea Estate and Waterfalls : The beautiful Pallivasal tea estate also has the Palliasal waterfalls.The waterfall cascades down a rocky slope and doesn't quite have a height but the force it gushes with is sure to captivate one and all. When we went we did not found too many tourist just 4 or 5 people, but its definitely a beautiful place in Munnar and should not be missed

• Spice Garden Tours : Some of the spice farms arrange spice garden induction tours in which the guide will show you the spice plants and later you can buy from their in-house shop. Its a good learning tour if you have never been to spice tours before.

• Eraikulam National Park : Located a 45-minute drive away from Munnar, the Eravikulam National Park (also known as Rajamalai Wildlife Sanctuary) is a UNESCO world heritage site. Elephant, Nilgiri langur, Nilgiri marten, Atlas moth (largest in the world), lion-tailed macaque, small-clawed otter, and a rare tiger or leopard are some of the main animal species that can be spotted here.There is a Government bus ride that will take you till the view point from where you can walk and enjoy the surroundings.

Ideal number of days to stay: 4

Stay: We stayed at various hotels. You can book your stay through any booking website.

Marayoor

A less popular destination of Kerala, Marayoor is very close to Chinnar Wild Life sanctuary. Marayoor has sandalwood reserve forest, the only one of its kind in Kerala.

Highlights: scenic beauty, Sandalwood reserve forest

Places to see:

• Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary : A protected wildlife sanctuary, Chinnar boasts of beautiful landscape views along with a rich flora and fauna. Wildlife enthusiasts can take the jeep ride inside the national park or do a trekking. The most important fact about Chinnar WLS is that it is the only rehabilitation centre for Indian start tortoise in India. The entry to the national park has a giant statue of the star tortoise to represent its rehabilitation.

• Thoovanam Waterfalls : Thoovanam waterfall is a stunning waterfall located inside Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Marayoor. Thoovanam waterfall is formed by the Pambar River and is the most popular waterfall in Marayoor. There are treks till the waterfall.

• Sandalwood Reserve Forest : At a distance of 5 km from Marayoor Bus Station, Sandalwood Forest is a naturally grown forest situated in Marayoor, Kerala. It is the only place in Kerala that has a natural sandalwood forest. There are more than 65,000 trees. The forest department has a nursery as well where anyone can buy sandalwood saplings.

• Ezhuthala Cave Rock Paintings : At a distance of 4 km from Marayoor Bus Stand, Ezhuthala Cave is a prehistoric cave situated inside Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Marayoor. Known for its ancient rock art, it is one of the popular places to visit in Marayoor.

 The Ezhuthala cave paintings, said to be one of the most beautiful depictions in red ochre of the             prehistoric era in the country, are being ruined by the ravages of time in the absence of scientific preservation and protection.

• Dolmens : Dolmens or Muniyaras are the prehistoric burial chambers situated at Kovikadavu village near Marayoor.The magnificent Muniyaras or Dolmens belong to the Stone Age and are older than 10, 000 BC. The dolmens belong to to the Megalithic age. Apart from the dolmens of the Stone Age, several dolmens of the Iron Age exist in this region especially on the left side of River Pambar.

To reach you have to walk long distance in the forest. Also the dolmens are not very well maintained .

Ideal number of days to stay: 3

Stay: We stayed at a heritage property Chandana Royal. The options for stay in Marayoor is limited.
Cleanlines: 4/5
Location: 4/5 
Space: 5/5 ( Rooms are huge. Furnitures are wooden and very aesthetic
Overall rating: 4.1 / 5