If you plan for a Kerala trip, no travel agent would accommodate another state in the package. No matter how close you stay to the border of another state. However, with our travel agent the situation was quite different. He was happy to accommodate Kanyakumari in our package although it would require separate permission from the Tamil Nadu toll officers. So, after a great breakfast of Appam in Kovalam, we boarded our car and headed straight to the beach of Kanyakumari. The short ride from Kovalam to Kanyakumari lasted for about 2hrs 30 mins, due to some traffic. We reached there around 11am, so we had full day at our disposal to make the most of it. First as expected, we rushed to the beach. The surrealistic beauty of the Triveni Sangam can only be experienced. No amounts of words can do justice to how the three different colors of waters merged into the ocean there. Towards the left, it was the Arabian Sea, on the right the Bay of Bengal, and the central space was occupied by the Indian Ocean. It might sound weird that water can be of three separate colors. The answer to this query can be – come to Kanyakumari and see for yourself, where three distinct waterways chalk out their own identities while merging into each other. After staring at the beauty of the ocean and clicking millions of pictures, we decided to have lunch. After Kovalam, my expectations about food were high. However, the food offered to us at a small shack near the beach failed to meet our expectations. Nonetheless, I was so excited to see Kanyakumari that a mere tasteless meal couldn’t take away my positive spirit for the day. Then, we decided to board a vessel to go to the famous Vivekananda Rock. I was a little scared to go on the vessel since I am generally scared of water. But being a Bengali, the motivation to be on the Vivekananda Rock was too much. So, we boarded the vessel and amidst a lot of turbulence in the water, we made our way to the rock. It felt like the sea had thrown a challenge to me and I was desperate to overcome it. Finally, we reached the Vivekananda Rock and entered the memorial. We were awestruck to see the divinity around this place which exuded from the towering statue of Swami Vivekananda. We were speechless. As photography was prohibited inside the memorial, we couldn’t click any pictures of this wonderment. However, what mind could capture would be stored forever. We came out and took a tour of the entire huge rock where Swami Vivekananda attained enlightenment. The entire place was so peaceful and had a spirit of its own that you feel charged up. On one side of the rock, there was a huge statue of Thiruvalluvar, who was a popular Tamilian poet and philosopher. We were not aware of this philosopher, until we went there. We learnt there that he worked on secular ethics and morality. So, an important person who deserved to have his statue commemorated at the great rock. Standing on this rock, it felt exhilarating. I looked at the Indian continent from a little distance and could say how my country looks geographically. Since, we have a conical tip at the base of the country, we could see the vast expanse of the country. We could also see the beautiful beach of Rameshwaram at a distance.
After this thrilling experience, we boarded the vessel again to set our foot on Indian domain. We reached the Indian Ocean see shore and decided to check the local market for some shopping, after all South Indian silks are most sought after. We were surprised to see how cheap South Indian silks were in Kanyakumari. We pay a ton of money in Kolkata to buy South Indian silks. My husband and I bargained and got a beautiful jamun colored South Indian silk at only Rs. 550. Yes, it was that cheap and the quality was awesome. When all our quota for travelling was completed, we started our ride again towards Kovalam. This was our last night at Kovalam and I wanted it to be special. So, we ordered some great continental platter at a restaurant and called it an early day. Next day, it was a long ride to Kochin for us - our last halt before we leave God’s Own Country. After the luxurious stay at the houseboat of Alleppey, it was hard to bid adieu. Nonetheless, the sea of Kovalam with all its charm was beckoning us to take on the ride further. After a relaxed and sumptuous breakfast at the island in the backwaters, we boarded the same small boat and made our way towards the land. The peaceful and secluded environment of the backwaters and the friendly staff there made the farewell all the more difficult. However, we reached the boarding point and met our driver waiting for us with a smile on his face. Kovalam was located further south of Kerala and this ride also took us a well above 4hrs. A small coastal town, Kovalam was a beautiful blend of natural beauty and cosmopolitan city. If the crowds of Goa are too much for you, if you are looking for a place where you can sit by the shore and gaze at the never ending beauty of the sea, then Kovalam will be no less than Heaven for you. That is exactly how I felt when I reached our hotel. Slightly away from the beach, far from the maddening crowds, nestled in greenery our hotel – Hotel Grand Sea Kovalam was by far the best hotel arranged by Mr. Anil Nair, our travel agent. A huge room that opened into a balcony from where you can see the Kovalam beach was just the kind of room I was expecting; it was perfect. We were all the more delighted to see a Sikkimese cook in the hotel who exactly knew how us Bengalis like to have Chinese food prepared. So, we planned to definitely get a taste of Chinese cuisine during our stay there. Since we reached late, we went out to check what food options were available to us at that hour. We were pleasantly surprised to find a gourmet restaurant where we ordered the world’s best chicken and fish platters. Heavily satisfied, we took a stroll by the shore and did a little bit of shopping from the shore side stores. I loved everything about this place – the safety it ensured as women could freely swim there without notorious people ogling at them, the light breeze of the sea shore, the small old shops by the sea, and the happy faces. We rented laid back beach chairs and enjoyed the pleasures of the sea till we witnessed the majestic sunset. The evening was also equally relaxed, as we roamed around the sea side a bit, came back to our hotel to steaming hot and delicious Chinese meal, and called it a quick night. The next day, it was exploration mode on. We went to the light house which was quite close to our hotel as we stayed near the lighthouse beach. We also visited the Hawa beach, the Padmanabhapuram Palace, Neyyar Dam, and the Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple. Each and every location had a history to narrate. We further went to the Kovalam Port or Vizhinjam where we saw a weekend market or fair that was coming to an end. This was the place from where I got great Kerala silks for my mother and mother-in-low. After a nice spurt of shopping, we decided to come back and spend the rest of the day by the sea-side.
The evening was surely more crowded than the day time at the Lighthouse Beach. Nevertheless, people were busy with themselves and no body intruded into the private space of the other. The dinner at some simple shack was another unforgettable experience. We enjoyed delicious noodles and sizzler platter, and some mock tails to go with it. Blissful and gratified, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for another experience the next day, as we step out of Kerala to the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu to view the wonder called Triveni Sangam. Yes, next day it was Kanyakumari that was on the cards. Munnar and its muted beauty was a great experience, but what was lying ahead for us was the focal point of our trip. You cannot go to Kerala and miss out on staying in the houseboats of the Alleppey backwaters. So, this happened to be the first thing we planned when we decided to go to Kerala. After an early morning breakfast, we boarded our cab, and made out of the serpentine ways of Munnar on to the road to Alleppey backwaters. It was a long ride of more than 4hours that took us to the western part of Kerala. Our driver accompanied us to the boarding point of the small boats. Now, let me tell you here that I am hugely scared of water. I always fear that I am going to drown any moment when I am on a boat. Despite this fear, I hopped on to the boat which was in moderately fine condition. This was the boat that took us to the main houseboat. The journey from this boat to the luxurious houseboat was also a treat to the eyes. Lush greenery, huge tilted coconut groves, and captivating waterways created a scene that was to be etched in the memory forever. And then we reached the island from where we were supposed to board the honeymoon suite houseboat. Words will fall short to describe the beauty and luxury defined in these houseboats. By the exterior, you might judge it quite wrongly but the real surprise awaits you when you enter the houseboats. The one where we stayed was no less than a palace. A huge deck which functioned as the balcony, a spacious room with quaint furniture, a royal bathroom with bathtub, and a compact dining area; what more can anybody wish for! It was surely our very own private space on waters. The driver and his assistant were very sweet people who ensured we get the best of the ride on waters. Chatty by nature, I went out to them and struck conversation finding about the best time to visit the area, the popular cuisines, Christian rituals of wedding (since the driver was Christian), and what else to see in Kerala. He took us through the wide backwaters of Alleppey and halted in an island where my husband purchased a choice of fish for the dinner and the one thing for which this state is famous - coconuts. The coconuts had a great taste and were huge in size. Even what was more surprising was the color of the coconuts, red. You get to see the green ones of course but the red ones taste yummier. The driver was not only a friendly guy but was also a great cook. I hate fish; like anything. But his fried fish is worth mentioning. I gorged onto an entire fish leaving very little space for anything else. The food was awesome and so were the arrangements. The serene beauty surrounding us made our stay not only joyful but peaceful as well. In the afternoon, we were parked around an island where we played carom and badminton. We were also offered a collection of latest movies to watch, so our entire evening was spent watching movies. Since, it was slightly raining in the evening, this seemed to be the better alternative.
After another sumptuous meal at dinner, we went to our beds with happy stomachs and satisfied souls. However, I could barely sleep well. Spending a night amidst all the weird sounds of animals and water lapping onto the boat’s edges is an experience you must have. The next morning was bright and sunny that held a lot of promises for us, as we embarked on our journey further to Kovalam. Although the excitement of seeing the beach of Kovalam was something to look forward to, but I was a tad sad as I didn’t want to leave this little slice of heaven that felt was designed for me. From the natural beauty to the luxurious experience, from food to hospitality, everything about Alleppey backwaters resonates the theme of this state – God’s Own Country. Surely, a place that we will miss quite a lot. The world is divided into people of two sorts – Sea person and Hills person, majorly. I belong to the possibly third sort that loves the sea and longs for the hills as well. However, before this ride I had never been to the hills. So excited and apprehensive, as we drove towards the hills of Munnar I had only one vision in mind - beautiful mountains with little clouds sparingly visible. My vision became a reality when we made our way through the serpentine lanes of Munnar. Lovely weather and smart architecture of hotels nested in different levels of the hills made the entire sight beautiful to watch. As we were searching for the hotel booked by our travel agent, we crossed the epicenter of the town which reminded me of Esplanade in Kolkata. Definitely not judging by the expanse of the area but by the busy environment of this locality, I was certain this was the place where people turn up for everything. So, we reached the hotel, settled down, and got ready to go out for lunch. If you are an avid Biriyani lover, then you must never try Biriyani in Munnar. We were quite surprised, rather shocked to see that what was offered as Biriyani there was merely a platter of rice and chicken curry. Not satisfied with lunch, we looked forward to what the rest of the day would hold for us. Since, we lost most of the day in travelling to Munnar all our sightseeing plans were scheduled for the next day. This was the day when we planned to go for some shopping and getting to know the town of Munnar on foot. We bought some delicious homemade chocolates and tea, of course and headed back to the hotel. Here, I must mention the taste of tea and coffee in this region is beyond excellence. I have never felt so satisfied from having tea or coffee the way I felt in Kerala. Next day, it was predicted that we might encounter rain on our way. Despite that we ensured that we make the most of it. Munnar trip is never complete if you have not been to the tea gardens. You need prior permission to view the tea estates, but the effort is worth giving. We were also lucky to see a herd of elephants crossing the gardens on our way to other locations. We went to interesting places, such as Mattupetty Dam, Kundala Dam Lake, Attukal Waterfalls, and Pothamedu Viewpoint. All these places were so serene that I and my husband both were having a great time. But this time it started raining heavily and we had to cancel our plans to visit Top Station, which would be shrouded in mist as it is closer to Tamil Nadu, where the depression had hit hard. Since, there was no chance to see anything in Top Station, we decided to let it go. Disappointed, we planned to come back to our hotel as we could not proceed further. On seeing me upset, our sweet driver offered us another option to visit in Munnar. It was a flower show which was happening somewhere in the town and it was partially covered to keep the rain at bay.
Finally, something to look forward to; we were ecstatic. We reached the venue quickly and lost ourselves in the beauty and scent of so many varieties of flower. By this time, my husband who was irritated and upset with the weather was finally smiling as he was close to his favorite flowers. Off went our camera clicking, and in no time we had a small collection of floral pictures in our camera and mobile. After the sweet ending to our journey today, we decided to come back, rest a while, have dinner, and call it an early day. Next day, it was Alleppey backwaters that we were heading to. Another long ride, another chance to make new memories, and another destination to explore; all these made me excited as a kid. If you have a great travel agent on your trip, your life is sorted. You can actually relax and absorb everything surrounding you instead of getting bothered about hotels and rides that needs to be planned. We had a great experience with Souparnika Green Holidays. The owner, Mr. Anil Nair was godsend to us. He just knew what we needed, when we needed, and how.
The hotel in Kochi was a nice one. But more than the hotel features what impressed us was the hospitality of the hotel manager and staff. We reached the venue quite late, so we were wondering what food might be arranged for us. The hotel staff knew we were their guest only for the night and next day we will be off to Munnar. Nonetheless, they tried their best to make sure our stay was enjoyable and comfortable. The Manager was very sweet; whatever we said or asked him, he had just one answer, “Awkay Awkay” (which was supposed to be Okay). They arranged delicious roti and sabzi for us on dinner. They were also careful enough to prepare the dishes in refined oil. Thank heavens for that! Didn’t want to try foods cooked in coconut oil at all. After the sumptuous meal, we made our way for the much needed sleep. The early morning of Kochi is very peaceful and noiseless. Everybody is busy doing their stuff but without creating much commotion. One thing I absolutely love about any place. Keeping up with the relaxed pace of Kochi, we got ready, had another share of delicious dosa and Kaaffee (coffee), and hopped on to our ride towards Munnar. Although, we knew the hotel manager and staff only for one night and the ensuing morning, they were sweet enough to escort us to our ride and requested us to visit there again but for longer time. We had planned to come back to Kochi while our way back, but that would be another hotel and not this one. So maybe, we could visit this place again sometime later. On such a sweet note, we left the cosmopolitan city of kochi to the hills of Munnar. |
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