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Published: March 3rd 2012
Kerala, « god’s own country » as you can read on every street sign, tuk tuk, buses and travel agency window is at the image of India, diverse & vibrant. So diverse that I simply cannot summarize my trip to this part of India into one blog so here we go…part 1, going inland in a lookout for peace and quiet ready to discover Munnar tea plantation and its heartwarming sea of green and silent mountains. Reaching Munnar & feeling home already
After four hours on the busy and curvy road that goes from Cochin to Munnar, bypassing constantly tuk tuk, buses and trucks, the arrival in
Munnar Royal Mist Home Stayfelt like reaching paradise. The warm welcome of the owners together with the beautiful deluxe room and the view of hills and plantation from the terrace might have had something to do with it so did the first glimpse I had of the tea plantation area, a stunning green carpet that goes as far as your eyes can see.
As a matter of fact, I had to upgrade my definition of a home stay with the time I spent at Royal Mist and I can
only warmly recommend this place to anyone who wishes to visit Munnar area. The level of service is excellent, so is the home made Kerala cuisine. What else, well the owners know how to make magic to assist with any wish you might have, arranging everything for you from the trekking guides & driver to the picnic box and welcoming you back after a day trek with the smile and fresh fruits to get the energy back.
As an aperitif, Munnar town, lakes and view point
This route is the most touristic one, going from the town of Munnar to the top station with along the way two major dams and the echo point.
Now, as for any touristic area, except if you enjoy being surrounded by tourist groups while visiting natural sites, the trick is the start early. Most tours leave around 8.30am so with a
head start of an hour, you might end up, like I did, with the sites all for yourself which in a country as busy as India is far from being a luxury.
The home stay had actually arranged for a driver during my entire stay from the
Serenity
Lake, 2nd dam along the road to the Top Pointpickup in Kochi all the way back to Allapeza & when it came to leaving early or reaching remote areas, this was simply the perfect arrangement.
Crossing the town of Munnar (10km from the Royal Mist), I realized how glad I was not to have opted for a more centrally located accommodation; serenity would definitely not have been on the program there. Munnar has seen an increase of tourists both local & international and what I once read was a charming little village is now a small bustling city with more and more hotels and tourist shops.
Heading north toward the first dam, the road takes you through forest and tea plantation, a pure delight for the eyes. The first dam in itself felt a bit too touristic (as in the street was lined up with dozens of small tourist shops the minute you reach the vicinity of the lake area) so I followed the advice of the owner of the guest house, and kept going toward the second one. Still some tourist shops here but much less and along the road you get a
beautiful view over the lake and its mountain background.
An hour and
half after leaving the home stay, we finally made it to the view point also called
“top station”. As we walk down to the view point, I couldn’t help but to notice how spot clean the site is, a true contrast to most of the sites I have visited so far in India, seems Munnar authorities are taking very seriously the respect of some of the natural sites they have.
The view from the Top Station under the early morning light with a blue sky and not a drop of mist, is simply stunning. From there you oversee the whole chain of mountains, the closest one
bright green and the one further in
aquarelle shades.
Worth to mention the highest peak, Anamudi, is at 2695 meters (highest one in South India) and surrounding mountains range from 1500 to 2600 meters, so this part of India feels a bit like Switzerland in summer (except that the climate is pleasant 10 months a year)
As for the starter, heading for a three hours trek among and above the tea plantation
To be kept in mind while preparing a trip to this part of India, any trek has
Tea worker
Tea leaves are plucked of every two weeks, 12 months a year to be organized prior (at least 24hours prior to the actual trek during the low season) as a permit is needed for most places you might wish to visit and the service of a guide is obligatory.
Now, in my case, I had as usual decided very last minute on my holiday destination and although I knew exactly what I was hoping to do in Munnar (relax at night & trek during the day) I had obviously not thought of pre arranging everything (never do anyhow). Luckily enough Anil made some serious magic and helped me to secure the permits for both days and arrange for a trek guide, all this on the night I arrived…
A few words about
Munnar tea plantation, these are the largest in India (and one of the largest in the world) & the tea production is part of the Tata empire (also known for the cars, steal and hotel chain between many other things). The red flags spread at every corner of the town, gives the political orientation which is as well reflected in the way the tea plantation is managed. A worker would get 140 rupees (roughly 3 dollars) per 8
Contrasts
Munnar, trekking day 1 hours working day and all facilities (hospital, school, sport center) are provided free of charge by the Tata group.
Going back to the actual trek, an easy one to start with, it is a mix of tea plantation visit (with the full explanations on the tea harvesting and production) and actual trekking on the mountains above the tea fields.
Guess the one thing I learned that day was that might it be, white, green or black tea, it is the same tea crop, only the processing and the part of the leave used is different…
After an hour walking across the vast tea plantation, we started to go up to one of the view point only accessible on foot. A few more climbing up and down and we could enjoy a full view of Munnar and surroundings with at the bottom the tea plantation and in front of us (on the next hill) a massive fire…
There is only so much you can plan, and this was the last thing I actually expected when going trekking… After a little while and seeing that the fire had reached the top of the next hill (the one we
Pfff...that was quite a nice trek up!
Silent valley to Misapulimalai - trekking day 2, Munnar were supposed to head to), we opted for an alternative road, leaving the smoke behind & being a little creative with the actual route.
Luckily enough at the end of the trek (which didn’t quite ended where it should have), the driver managed to find us!
Main dish, anyone? Ready for some serious trekking, Silent Valley to Misapulimalai
After the first day warm up trek (just to check that I can actually still walk despite the fact to be based in Baghdad), I was very much looking forward to this full day out in the nature.
The access to the silent valley and Misapulimalai is strictly controlled by the KFDC, so the day started with a trip to their office to pay the entry permit (300 rupees) and collect the guide and then another one hour drive to the actual beginning of the trail.
The trek starts at an
altitude of 1800 meters and from there it is most of the time going up. All the way to the last camp located in the Rhodo Valley & then slightly further up to an altitude of 2400 meters or for the one who go
Up and down
Munnar, trekking day 1 for the two day trek to the
second highest peak of South India Misapulimalai (2637 meters). The ascension from the silent valley took us two hours and half (without break), going first through a very dense forest, before reaching the actual entrance of the park (electric fence) and going through more forest on a tiny path with was getting more and more steep and slippery. You would then go through a forest of
eucalyptus which is precisely what you need to catch back your breath before heading to another tiny path this time overlooking the valley and a
tumbling waterfall.
For a little while, you are back on flat
grass land, enjoying the views and then the
pine tree smell, Along the way, the guide would point out to different species of Flora and animal tracks (mostly deer) before looking up once more….time to climb a little more!
I was hoping that we could make it to the peak but by the time we reached the peak just before the main one, time was getting shorter and shorter so we did what security wise was the most advisable (didn’t quite feel going down on tiny slippery path
Waterfall
Silent valley to Misapulimalai - trekking day 2, Munnar at night…), we went around it & down on the other side of the mountain.
For info, from the 2400 meters to the top (2637m), another two hours are needed and then three hours on a very steep path to go down, most people would do it over two days but then if you are tight in time and fit for it, best advice is to start early (the 8.00 am pick up of the guide is too tight as you still have more than an hour drive after to reach the beginning of the trek)
As for the itinerary I finally took,
approx 5 hours are needed (without break time) & anything you need you would have to bring with you are there is nothing on site & no other arrangements are made by the agency for day trekking.
Next: heading back to the coast, time to enjoy Kerala beach and backwater before heading for two days with Pauline and her family in Amma Ashram
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sophie
non-member comment
Coucou, c est drole, je pensais justement a toi aujourd hui en me demandant ce que tu devenais, Un trek de plus, merveilleux celui ci. Enjoy India! Je prepare aussi qq escapades en Australie, le choix est large mais avec 2 bb, les contraintes de distances sont a regarder de pres! Donc pas vraiment ambiance road trip! Et toi, toujours ambiance bunker a Bagdad? Est ce possible d en profiter un peu pour qq escapades hors des villes. Quelle experience! Je t embrasse, A bientot Sophie