It was more than a year after our Hampi trip in Dec 2010, and all were itching to go somewhere. But some urgent family problems precluded a lengthy tour, so we settled for Munnar which is in fact the nearest tourist destination as far as we are concerned, at just 125 km away. Even though, or perhaps because of, the proximity, it had rarely ever entered our discussions of a suitable place to go for two days of unwinding.
We left in a Xylo on Jan 26, 2012 near Nedumbassery Airport. Immediately after Neriamangalam, the border between Ernakulam and Idukki districts and where the hilly sector begins, motion sickness reared its ugly head as so often happens when people living in the plains venture uphill. Here, the height was meager, but was enough to knock down one or two among us. The waterfalls along the way – at Cheeyapara and Valara – were unimpressive; the former had totally dried up because of approaching summer. Valara gave us an opportunity for a photo shoot just on the side of the road, which was nothing to write home about. A trickle of water was flowing down a steep rock, which would’ve been magnificent just after the monsoon rains. A short journey thereafter amid lush green tea estates brought us to the midst of Munnar town. We proceeded straight to the hotel.
Munnar is a quaint little town known for its vast tea plantations. The name is derived from the Malayalam words ‘moonnu’ for ‘three’ and ‘aaru’ for river, which means it is the confluence of three rivers, Muthirapuzha, Nallathanny and Kundala. British planters identified the place as ideal for tea plantation by mid-19th century and obtained concessions from the local chief at Poonjar under whose jurisdiction the territory lay. In 1895, Finlay Muir & Co consolidated all such lands and began cultivation on an industrial scale. Their innovations knew no bounds, a miniature railway being one of them. The railway carried produced tea to Top Station, from where it was transported to Bodinayakkanur in Tamil Nadu through rope way. It was definitely an overkill, as shown by its abandonment after a heavy flood in 1924 rendered parts of it unusable. In 1983, Tata Tea procured all shares from Finlay and became the sole owner of the enormous estates. Huge growth in branded tea segment prompted Tata Tea to exit the plantation business and focus attention on marketing, transferring the estates to newly formed Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company in 2005.
After a quick lunch at an unsavoury outlet in the middle of the town, we moved to Pothamedu Viewpoint. It was noon and the valley lay washed in a sea of light, fading out colours in a translucent glow extending far to the horizon. Probably early morning is the best time for visiting this place. Somewhat disappointed at the first spot, we drove off to a small but elegant flower garden promoted by Kerala Forest Development Corporation on Mattupetty Road. Being a government-run business, it carries with it all inconveniences inherent to such an organization. There are no benches for the visitors and absolutely no place – unless you count the lavatory – for the visitors to be comfortable. The place is choked with plants and visitors, the size being far too small for a decent operation of its kind. However, quite uncharacteristically for a state-operated business, the toilets are spotlessly clean and well maintained. The stock of flowers is also quite impressive, particularly its dahlia blossoms of many varieties.
We headed straight to Mattupetty dam passing through a stunning viewpoint frequented by tourists on the wayside. Most of Munnar is breathtakingly magnificent in its bounty of natural beauty augmented by tea plantations which blend seamlessly to nature that leave us wondering whether they were part of the landscape even before man made his faltering steps to civilization. An idle walk along the road is doubly rewarding due to its refreshing air and the incredible landscape. You see a desktop wallpaper wherever you care to look!
We reached Mattupetty dam which was built for hydroelectric power generation. The catchment area is 105 sq.km, but the generating capacity is a paltry 2 MW, for which we doubt such a huge infrastructure heavily penalizing the state budget and environment was required in the first place. The road to Top Station goes through the dam. As usual, tourist infrastructure is nonexistent – there are no benches, no toilets – what you have is a bunch of plastic-clad shanty shops selling souvenirs and home-made chocolates! If you are prepared to sit precariously on the side walls of the reservoir, it provides good opportunity for some quiet moments. As the sun set, cold crept in, making us uncomfortable without any warm cloths. We returned to the hotel for a pleasant night.
Day 2 (Jan 27, 2012)
The day broke with a clear, blue sky which promised many good photos later in the day. The sky above Munnar was splendidly azure most of the time, or on some occasions it hosted immaculate puffs of white cloud gently drifting across, seemingly unwilling to lose sight of the beauty of nature below. After breakfast, we sped to Top Station, which is about 32 km away from the town. The road is a narrow one through the side of hills and provides excellent view, specifically along the Mattupetty reservoir. The Indo-Swiss Project is along the way, but barred for visitors. But in Kerala, banning of visitors means unless you have some connections at high places or can manage to pull some strings, there is no way to enter. We drove along Echo Point and Kundala Dam which we decided to see while coming back. Top Station is located at a height of 1900 m above sea level and is named for the railway station functioned there in the early 1900s for transshipment of tea to Tamil Nadu. It offers a panoramic view of the Western Ghats and Theni district of Tamil Nadu. Seeing white clouds drifting below, you feel like being at the top of the world, but the tall mountains surrounding you on the other sides would keep you in the right perspective.
Top Station is technically in Tamil Nadu, a small outcrop projecting into Kerala. But the place is well connected over GSM network from TN. On the road to Top Station, network coverage is scarce, but once you reach there, all companies’ coverage is available on roaming. The watch point is barricaded with bamboo poles and there is an entry fee of Rs. 15, though there are no tickets. You just pay the gatekeeper and he would nod you through, counting the number of persons. After about an hour, we had lunch in one of the many makeshift restaurants at the place. The menu is severely limited and the hygiene is very poor. We saw cats strolling in and out of the kitchen.
On the way back, we stopped at Kundala Dam, which is owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), a state-run enterprise. Boating facility is offered in the lake and a few boats were seen tied to poles in the reservoir. When asked why no boating is seen that day, we got a hilarious reply. As the Kerala Governor, Shri. M O H Farook had passed away the day before, services are down since the state has announced a holiday as a mark of respect to the leader. Why this organization which generates power for its bread and butter need to emulate government departments was something beyond our comprehension and we were a little annoyed at missing a nice boating opportunity. A trip on the speed launch would have been great like we experienced at Banasurasagar Lake in Vayanad in 2010. After a cursory stroll on the bank – there are no benches of any kind – we moved to Echo Point.
Echo Point, is in fact a lake which is part of the Mattupetty reservoir. Dense forests and mist-clad mountains on the other side of the lake ensure multiple echoes of loud sounds you make. There were some youngsters who were bellowing at the top of their voices and the effect was amusing. There is practically nothing much you can do at this place, apart from hunting for some souvenirs from the makeshift shops abounding on the sides of the road. It was getting dark, but we stayed at Mattupetty dam site for a few minutes to enjoy the calm evening air.
Day 3 (Jan 28, 2012)
As the final day dawned, we knew we had not much time left as it was obligatory for one of our members to reach home by afternoon. So we set off to Anayirankal Dam near Chinnakanal where plush resorts are located. A narrow, winding, potholed road claiming itself to be National Highway 49 connecting Kochi and Madurai led us through a not very comfortable drive. Along the road is Lockhart Viewpoint, undoubtedly the most beautiful spot in Munnar. Lush green carpets of tea put in perspective by majestic mountains on the background and deep valleys on the other compel the observer to stay glued to the visual feast. There are some convenient locations for visitors to take pictures of themselves posing in the middle of tea plantations. The lovely hillside still remains fresh in our minds!
When we reached Chinnakanal, the sky had changed to cloudy. Strong diffused sunlight and waterfalls which have long gone dry didn’t hold us up on the wayside looking to squeeze more juice out of nature’s gift. However, Anayirankal dam turned out to be the greatest disappointment. Absolutely nothing is there, just a reservoir and a dam, with prominent notices threatening prosecution against anybody who dare to enter, courtesy KSEB! However, we did manage to snap some pictures, which were unimpressive. We returned via Poopara, Rajakkad and reached Adimaly from where it was a breeze to our homes.
Accommodation
We stayed at Elysium Garden on Mattupetty Road. The location is ideal, being just 1 km away from the bustling town but calmly away from the bang of it all. The view is very good and probably worth the money. We stayed in Executive rooms which were made available as a special package for Rs. 2500 with breakfast. This seems to be a bit higher, looking at the room and facilities, but all hotels in Munnar charge very much higher than other hill stations. Though the hotel website offers 24-hour hot water, it is available only from 6 to 10.30 in mornings and evenings. But the reception let you know this while checking in. The staff is courteous and the food excellent. The nights are calm, since it is away from the town and sound sleep is guaranteed. The only inconvenience was the disturbing noise from a water pump starting on and off as if to keep a constant water level. This we suspect to belong to the hot water supply as the noise was present during the time when hot water was supplied. However, we’d recommend this hotel.
Travel
It is best to hire a car/SUV for local travel. Most roads are narrow and it is good to have a vehicle with good maneuverability. The climate was salubrious, being the end of January, but some moderately warm clothing is essential.
