Having heard so much about this little piece of land, popularly sold as God's own country, I thought I would one day check this corner for myself. Kerala , I heard from friends belonging to the state, is very popular among tourists and travellers alike, both Indians and 'foreigners', and deciding a suitable time to visit proved difficult. On the one hand, Kerala is known for its heavy rains in Monsoon, and extremely hot and humid weather for nearly 7 months in a year- leaving only 2 or 3 months of climate that I could appreciate. On the other hand, it is during those 2 or 3 "winter" months that everyone seems to flock to Kerala, and the Christmas season being the most crowded! Not being particularly fond of visiting a place in high season, and then again not quite wanting to brave the heat of the "off-season", I decided to try January- after the New Years revellers had left for their own homes.
Planning this trip was quite easy. Just the to and return tickets in pocket, and with a Road Map and a vehicle booked , I decided to go and check out everything possible in 13 days with another odd bird- my Mom! The first brush with Kerala was at Cochin. Its a city like all other cities- dusty, chaotic with a little bit of history tucked in here and there. The traffic was troublesome, and I was glad to leave the place the next morning. I live in a city and when I want to get away, I dont like to visit other cities, normally. So the next day we drove towards Munnar.
Munnar must have been really beautiful back in its wild days. The whole area must have been forested and full of wild beasts. Eden? Probably. 
Then some British guy thought it better to clear the woods and plant their precious tea- and so Munnar is now simply miles after miles, hills after hills of tea gardens and privately owned estates. They are still at it- clearing forests and planting tea trees- permanantly changing the face of Munnar. Sure the place looks green and to many- very romantic enough to celebrate their honeymoon there, but Munnar also appears very cultivated or should I say manicured ,and tame - like a paradise lost to tea companies! The town is a typically tourist town with small and large hotels and Inn. The local administration still has'nt learnt how to deal with garbage disposal, and plastic bottles and trash can be seen wherever you lay your eyes.
Then some British guy thought it better to clear the woods and plant their precious tea- and so Munnar is now simply miles after miles, hills after hills of tea gardens and privately owned estates. They are still at it- clearing forests and planting tea trees- permanantly changing the face of Munnar. Sure the place looks green and to many- very romantic enough to celebrate their honeymoon there, but Munnar also appears very cultivated or should I say manicured ,and tame - like a paradise lost to tea companies! The town is a typically tourist town with small and large hotels and Inn. The local administration still has'nt learnt how to deal with garbage disposal, and plastic bottles and trash can be seen wherever you lay your eyes.
To enjoy Munnar, it is advisable to find lodging away from the town- and we stayed at Chinnakanal, about 30 kms away from town on the other side of the hill. 
The sunrise was spectacular, the weather pretty cool in the mornings. One can simply walk through tea gardens, or try one's luck at Chinna Sanctuary- and good 40 kms away from Munnar. There is a Madupetty Dam and Lake where speedboating is offered. Munnar is a quiet little place, thats all . Its a place where you can go unwind, and laze around... simply breathe the dewy mountain air, and sip away pots of fresh tea, or just wander about on bicycles, or stare away into yonder- perhaps read a book and relax.
The sunrise was spectacular, the weather pretty cool in the mornings. One can simply walk through tea gardens, or try one's luck at Chinna Sanctuary- and good 40 kms away from Munnar. There is a Madupetty Dam and Lake where speedboating is offered. Munnar is a quiet little place, thats all . Its a place where you can go unwind, and laze around... simply breathe the dewy mountain air, and sip away pots of fresh tea, or just wander about on bicycles, or stare away into yonder- perhaps read a book and relax.
