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A Window to Munnar....

If Kerala is God's own country, then Munnar is his Throne. Here the natural beauty epitomizes itself into something ethreal... may be the time we choose to visit this heaven coincided when clouds  also planned to visit, but I cant imagine it any less beautiful even in other times of the year. People here don't have fans in their house, AC don't exist in Hotels as it so pleasant throughout..  We had heard of the scenic aspects and hence we planned the trip thinking it to be a lazy holiday but surprisingly it turned out to be quite an educational tour too for kids. 

Around 35 kms from Munnar is Eravikulam National Park, the first National park of India which houses Anamudi - The tallest peaks in south India  with an altitude of 2695 mts, making it the highest point in India after Himalayas. Eravikulam National Park is also the natural habitat of Nilgiri Thar, the mountainous goat and 50% of world population of them is found here. Walking up the mountain trail with clouds floating beneath in valley is  an experience which is gonna stay with me for long.

Culture Curry for children # Kathakali a dance form which depicts stories of Ramayan and Mahabharat through the hand and face movements, There are 9 main face movement called Navrasa and 24 main hand movements called mudras through which the entire piece is enacted. It was a pleasant surprise to be educated in these lessons before the actual show so as to appreciate the dance form even  better. Again, fun sprinkled subtly with legacy learning.

Kalaripayattu - This local martial art they say dates back to 3rd Century BC and is passed on through generations. Locals displayed various styles of attack and defense and kids had good fun watching and  knowing about the same.

Spice Garden - despite being commercialised, with numerous  spice gardens in every nook and corner of Munnar, a tour around same will give you and kids some insights into  many spices and herbs we use in our every day life. Its great to see these tiny masalas while they are still dangling from branches and shying away in leaves..touch and smell coffee, cocoa, javitri, pepper while you walk around... Trust me, kids apart, even adults wont forget the experience.

Kerala Oil Massages - there are a hoards of therapeutic massages to choose, from heavy herbs infused oils to light Aroma oils - take your pick but do try one. There are options for kids too.

Tea Gardens - Oh, this should have come on top as Tea gardens actually give the character to Munnar.  Lush Tea plantations, beautifully manicured landscaped slopes are a treat to eyes and provide beautiful backdrops to your photos too. For kids they can serve as labyrinths or  pure fun chasing grounds without fear of being caught.. There are tea factories on these plantations which take you through the entire tea making process .Despite technology advances, these factories still run  manual process and still employ some of the machines from colonial times. We visited RPGs Harrison Malayalam plant and realised there are some 14 varieties of black tea selling for over Rs 1300 a kg , their green Tea goes for over Rs 3000kg while the white tea for over Rs 13000 a KG. Needless to say, they are all exported.

Others - There are seasonal waterfalls to standby while you sip your chai... there are farms which offer 20 mins of Elephant Safaris for a token amount, there are Orange Plantations, Flowers Shows, Chocolate Factories for completely outdoor types.

When to Visit  -  Next year please. The road from Cochin and Munnar is a National highway and is  undergoing road broadening thereby elongating our road travel time. Next summer and onwards, this one should come up on your itinerary  for sure.  On every turn of the car and with ever new view of valley, I was constantly reminded of our Scotland Trip but after this trip, I am sure lush greens like these are gonna remind me of Munnar. The bar is set higher....