Honeymoon - Munnar - Part 2

Continued from here

The third day, finished our breakfast, we set out to the AnaiMalai/RajaMalai, which is the highest peak in South India. On the way, we visited the waterfalls which is near the resort and then a road side cave temple. RajaMalai is being maintained by the forest department. Hence, they didnt allow any private vehicles after a certain point. We got down from the auto, bought the tickets and got into the forest departments bus which took us until a certain point. We had to walk the last 1 Km stretch, which some of them might find difficult. But, the path was very well maintained with neat roads. Again here, it was drizzling and it was very very cool at the top. Went past couple of small waterfalls, saw only one Nilgiri Thar which is a rare species and can be seen in abundant only in very few places and reached the last point until which people are permitted. The view from the top was absolutely stunning, but most of the places were covered with mist. Nevertheless, it was great to be there with the winds blowing very heavily. This spot is one of the highlights and must see in Munnar. Since, we went during the late monsoon, all the waterfalls and lakes were brimming with water. Came back, visited a couple of waterfalls on the way and started our journey back to our room.












The return journey was very eventful. The slight drizzle with accompanied us for the two days turned out into heavy rain. Also, the auto in which we were traveling didnt have a proper whipper, headlight and horn. The visibility was close to nil and the roads too were narrow with lots of sharp and blind turns. It was getting dark too. and to highlight all these, the driver got a call on his mobile and he was riding the auto with one hand. It was a thrilling ride and fortunately we reached the resort unscathed. That night was even more cold.
The next morning, we packed our bags and set out in a cab to Kumarakom, our next destination.

Points to note

1. Access : Rail : Dindugal/Cochin is the nearest rail head. Road : Munnar is very well connected to Madurai, Dindugal, Pazhani, Kottayam, Cochin by road. The travel time is 3-4 hours from any of these points.
For the travellers from Chennai/Bangalore, the best mode is to take the KPN Travels, who operate direct service to Munnar. Though the journey is long, the buses are very good and comfortable.
2. I suggest you to take an auto for local transport. The auto charges are very cheap and the drivers are very friendly and share lot of information.
3. The sight seeing places are a bit far off. You may have to travel a lot. Though the number of places are less, all of them are very beautiful and the ride along the roads alone will make you feel complete.
4. Since, the places are very beautiful and neat, with not much crowd and a great climate to compliment, this is highly recommended for honeymooners. Ideal to spend 3-4 days. If you plan for a longer visit, you can club Kumarakom - another honeymooners paradise, which is 4 hours drive from Munnar.
5. Thekaddy is a popular destination near Munnar. It has a big forest and a boat ride in the middle of it. Chances of spotting a elephant/bison are more.

6. Some well known tourist routes are -
* Munnar - Mattupetty Dam - Indo Swiss Livestock Project - Echo Point - Kundala Dam - Top Station (34 km),
* Munnar - Pothamedu - Chitirapuram - Pallivasal - Cheyappara - Adimali - Valara (40 km),
* Munnar - Rajamala - Marayoor - Chinnar (70 km),
* Munnar - Devikulam - Lock Heart Gap - Power House Waterfalls - Anayirankal (32 km).

If you need any detail, drop a mail to shankar.nash@gmail.com