Our marriage was simple as a typical Indian one. But we had planned our honeymoon carefully, including our specific interests. I like hill station, but my husband is a wildlife enthusiast. We want to spend our time in India only, and there are multiple options across the country where we can find both flavours. After lots of deliberations (please read fight), we have finally frozen our itinerary.
Kolkata > Chennai > Madurai > Munnar > Therkaddy > Cochin > Tirupati > Chennai > Kolkata.
Ok, don't start judging us; we spend, 2 nights in Munnar, 3 nights at Therkaddy, 1 night in Chennai and 2 nights on the train.
On the Way to Munnar
Day One: We started very early, around 4 am. Our flight was at 6. It was my first flight, and obviously, I was a little nervous. It was a two and half hours flight to Chennai. We had a 2 hrs layoff at Chennai airport, then took our next flight to Madurai. This flight was an ATR and flying low. As a first time traveller it's an wonderful experience. We reached Madurai by 11:30 am. A cab was prebooked, and the driver was waiting at the arrival gate. It was a nice route with good road conditions. Especially after Theni, the road passes through various hills and valleys. This road trip was also delightful. As per Google, it was supposed to take Four and Half hours; however, because of breaks for food and enjoying the mountainous road, it took us around five hours and thirty minutes. It was mid of February, and in this region still very cold at night. We were not prepared for this. By the time we reached our hotel, it was almost dark.
Day Two: We wake up late. Today we plan to roam around and explore Munnar. Our hotel was a bit far from the city. The hotel was located inside a tea estate. After breakfast, we came out of the hotel and started walking. Fortunately, we got an auto to reach Munnar City. It is a small city, always full of tourists. There are lots of shops for shopping, food etc. I brought an umbrella, which broke within 10 minutes of usage. We hired a Tuktuk for the day. There are many tourist places in and around Munnar. We visited Eco Point, Kundala Lake, Dam, and Some gardens. The Rajamalai park was closed due to some reasons. We came back late afternoon to our hotel.
Before releasing the Tuktuk, we casually asked the driver whether he would be interested in dropping us in Therkaddy the next day, and he readily agreed. Fortunately, he asked for half price of than car rental charge.
On the Way to Thekkady
Day Three: After having breakfast, we checked out from the hotel. Our Tuktuk booking was not only benefited us financially but also allowed us to explore rural Kerala. The driver took the village route. The road was through various plantations, villages, and mountain streams. The beauty of the surroundings is hard to explain in words.
Moreover, it was an open vehicle. Hence the view from the car was also panoramic. We had authentic Kerala lunch from a roadside hotel. The last one and half hours of a journey through mountain passes are like a roller coaster ride. Ups and downs, turn and bend. I finally through up, and instead of consoling me, my husband was much busier in photography.
We reached Periyar around 2 pm. We had booked a homestay. It was at the fringe of the reserve, and next to your room, the reserve starts. The family was very welcoming, and every one of the family took care of their guests. In the evening, the owner took us to the forest booking counter for the next day's Jungle Trekking. WE book tickets and then roam around for some time. We had early dinner and came back to our homestay.
Periyar Tiger Reserve
Day Four: Periyar Tiger Reserve offers many activities, including Jungle Walk, Night Walk, Tiger Trail, Boat Safari etc. We have booked Jungle Walk for the whole day. It starts around 6 am and ends at 6 pm. They form a team of 8 to 10 tourists, 8 forest guards and 1 forest officer with a gun. Before starting the expedition, they will give you some advice on Dos & Donts, and finally, you have to sign a "Declaration" stating no one will be responsible for any mishaps during the walk.
This Jungle Walk is an experience I will never like to take twice. The walking path starts through the dense vegetation of the core area of the tiger reserve. Inside this jungle, we found a carcass of a tiger kill. Footprint and pug marks were everywhere. The distance sounds added more thrill to the overall ambience. We encountered a herd of elephants from a very close proximate in this area and ran for quite some distance.
After the dense jungle, a vast meadow starts. This stretch of around 3 km ends in the Periyar dam backwater.
This is a picturesque wallpaper type meadow. After some rest, we used Bamboo Raft to cross the water and reach the other side. Again we entered inside the dense forest. This part of the forest is full of wild animals. We located an Indian Gaur, fresh poop of a tiger and a dead elephant body. After reaching the other side around 12 pm, we had our packed lunch. Then we started the entire way back to the entry point.
On our way back, the sun started its journey towards the horizon, so the light was coming down. During this time of the day, the jungle becomes very active. We saw a group of dears, an orphan elephant cab, a pack of Dhole otters, and many birds. Finally, with darkness, we reached the entry gate. Now, after so many years, I feel the rise of my heartbeat while writing this description.
Day Five: Today is reserved for our boat safari. It is advisable to take the first ride of the day, as chances are high to sight wildlife across the river bed. We woke up around 4:30 am, reached the queue by 5:30 and secured tickets. It was a pleasant experience. We saw deers, gaur, jackals and many birds.
We came back from our morning boat safari around 10 am. We spend the rest of the day by shopping, eating, and birdwatching from our balcony. We thought to have an authentic Kerala message but finally decided to go to the boating point by walking.
On the way to Cochin
Day Six: Today, we have the plan to visit Cochin for a day trip and then catch a train from Cochin Station. The road from Periyer to Cochin is very beautiful. First, it starts through many tea gardens, then crosses many rivers and mesmerizing landscapes. We had started around 8 am and reached Cochin Fort at 1 pm. We spend 3 / 4 hrs here enjoying beach and fishing activities. We had our train in the evening. However, we reached the station early, had our lunch cum dinner and boarded our train for Tirupati.
Tirupati Darshan
Day Seven: We reached Tirupati around 3:30 am. We had our hotel booked, but it was the only bad experience on the trip. Rooms were pathetic, full of dust with the dirtiest bed cover and towels. We were upset, but we needed to stay only for an hour; hence we decided to leave as early as possible. We reached to the bus stand and booked tickets for Tirupati Temple. Those who know the Tirupati Temple complex is a vast establishment, and one needs to walk miles to reach the actual temple. We deposited our belonging in the locker room and stood in the queue. After approximately 5 hours, we completed our Darshan and came out of the temple. Again we took a bus and reached the station. Here we took a passenger train and by 9 pm reached Chennai.
Day Eight: This is technically the last day of our tour. Nothing much today as we have a morning train for Kolkata. We boarded the train and simply spent most of the day sleeping.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip full of adventure, risk, and romantic experiences. Though a bit hectic, it complements our passion and we have enjoyed every part of this trip.
Sukanya
Guest Author
HR by professional, traveller by heart
