How much so cliched the title sounds, but Kerala do lives with it! It's blessed with beauty all where. Cochin-Thekkady-Munnar-Alleppey , the most visited places in Kerala; that was our itinerary as well, though Kerala has lot other offbeat places like Wayanad to offer.
Day 1 : Cochin
We, group 0f 5 friends, had taken an evening flight from Mumbai to Cochin and reached there at night.Next morning started with exploring Cochin. The main hub of Cochin is Fort Cochin side where you can reach using a ferry. The ferry ride to go to other side of Cochin is itself unusual. It carries cars, scooters along with people. We visited St.Francis church, Jain Temple, roamed around the little portugal streets of Cochin and spent evening enjoying the sunset at Cochin's Marine Drive.
Day 2-3: Thekkady
Thekkady is the adventurous place in Kerala. It offers jungle trails, jeep safari, bamboo rafting, boating, elephant shower and bath, cultural events like martial arts, Kathakali performances. It's always good idea to book tickets for all these activities online. We had taken a jeep safari which was a fun ride with the bumpy roads and scenic beauty around. Boating ride is beautiful in itself. It's a very slow ride which takes you through jungle and if you are lucky enough you might spot a tiger! (We didn't spot any animal though:p). We spent some time in shopping chocolates, spices at Thekkady. It's better to shop from local market in Thekkady which has reasonable prices rather than from Munnar which is bit pricey. We also went for martial arts show which was amazing performance with tough acts. We indulged ourselves in ayurvedic spa one evening; a must-do when in Kerala!
Day 4-5: Munnar
The place that I personally was looking forward to visit! We all have seen the beauty of this place in so many movies, heard about it from so many people, and I was so happy when I finally reached there. It met all the expectations that I had from it. Do nothing in Munnar and you still will fall in love with the place. Tea gardens, Tea museum, waterfall, view points, long walks and just enjoying the beauty of the place is all what we did in Munnar. The air there is so refreshing and cool that it makes you feel happy high.
Day 6: Alleppey Backwaters
Another thing that I was excited about Kerala vacation was the HOUSEBOATS. We had taken a day cruise (better option) for Alleppey houseboat and I must say that the backwaters are truly a beauty. You can just get lost in your own world amongst backwaters and enjoy the serenity that it gives. We had a great time on the houseboat and happily ended the trip to beautiful state!
Kerala has taught me to "Slow down and look at the beauty around!" It's so beautiful and serene out here that you will definitely come back with great memories and enthralled by its picturesque beauty!
