bhakti kansara
THE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES
Thekkady & Allepey
Serendipity of Nature's Iridescent
[ Travel date : December 2017 ]
Before I begin, I'd like to tell you that this story starts and ends with two different kinds of landscapes. Starting from the forest and moving ahead to... Well, why not find out in the story itself?
For the context, I went on a 7-day road trip to Kerala, and this is part 2 of my travel experience. If you haven't read part 1: Munnar, Kerala's Tea Capital, you can click here to read it.
Continuing from Munnar, we started our journey before sunrise because we only had one day planned for Thekkady. The drive from Munnar to Thekkady takes 3 hours and covers 91 kilometers.
The Sunrise
As we started our journey, I observed the beautiful sunrise from behind the hills.
I've always fantasized about a road trip through a dense forest, while it's raining heavily with complete silence except for the sound of the rain, and music playing on the car radio. Feels like a scene from a movie, isn't it?
Luckily, I had a similar experience on my way to Thekkady. The whole scenic route from Munnar to Thekkady changes from tea plantation hills to a misty forest, with a large number of dense trees on both sides of the road. As we were halfway through, the weather suddenly changed. There were dark clouds over the forest and it started raining heavily. Driving through the curvy road, I plugged in my earphones and sat by the car window, completely lost enjoying the rain along the way.
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I hoped if this road trip could go on forever. As soon as it stopped raining, sunlight began to scatter all around through trees. And, I wished someone had captured me enjoying the moment from the window of my car.
Thekkady
Thekkady is located near to Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. It has dense evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grasslands.
Thekkady is famous for its wildlife sanctuary. It is home to herds of elephants, tigers, and many more wildlife species. It is also considered a haven for natural spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, nut mace, ginger, and clove.
Most of the activities and things to do revolves around Periyar Lake. For us, we planned on going for a boat ride in Periyar National Park.
Periyar National Park
The boat ride in Periyar is a one-and-a-half-hour-long ride. Tickets for the ride can be purchased in advance or on the day of the cruise, but they must be purchased at least 2 to 3 hours in advance. Also, if you go, try to get seats on the upper deck for a better view of the scenery.
The boat takes you through the lake and you get to see the jungle view from the boat. And if you're lucky enough, you may get to see elephants or tigers by the lake. However, as the forest is quite dense, sightings of elephants and in particular, tigers are highly unlikely.
Although many people enjoy the boat ride, I would not recommend it to others based on my personal experience. The boat ride is slow, and you may not enjoy the hot and humid weather in the summer. Rather, there are a variety of other interesting things to do here as Jungle Camp, Bamboo Rafting, Border Hiking, Night Trekking, Jeep Safari, etc.
Things to buy from Thekkady :
Shopping in Thekkady means buying spices. Spices are the must-buy because of their unique and original taste which you won't find in your own city. To list all things that you can buy -
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Spices
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Local Chocolates
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Antiques
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Crafts
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Herbals
The next day, we resumed our journey to our next destination, Alleppey, a four-hour-long drive and at a distance of 140-KM distance from Thekkady.
ALLEPEY
All the way from the hills to the forest and now to the backwaters, as I said before, Kerala has to offer everything that you want to see.
Alleppey, also known as Alappuzha, is the oldest planned city in the region, once known as "Venice of the East". Alleppey was crucial to India's spice trade because it was the port from which spices from the Idukku district were shipped to other parts of the world. But, as the spice trade evolved, the backwaters remained almost the same.
The best way to experience this beautiful city is to cruise on a houseboat around the Alleppey waters. So, we stayed in a houseboat for one day and night, and it was one of the highlights of my trip. Staying in a houseboat !!! It's a unique wholesome experience, isn't it?
For people who like to relax and just spend their day in peace while on a vacation, this place is the best option for you. Imagine sailing the backwaters, sitting on a houseboat, sipping a hot cup of tea, and leaning to touch the backwaters and seeing the reflection of yourself flowing out a calm you've always desired. If you want to visit the backwaters for peace, a stay in a houseboat is your best bet!
Let's just say, it's the best floating vacation one could have. Let me show you the pictures of where and how we stayed.
Having stayed on a houseboat is something I can happily cross off my bucket list. Life in the backwaters was unique; it was slow, and you could see people doing daily chores on the backwaters, working in rice fields, or busy honing their boat-building skills. It was a place where you realized how simple living can be satisfying and fulfilling.
In the evening, I sat on the upper deck with my usual cup of tea, talking with my mom and brother while watching a spectacular sunset. A day spent in leisure after being on a road trip for the past 4 days, we enjoyed it to the fullest.
After the sunset, they parked the houseboat at a certain place because night boating is not actually allowed. So, we had our dinner and went to sleep. Waking up to a view like this was also something that I loved! We had our breakfast and then they dropped us back on the port.
If you don't have much time to stay, you can take a small boat ride through the backwaters instead of staying overnight in the houseboat. If you ask me for a suggestion, I would recommend that you experience this one-of-a-kind stay.
Ending this blog with a poem I read somewhere on an Instagram a long time ago that really struck me :
Leaving bits and pieces of me along the way.
At different places,
In trains and parks,
In taverns and hearts,
On mountains and forests.
Leaving behind a little faith,
a little sparkle,
a little laughter
or a color to remember me by.
And when I lose sight of who I was and wander,
I hope to find myself
beneath the seas or above the summits,
in diaries, and maybe, in somebody's poetry.