We told you that Munnar is mindblowingly beautiful. We also told you last week that we will come back with details of our recent trip to Munnar. Here we go.....
We are not sure when we visited Munnar last time. If our memory is correct, it must be 18 years back when we had been just married. Our plans to visit Munnar was always falling through though we had planned it many times. This time we did not want to miss the opportunity to drive in monsoon and experience the paradise ourselves. The other motivation was to drive to magnificent Athirapally falls in monsoon. There we were. Burning the rubber and on the way to Munnar during Eid weekend.
Having driven on the National Highway 47 umpteen times, it has become too familiar an exercise. We left early to avoid the chaos in Hosur, stopping over on the road side for a cup of boiler tea - how we hate the tea prepared elsewhere boiled over and over again, then customary breakfast at Karur opposite bus stand and we reached Theni by 11AM. The roads are excellent.
We were disappointed with Theni and its surroundings which are generally green. The rains were absent and the fields were still brown. We could now see the mountains in the horizon.
From Theni, we now deviated towards Bodinayakanur from where we started climbing to Munnar on Bodi ghat.
We were disappointed with Theni and its surroundings which are generally green. The rains were absent and the fields were still brown. We could now see the mountains in the horizon.
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| Kannan Devan Hill ranges in the horizon as we drive through Theni |
As we moved closer to the ghat road, we were excited as we had heard about lovely vistas when we climb it. We were not disappointed. The road was fantastic to start with. Winding road but not too many hairpin bends like you find in Valparai. Once we left behind the plains and started climbing, the landscape turned out beautiful. What surprised us was the height of these mountains. They are big and beautiful - obviously when you have tallest mountain of South India amongst them. The scenery started turning greener and stunning as we climbed to Munnar. At the border check post in the village of Bodi Mettu, you will get the first feel of what is in store in Munnar. It was a wow experience as you enter the paradise!
Let the pictures take over now. This is just like a trailer..... Click on them to see in original size.
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| We start the climb now.....beyond those peaks! |
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| The ghat road......winding all the way up! |
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| As you climb, you will have magnificent landscape to enjoy |
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| The mountains are huge |
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| The first look of the the valley. Munnar is still few miles away. |
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| The peaks - reaching the sky! |
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| Meadows on the hills |
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| It became foggy and we could see glimpses of the greenery on the hills. Notice the tapering peak.... |
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| The first view of Munnar valley from Bodimettu. Stunning indeed! |
Munnar can also be reached via Tiruppur - Udumalpet ghat road. This route is very picturesque. Especially in monsoon. You will be passing through Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary and Marayoor sandal wood forests. We thought we will do this on the way back. But since we were going to Athirapally falls and returning via Valparai, we missed this. Look at these pictures of the ghat road from Udumalpet from Jaseem Hamza. (Check out his pictures in this link Jaseem Hamza in Panoramio and his facebook page Jaseem Hamza on Facebook )
Amazing vistas!
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| Rain drenched ghat road |
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| A river gently flowing down the hills |
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| Downstream sight of Thoovanam waterfalls in Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary |
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| Thoovanam waterfalls in Chinnar wildlife sanctuary |
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| A waterfall on the ghat |
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| Cloud covered hills with cascades as seen from the road! |
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| A stream flowing..... |
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| Different hues of green!! |
Travel Tips
Route from Bangalore
Bangalore - Salem - Dindigul - Theni - Bodinayakanur - Munnar (520 KMs and 10 hours with breaks)
or
Bangalore - Salem - Tirupur - Udumalpet - Munnar (475 KMs and 9.30 Hours with breaks)
Our suggestion - Go by one route and return through the other.
Road conditions
Excellent throughout. On the ghat road, you will find some bad patches and narrow roads. Nothing to worry as such.
Eating joints
Bangalore - Dindigul has many restaurants on the road for Breakfast and Lunch. If you happen to reach Dindiual at lunch time, then you should savour the famous Dindigul biryani at Thalappakatti (http://www.thalappakatti.com/)
Coming up next - First vistas of Munnar - Mindblowingly beautiful!
Do you want to experience Indian monsoon at its glorious best? Here is a list for you to do. Click on this post in this blog below.
Celebrating Indian Monsoon - A List!
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