Through the Silent Hills, from Cochin to Munnar
God's own Land, Kerala, hill mists, coconut palms, and serene backwaters. Of many, Cochin to Munnar is one of the best, a pensive journey through the past eras, tea, and ginormous hills.
The trip begins in Cochin (Kochi), the seaport city of colonial days that swallowed up concrete whole. Cacophony and onto the road to Munnar, and something gives. Cacophony yields and yields to serenity. City skyscrapers yield to rolling green hills. You're not going anywhere, you're being transformed.
The First Stretch: Urban Fade to Rustic Charm
And when your taxi moves beyond Aluva and Angamaly, city hoarding disappears. Country opens a series of low red-hatched cottages, roadside tea stalls, banana plantations. Paddling it out one morning, the fog is below your level, peasants creep in the fields, reminding you that real Kerala lies beyond the cities. A little more than an hour back is the Western Ghats, its shroud over one of tumultuous cool and snake-like ascents. Every bend now is a new nature portrait rubber plantation, jack trees, and streams flash in and out of behind woods.
Cheeyappara and Valara Falls: Nature's Intermission
The climb is arduous, and half-way through the 130-kilometer journey, Valara and Cheeyappara falls surprise you. The twin waterfalls, particularly the undisputed monarch of the monsoon, are a good place to break your journey so that you can snap some photographs. Splashy spray and fury of rolling waves are a solace. You stretch your limbs, sipping a cup of tea from a tea stall road-side vendor, and basking in forest peace. From here the climb to Munnar proper.
Into the Heart of the Hills
With each climb into elevation comes added beauty, too. Temperature drops very sharply, and scenery shifts again this time to rolling expanses of green tea plantation. A name-only hill station, Munnar is an operating, living plantation town where nature and nurture get life.
Lower your window, breathe in the essence of wildflower and eucalyptus. Monkeys swing from tree to tree, one inquisitive nilgiri langur eyeing one up from here. Each turn is some surprise delight: an ocean of green, a tea planter in her rainbow-colored sari, or clouds just skimming low enough to lick against.
Stop for a while at Karadippara view point and look down into the valleys from the bird's eye perspective. You can also catch paragliders gliding high above the horizon or goats scaling the rocks like experienced trekking professionals if you are lucky enough. Arrival in Munnar: Where
Time Slows Down
A canvas holiday in Munnar is a luxury. It's à la mode, birdsong is dominating cacophony, and life is in slow motion. Munnar is all about soaking wherever you visit, whether it be a warm welcome brew of tea at a roadside tea stall, a visit to the Tea Museum, or a boat cruise in the Mattupetty Dam.
Don't miss a walk over tea plantations or walking in the Eravikulam National Park, to glimpse the Nilgiri Tahr, which is fast heading towards extinction! If your trip is in December and February, you will have the good fortune of enjoying morning dew and majestic sunrise!
The Journey is the Destination
While Munnar is a destination worthy of all praise, the road to it from Cochin through the silent hills is an experience in itself. It’s not just a route; it’s a revelation. Every kilometer tells a story, every turn presents a poem written by nature.
And to truly enjoy this journey, the right travel companion makes all the difference.
3Seas offers the best taxi service in Kochi, ensuring safe and comfortable rides for every journey. Book reliable tourist taxis in Cochin for airport transfers, sightseeing, and outstation trips. Explore exclusive Kerala tour packages and the best Kerala tour packages tailored for every traveler. Choose from holiday packages from Kochi and family tour packages from Kochi for a memorable Kerala getaway.
Let the road to Munnar be the beginning of your Kerala story with 3Seas, your journey is just as beautiful as your destination.