After spending two lovely days in Munnar, it was time to leave and head for Thekkady. We had an early breakfast and started off around 9 a. m. Our driver told us that the road from Munnar to Thekkady has one of the best scenic views and our ride was going to be as enjoyable as our next destination.
Indeed, as we travelled from Munnar, we were spellbound by captivating views of the rolling grasslands, tea plantations, spice plantations, waterfalls and lakes.
We stopped at every turn of the hilly road to admire the views and click pictures. In addition to the captivating views, the air around us was infused with a variety of lovely scents; as we passed through the spice plantations, the air would be infused with a spicy flavour, passing through the tea plantations, we would be treated to the delightful aroma of fresh tea.
Oh!! It was such a heady feeling driving down this lovely road from Munnar to Thekkaddy. There were a number of roadside stalls along the way selling local produce such as spices, teas, strawberries and other fruits. We bought a lot of spices and fruits from those stalls and found them to be fresh.
Finally, after a lot of stopping and clicking pics, we reached Thekdday in the afternoon and since we were very tired after the exciting drive, we opted to rest for the day and venture out in the evening. After a much needed rest of 4-5 hours, we ventured into Thekkady town in the evening. Thekkaddy is a small town in Idduki district of Kerala and is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction.
We strolled around town in the evening, picking up souvenirs, picture postcards and some travel essentials. While going through the town, we came across pamphlets of a Kalaripayattu performance being held that evening and both of us being curious about this martial art form decided to attend.
Kalaripayattu is a Dravidian martial art from the Indian state of Kerala. One of the oldest fighting systems in existence, it is practiced in Kerala and contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as well as northeastern Sri Lanka and among the Malayali community of Malaysia.
It was mesmerising one hour performance, which left us entertained and with more admiration towards this martial art. After an early dinner, we retired for the day.
The next morning, we decided to take a boat tour offered by the Periyar Wildlife Reserve. It was an hour long boat ride in the lake and a great way to spot wild and exotic birds which reside in the Reserve. Unfortunately, neither of us are birders, so instead, we just enjoyed the views of the lake and surrounding landscape, which were spectacular!!!
After the boat ride and an early lunch, it was now time to head off for Kumarakom.
Part 3 – Romancing Kerala on Our Honeymoon: Thekkady to Kumarakom…
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