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We have been thinking for a monsoon road trip but were confused about the destinations. Last August we had a 7 days wonderful trip to Jog falls, Goa and Mahabaleshwar etc, and the memories remain still afresh. Though we had trips to various destinations in south repeatedly, a trip during rains would definitely give a wonderful experience, with more of greenery, with abundant flow of water in falls and importantly with a lesser tourist crowd. After discussing with my wife, we shortlisted few locations mainly in Kerala and those are Thekkady, Vagamon, Munnar, Athirappilly and return to Bangalore via Valparai. Subsequently the dates were finalized, from 3rd to 8th August 2014, and the accommodations were booked in advance through Clear Trip with an attractive discount offer. Two days prior to the trip, I replaced two tyres in the front at one of the MRF outlets at Bangalore.
Day 1 : Bangalore – Kumily – Vagamon and return to Kumily - 620 kms
Day 2 : Kumily – Thekkady – Munnar – 115 kms
Day 3 : Munnar – Top station – Munnar – 70 kms
Day 4 : Munnar – Eravikulam National Park – Lakkom waterfalls – Munnar – 50 kms
Day 5 : Munnar – Athirapilly Waterfalls – Vazhachal waterfalls – Athirapilly - 155 kms
Day 6 : Athirapilly – Valparai – Coimbatore – Bangalore – 545 kms.
Day 1 : 3rd August 2014. Drive from Bangalore to Kumily, Vagamon and back to Kumily – 620 kms.
We were 30 minutes behind schedule and started at 6 am from Bangalore and the target was reaching Kumily by 2 pm covering 507 kms. Being on Sunday there was not much of traffic on roads and was able to drive comfortably and crossed the KA border within an hour. Though it was raining on the previous day, the weather was fine in the morning. Before Krishnagiri we had a stop for a fuel top up, further we continued and just after Krishnagiri we stopped for breakfast at Saravana Bhavan around 7.30 am. South Indian dishes there are really delicious and the services are also good as well, with a vast area for parking in the front.
The watchman of the hotel is having a unique kind of moustache and on a request he was posing the cam for a picture. After breakfast we started at 8 am, the roads ahead were fantastic and were able to drive hassle free for a long distance. Once we crossed Karur bye pass for almost 150 kms plus, the drive was little uncomfortable due to heavy breeze. Around 11.15 am we deviated from Dindigal bye pass to Kumily road towards the right. It’s a newly laid two lane road with patchy surfaces in few stretches which curtails the driving speed drastically. The road passes through Vathalakundu and Theni, and before reaching Kumily, there is a small ghat section one has to pass through; and once you cross the TN border check post you are in Kumily town in Kerala, and Periyar Tiger reserve, Thekkady is just 5 kms away from Kumily. Surprisingly we found a totally different weather, and was raining when we reached Kumily around 1.45 pm, 15 minutes before the estimated time of arrival.
As we booked the accommodation in advance with Hotel Blooming Paradise, we straight away went to the hotel and checked-in and kept the baggage in the room which was on the first floor. The hotel do has a restaurant but only vegetarian food was served; so we opted to go out for the lunch to a non vegetarian restaurant which is right opposite to this hotel, had good Kerala fish curry rice.
Soon after lunch we came back to the hotel, took rest for 30 minutes and started the drive to Vagamon which is almost 60 kms away from Kumily. There was intermittent rain all the way, and once we deviated from KK road to Vagamon road, we found the roads very narrow and very steep in some places. However we continued our drive in spite of rainy and misty weather conditions. We couldn’t spend more time at Vagamon as the atmosphere was getting mistier, and driving back would be a problem. And to our bad luck the camera battery got almost drained out and there was no time left to charge it even in the car. Around 6.30 pm we reached back at the hotel.
As we had heavy late lunch, decided to compromise with a light vegetarian dinner at the restaurant on the ground floor. Meanwhile the room boy had delivered my favorite KF at room itself. Later, we had our dinner around 9 pm and hit the bed by 10 pm.
Coming up next : Boating at Periyar lake in Thekkady, Drive to Munnar
Day 1 : Bangalore – Kumily – Vagamon and return to Kumily - 620 kms
Day 2 : Kumily – Thekkady – Munnar – 115 kms
Day 3 : Munnar – Top station – Munnar – 70 kms
Day 4 : Munnar – Eravikulam National Park – Lakkom waterfalls – Munnar – 50 kms
Day 5 : Munnar – Athirapilly Waterfalls – Vazhachal waterfalls – Athirapilly - 155 kms
Day 6 : Athirapilly – Valparai – Coimbatore – Bangalore – 545 kms.
Day 1 : 3rd August 2014. Drive from Bangalore to Kumily, Vagamon and back to Kumily – 620 kms.
We were 30 minutes behind schedule and started at 6 am from Bangalore and the target was reaching Kumily by 2 pm covering 507 kms. Being on Sunday there was not much of traffic on roads and was able to drive comfortably and crossed the KA border within an hour. Though it was raining on the previous day, the weather was fine in the morning. Before Krishnagiri we had a stop for a fuel top up, further we continued and just after Krishnagiri we stopped for breakfast at Saravana Bhavan around 7.30 am. South Indian dishes there are really delicious and the services are also good as well, with a vast area for parking in the front.
The watchman of the hotel is having a unique kind of moustache and on a request he was posing the cam for a picture. After breakfast we started at 8 am, the roads ahead were fantastic and were able to drive hassle free for a long distance. Once we crossed Karur bye pass for almost 150 kms plus, the drive was little uncomfortable due to heavy breeze. Around 11.15 am we deviated from Dindigal bye pass to Kumily road towards the right. It’s a newly laid two lane road with patchy surfaces in few stretches which curtails the driving speed drastically. The road passes through Vathalakundu and Theni, and before reaching Kumily, there is a small ghat section one has to pass through; and once you cross the TN border check post you are in Kumily town in Kerala, and Periyar Tiger reserve, Thekkady is just 5 kms away from Kumily. Surprisingly we found a totally different weather, and was raining when we reached Kumily around 1.45 pm, 15 minutes before the estimated time of arrival.
As we booked the accommodation in advance with Hotel Blooming Paradise, we straight away went to the hotel and checked-in and kept the baggage in the room which was on the first floor. The hotel do has a restaurant but only vegetarian food was served; so we opted to go out for the lunch to a non vegetarian restaurant which is right opposite to this hotel, had good Kerala fish curry rice.
Soon after lunch we came back to the hotel, took rest for 30 minutes and started the drive to Vagamon which is almost 60 kms away from Kumily. There was intermittent rain all the way, and once we deviated from KK road to Vagamon road, we found the roads very narrow and very steep in some places. However we continued our drive in spite of rainy and misty weather conditions. We couldn’t spend more time at Vagamon as the atmosphere was getting mistier, and driving back would be a problem. And to our bad luck the camera battery got almost drained out and there was no time left to charge it even in the car. Around 6.30 pm we reached back at the hotel.
As we had heavy late lunch, decided to compromise with a light vegetarian dinner at the restaurant on the ground floor. Meanwhile the room boy had delivered my favorite KF at room itself. Later, we had our dinner around 9 pm and hit the bed by 10 pm.
Coming up next : Boating at Periyar lake in Thekkady, Drive to Munnar
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