I had the pleasure of staying at the Tea County Munnar in March 2022. It was a memorable stay especially as a break from my regular routine. The weather as was cool. I stayed in the first floor of a cottage which had a balcony with a clear view of the picturesque Munnar valley and adjacent hill. The chair in the balcony was my favorite corner in the room and I enjoyed the magic of the mist and the mountains. The bed was comfortable leading to a good sleep all around I enjoyed complimentary buffet breakfast and lunch as well as dinner from the hotel.    I walked around the ..read more

No matter how many times you  have visited Munnar, you may never discover it enough.  A vista of how Munnar was this season was the blue Jacaranda  flowering  at its crazy best. This is what I love about repeated visits to Munnar, it is new everytime! This time I got an opportunity for sightseeing by bus in quite a different way and enjoy a unique ride through the tea-carpeted hills.  Munnar KSTRC has come up with a special package that will take you on a budget-free tour from Munnar to Kanthalloor.  Kanthalloor is located 57km from Munnar. The costs for o ..read more

When I was standing at the top of Kathirumudi mountain a year ago, I got the magnificent view of Agasthyakoodam. Since then it was a wish that I had kept in my mind to reach  the top of Agasthyakoodam and take the blessings of Agasthya. I booked my seat in December for the 3 days Agasthyakoodam trek which started on 12 th Feb, I started my preparations both physically and mentally. With a simple mission of being fit I started walking each morning. And was extra cautious in my diet to maintain my health. Usually Season pilgrimage to Agasthyakoodam starts in January for two months. This ..read more

Can I eat the famous Ramessery Idli without travelling all the way to Palakkad ?. That was the question in my mind for the past few months. Finally my dream came true as KTDC Ripple Land Restaurant, Alappuzha organized a five day 'idli festival'. The crowd was less than I expected on a Saturday and when I entered the food stall which was temporarily arranged in the parking area, the air with the smell of different types of idlis, held a delicious promise. Here five types of idlis were served - egg, chicken ,sambar, seafood and  chocolate idlis. The genesis of these idlis can be t ..read more

It was two days off from my work. I drove to Chelakkara to spend the weekend with my family. Our house is situated at Pangarappally which  is a small and picturesque village just 1 km from Chelakkara town. Paddy fields, vegetable cultivation and abundant greenery surrounded by hills makes the village very beautiful. It was refreshing to see blankets of rice paddies stretching across the landscape behind our home. I wore the traditional mundu and T shirt and walked through the muddy path covered by grass. That  kindled memories that flashed through my mind.  Born and broughtup ..read more

I am sitting alone, a few feet away from the waterfalls. A gentle wind makes the splash of water so beautiful. I inhale deeply the fresh air without mask. And I spend some more time there to soak in this exquisite silence - a great relief during the pandemic age. Hidden gems have always fascinated me. And a flavor of road trip and adventure are my favorite travel choice .  Fortunately an opportunity came in the form of a fun event organized by Mr.Anoop, who is working in Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi.  Our meeting point was Peechi Dam car parking area at 10.00 am. On a ..read more

I sat on the rocks in the middle of the river observing people walking through the suspension bridge and forget about myself by the picturesque surroundings. The forces of water was divided by the rocks and created  pools all over the area. A complete mystical feel, and it was so good to be tranquil there. I am in Ezhattumigham Prakriti Gramam (Nature Village).  It has been 8 months, my travel plans had been supended  and I learnt to live in an era in an  entirely new way of living.  By the mid of March, it was almost certain that a lockdown was the only opti ..read more

After the day's sight seeing at Kannur,  we went straight to our place of residence. A house in the countryside which is the home of our friend where his grandmother alone stays. Soon we were all ready to refresh. The ladies in our group  dressed in traditional Kerala Saree and the men dressed up in traditional shirt and Mundu .  20 of us set out to see the Theyyam performance at the Sri Dharmadaiva Temple at Nadakkal Tharavadu in Pazhayangadi, in the Indian state of Kannur. So after a 15 minutes journey, we arrived at the Kavu. Theyyam means “ GOD” in Malayalam Language, an ..read more

St.Angelo Fort I reached Kozhikode, slept very well and left for Kannur the next morning for my two days trip to Kannur, in the Indian state of  Kerala. It was a memmorable train journey from Kozhikode to Kannur because I met a new friend and  most of the topics in our conversation  was about my journey, Theyyam performance and sight seeing spots in Kannur. I was very much excited about Theyyam. We reached Kannur railway station and said good bye. Had my breakfast from  the railway station restuarant. By that time, all group members assembled at the station premises. Our conveyance was ready ..read more

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace Bangalore, popularly known as ' The Garden City' has numerous gems to visit in a short time. Erstwhile the city has witnessed centuries of invasions and dynasties. I was trying to remember the history of  Bangalore city. The Bengaluru city was founded by Kempegouda, a feudatory of the Vijayanagar empire,  in 1537 AD. The city was leased to the Mysore King Chikkadevaraya by the Mughals, in 1969 AD. He expanded the existing fort to the South and built the Sri Venkararamana temple within its boundaries. Hyder Ali secured Bengaluru as Jagar in 1758, further expande ..read more