[Onyx Panther]

Adventures, everyone wants to go on one but in reality, it wouldn’t be that of an adventure without problems. Adventures are a mix of everything; fun, joy, travel, horror, food, memories and moments.

I am 14 years old and in grade 9, travelling with my dad, mom and my 6-year-old sister. We live in Bahrain, a place so deserted that we rarely get to see greenery. But at least we get to see camels.

We were planning to buy a car for almost a year. In the end, we bought the all new Ford Endeavour. Buying this 4x4 tough built SUV, we wanted to take it somewhere. We were thinking of some place different from usual, something that excite us, thrill us and take us on an adventure.

Munnar is one place I would think of those are green almost throughout the year, no matter the weather, climate, temperature and rainfall. Kolukumalai is another place that would be great for an off-road experience. The beauty of the green tea estates and mountains make you feel like you’re in a Green Paradise and what I’m going to tell you is what I experienced in Munnar and Kolukumalai. So pack up your adventurous side and get set.

We got our Ford Endeavour a few days before our trip so that we could cruise through Munnar. We were excited as this was the first trip with the car.
This whole travelogue is going to be of 4 segments:
• 27 July: Madurai to Udumalai
• 28 July: Drive to Munnar
• 29 July: Munnar Exploration
• 30 July: Kolukumalai Sunrise

So here’s the plan:
o We go to Madurai from Nagercoil
o We start the trip from Madurai and go to Udumalai
o My father’s friends and their families would meet there
o There will be a total of 5 families
o We will go to Munnar from Udumalai in four cars
o In Munnar, the first day’s stay is Ela Ecoland jungle resort
o The second day’s stay is Munnar Pramic tent
o The third day’s special is sunrise in Kolukumalai
o We leave after sunrise


27 JULY: Madurai to Udumalai

We came from Nagercoil to Madurai to my Aunt’s house and so it all started in Madurai, at Thursday, July 27. We packed up, ate breakfast and left home at 9 am. We left the Madurai city and entered the national highway in about 20 minutes.

We were heading to Udumalai but before that, we were doing a small side mission. We were going to pass through Dindigul and thought we could have the Venu Biriyani for lunch.

I took pictures while my mom and dad took turns driving and my sister was sightseeing. We stopped often in the drive to take some pictures or for tea breaks.

The first time we stopped to take pictures was in the highway before entering Dindigul.


The road zoomed into the mountains seen in the distance.

We continued on the road for some time and once we reached Dindigul, we separated from the highway into a narrow road leading into the city where we can have our lunch.

We ordered mutton biriyani served with mutton curry.


The food was very delicious; it was the best biriyani you could ever eat. After food, we continued on the same road and joined the highway once again.
We were following the navigation to get to Udumalai and came to a point where two roads diverged. According to the navigation, both roads led to the same place and at the same time.

One road was the Coimbatore road and the other was the Kolumam road. We have travelled on both roads before and so we chose the Kolumam road. The Coimbatore road is smooth but we would have to go through traffic if we chose that road. The Kolumam road has many twists and turns but it has good views and no traffic.


We stopped at a small shop by the road for tea and snacks.


This beautiful tree by the road caught my attention.


This is the beautiful flower of the tree that caught my eye.


At about 3 pm on the same day, we reached our destination. In Udumalai, we met our friends who would be accompanying us to our main destination.
We stayed there for the rest of the day and were excited for tomorrow.


28 JULY: Drive to Munnar

The day started at 6 am when I woke up and got all set to go. The rest of the people had come making the total number of people as 20. We packed up and got ready at 9:30 am and drove to Munnar in 4 cars.
We overtook each other at times going at varying speeds.

The only animal we saw was a monkey. It was sitting on the handrail of a small bridge we were crossing.


At first, the area seemed to be dry, which made it look like we were passing through a road in the middle of an African savannah.

Later, we came to a check post that indicated we left Tamil Nadu and entered Kerala. Once we entered the Kerala side, the everything changed from yellow and brown to green and green only. We were welcomed with a beautiful sight of green tea estates and forests, mountains and streams.

We stopped our cars to take some pictures by a tiny cascade.



Then we stopped yet again for more shots.


The air was very refreshing and so we decided to turn off the AC and keep the windows down and opened the panorama sunroof.


The sky too gave beauty to the green landscapes.



The place was so beautiful and so photogenic that we had to stop many times just for pictures. But that made it more exciting than just sitting in the car and sightseeing.




We then stopped by another cascade quite larger than the one we saw previously. We stood there and took some shots.









As we proceeded further, it started to drizzle. Soon enough, the rain showered heavily, but not for too long.


By around 2 pm, we reached Munnar town. We decided to have lunch there. After lunch, we proceeded to a resort that is 18 km away from Munnar town towards Kochin road. We booked a stay in the jungle resort of Ela Ecoland. We got our navigation all set in Munnar Town itself as that’s one of the few places where you get internet.

By 4 pm, we reached our destination with difficulty as we had to go through narrow gaps and ride on rocky roads to get there.

Once there, we got off and took the necessary things like clothes into the resort. The whole area was a deep jungle consisting of two tent houses, two rock houses and a treehouse and we had the whole resort for a day.

Each family chose their stay and moved their things in. The view from the treehouse was amazing, but the overall best was the rock house which was pretty much a tree house but was built on rock.

We had to walk and climb through mud and dirt to get anywhere, so we had a complete jungle experience.

Everything sounds amazing but no, if you need jungle experience, you need at least some form of trouble. And trouble came.

The area had leeches at places and you wouldn’t know if it grabbed on to your leg. When it bites, it would insert an anesthetic so strong that you won’t know that it had been sucking your blood until you see it.

A few of us got bitten and we were given salt to keep safe. As it became night, we went to a building where we sat to eat. The kids and some others sat inside the building while some of the other stood out to make barbeque. It was a buffet along with the barbeque as starters.

Even though all these enjoyments, some of us who stood outside got bitten by leeches and so we were given some safety instructions.

They told us to wear slippers and not shoes or sneakers as we cannot see if a leech gets into our shoes. We were told to wear shorts or 3/4ths as leeches climb into long pants and we would not be able to see them. Finally, they told us that white dresses would be best to spot a leech if it climbed onto us.

Some kids got terrified seeing the leeches and kept jumping on the way back their stays. On the way back there, you could hear sounds of insects which made the place a little bit creepier.

It gave us a real jungle experience and overall everything was excellent.


29 JULY: Munnar Exploration

The day started off by me taking the camera and exploring the place keeping my fingers crossed for leeches.



This is the rock house having two separate rooms. This is where I stayed for the day.



This is the treehouse, the amazing thing about this is that it had a tree passing inside it.


This is the tent house. It may not necessarily look like a tent but it is made of tent materials if you see from the inside.


The paths we had to walk through gave a real Jungle Book effect.

[Onyx Panther]

The only mode of light at night are those lamp posts.


There was a beautiful waterfall near the resort.





The tall canopy of trees allowing small patches of light down was a pretty sight.





We had breakfast here which was a buffet as well. I had bread and butter as well as an omelet. Overall, food experience of last night and breakfast was excellent.

We left Ela Ecoland at 10:45 am to some people’s leech relief and we got back on the same road we came from to go to Munnar town.

On the way to Munnar town, we decided to see a waterfall which we could see in the distance.



We separated from the road taking us to the town into a small bumpy and rocky road. We went slow as we had to move to the side when a car came from the opposite direction and once we reached there, we had to cross a bridge through which falls flows under.


We were not allowed to get near the falls but just watch it from a distance. As we climbed a path that leads us to where were supposed to watch the falls, there was a small house-store where we could have lemonade or tea.


There were some beautiful flowers on the way.



The falls flowed through rocks and boulders which was a refreshing sight to see with the tea plants in the background.


We then got back on the road to Munnar town after having lemonade near the falls and we changed road through town which leads us to many beautiful places finally leading us to Top Slip, the summit of the mountain.

On the way, we passed through Hydel Park. We didn’t go inside but there was a place for shopping souvenirs and especially chocolate. Chocolate here is home-made and delicious. There were toys too which some kids bought.


After some time there, we continued.

We passed through this area called Photo Point where you could take your portrait with a background so beautiful that you could say you went to paradise.

After everyone got their portrait taken, we proceeded on the same road. We passed through an elephant park and Mattupetty dam. We kept on going till we reached a place called Echo point.

I have no idea whether you could hear your echo because when we reached there, everyone and especially the kids were pretty disappointed.

But there were some shops with spices, tea and merchandise from Munnar and so there went round two of shopping.

Unfortunately, we didn’t go to top slip as it was getting late and so we headed back and changed roads once again.

On the way, we stopped at a small hotel for lunch. Some had lunch meals and some had biriyani. At the end everyone got an ice cream of their choice. After lunch we set back to where we were going.

I got the navigation ready once we got internet and we were heading to place where they put tents for you where you ask them to.

While going there we stopped near a place with a tea shop and a fantastic view.


While on the way, we saw a small village called Suriyanelli about 2 km away from the actual place.

The stay was arranged by Munnar Pramic.

To everyone’s relief, there were no leeches and the sight was tremendously marvelous. We got there by 5:45 pm and luckily it didn’t get that dark.




This night was more exciting than the other as there was campfire, barbeque, dance, music and more.

Everyone enjoyed the night but unfortunately, I couldn’t keep up and I slept early missing most of the fun and some pictures.

But luckily for me, sleeping early did me a favor the next morning.


30 JULY: Kolukumalai Sunrise

We had to wake up at 4 am in the morning so that we could go see the sunrise in Kolukumalai.

There were two jeeps ready to get us there, as we were not allowed to go there with our cars.

We got breakfast before 4 am and we packed it so that we could eat it near the sunrise place.

Not everyone came for the sunrise as most of them were tired from last night. I grabbed my camera and we started our little sunrise mission.

We had to go through a check post indicating animal safety. After 30 minutes of smooth road, we changed road into the path between two tea estates that was made only of mud and rock. For the next one hour and few minutes, we had to go through the road jumping and bumping inside the jeep.

Once we reached there, the jeep drivers told us to get down and go through a path that looked like we had to visit the jungle again. They told us that we would not miss the sunrise if we go that way but unluckily there were leeches everywhere in that area.

We went through the path and set our eyes into the most beautiful and glorious sight I have ever seen.

The sun started to rise between two mountains like all the children draw in their books.





I didn’t care about the leeches, I just went on taking pictures and that was a small mistake. There was a leech climbing on my slippers but I just kicked it out in the last moment and everyone else got away safe.

Once we saw the sunset, we left on the jeeps on to a small hotel attached with a small park. We ate the food we brought there and some kids along with me played in the park. Food was chapatti and potato rolls with a juice.

After finishing breakfast, we carried on to a tea factory which was very old. The tea garden there was also the highest in the world and this is me there.


We went into a building where they showed us how tea was made from tea leaves.

The name of this tea grinder is Marshall.



After seeing all of this, I learned one thing:


After having free lemon tea there, we returned on our jeep in the same bumpy road and reached the tents by 9:30 am. Once there, I decided to take my last pictures in that area as we were supposed to go home in an hour or two.



When we came back to the tent, everyone who didn’t come were excited to hear what happened. Me and other kids started playing catch with a ball my sister bought from the Hydel Park shopping.

After a long jolly hour of playing we had to leave and so we bid bye to everyone else who came along with us to Munnar. I had to say bye to Munnar too. All four cars continued on the same road till a check post where we went to Madurai and the others to their homes. After we went to Madurai to my aunt's house, we left to Nagercoil.

Every time that we go on a trip, we miss one thing to call it an adventure, something frightening. This time, it was the real adventure thanks to those leeches.

I really enjoyed this trip and had fun taking pictures, documenting this, playing with friends and much more. I hope all others enjoyed it too and wish next year would be as awesome as this year, if not better.

[Aditya]

Fantastic travelogue with very good pictures, Onyx Panther. Thanks for sharing.

South India - Kerala in particular, always seems to be maintaining its greenery very well compared to most other states in India. It's always a pleasure to drive through the tea plantations of Munnar.

Ela Ecoland looks like a very inviting place to stay - lots of natural beauty around and the charm of a tree house. I can see a small raft in the stream in one of the pictures. That is just a perfect getaway from the madness of the urban jungle. Camping and waking up to a beautiful sunrise and a visit to a tea factory are great ways to wind up the trip. Some of these events will stay with you for ever. Of course, with the wilderness, come small disadvantages such as leeches, but that's a small price to pay for some peace and tranquility!

[Durango Dude]

Lovely travelogue! I would never go to Kolukkumalai! I've been there once in 2007 and the path is just horrible with only boulders for a road. Once you venture up there's no turning back halfway. Good that you didn't take your vehicles up!! Agreed the view of Kerala/TN from there is great!

[i20ian]

Nice travelogue onyx panther with some beautiful photos. Leeches are a part and parcel of monsoon trips. As the saying goes.. Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations, keep traveling and keep writing. Way to go..

[mallumowgli]

Onyx Panther - Wonderful. All pics are by you? Beautiful clicks.

And great to see a new-gen Nagercoilean We have quite a few from that part of the country - master traveller arun_josie is one who comes to mind. I spent my school days in that beautiful town

Never mind the leeches - as i290ian said, they are part of the game. Can't avoid it in the tropical forests.

[selfdrive]

Nice pictures and a crisp write up there!

Looks like a nice place to go for a quiet vacation. Do you have any more pics or your feedback about the Endeavour? I am sure you are looking forward to your next trip with such a nice vehicle.

[Yieldway17]

Great writing and report and looks like we have quite a few 15-year olds who write like veterans here.

[hserus]

Lovely pictures - sort of a next door neighbour to you at least native place wise (valliyur).

Anyway - please add that one very important thing that you missed out in the review, where near Madurai did you order that Mutton biryani?

[jeeva]

Munnar is such a beautiful place; still left untouched by maddening commercialization. Hope the place stays so.
Kolukkumala, Meeshapulimala is all worth the pain trekking up!

Sometime back,we did ride through the same route.
There is this tiny hotel in Marayoor which serves the world's best bamboo puttu and idi irachi (meat of a different kind).

[aabhimanyu04]

Amazing pictures, specially that of Dindigul Biryani ( it is lunch time now and I am hungry) .On one of my recent trips, I was crossing Dindigul and could not resist to take the diversion to Venu Biryani in Dindigul. Such delicious biryani they serve there. A must go for all biryani lovers.

[docsr]

OP, for a 14 year old, your skills with the camera are phenomenal. Great going and keep honing your skills....

[Onyx Panther]

Mod note: Back to back posts, please use Multi Quote [Quote +] instead. Thanks.

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Onyx Panther - Wonderful. All pics are by you? Beautiful clicks.

And great to see a new-gen Nagercoilean We have quite a few from that part of the country - master traveller arun_josie is one who comes to mind. I spent my school days in that beautiful town

Never mind the leeches - as i290ian said, they are part of the game. Can't avoid it in the tropical forests.

Thanks a lot
Yes, those picture were taken by me.

You can check out my photologue too, which is completely based on photography:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...hotologue.html

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Nice pictures and a crisp write up there!

Looks like a nice place to go for a quiet vacation. Do you have any more pics or your feedback about the Endeavour? I am sure you are looking forward to your next trip with such a nice vehicle.

My dad had 4 cars in mind. He really liked the Innova Crysta for long travels. Considering my mom's driving too, we also thought about the Audi Q3. But what really struck for having complete offroad experience were the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour.
After multiple test drives with each car, we shortlisted the Fortuner and Endeavour. Finally, all of us agreed to the Endeavour and that was good choice.
As for feedback, we are completely enjoying with the car and have full satisfaction. Because we left back to Bahrain once the vacation was over, we miss the car a lot.





And yes, we are definitely look forward to our next trip with the Endeavour. We have been planning that trip since we were thinking about buying a car. We have been thinking of going to Leh-Ladakh next year July. Looking forward to write that travelogue.

[dailydriver]

While I struggle to extract a decently worded two line answer from my students so as not to fail them in the exams, here on the forum we have teenage ninjasque master reviewers, word magicians, keen eyed photographers and travel writers who can put to shame even hardcore professionals.

Onyx Panther, this is an excellent travelogue. Mature presentation coupled with lively photos make it an awesome treat for the mind and eyes alike. Keep travelling, keep writing. Hats off .

[TSIboy]

A great travelouge you've put up. Couldn't help but say those photos! Those photos are simply amazing. I'll be waiting for your Leh-Ladakh travelouge. Keep it up man!