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-   -   Munnar - Quick write up and a few pics (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/81886-munnar-quick-write-up-few-pics.html)

"There's always a first time". All of us would have heard it at some point of time. One may ask why is it relevent to this topic.

More than 30,000 KM's on the indian highways still doesnt take away the fact that this is my first travellouge post at Team BHP. I can see some of you glancing towards the left of the page on my handle on the left and i can already notice a few of you have a quick chuckle reading "newbie". So, here we go. "There's always a first time".

Now the Car. Its the tried and tested one, most popular in India a few decades back. Some people still vouch for it. Some still own this with the same passion that they had when they bought it - its the M800, 4 gear , A/C. Fairly new car, just about 7 months old (another story for another time on how i moved from a Tata Safari to a M800 :uncontrol)

As the tradition goes, here's a small teaser photo. More follows soon.

View of the water fall between Chinnar and Marayur

Caught a bird, a few Km's before we hit Munnar. Bird lovers (real birds) - please help me with the name.

Although your status says you are newbie, this shows that you are a long time follower of T-BHP on travelogues section :D

So, where did you stay, how was the drive, what all places you visited, tariffs for stay etc etc...

Oh no, I don't want you to fly away from here. Take your time, but not more than an hour lol: and update please.

I infact owe lots of my weekend getaways to Team BHP. I used to be a regular as a guest and it did take a good time for me to become a member here. Am i glad to be a member !. (Wife keeps wondering what i do with my laptop all the time.)

This trip wasnt planned at all. My parents stay at Coimbatore and my son had gone there for the summers. My sister's children were there too. Over a casual tea chat at home with self, wife, sister and BIL, we thought that we can do a quick trip to a hill station. Bangalore was getting real hot that time ( first week May)

Kodai was suggested and that was immediately shot down by the writer (me ). Having been to Kodai several times in childhood, i didnt want to go there again. Munnar cropped up and it was an unanimous go.

Then came the thought of having a joint holiday clap:. Its been sometime since the larger family got together on a vacation. So, promptly the plan was made. Me, wife, BIL, Sister and my BIL's mom leave together to Coimbatore, pick up the kids there along with my parents and go to Munnar together. Post the trop,drive back to Bangalore from Coimbatore with the kids.

My BIL's Scorpio-Automatic and my M800 were raring to go.

As is always the case, we plan something and something else has to happen.

First - my sister could manage only two cottages at Mahindra resorts. That obviously meant that i had to stay at a different place. Quickly browed thru and nailed down on Blackberry resorts and managed a booking.

Second - the idea was to leave at 4.00 AM from Bangalore to Coimbatore on the 4th may. As one can always expect, i had a special guest by name murphy and his law acted to perfection - Team meeting on 4th between 11.00 AM thru 2.00 Noon :Frustrati.

So, off go my sister and BIL and his mom in the scorpio as planned and i leave my disappointed wife at home, to office in the morning. I was waiting for 2.00 noon, so that we exit Bangalore atleast by 3.00 PM and reach coimbatore by 8.30 PM or so.

Thankfully, the meetings did end at 2.00. One luxury of staying close to office meant that a quick lunch at home and a quiker exit (thanks to overnight packing )ensured we were at the Electronic city toll at 2.50 PM. After that, we breezed thru Hosur, Krishnagiri and before Salem, take a right towards Mecheri and go thru Mettur, Bhavani, Avinashi, Annur and Coimbatore. I could manage a steady speed of about 80 KM / Hr on the 800 and reach by 8.45 PM. ( dont i still love the M800 ! ).

My parents house was so noisy when we entered ( what else do you expect when there are 8 people already there and 2 more are entering ). Finished dinner and slept off around 11 AM. Plan to wake up early and exit around 6.30, so as to reach Munnar by lunch.

The morning was fine. All 10 of us were up and ready on time. Tanks filled and off we moved.

Sure mJothi. Being a newbie, i have to wait for the posts be approved by mods. That said, this wait allows me to prepare - interms of reducing photo size, re-thinking on some bits of the visit et all..

You are right, i have been following TBHP as a guest for a few years before i came onboard as a fellow BHPian.

Your travelogue is bringing back my memories of Munaar visit, i did for the last summer vacation.

Water was pretty less in this falls during my visit. I stayed in resort called T and U, though i dont remember 100% the name.

Did you take the elephant ride in the camp? i did like it, it was a nice experience.

keep posting.

@jkrishnakj - Your one hour is up! Post the rest of the log man & pl. don't forget the photos. We love photos in a travelogue.

:) +1 to that
I love the place, my avtar pic also clicked over there; so green, so serene.

Time to cut the english now i guess. We stayed at Blackberry hills resort. A nice place, closer to munnar town. A small climb led us to this resort. The cottages and rooms are built on a slope of a hill and the view from each room/cottage is fabulous. It costed us a bit though, but it was well worth it. 12K was the price negotiated for 2 nights, 3 days, breakfast and dinner included. Spa use was free for one person. Good deal i thought.

Here are a few pics that we captured on the way.

1. The wind mills between Pollachi and Udumalaipetai.
2. The bird that we could capture. Notice the dry terrain in both the snaps.
3. Monkey on the road. BIL was waiting for us and this fellow actually was all over the Scorpio.
4. The landscape appeared to be changing suddenly. Crossed a turn and wow, this is what we saw. All green and all tea plantations/
5. Camouflage of colours. Different shades of green, a bit of orange - Lovely sight
6. Evening view from our resort balcony
7. The early morning from from our balcony

Am trying to figure out how to write comments :Frustrati on top of the pics itself. Maybe, will go back to some posts explaining this and will save you all the trouble of going up and down to relate the points above and the pictures below.

It is a Bee-eater , mostly a Green Bee-eater though looking yellowish in photograph.

Congrats on your first travelogue in TBHP.

Even I guess it’s a Bee-eater, one closure picture of the same bird.



Do you have any photos of Club Mahindra Resort, would love to see them..

Ranjith. That photo is amazing. Can you let us the secret of the source as well?

I got that from Photography community, including forums, reviews, and galleries from Photo.net, I was looking for photo's of Bee-Eater in Google and I got this link. I guess it should be taken by some like kalyan varma :OT

Ranjith, a great photo from Google search :)

And I see another travelogue here going on Munnar clap:, cant wait for the whole lot of pics buddy. Keep them coming.

Thanks Jacs.

Thanks Ranjith. Shall get the pics of Mahindra resort from my sister and upload them later.

Attempting to finish it today in a few hours. Just got a bit free from work.

The lunch at the resort was pretty decent. They had the typical "Kerala Saddhi" - feast if you may. We enjoyed it. Surprisingly, my son enjoyed the red rice.

We didnt do much at the resort after lunch. Slept for a couple hours and trecked down the hills. Explored the resort. Plucked a few PASSION FRUITS from the creepers inside the resort - they were super actually.

The dinner buffet was a decent spread. The weather started becomming cool and we retired for the night. Despite the month of may, we still had to close windows and sleep without the fans on.

Day 2 started with nice Kerala breakfast - Puttu and Kadalai Karri. We ignored the idlis/vadas/upma and straight hit the puttu counter. Fabulous stuff.

We then went to explore the areas around , including the hydro park, the matupeti dam and Top point. Some pictures here.

Yet another bird - from our room balcony


My son trying his stunts in rock climbing


Chotta Bheem trying his hands at the wheel


View of the Cottages in the resort


Inside the Hydro Park


The Scorpio of my BIL was always ahead

My Mother In Law does prepare good tasty Puttu, I am missing them. Here in Pune I have searched a lot to get that puttu powder but no go :Frustrati