Itinerary Part-3: KERALA

Dear Readers,

Having covered up the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu (links to the Itinerary for these places are available at the end of the post), I'll be proceeding to "Gods Own Country", "The Land of Parsuram", the most literate state of India - Kerala. I'll be entering the state from Kanyakumari, where my Tamil Nadu leg will be ending.

 Again, I've had help from friends, fellow bloggers, tourism department of Kerala, travel companies and readers, providing me various inputs on availability of local transports, places to visit, places to stay etcetera, to finalize this itinerary. And, it goes without saying that, this itinerary is loosely based on various ideal situations. Thus, following it may not be possible due to reasons out of our hand during the trip.

So here's the itinerary for the third leg of my All India Solo Trip in the beautiful state of Kerala:

Day 1: Trivandrum. I'll be starting early morning from Kanyakumari to reach the capital of the state, Thiruvananthapuram, from where I'll be moving to Ponmudi, before returning to Trivandrum and relaxing at its local beaches. I would have also liked to trek the Agasthyakoodam, but it would not be accessible during my presence.

Day 2: Poovar, Kovalam: I'll be travelling, on this day, initially to Poovar and then to Kovalam to experience the serene beaches of both the nearby towns, before returning to Trivandrum to stay the night.

Day 3: Varkala, Kollam: From Trivandrum, I'll be next travelling to Varkala and Kollam to again experience and relax on the numerous beaches this both places has to offer. I'll be staying the night at Kollam.

Day 4: Munroe Island. On this day, I'll be travelling to Munroe Island,  located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River. The sole purpose of visiting this place is to experience the backwaters canoe tour. Later I'll be returning to Kollam to stay the night there.

Day 5: Palaruvi Waterfalls. Palaruvi, which literally means stream of milk, is known to be the most picturesque falls of Kerala. And so, I am obligated to visit this falls. Another night stay at Kollam.

Day 6: Alleppey/Alappuzha. This city, with the rustic backwaters, formed by a network of tranquil canals and lagoons, is the perfect cruising experience. This is one experience that I've been planning to have from around 4 years, and I hope that I can finally have it during this trip. Later I'll be staying the night at Kotayyam.

Day 7: Thekaddy. Elephants, unending chains of hills and spice-scented plantations awaits at this location in the Periyar forest near Kumily town. I'll be travelling here starting early morning from Kotayyam and then be staying the night here.

Day 8: Vagamon. On this day, I'll be travelling to a very off-beat Hill station, which promises to have no maddening tourist crowd, thus providing me the perfect atmosphere to relax. Later I'll be returning back to Kumily to stay the night.

Day 9: Munnar, Marayur: First stop of the day would be Munnar, the hill station surrounded by rolling hills dotted with tea plantations from where I'll be also visiting Marayur, the town with the natural sandalwood forest and the famous dolmens. Staying the night at Munnar.

Day 10: Chithirapuram. Another ideal place to relax, this quaint little sleepy town with flakes of cottages, old-time bungalows and cold charm slips right into my must visit places. I'll return to Munnar to stay the night there.

Day 11: Kochi, Kumarakonam. First up, I'll be travelling to Kochi from Munnar, and then to another backwaters experiencing at Kumarakonam awaits. Later, I'll be returning to Kochi to relax in the beaches around the city for the day.

Day 12: Thrissur. Time to visit some sacred site. Thrissur, which has a Lord Shiva Temple and an Indo-Gothic Church, is a perfect place to experience the cultural diversity that I am after, during this whole trip.

Day 13: Kozhikode/Calicut. One of the largest urban area of the state, wherein the first ever fleet from Europe to India, led by Vasco da Gama, arrived. This city, thus has a very historical significance, and so I visit this place.

Day 14: Thusharagiri Waterfalls. This mist capped peak (literal meaning of Thusharagiri) falls is known to be trekkers delight. The trek trail is a plantation rich with rubber, spices, areca nut, etcetera provides a pristine experience. Night stay back at Kozhikode.

Day 15: Wayanad. After a day of a moderate trek, it'll be time to relax a bit for more upcoming treks. And there's no better place than Wayanad  to rest. The captivating sights, sounds and fragrance will prove to be the best catalyst to rest a day.

Day 16: Edakkal Cave. Another trekking delight, this caves, famous for its cave paintings, is a two chambered structural marvel. Night stay back at Kalapetta.

Day 17: Chembra Peak. The highest peak in the Wayanad District, is yet again, an ideal place for trekking. At night, a return to Calicut is expected.

Day 18: Bekal. And the final stop of the Kerala leg of the trip will be Bekal, with its famous fort and beach, will provide a relaxing atmosphere, after 2 days of trekking. From here on, I'll be travelling to Manglore, as the next leg of the trip begins.

So readers, if you feel that I should change the itinerary in some way or other for me to move much better between places, please specify them on the comment section. And ,as I've mentioned in earlier post, if any of you reader wants to join me in any juncture of this journey, I would love to share the journey with you.

You can also write to me at muditacharya28@gmail.com with your valuable suggestions and questions about this trip.

And keep following the blog as I release further details and further itineraries of the trip.

Cheers!

Links to other Itineraries:

ANDHARA PRDESH AND TELANGANA
TAMIL NADU
KARNATAKA
MAHARASHTRA
GUJARAT
RAJASTHAN
PUNJAB, HARYANA, CENTRAL INDIA
ODISHA & WEST BENGAL
SIKKIM
MEGHALAYA AND TRIPURA
MIZORAM, MANIPUR AND NAGALAND
ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND ASSAM
BIHAR AND JHARKHAND
UTTARAKHAND
HIMACHAL PRADESH
JAMMU & KASHMIR