Nature heals, yes its true nature holds within all the potential to heal a broken person. Here I am not talking about the Ayurvedic elements or the medical phase of nature or the world. The idea is very simple you travel around different places with natural beauty and freshness mostly so that you can escape from the reality or heal yourself from the pressure and the mental traumas that you have been through for the last many years. In my case the travel was not alone; I was travelling with my daughter to her favorite travel destination Kerala. Located to the southernmost end of India, Kerala is one of the most fab travel destinations that are filled with the goodness of nature and wild. The place holds within a number of best attractions and unique elements that makes the place one of the favorites for nature lovers and admirers. It was a year after the death of my husband that I and my daughter planned a Kerala trip. It was not our first visit to the land, we have been to the place a number of times before with my husband, and this trip was to recollect all the good memories we had of the place. Kerala is one of the best family travel destinations have always offered us the best family experience every time we visited the place. We mostly used to avail the tour package to Kerala that was organised by a travel operator names Gogeo holidays functioning in the land. But this time it was just the both of us and thus we decided to travel on our own more over we knew some of the best places to stay and the modes to reach to the place that we were to explore.
As per our plan, this family trip was organised with an itinerary which included Munnar as one of the main travel destination and Kochi as one of the stop-over destinations. We flagged off the trip on the 13th of November by around 8 am. After a long flight, we finally reached the Kochi international airport by around 12 am which was literally noon. As out a first place to explore was Kochi and as it was a stop-over destination I was completely fine with a landing at the place by noon. After getting the luggage from the airport the first thing that both of us look for was a cab and for our luck, we had a cab waiting in the stand. It was on our way to Kochi that the thought of getting an accommodation crossed my mind. As our last family trip was organised by travel operator we need not bather of the accommodation and such as the complete accommodation part was handled by the travel operators but this time as we were not accompanied by a travel operator it was my responsibility to looking for a decent budget accommodation. The last time I visited Kochi with my family, we stayed in a hotel named broad bean which offered us decent accommodation at a pocket-friendly rate so this time I asked the driver to take us to the same hotel. By around 12.45 pm we reached the hotel, after completing the check-in formality at the hotel we decided to take a small power nap as the both of us were really tired from the travel.
Later we woke up by around 3.30 pm with the alarm sound that my daughter set in my phone. By around 4 pm after having the tea from the hotel we moved on to explore some of the nearby travel destinations. As the hotel was located in the center of the city most of the travel destinations where close by. The first destination that we explored at Kochi was the Mangalavanam bird sanctuary. Located to the center of the city within the high court premises, the place was one of the best destinations where one could spot nature at its best. The place was mostly filled with mangrove plantations and thus gave an ambiance of a forest. The place was mostly filled with birds which are migratory. And thus it becomes one of the literal paradises for bird watchers. One of the other attractions in the place was the tree house from where you get to enjoy the best view of the forest and the plantations and the lake nearby. The place was one of the best spots where families could spend a refreshing and happening moment. After being at the place for a while we moved on to our next travel spot which was the marine drive. Like Mumbai Kochi too had its own marine drive that offered the travelers with the best view of the sea. One could see the beauty of the sea and the Chinese fishing nets in the area which is a sight worth enjoying. You could notice that it is mostly families that arrive at the place as you get to enjoy one of the best evenings seeing the sunset and tasting the roadside food in the area. Like all the others we too enjoyed a refreshing sunset in the place and then got back to the hotel after having the dinner from a restaurant on the way.
The next day morning we were woken up by the reminder call that we asked for at the reception. After refreshing, we got down to the hotel to have the breakfast which was complimentary. By around 10 am we checked-out of the hotel and then availed a cab from the hotel which was to take us to our next travel destination which was Munnar the queen of hill stations. Located to the western ghats of Kerala, Munnar is one of the most fascinating travel destinations that have always been one of the favorite travel spots for most of the travelers from around the world. It is a 3 to 4 hrs drive from Kochi to Munnar and we reached the place by around 12.30 pm. Instead of checking-in directly into the hotel, we decided to fit travel around exploring some of the travel destinations in the area and the check-in into the hotel by the end of the day. On our way to Munnar, our first stop was at the Cheeyappara Waterfalls which was en-route to the hills. The beauty of nature and the wild surrounding the hills is something that is admirable. Most of the traveler who was there at the place was families who were enjoying their day with their kids; the sight was worth enjoying altogether. After being in the falls for a while enjoying a bath we moved on with the trip. Our next travel destination was the eco-point in Munnar which was a place that was sandwiched between two hills producing the phenomena of echoing. It is mainly this natural phenomenon that is happening in the area that gave the place its name. With a small lake and valleys surrounding the eco-point was a perfect destination where families could enjoy some quality time together. Apart from the beauty of nature and the climate, the place also offers travelers with a number of adventures like boating, horse riding and more. As my daughter insisted on enjoying boating and horse rides both of us enjoyed the same. After being in the place enjoying some family time we moved on to our next spot which is the Munnar tea plantations. Filled with the gleaming beauty of nature and the tea plantations, most of the peaks in Munnar are filled with tea plantations. The place offers the travelers with the best view and a perfect spot for photographers. The climate and the mist in the area add to the mood. By the time we finished wandering through the plantations taking some pictures, it was already getting dark so we decided to check-in to the hotel. After a drive of another 45 minutes, we reached the hotel where we checked in and had the dinner after refreshing. As it was a trying day we slept real soon.
The next day morning we woke up by around 9 am. After refreshing and having the dinner we checked-out of the hotel BT 11 am. As it was our last day at the place we only had very few travel destinations to explore. The first place we went was to the Munnar tea museum which according to me would be a must-visit spot for all family holiday and travel packages organised to the misty hills in Kerala. The Munnar tea museum exhibited different verities of tea which starts from the white medicinal tea to the kid’s favorite chocolate tea. The both of us tasted almost all the verities and my daughter loved the chocolate so on our way back we bought a few chocolate tea bags and green tea bags. From the tea museum, the next destination that we moved on to was the top stations. Travelling for an hour we finally reached the top station from where we started our trek so that we could reach the viewpoint. Even though my daughter found the task very easy, it was really hard for me. Comparatively climbing down to the viewpoint was easier whereas climbing up was a real task. The view of the cloudy mist and the wild below was one of the best scenery that one can enjoy while at Munnar. It took us about an hour to climb back to the top station. The sandalwood forest was our last travel destination on the trip even though we didn’t have much time to explore the place we just had a small visit. By the time we started back to Kochi, it was 6 pm. After a very long ride back we finally reached the Kochi international airport by around 9.30 pm. From where we took the flight back home.
To be honest, Kerala is one fascinating travel destination for the family. The place not just holds within the beauty of nature but also have a very peaceful and calm climate that helps us relax and enjoy the time with one another. It is mainly the climate and the refreshing air in the best travel destinations in Kerala that helps in making a bond within families. The travel destinations in Kerala are not just about nature and hill stations but the place has much more to add-in to the list of attractions. The traditional centres, the cultural centres, the eco-friendly destinations, the backwaters, the beach destinations are all some of the other elements in the land that attract the attention of the travelers. Most of the tour packages that are being organised to Kerala would include almost all the attractions and travel elements. Offering the travelers with the best of attractions and being a state with the best potential in tourism Kerala is a must visit the spot to the south.