If a person with an explorers mind reaches Kerala for a tour, they would never get enough of this state that has a lot of loop ways which opens the gate to few of the unexplored destinations. One such place I got to explore through my collective effort with my friends’ at the minimum cost incurred was Kuttikanam. The place is located at Idukki and is often not visited by the people because they already go to famous destinations like Munnar and Meeshapulimala when at Idukki. It turned out to be a gem of a destination that beamed in the nature of Kerala. In order to traverse, one would only require the enthusiasm to walk through the bushes to view the abode of nature. And hence, more than money, it is the effort that matter at this destination. When we set off on a Kerala tour package with price, little did we know that we would be able to scout in the best eco spot in the region. We flew from our hometown of Delhi and in three hours, reached the Gods own country where our tour planners, Dream Holidays rode us to Idukki.
As we approached Kuttikanam, the night had fallen and what we could experience at the destination was the slope we rode through to the hill station. The first day of travelling, we reached the Peeru hills that had been a part of ancient history. Tickets were not required to enter inside which was probably one reason we had been on an affordable tour. The destination seemed to be quiet and did not have tourists at all. We had already decided that we would be trekking to the destination where the hilly landscape had smooth trails.
After parking the car, we decided to walk to the summer palace of the royal family. The history of the place regards it to the existence of Sufi saint Peer Mohammed who had resided in the palace. Travancore Kings also used to reside in the palace which has now been changed into a government guest house where the government guests can stay. Even though the interiors of the palace and the wall paintings had remained rest of the things seemed new and probably did not belong to the past.
Ammachi Kottaram which had been the palace of a Travancore Kings wife was located here. It had been a small palace but the Nadumuttam or the courtyard seemed beautiful. I was told that it was a tradition here to have a courtyard and most of the old houses in Kerala contained one. In fact, it was still being maintained well by the authorities without losing the ancient charm of the place. The secret passage through the palace seemed interesting as well. When we had been to the Red Fort in Delhi, we had been through the secret tunnel which seemed to have an entrance to the Yamuna river. But when we walked through the secret passage here, I felt the intention of making it was not something secretive when the guide who had been a local resident of the place told me that it was just a way for the maids who were not allowed to walk through the normal hallways during that era. The Kerala tour package from Delhi had been going smooth where we were being rewarded with the best sights. Even though we had been to Manali when at Delhi, the place was covered in snow due to which we had not seen much of greenery which existed at Kerala. In no other place had we been that had this amount of plant life.
We walked further to the hilltop and began to realise that the place is a plantation town. A lot of the people in this destination were involved in working on the tea plantations. On having a small conversation with the locals, they said that they are paid a small amount for the services they render but are provided with three meals per day and the stay facilities are also provided to them in the region. Since wild animals wander across the region, the workers are to see to it that the animals do not enter the plantations premises. We walked through having casual talks with the locals and reached the hill top from where the sight was serene. The lake that had been flowing through and the hills that had been on the other side were a delight to the eyes. We walked back after spending some time in the ecstasy of being to the destination.
Grampi, at Parunthupara, was our next destination of the visit. The destination is famous for the rock sculpture located on the top. The way seemed sloppier and a lot of tourists had been in this destination climbing in groups. Most of them had come by bus on cheap rates from the district of Ernakulam. That was the magic that made the destinations in Kerala the dearest to the locals in the destination. They could also wander. Everyone is often taken aback by nature which makes the meadows of the region a paradise to the travellers.
We walked to the hilltop where we got to see people crowding the tip of the hill from where they get to see flawless nature showing off its beauty flamboyantly. I felt like nothing mattered more than this feeling that no money can earn a person. When in the comfort of nature that gives you nature cooling is there in your vicinity, nothing more matters and I truly felt the inhabitants of this region should be indebted for this bliss.
After striding through the place which seemed hard to leave, we set off to the base even when the eagle eye view of the destination remained in my mind. In a while, we reached a shop for some food after which we decided to make our trip more economical. While in the rest of the places we were indebted to make a payment, in the next destination we could just wander around in the pure creation of nature and maintenance by good human beings.
We decided to explore the real beauty of this destination along with a local of the region who took us to his agricultural land without incurring us a cost. Mixed aroma reached us where we could smell cardamom and coffee at the same time which was definitely much better than the polluted smell of Delhi. People had always been by the land taking the coffee beans and plucking cardamom.
Through the way that deviated both the section of agriculture, we walked. He insisted that we take some fresh output along with us when we thanked him for letting us in. The plantations were something that stood out in our mind and it was a sight which we got to capture once in a lifetime as a metro city never renders such scenic satisfaction. Hence we had surely been in the right place on the Amazing Kerala travel packages. As the evening started to fall, the birds residing in the region started to send the varied sounds to the tourists and fluttered in groups through the region which was also a priceless picture to be captured. A land like Kerala was surely at joy where anybody could reach the state on reasonable fare which was all I could think of before I went back to my hometown.