DocDivaTraveller

If there is something else Kerala is known for apart from backwaters and > 90% literacy, its the picturesque hill town of Munnar. So a trip to Kerala is definitely incomplete without a visit to Allepey and Munnar if not Thekaddy and Kovalam. However Munnar is not that near to Kochi. Its around 120 kms that too hilly route and not at all a day excursion place. It is to be experienced, to be savoured and to be felt. However we did the unexpected (like everytime) We did a day trip to Munnar from Kochi!

If you have been following our Malabar diaries, you must be knowing that we were on a very short trip to Kerala (5 days to be precise). So we had barely squeezed Allepey and Munnar into our itinerary. Munnar was on our third day. We could have easily made it a two days trip but I did not want to miss out the luxuries what Kochi had to offer. I am still in love with our hotel!

So we boarded the 7 AM bus to Munnar. The ride was rather bumpy. All the other passengers were local and they were astonished that we were on a day trip to Munnar; that too with such a small kid! Since Kerala is unbearably hot for most months of the year, Munnar offers the much needed respite. However we overestimated the expressions of our driver and the locals when they said that it was very cold over there. Now how could I have ever imagined that in the midst of December it would be warm on the hills? So I packed according to what our driver said long coats and sweaters. His hometown was in Munnar; so i believed every word he said about the weather there.

It was a five hour bumpy ride to the hills. We were relieved that we finally got to breathe the fresh air. The weather was unexpectedly warm. Actually we Delhiites are used to harsh winters and I had imagined the same in the hills. But since I had not packed substantial warm weather clothing, I and my daughter had to roam around in our sweaters! Poor us!

The first Aha moment was when we started spotting infinite acres of Tea Plantations. I had seen tea gardens in Darjeeling before (10 years ago) and had been in love ever since. Women were harvesting tea leaves (which is the tea bud: the first three leaves). A kind lady handed us over a bunch of tea leaves. Too bad they did not smell anything like tea!

We then decided to do an excursion of Munnar or whatever was possible in the next five hours. We hired a taxi which promised us to show all the important points. The first stop was the Botanical garden. Apart from satiating the latent botanist in me, the place had thousands of pretty photo ops! Rest of the spots of Munnar in the next post! Stay tuned!

Sweater: Zara

Sunnies: Fastrack

Skirt: Levi's

Boots: Forever 21

How important is a car? Is that even a valid question? No matter how developed a city's public transport is, a personal car is indispensable. With jobs becoming more and more demanding and thousands of errands to run, one needs a car always. And one car is not sufficient for the whole family. The father takes the car to his office. Now how does the mother commute? And grown up children too need cars...for going to tuition or for running errands. If you are filthy rich, you can buy multiple new cars. But if you are slightly less privileged or believe in saving, you might go for used cars! With so many sellers in the market, its a herculean task to find the right option. Here comes the role of Autoportal.com

Autoportal is an one stop solution for all kinds of motors: new cars, used cars, new bikes, spare parts, car loans , car insurance and even EMI calculators! In short, it deals with everything related to motors. They help a customer in a better buying experience by helping to choose the right car through different channels: website, mobile App with highly curated information. They have expert car consultants who are dedicated in helping customers choose the right car. They arrange test drives and arrange fair price quotes from their nearest dealerships without any hassle. Last year they had 40,000 car transacts. With tie ups of 750 dealers, they are present across 21 cities.

So how does Autoportal help you? It guides you firstly in choosing the right car of your choice. You may be contemplating on more than one car and you don't know which one to buy. It helps you compare all your choices on various parameters and thus you can zero down on your dream car. Secondly it finds you the right dealer in your own city. Not to forget it gives you the best price! You can breezily browse different cars based on your brand preference and budget before you decide which one to buy. The site also has auto news and updates to keep you abreast with the latest happenings and launches in the automobile industry.

Autoportal has always been rewarding. Not only the best quotes, but they also provide offers upto 38,000 INR to the customer after a successful transaction. And this Independence Day, they have become even more magnanimous! They have some super ahmazing prizes for grabs! A trip to Dubai, a trip to Goa and an I Phone 7 along with seven more exciting consolation prizes. The terms are very simple. All you need to do is book a car through Autoportal! Its all about #FreedomToExplore! Interested car buyers should check out here.

So hurry up! Only 15 and a half days left for the offer. Of course Autoportal had to extend this glamorous offer for the whole month of August. Because Independence Day celebration can't be restricted to a single day...I deserves one whole month! Its #FreedomToExplore. So here are the reasons why you should book a car through Autoportal :

1st Prize: Travel+Stay Trip to Dubai*
2nd Prize: Travel+Stay Trip to Goa*
3rd Prize: I Phone6 32 GB*
7 Consolation Prizes: Rs 5000* ICICI Gift Card

*Terms and Conditions Apply

Weather seemed to play unfair with us. Since the time we arrived in Alleppey, it was horribly hot and humid. We had sensed that rain might be on the cards because of the excessive humidity. However we soon forgot about it as we were too busy in exploring the backwaters on the shikara.

After we were done gazing the houseboats and mangroves and brackish waters, it was time to hit the beach. Alleppey is in Alapuzzha district and its beach is eponymous. However as soon as we reached the beach, it started pouring horrendously.

It was way past lunchtime and we were famished. Not to forget we had a two year old with us. We made to the biggest looking restaurant both for shelter and food. I ordered the Malabari fish curry while hubs ordered greens. We hoped that our munchkin will nibble rice but we were wrong. So we got mentally prepared to face her hunger tantrums.

We finished lunch, I changed my outfit (fashion blogger problems) and then gazed outside. It was still pouring crazily. Now what? Soon it would be office time and then it would be a nightmare returning to Kochi.

Now we had two umbrellas. Our daughter and our camera needed shelter. I could easily get drenched as I had plans of dipping into the sea. So hubs picked up our doll and all the belongings and umbrella and I threw out of the door into the rain like a free spirit.

The sea water was really warm and loved every moment in it. Soon the sky started clearing up. It was the first sea beach for our daughter. As soon as her father loosened his grip, she slipped out of his lap into the sand. She started playing with the silicon dioxide particles and there was no looking back! She even started attacking her Dad with fistfuls of sand (imagine her tiny fists). I was watching both of them from the water. Then I came to the dry area and took her to gave a taste of the Arabian Sea. And suddenly a whistle blew.

The lifeguards were on their patrol and they strictly forbade me to go into the sea. The sea was really rough with huge waves crashing because of the storm. Oh did I mention that the beach was absolutely deserted? Also in the meantime there were cyclones in Andhra Pradesh and their effects were clearly visible here. I immediately handed over our daughter to my husband and they again started playing in the sand.

I, as expected, did not want to come out of the water. I am not scared of the sea but I preferred to stay near the beach in case. The lifeguards came again and this time they gave me a real stern warning. I decided not to take any further risks. I too joined in the sand throwing game with my daughter.

The sky again started getting overcast. Before it could start raining, we hastily made our way to our cab.

Dress: Globus

You must have known by now what kind of green lover I am. I love the green fields, green leaves, parrots, green clothes and even two carpets in my home are green! However there is a specific shade of green which I am obsessed with. A lot of my acquaintances gift me some rather unpleasant shades of green thinking I would love it. But the truth is that I love only light green. Like the shade of paddy fields or newly opened leaves. Okay I love sea green too but that does not come under the category of conventional green...Does it? PS I specifically detest dark green, bottle green and olive green.

Woefully, even my husband does not seem to know this! Once he got a very expensive skirt from Qatar in olive green. Arghhhh!!

Well coming to the beautiful green fields. Once we started our shikara ride on the backwaters in Kerala, slowly we rowed across the lagoon to reach the tiny villages of Alleppey. There were thatched roof huts and lush green paddy fields everywhere. We had to explore them. So we asked the sailor to anchor our boat.

We jumped off from our boat to the swampy ground (easier written than done). The smell of the fresh air, marshes and the fields was beyond heavenly. I think I can't remember the last time I breathed this fresh air in India. Maybe decades ago. And why not. The life and environment there was simply unadulterated. There was no other way to reach those villages than by a boat. So no motor cars, no factory air. The villagers over there grew crops and harvested fish. An uncomplicated lifestyle. Some of the huts over there even served authentic Keralite food/ Malabari cuisine. With fish so fresh, they were bound to be lip smacking. However we decided not to eat there because of time constraints. So after prancing around the fields for a while and peeking into some of the huts, we made our way back to the boat.

Every trip of mine comes with a loss. I tend to lose dresses, accessories etc almost at every destination. This place was no exception. While trying to get back into the boat, my green bracelet fell into the water and I could not retrieve it :(

When I think of Kerala, just two thoughts cross my mind...more than 90% literacy rate and backwaters. Backwaters always fascinate me. I have experienced them in Chilika, Orissa, but they are not that famous. The Chilika Lake is the largest lagoon of Asia but its because of the laziness of Odisha Tourism that people don't know about it. Moving on, I was pretty impressed by the backwaters of Goa. Again people don't think of backwaters when in Goa. However the mangroves and the houseboats are equally good. Therefore, I was not new to backwaters. But still my travel history felt incomplete till I experienced them in Kerala.

The backwaters of Kerala start from Kochi and extend till the South. Allepey is the place where they are of utmost importance. Basically these are brackish lagoons which lie parallel to the Arabian Sea. They contain fresh water from the rivers mixed with water from the Arabian Sea. As a result, its ecosystem is unique as the flora and fauna are mixture of marine and freshwater.

We were on a very short trip. Just 5 days for Kerala is not enough. That too when the anchor destination was Kochi. However we tried to squeeze two day trips along with exploring Kochi: Alleppey and Munnar. Alleppey was on our second day.

Our port of call was just around 60 kms from our hotel and our cab driver assured that we would reach withing 2 hours because of the morning traffic. Thankfully we made it before noon and just after that the sun was at its best.

We earlier had plans of spending a night on a houseboat but then we changed our minds. Firstly we had already booked 5 nights in Kochi. Secondly the houseboats are really expensive. Thirdly we had heard too many negative reviews like the air con is not efficient and the lagoon stinks etc etc. So we just decided to explore the backwaters on a shikara.

Since the backwaters are an amalgamation of flora and water, the humidity is intolerable. However as soon as you step into the boat, the pleasant breeze wins you over. The place is quite commercialised as every boat owner tries to woo you. We did not book the shikara from the main place...they were quite expensive. Instead, we went to a lesser known area and sealed the deal. We booked the shikara for two hours of ride. As soon as we got into the boat and started rowing, the weather and the views got better and better.

Green has been my favourite colour since childhood and I could not be happier with the surroundings. Also numerous houseboats here and there enhanced the beauty of the place. As we rowed farther, all the boat to ourselves, me and daughter had the time of our lives while hubs photographed every little detail he could.