Kochi was not a part of my original South India travel itinerary. It was instead an impromptu plan that the volunteers made with the director of Poornodaya Vidyanikethan, Anish, on a Friday evening.
Kochi is most famous for Fort Kochi, the fortification that was built around the city a long time back. You do not see the fort anymore now, but most of the points of interest lie within its plausible boundaries.
You can see most of the city in one day on foot! Amazing right?
So if you are on a tight schedule, this is how you can plan your time to explore Kochi. Read the complete post to know more!
Munnar is known for its endless tea gardens and unparalleled green landscapes. But the city was a lot more than just picturesque views for me. Read about my experience and tips to tour the city in this extensive travel guide.
The 5th stop of my South Indiatravels was Coimbatore, one of the major cities of Tamil Nadu state. I made a stop here to take a break from a continuous two weeks of travel across tiny villages.
Coimbatore is a big city, and I did not expect a lot from it. But it surprised me with beautiful, majestic views when I drove a little over 10 km from the city center.
Here is a detailed Coimbatore Travel Guide to help you spend your time in the city pleasantly, without worrying about the “big city” noise and pollution.
How to reach Coimbatore?
I took a direct Tamil Nadu state bus from Ooty to Coimbatore that cost me Rs110 for the ticket and 3.5 hours of the bus journey.
If you are not coming from very far, you can take a train or the state/private bus to Coimbatore. You can also take a flight to Coimbatore from any major city.
On my way to Coimbatore
The place is owned by Mr. Suresh, who found his calling in the hospitality industry. His love for his work was clearly visible from how the property was maintained.
The moment I entered the room allotted to me, I felt at home. The room was well-lit and extremely neat. The bedsheet was covered with another sheet to prevent dust from soiling it. The bathroom had all the essential toiletries.
My room did not come with a kitchen, but there were basic utensils, tea and coffee sachets, and filtered water to get the day started.
If you are also in Coimbatore for a few days and are looking for a homely stay, this place is just perfect.
PS: Mr. Suresh was really helpful in guiding me about Coimbatore’s places to visit and food to try.
A clean comfortable double-bed
The rooms comes with a table to work at
View from room
Things to do in Coimbatore
Eat Tamilian food at Annapurna Restaurant
When in Tamil Nadu, try Tamilian!
If you are a food enthusiast and love spicy food, Annapoorna Restaurant’s thaali is a must-have. It is one of the oldest restaurants in Coimbatore, serving South Indian meals for more than 50 years.
Enjoy an authentic Tamilian lunch meal at Annapoorna for just Rs 110.
PS: The service is not the most polite, but the place promises good food.
Tamilian meal
Pray at Maruthamalai Hill Temple and enjoy scenic views
Maruthamalai temple is situated on a hillock, around 10 km from Coimbatore city. Lord Murugan of Hindu mythology has the temple dedicated to him.
The temple is supposedly very crowded during peak hours of prayers. Luckily, when I visited the temple, there weren’t many people. I had enough time to look around and appreciate the intricate architecture of the temple. The panoramic views of the city and the hills around are another reason to visit the temple.
PS: The temple was not the cleanest, but if it is for the faith that you are visiting it, this should not matter much.
On the way to the temple
Nestled between the hills, is the Maruthamalai temple
Visit the magnificent Adiyogi statue at the Isha Yoga Center
With a backdrop of the hills, the Adiyogi Shiva statue looks so mesmerizing that it is so difficult to take your eyes off it. It is the world’s largest bust sculpture, and will surely leave you spellbound.
In addition to the Adiyogi statue, you can also pay a visit to the other parts of the Isha Yoga center, including the Dhyanalinga and Theerthakunds.
PS: You can rent a vehicle or take a bus to the Isha Yoga Center. It is only 30 km from Coimbatore city.
There are many more places that you can explore if you are in the city for a longer time. Ooty is just a 3-hour drive from Coimbatore. You can visit Kovai Kutralam waterfalls on your way to the Isha Yoga Center if you have sufficient time.
Ooty has welcomed tourists from all around the world for leisure and recreation for more than 50 years. And many people say it still looks the same – serene, quaint, and beautiful.
Use this travel guide to make the best of your time in Ooty.
The first and foremost thing that caught my attention was the ideology behind Poornodaya. It resonated with my idea of education. Read more about my experience!
If you are from India or a tourist in India, a place that you would never want to miss apart from the chilly mountains, is the God’s Own Land, Kerala. And so like many others, Kerala had been in my “must-visits” since a very long time. After a few years of failed plans, I was finally visiting this beautiful green land of India.
The first city I visited in Kerala was Wayanad, and I instantly fell in love with its endless greens.
Here is a detailed itinerary to help you plan your trip and cover the beautiful places of Wayanad in 2 days.
How to reach Wayanad?
If you have read my preceding posts about my trip to Mysore, and Coorg, you would know that I was in Coorg before I visited Wayanad.
There is no direct bus that goes from Coorg to Wayanad. So, I planned to go to Mysore first, spend a night there, and then take a bus from Mysore to Wayanad.
Regular KSRTC buses leave from Mysore to Wayanad. It takes around 4 hours by road to reach Wayanad from Mysore, and the general KSRTC bus ticket costs just Rs 140.
From Bangalore:
Many KSRTC and private buses go from Bangalore to Wayanad that take around 7 hours to reach.
From anywhere else:
If you are coming from far away, you can either take a flight to Bangalore and Mysore and choose the options mentioned above.
And finally, you can always rent a two-wheeler or self-drive car, or hire a cab to reach Wayanad.
Where to stay in Wayanad?
Wayanad is full of hotels, retreat centers, resorts, hostels, and homestays. I chose a homestay for myself, Kudajadri Drizzle, in Kanyambetta, a village near to the main town of Kalpetta of Wayanad district.
It was the first time I was staying in a homestay, and I could not ask for a better experience.
Kudajadri Drizzle is amidst the greens, and it was great waking up to the chirping of the birds every morning. My room had an attached bathroom, and it gave a feeling of rural lifestyle combined with the comforts of the urban world. The daily home-cooked Kerala food and endless conversations with the family made the overall stay a very comfortable one.
Places to see in Wayanad
You can hire a private taxi, or rent a scooter, or a self-drive car, or take local buses to tour around the city. Most of the viewpoints are within the range of 30 km from the city center, so it is better to either rent a two or a four-wheeler or take a private taxi. This way you can save some time commuting to the viewpoints.
And it goes without saying, the roads are beautiful and some times more intriguing than the actual destination.
Sit by the serene Karlad Lake
Famous amongst the adventure seekers, Karlad Lake was opened to the public some time in the starting of 2016. Apart from the many adventurous activities that the place offer, you can boat in the calm and serene waters of the lake or just sit by its quiet surroundings.
There are a few paid parking spots just outside the lake entrance, and also a few restaurants by them.
Visit Asia’s second-largest dam, Banasura Dam
Apart from being Asia’s second-largest dam, Banasura dam also had India’s largest floating solar power plant. Located around 3 km from Karlad lake, you can visit both of the places in one day.
With magnificent views of the water, Banasura Dam is a perfect place to adore the vast greens and blues of Kerala.
It was raining when I visited the dam, so the views though beautiful, were quite misty.
Enjoy the magical greens of Kerala from Phantom Rock viewpoint
This was a completely unplanned stop that I made on my way to Eddakal caves (another commonly visited tourist point).
As I mentioned before that the roads and the scenic views on the way to your destination might grab your attention, and you could have one of the best experiences of your trip. My stop at Phantom rock viewpoint was one such example.
I was driving by when I saw a beautiful turquoise color water body that was so enchanting that I couldn’t resist stopping by. While I was enjoying the view when the owner of a restaurant opposite to where I had parked, signaled me to go further and climb up a few rocks, to maybe get a better view. I followed his instructions, and I was welcomed by the most mesmerizing views I had seen so far during my whole trip.
There was not a single person on the trail and at the viewpoint, and I had the whole place to myself.
PS: It was on my way down, that I realized it was the Phantom rock viewpoint.
Walk back into the pre-historic times at Edakkal caves
I skipped Eddakal caves, because at the time I had not researched the place thoroughly, and didn’t know what it was famous for. Assuming that it will also have a similar valley view as was from the Phantom Rock viewpoint, I decided to skip my visit to Edakkal caves altogether.
But when I saw pictures of the caves later, I regretted not visiting it. Edakkal caves have ancient scriptures and carvings of the pre-historic time, which make them all the more interesting apart from the scenic views.
Visit the ancient Sultan Bathery Jain Temple
Sultan Bathery Jain temple dates back to 13th century. It served both as a religious site as well as a place where Tipu Sultan kept his armory (or battery) when he invaded Kerala. And this is where the town got its name from, Sultan’s Battery (Sultan Bathery). The temple is now a protected site under the Archaeological Survey of India, but you can still visit it inside and see the old temple ruins and statues of Jain Tirthankaras.
Hike to the highest peak of Wayanad district, Chembra Peak
Famous for the heart-shaped lake that you see on your way up to the peak, the climb up to the Chembra Peak is very scenic, surrounded by lush green tea plantations.
You need prior permission from the forest department for this trek. During monsoon, the hike to the top of the peak is forbidden, so do a little bit of research before you make your plans.
And as for the heart-shaped lake, I saw one on my way to Banasura dam. So if you are most excited about just that lake, you can skip hiking to Chembra peak.
I could not visit the peak because of lack of time and the required permissions, but I am sure the hike and the views from the top are gorgeous.
Crazy greens, cozy homestay, lovely hosts, and scenic views – my experience in Wayanad was full of it.
I am currently touring across South India, and Coorg (or Kodagu) was the second stop I made after Mysore. Also known as the Scotland of India, Coorg is a perfect stop for nature lovers. It is a hilly district of the Karnataka state, which is why the temperature here is a little more cooler.
I met my friend from college, Ankita here and we spent two days exploring this beautiful town. Read the post to know how our experience was and also get tips to plan your trip to Coorg.
Having stayed in Bangalore for some time, I had heard a lot about the city of palaces from friends. Mysore had been in my “must-visit” list for a long time, but somehow I never made a deliberate plan to visit it.
I was in Hyderabad when at an impulse, I decided to do a South India tour before I returned home. I planned Mysore to be the first city that I’ll visit as part of the “official” tour. Here’s a complete personalized guide to help you plan your trip to the “City of Palaces”, Mysore.
The top places to see in Mysore.
