India: Munnar, Alappuzha & Varkala

Our third week (already) in India: so far, still good. We continued our Kerala visit in Munnar, kingdom of the tea plantations, Alappuzha, where we hopped on one of the famous backwaters cruise for one day and one night. We enjoyed the time spent on the boat very much, watching the daily life of the inhabitants of the shores and the thousands of birds. Then we proceeded to Varkala a beach resort destination where, for the first time since we left, we relaxed and unwind for three entire days.

Munnar, one of the tea producing region in India after Assam and Darjeeling in the north, was a refreshing stop after the hot weather in Fort Kochi. We visited the Tea Museum and learned about the tea processing. Then, we hit back the coast again, we tried to eat as much as fish and seafood as we can and we weren’t disappointed. Once more, we had a great time at homestays in Munnar as well as Alapuzzha meanwhile we pampered ourselves and went for a room upgrade at our beach resort in Varkala.

Munnar tea plantations

we did specifically enjoy

• Munnar: strolling in the tea plantations and watching the small monkeys playing in the trees.
• Alappuzha: the cruise in the backwaters. This is an ultra touristy activity and even being off season the canals sometimes looked like a highway for the boats. Nevertheless this was one of the most enjoyable experience we had so far and would totally do again!
• Varkala: the invigorating breeze of the sea and the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore was an ultimate way to relax.

Alappuzha backwaters

accommodations

• Munnar: Royal Mist a good homestay 2 min. away from the tea plantations, they were very friendly and Daniel could enjoy a quick hike in the plantations nearby with the owner, Anil.
• Alappuzha: Venice Castle a nice homestay close to everything but located in a quite alley away from the hustle of the traffic. They provided us with good advice on what to see in the area and were always very helpful.
• Varkala: Varkala Marine Palace a beach resort on Varkala Beach, we think we were the only customers for some days. The bedroom was huge and was perfect to relax. We made the most of the balcony and the lounge chairs (where we proudly wrote this article).

Varkala Sunset

restaurants

• The Thaff restaurant in Alappuzha. A nice joint part of a local chain, good and inexpensive food!
• The Coffee Temple in Varkala, the spot to have a coffee shot and where to meet people and backpackers from all over the world.
• God’s own country in Varkala, fresh fish and seafood to chose from the counter.

Best Kept Secret Tip

Visit the Lighthouse of Alappuzha. Constructed by the Brits about 150 years ago, it is totally worth climbing the wooden stairs to get a 360 degrees view of the Arabian sea.