Up and raring to go with a 7am start

Down to reception where the hotel have prepared us little packed breakfasts ???? cucumber & tomato sandwiches, cardomom biscuits and fresh watermelon on the menu today

We get picked up by our driver and whisked straight to our 135km journey

We go past Chambakkara Market – a place to grab early morning local fish

Our driver also points out an area where rubber trees are grown – they have a plastic skirt on their trunk so that they can be cut and the rubber can “bleed” which makes sure only a little part of the tree is damaged

It’s interesting to drive around inland Kerala as it’s clearly more comparable to typical India whereas Kochi is very polished and clean

We have a little stop at a midway restaurant, Clay Oven, for a little coffee

Over Neriamangalam Bridge – 150 years old and still going strong

So many tourist activities along the way, including zip lining, giant cliff swing, an amusement park and even hot air ballooning

After 3.5 hours, we make it to Munnar

The air is so much cooler and we’ve just missed a big amount of rainfall so the air is even cooler and crisper than usual

We pass over a bridge where the hydro electric pipes go through beneath – made by the British – as well as past Ramaswamy Aiyar Dam

Into Old Munnar, the “I ❤️ Munnar” sign has a artistic elephant made of plastic bottles

The centre of Munnar has a market on and so many tuktuks!

We go on further as we’re heading for a mountain safari

Eravikulam National Park is Kerala’s first national park, from 1978

But tickets and get in a queue to be put on a very large mini bus

Driving for about 10 mins before we’re dropped in the hills

There’s a nature walk wiggling up the mountain where you get amazing views

This is where the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (goat) live

To the tea Museum

English first came to Munnar in 1790 – the land of three rivers

By 1880, we’d discovered the region was most optimal for tea to grow and had planted the first then

The first room shows a timeline of the area and then a second room shows a video documentary reinforcing this

It’s clear there was a butterfly effect of tea being produced in these hills as it gave unskilled men work, they were encouraged to live here with their families, the company employed their wives as well and had facilities to look after children

Unfortunately, there was an extreme flood in 1924 that killed many and destroyed the infrastructure that had been made

More recently, Tata owns the tea company and has gone as far as creating a school to help the special needs children of employees with free education

They have also dispersed efforts into fruit growing and this gives these children jobs when they’re old enough

The next room shows equipment, shipped from the UK, for the revolutionary communication needed with the growing area

Now onto the tea factory where there’s lots of machinery showing the whole process

We learn about the types of tea: green tea is where the leaves are briefly steamed, rolled and then dried; for black tea, the leaves are crushed, piled and ‘sweated’ where there air naturally browns them to change the taste and aroma (though takes away some of the health benefits)

Time for the next stop: Munnar Rose Garden – pretty little garden centre-like place

Back in the car and off to see Carmelagiri

Here, they have giant Indian elephants!

You can ride them but we opted not as we think it’s cruel, though they seem happy

We fed them instead ????

Back in the car and randomly get passed a fresh carrot to eat – our driver lives here and has lots of family connections, including this man who is his brother-in-law

Next stop: Mattupetty/Madupetty Dam – this was created as result of the 1924 flood

Though, just 15 years ago, there was another heavy rain and caused severe damage

We get out and see it; there’s a little market around in which we go through to go on a pedalo ????

Quick little ride on Madupetty Lake before completing all of our sightseeing for today!

A pitstop at “Annapurni” by Nimi’s Recipes before the big journey back: strawberry muffin, chocolate muffin and two masala teas

Now just to drive about 4 hours back to Kochi!

Just a couple roads away, we have a car accident – our driver must have been knackered from all the driving/was playing on his phone

Finally back, after walking the final leg, we’re starving and try the hotel restaurant: Feast

Chicken Kadai Murgh and Chicken Butter Masala with garlic naan

Absolutely shattered, we go to bed